I planned an action-packed family vacation so good that it got my teens off their phones. We're never going back to basic trips.

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Author Christina Valhouli and her family smiling
On boat

Christina Valhouli

My sisters, mom, and I go to a new place every year in honor of my late dad's birthday. It's brought us closer together.

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The writer, her mom, and her sisters on a Pink Jeep tour in Sedona.
caption TK

Danielle Bauter

When we go on family vacations, one of us arrives 3 days early without our kid. It's the secret to our happy marriage.

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The writer and his wife on the water in Kauai.
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Walker Loetscher

My family rents the same beach house every summer. We never feel like we're missing out by not going somewhere new.

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A composite image of a home on a hill surrounded by trees, and Holly, her husband, and two daughters sitting on a beach.
We vacation in the same rental home every year.

Holly Humbert

I stayed with my kids on an active volcanic island in Italy. It was the best trip of our lives.

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Stromboli volcanic island

Photo by Gianni Sarasso/Getty Images

My teenagers loved our trip to Italy. Booking a guided group tour made it easy for me.

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The author and her family at the Vatican Museum.
The author and her family went on a guided group trip of Italy.

Courtesy of Terri Peters

I was skeptical about cruises for years. Then, I spent 8 days on one with 12 relatives of all ages.

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The writer's family about to get on a cruise ship to Alaska, pictured in the background.
Before going on this cruise, my family of 13 had never been on vacation together.

Pamela Vachon

We took our kids to fancy resorts in Bali, but we were all happier once we moved to a cheaper accommodation with less frills

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Green rice fields in Ubud surrounded by palm trees
One of our favorite accommodations was located in Ubud.

intek1/iStock / Getty Images Plus

I took my 3 kids to India to relive my study-abroad days. Traveling in my 40s is a whole new kind of magic.

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Family posing in front of the Taj Mahal in India.
Wendy Altschuler visited the Taj Mahal when she traveled back to India with her husband and three kids.

Wendy Altschuler

My sister and I have wildly different vacation styles. Dragging her family on my kind of trip was eye-opening.

Tech Insider : Travel, Travel, Business
Author Alesandra Dubin smiling with her sister on couch with view of ocean and resort in background
My sister and I often prefer different kinds of travel.

Alesandra Dubin,

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