Guide
Plan a family reunion
Settle four things early: the dates, the place, who pays what and who cooks. Run a date poll first, then book a big house ten to twelve months ahead for July; at the Outer Banks many houses rent Saturday to Saturday. A rough budget is $600 to $1,500 per adult for a summer week, before travel, mostly the house.
A family reunion trip comes down to four decisions: the dates, the place, who pays what and who cooks. Settle them early, because big houses book up a year ahead. Beach towns such as the Outer Banks in North Carolina work well: large rental houses, a week-long rhythm and something for every age.
The example week below has the places on a map, ready to copy.
The checklist
Pick a date window and run a date poll before anyone books. Decide on the place and the kind of house: how many bedrooms, a pool, stairs for grandparents. Agree on how costs are split, per adult, per family or per bedroom.
Book the house, then the big outings. Share out the meals, one family per night. Plan one family photo and one big dinner.
Make a shared packing list for the house, and one for each family.
Why the Outer Banks
The Outer Banks are a string of barrier islands with towns from Corolla and Duck in the north to Nags Head and Hatteras in the south. Large oceanfront houses are common, and many rent by the week, often Saturday to Saturday. The Wright Brothers National Memorial, Jockey’s Ridge, the lighthouses and the wild horses of Corolla give every generation something to do.
An example week
Saturday: check in, dinner at the house. Sunday: a beach morning. Monday: the Wright Brothers National Memorial, then sunset on Jockey’s Ridge.
Tuesday: fishing on Jennette’s Pier. Wednesday: Bodie Island Lighthouse. Thursday: a wild horses tour in Corolla, the Currituck Beach Lighthouse and the Duck boardwalk.
Friday: the family photo and the big dinner. Saturday: checkout. Leave most afternoons free for naps and the beach.
| Day | Plan |
|---|---|
| Saturday | Check in, dinner at the house |
| Sunday | A beach morning |
| Monday | The Wright Brothers National Memorial, sunset on Jockey’s Ridge |
| Tuesday | Fishing on Jennette’s Pier |
| Wednesday | Bodie Island Lighthouse |
| Thursday | Wild horses in Corolla, Currituck Beach Lighthouse, the Duck boardwalk |
| Friday | The family photo and the big dinner |
| Saturday | Checkout |
What to book early
The house, ideally ten to twelve months ahead for July. Read the rental’s policies on cancellation, storms and evacuation; summer is hurricane season. Then the horse tour and any tickets for The Lost Colony, the outdoor drama in Manteo.
Keep every booking in the trip, with its time, so the whole family can find it.
Budget per person
A rough range for a summer week is $600 to $1,500 per adult, before travel, mostly the house. Children usually pay less or nothing, which the family should agree on. Groceries split across a big group are cheap.
Write down what the shared budget covers before the house is booked.
Scale this range to your group and your nights
| Trip | Rough range | Biggest cost |
|---|---|---|
| A summer week | $600 to $1,500 per adult; children usually less | The house, split by family or bedroom |
What to pack
Beach towels, sunscreen, hats, a beach umbrella or tent, chairs, sand toys and a cooler. Some rentals do not include sheets and towels, so check and add them to the list. Shared things for the house go on the shared list, with one family responsible for each.
Plan with the whole family
Invite everyone to one trip from a single link; they sign in with Google or email. Each family adds ideas and marks the ones they want, so you can see what works for the grandparents and the kids. On the trip, the Today view shows the day’s plan on everyone’s phone.
Splitting costs by family
Record the house, the groceries and the outings in Awayfolk with the payer and how each is split. Exact amounts let you split the house by family or by bedroom instead of evenly. It works out who owes whom and records repayments as they come in.
Awayfolk does not move money, so settle up however the family usually does. A copied example trip starts its money in US dollars.
Updated 3 November 2026
Image credits
- A wide, windswept beach near Nags Head on the Outer Banks: Jarek Tuszyński · CC BY-SA 3.0
- Road 815 winding through Lofoten: rheins · CC BY 3.0
- Warm light and baskets of vegetables outside a restaurant in Yūrakuchō, Tokyo: Basile Morin · CC BY-SA 4.0
- The beach at Tulum: Tony Hisgett · CC BY 2.0
- Boats in the green water of Vernazza’s little harbour, Cinque Terre: Davide Mauro · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Reine and its still fjord below the Lofoten peaks on a summer day: Petr Šmerkl, Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0
- The sand dunes of Maspalomas on Gran Canaria: Tony Hisgett · CC BY 2.0
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