The first vacation we ever took as a family was when The K Man was a week shy of two years old and I was pregnant with Miss Q. It was a hot June week, and although I wasn’t originally thrilled about a tropical getaway when the sun was shining at home, the deal was too good to ignore. As it turned out, our summer vacation was just as amazing as if we’d gone with a foot of snow on the ground.

And that brings me to the six reasons you should totally book a family getaway this summer — and why you should do it with Air Canada Vacations:
1. Air Canada Vacations is having an INSANE sale for summer travel: kids fly, stay and eat for free* with select vacation packages to Mexico and the Caribbean when booked between April 11-29, 2018, for travel between June 23 to August 31 this year. So good, right?!
Even without this killer deal, summer travel in the tropics is almost always cheaper anyway, making it a great time to visit a resort for which your budget might not work during peak winter months. But let’s be clear: I’m going to be right alongside you trying to see what’s available with Air Canada Vacations this summer and the best trips are going to be snapped up quickly, so you’re gonna want to get on this ASAP.
2. You don’t have to worry about pulling your kids out of school. Or worse: taking homework with you on vacation (which, yes, we’ve had teachers give us!). Although mine are still young enough that I don’t worry too much about yanking them out to travel, as they reach middle-school age I know we’re going to have to pull back. My friends with high-schoolers never travel during the school year. Summer travel is where it’s at.

3. Regardless of what month it is when you go, there’s still going to be people cooking your meals, cleaning your room and serving delicious cocktails (and mocktails, of course). And that all feels just as awesome, even in the summer — trust me.
4. No layers, coats or boots to contend with on the airplane! It’s all flip flops and shorts from door to door.
5. The ocean breeze. Because it’s going to be super hot in most parts of Canada in July, too. The biggest difference? The wind coming off that crystal clear blue water in Mexico and the Caribbean will cool you right off. It’ll probably end up feeling much more comfortable than sticking around for the stifling humidity at home.

6. Fewer guests. So many families shy away from tropical travel in the summertime and that means you’ll have more of the resort to yourselves. Those crazy waterpark lineups you’ve faced before? They’re probably going to be a lot shorter, if there are any at all. À la carte restaurant reservations? No problem, mon. Your pick of the best poolside loungers? Check.
Now all that’s left is to do is start counting down the days until your summer holidays. Happy travels!
*Terms and conditions: New bookings only. Minimum 7-night stay required. Non-refundable. Subject to availability at time of booking. Select packages and room categories only. Economy class only. Packages must be booked with a minimum of 2 adults per room. Applies to a maximum of 2 children between the ages of 2 and 12 per room unless stated otherwise. Offer not applicable to connecting flights. Taxes, fees and service charges will apply and must be paid by traveller. Offers expire at 11:59 p.m. ET on the date indicated.
DISCLAIMERS: Air Canada Vacations compensated me for this post. All opinions are my own and I am genuinely excited to find a great vacation deal for my own family. All photos property of Andrea Traynor/Mommy Gearest.
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