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Yeah, with two kids, it'll quickly add up, especially airfare! Just paying for four flights would probably cost around $1,600 - 2,000. Throw in hotel, food, rental car, etc - I feel like a week-long vacay for a family of four would probably cost around $3,000 - 4,000.

i don't think this is something you can really make a blanket statement about what you should be spending- so much goes into it! where you're going, if you're flying, do you need to rent a car, are you eating out every meal or cooking some there, are you hanging out on the beach the whole time or buying amusement park tickets or renting ski equipment/lift tickets/lessons for a family of 4 for a week? the variables are just too great. set a budget you're comfortable with, then plan your trips accordingly.

lots of people look to ditch their timeshare weeks & you can rent a condo in a vacation area for very little, have your own kitchen & cook many of your meals to save money, but for some people, it's not a vacation if they have to cook & clean up after themselves, so it depends on the individuals. there are lots of ways to cut costs. prioritize the things that make it feel like a vacation for you, do something memorable, and skimp on the rest if you have to.

We don't fly - we drive (10 hours) to Myrtle Beach every year and it costs probably $1500 or so? We also have 2 kids and we grocery shop and eat most meals in the condo!

@Sparkler: I totally agree. I am a notorious spendthrift, but I have never regretted the money I spent on travel. Cars, houses, that I have regretted!

I'm not sure what the ages of your children are, or where you live, but if not being oceanfront is something you're going to have to consider, I would suggest possibly trying out a place where that is a feature of the experience? As a kid my family always stayed on Sea Pines at HHI, and we never had ocean front. But we loved the bike trails and so it didn't feel like an imposition to bike to the beach, plus it was shaded. It is less fun to be at the beach at a place where it is just a giant row of highrises, and then the people off of the beach have no view and have to traverse a crowded street to get to the beach. My parents took us to HHI when I was around 10 and the kids were 2 and 4. We rented a bike with a trailer for the twins and my mom had a bike with a baby seat on the back, and that's how we got to the ocean every day!