Because of varying reasons over the years, I've never had both the time and money to be able to take my family on vacation. Well, I've been busting my ass for several years to try and get in the position where I could, and this is finally going to be the year! Problem is, I've realized I have absolutely no clue how to actually plan a vacation. Until now, all of them consisted of tiling bathrooms or motor swaps in cars... that kind of stuff.
I've poked around on a few travel deal sites but frankly, that's an exercise in confusion.
So, my questions are:
Is it worthwhile to use an agency? (do they routinely find the best values?)
If so, any recommendations?
If not, what is the most reliable way to find the best value in hotel/airfare?
Is there anything besides travel/logding/meals/activities that I must pay attention to ahead of time?
Any particular destinations/activities that you or your families recommend?
Bang for the buck, aka "value", is my paramount concern, since this will probably be the only family vacation my oldest son gets to go on before he's on his own.
As always, thank you fine folks in advance.