Can I activate add back up my information to a new device without going to the store?

Vondergraf

In order to bypass going to the Apple store, my thought was to:

Backup our old phones on iTunes

Purchase and activate new phones at a Verizon store (keeping the same phone numbers)

Restore the backup on the new phones

Will that work? We want to make sure we don't lose our contacts, photos and music.

Momma23dogs

Your thinking is correct.

things to keep in mind:    The new phone must have enough storage to accommodate the restore of data.   ( if you filled up a 32  GB 4S, you should get a 32 GB iPhone 6)

When you activate with iTunes, you will be prompted to restore as "new with backup from....." Your old iPhone.

Enjoy the new phone!