The fun-loving characters on Modern Family stay close to home throughout the series, but every so often, work or leisure drives the Dunphys, Tucker-Pritchetts, and Delgado-Pritchetts outside of their four walls and into a new environment. The series follows the extended family as their children grow up, exploring the relationships between parents and children, in-laws, cousins, and siblings along the way.

Over 11 seasons, the family-oriented group headed to the Midwest, their own state of California, and abroad. During each excursion, the large family learned something about themselves and learned from their past mistakes. Regardless of where in the world these families are, they're always together and bonding on different levels. But each getaway isn't created equal. Some vacations go horribly wrong but have a sweet ending, or some are just stressful, making some Modern Family vacation episodes better than others.

Palm Springs, California

In the fourth season, the entire family traveled two hours to Palm Springs for a little getaway for New Year's Eve. Jay claimed this specific hotel was the best of the best, and he had fond memories of being there in the past. But when the group showed up, things had changed. The hotel wasn't what Jay remembered, and no one was impressed. Each couple wanted to do something else instead of watching the ball drop at a dinner table. Because of the disagreements and the rundown hotel, this getaway wasn't their best trip.

While it's true that some of the dysfunction and arguments are entertaining for the audience, what makes Modern Family work is just how much heart there is to the show. It's usually evident that the group, as much as they get under one another's skin, truly wants to be there for one another. This episode doesn't have that same feeling.

Florida

To be fair to the Dunphy family, heading down to Florida was anything but a real Modern Family vacation; they were there for Phil's mom's funeral. While the Dunphys were grieving, everyone else was just happy to get out of California for a short while. Mitchell was excited to get away from his job and help Gloria in the Florida courtroom. Cam enjoyed meeting senior citizens who loved to gossip as much as he did. The kids were content being outside lounging in the Florida sun.

While it was a somber affair, everyone came together to support Phil and Frank and had a special time. That's what made the episode work better than New Year's in Palm Springs. It genuinely felt like these characters were going to be there for one another, even when a funeral service led to a sort-of-vacation.

The Mountains (Somewhere In California)

In "White Christmas," Gloria wanted the family to have a white Christmas, so she planned a holiday getaway in the mountains. The entire clan made the trip, including little Joe's "manny," Andy. Gloria warned everyone that it was going to be cold and snowy but when they got there, she realized she read the temperature in Celsius — it was the opposite of cold and snowy. That meant the vacation wasn't exactly what everyone expected, though the weather wasn't the only surprise.

The Christmas getaway ended up being a dramatic yet loving family affair. Everyone found out that Haley was sleeping with Andy, Jay announced he was retiring and giving the company to Claire, and Alex realized she wasn't the nicest person to her family. It was an endearing episode and a quaint getaway compared to some of the more extravagant Modern Family vacations.

Disneyland, Anaheim, California

In the third season, the entire family heads to Disneyland for a day of fun. Alex and Haley are excited to have a handsome guest join them, Cam and Mitch are embarrassed at having Lily on a leash, and Gloria tries getting Manny to act like a kid while she walks around the park in her high heels. The day was especially fun for Luke and Phil, who went on as many rides as they could.

While Disneyland isn't far from their homes near Los Angeles, it's still a day-cation that got everyone out of their comfort zone. It's also one of the great ensemble episodes in the series. Every member of the Dunphy-Pritchett-Tucker family has a moment to shine in the episode. From Jay getting Gloria giant slippers to sisterly bonding, there's something for everyone's favorite character.

New York City, New York

In "A Tale of Three Cities," the Dunphys are wrapping up a summer getaway in New York City. When Claire and Phil decide to take a road trip back home, the Dunphy kids secretly stay in New York a little longer without their parents knowing. This episode was sweet because it showed the siblings actually getting along and enjoying their time on the East Coast. It's rare to see all three Dunphy kids getting along in the show. While Alex and Haley get a lot of storylines together, Luke is often paired off with Manny instead.

Funny enough, Phil and Claire also decided to stay behind in New York City. The couple and their children almost ran into each other a handful of times but dodged each other. Those near-misses keep the audience entertained, even though other family members aren't involved in the storyline.

Las Vegas, Nevada

In season 5, all of the adults went to Las Vegas for a weekend of fun, leaving the kids out of this particular Modern Family vacation. As usual, motives got twisted and white lies were told, which made this weekend getaway chaotic instead of fun. That chaos, however, is what makes the episode so entertaining for the audience. There's something great about seeing the grownups getting into the same kind of antics the kids would.

Mitchell ran into his ex-boyfriend, which stirred the pot between him and Cam, Phil was trying to impress a secret world of magicians, and Claire spent the whole day trying to make money back that she borrowed from their savings. At the end of the trip, it seemed like everyone enjoyed their time but the drama that followed their lies was par for the course in Las Vegas.

Jackson Hole, Wyoming

"Dude Ranch" had everyone traveling to Wyoming for a Modern Family vacation unlike the others. Instead of going to a popular city where shopping and eating are at the forefront, the entire family went for a Western experience in Jackson Hole. Cameron felt completely at home surrounded by rolling hills and horses, but everyone else was a little out of their element.

Phil was upset that Jay didn't respect him, and Jay was upset that their host was flirting with Gloria. To add more flames to the fire, Dylan joined the Dunphys. He proposed to Haley at a campfire, which caused quite a stir between Claire and Haley, but also foreshadowed Dylan and Haley's future in the series. As always, the family became closer after the trip, but a lot of drama had to happen to get to that point.

Paris, France

When Jay was seemingly given a big-time award for the closet industry, most of the family traveled to Paris to support him during the ceremony. Phil surprised Claire on the trip, Cam had the opportunity to be a street-performing clown, and Claire ran into an older lover. However, when Jay found out he didn't actually win the award, the trip took a turn for the worse.

What made the episode even better was that eventually, the whole family came together to bring Jay's spirits back to where they belonged. Oddly enough, this episode didn't have Haley, Lily, or Joe in it. And Alex and Luke only made brief cameos. It proved that the series didn't need to involve the entire cast to make a Modern Family vacation episode work. The larger the ensemble, the more chaos a story could bring, but episodes like this one worked well.

Maui, Hawaii

"Hawaii" was a fun episode for Modern Family because Gloria planned a surprise trip to Maui without Jay knowing it. She invited the entire family and even paid for most of their tickets. When the family arrived, Phil tried turning the vacation into a makeshift honeymoon for him and Claire, and Jay was shocked when he realized how old he was getting. It was also in this episode that Haley got drunk for the first time, which oddly brought her and Claire closer together.

The end of the episode was the best part because Phil planned a surprise wedding for him and Claire. The duo had planned to honeymoon in Hawaii when they first married, but Claire finding out she was pregnant with Haley had them marrying at the courthouse and putting any other plans on hold to care for their first child. Phil wanted to make sure Claire finally got the honeymoon and even the wedding she dreamed of.

Sydney, Australia

Traveling to Sydney, Australia is a once-in-a-lifetime kind of trip because of how far away it is from North America. The fact that everyone was able to make the trip was very special for Phil. It was because of his mom's passing that the family traveled to Sydney in the first place. Phil wanted to feel connected to his mom and planned an entire trip surrounded by family.

As always, plans went awry and things became dramatic in the best kind of way. Phil felt like Australia hated him, Mitch and Cam realized their Australian friend was actually a celebrity, and Haley and Alex taught Lily about boys. It was fun to see everyone's favorite modern family down under.

This particular episode brought all of the best aspects of Modern Family vacation episodes together to create the perfect one: a little family drama, some chaos, and, of course, the entire family united.