This article originally appeared in Conde Nast Travel.
Planning family travel has never been so complicated. We've been dealing with coronavirus-related travel restrictions for months, and with the holidays approaching—the most stressful travel season even before the pandemic—the challenges are adding up. Between young ones restless from being cooped up at home and the draw of visiting family members who live elsewhere, many are trying to figure out how to get back out there cautiously.
Road trips became the main form of travel this past summer, as we've shied away from planes and trains, and the trend shows no sign of waning. (RVs, too, have started to look enticing as a way to move broods around.) But as we enter the colder seasons—with many families juggling another semester of remote learning—quick weekend getaways that minimize time on the road seem preferable. For those based in New York City, places like the Poconos or the Hudson Valley provide an easy escape. All-inclusive resorts, meanwhile, take the heat off some of the planning if you want to go further afield—to Mexico, say, or the Caribbean—as borders continue to reopen.