How do you manage family visits?

Curious how other people on this sub manage/organize visiting family abroad/or in the distance.

For context, my partner and I are both from different countries, and while we don’t plan on moving back to either of our home countries, we're trying to decide where to settle down and build our home/careers. One of the major factors in the decision is how to manage visiting our families.

I'm curious to hear how others in similar situations handle this. There are so many considerations—cost, time, environmental impact, and the emotional aspect of missing out on smaller family occasions. Plus, with two families to visit, it‘s even more complex.

So, I would be really interested in what others have settled with and what works for you, e.g.:

• How often and how long do you visit your family, and how far are they from where you live?
• How do you manage the costs and time off work?
• Do your families visit you, and if so, how often and for how long?
• Do you set aside specific times each year for family visits?
• How do you balance family visits with taking holidays for yourselves? Etc.

Really appreciate any tips, learnings, considerations, and experiences!