Ever go to book a European holiday, particularly of the family-friendly type, and discover that the prices for that particular period were unexpectedly high? A possible reason for this could be increased demand for travel during local school vacations. So what to do to ensure your holiday doesn’t clash – or clashes only minimally -- with those break periods?

First off, it’s handy to remember that in Germany, children’s school holidays are determined by the Bundesland in which they live. Also, unlike the one-week school vacation periods you’ll typically find scattered through Department of Defense Dependents Schools or a U.S. public school schedule, mid-term German school holidays can stretch over a period of a couple weeks.

While getting away for Easter weekend might appeal to you, bear in mind that this holiday falls within a two-week vacation period for the majority of school-age kids in Germany!

Conversely, when it comes time to plan a summer vacation for the whole family, it might be wise to remember that at the end of June and first weeks of July, most German youth are still confined to the classroom. Could this lead to shorter lines at Europapark? It’s always worth a shot.

A number of Web sites can fill you in on vacation periods in Germany. Here are links to just a couple:

http://www.schulferien.org/

http://www.familienurlaub-in-europa.de/services/schulferien/schulferien_deutschland_2008.htm