The Complete Guide to Planning Multigenerational Family Vacations
According to recent data in the travel industry, multigenerational travel has grown by over 40% in the last decade. More families are choosing to travel together across age groups, and the reasons extend far beyond simply saving money.
Strengthening Family Bonds Across Generations
In our increasingly digital world, multigenerational vacations offer precious face-to-face time. Grandparents gain extended periods of time with grandchildren beyond just the brief visits during the holidays. Adult siblings can reconnect without the distractions of daily life. Cousins that live in different states can forge genuine friendships. These experiences create stories, inside jokes and memories that become part of your family’s identity for many years to come.
Cost Sharing Makes Bucket List Destinations Achievable
Let’s talk about the practical benefits. When you split the costs across multiple family units, suddenly that luxury villa in Florida or that Caribbean cruise becomes financially feasible. Group discounts on activities and accommodations (if meeting criteria for room numbers) or sharing accommodations can reduce the per-person expense. Many families find that they can afford more upscale experiences when pooling their resources.
Creating Lasting Memories Together
There is something uniquely powerful about shared family memories. Vacation time creates opportunities for memory-making. Years later, your family will still talk about the time everyone went whale watching off the coast of Hawaii, or when Grandpa caught that trophy fish. These moments become the fabric of your family history.
One of my favorite photos from this past year was when I captured my daughter sitting on the balcony chatting away with grandma and watching the sun set. Such a sweet moment.
Bridging Generational Gaps Through Shared Experiences
Teens who may otherwise be glued to their phones are suddenly engaged when out for a walk with Grandpa. Grandparents may gain new perspectives while watching parents navigate the challenges of travel with young children. Shared challenges and adventures can create understanding, empathy across the age groups in ways that daily life doesn’t provide.
Choosing the Perfect Destination for All Ages
The destination that you choose can make or break a multigenerational vacation. The key is finding a place that offers enough variety to keep everyone engaged while not exhausting the older or younger family members.
Beach Destinations
Beaches are the most popular choice for multigenerational travel. They naturally accommodate different energy levels and interests. Active family members can parasail, swim or play beach volleyball while those seeking relaxation can lounge with a book.
The beauty of beach vacations is their inherent flexibility. There’s no pressure to stick to a schedule or planned activities. Each family member can come together for meals or specific activities while having the freedom to choose other daily activities.
Theme Parks and Entertainment Resorts
Theme parks might seem geared toward children, however modern entertainment resorts have mastered multigenerational appeal. Several theme parks offer adult-only dining experiences, thrilling rides for teens and character experiences for young children.
All-inclusive entertainment resorts combine relaxation by the pool or beach with onsite waterparks, kids and teen clubs and adult-only areas as well.
Cruise Vacations
Cruises can be a fantastic option for multigenerational groups. Cruise ships are essentially floating resorts that offer something for everyone. You unpack once and see multiple destinations during your trip. Ships can offer pools, water parks, daily entertainment, lectures, kids and teen clubs and adult-only areas.
National Parks and Nature Retreats
National Parks can offer educational value, amazing scenery and activities for all levels of ability. Some parks offer drive-ups or short walks for those with limited mobility. Scenic drives can also offer a spectacular experience without the extensive hike. Meanwhile, if you’re feeling adventurous, you can opt for hiking, horseback riding or rafting. The beauty of a national park destination is that groups can split up during the day and reunite for evenings around the campfire and recount their adventures from the day.
Addressing the Challenges of Multigenerational Travel
To be honest, multigenerational travel can be challenging. Traveling with family members that utilize a wheelchair, or walker requires some research and planning ahead. Cruise ships generally excel at accessibility. All-inclusive resorts can vary widely. National parks increasingly offer accessible trails.
Balancing Active Excursions with Downtime
The biggest mistake families can make is over-scheduling. Just because a destination has a lot to offer, does not mean you should do it all. It can be helpful to build in downtime or rest, especially for young children or the elderly in your travel party.
Managing Costs and Expectations
Money can cause more vacation conflicts than almost anything else. Having frank conversations prior to booking is important. Who is paying for what portions of the trip? What is included in the shared costs and what is considered to be extra?
Respecting Different Vacation Styles
Some may be early risers while others are night owls. It is not wise to force everyone into the same schedule. Try to meet in the middle for main activities if wanting to experience as a group.
Some may be adventure seekers while others enjoy all relaxation. Everyone’s definition of the perfect vacation may be different. Try to find a destination that can address all of the styles. Cruises and many all-inclusive resorts are great fits for the various levels of activity.
Activities That Everyone Can Enjoy Together
While splitting up can make sense for your travel party, there can be some magical moments for your multigenerational group when it comes to shared experiences.
Beach time and pool days can offer something for everyone. Some can swim or play while others read, chat or relax in the shade. No scheduled activity-just being together.
Cultural experiences can captivate all ages. Guided tours can offer a balance of movement, education and history.
Photo opportunities or special dinners can aid in creating and capturing those memory-making moments.
Pro Tips from a Travel Advisor
After years of planning my own multigenerational trips and for others, certain strategies consistently lead to success:
Book early for group discounts or prime room locations. Especially for cruises, booking 10-12 months in advance is ideal in order to secure the best value and selection.
Consider shoulder season travel. If school schedules allow, traveling during May or September in the Caribbean; May or September-October for Europe provides savings over peak season rates. You will have fewer crowds and often more attentive service.
Plan at least one “all together” meal daily. It can be a wonderful opportunity to gather to discuss plans, share experiences and maintain connection while traveling together.
Build in flexibility as rigid schedules can lead to stress. Not everyone likes to travel the way you do. Leave space in your itinerary for spontaneous decisions. Sometimes the best vacation moments happen when you’re flexible enough to take advantage of unexpected opportunities. On a recent cruise, I appreciated the flexibility in our schedule to change plans and just stay on the cruise ship. We had a great time just spending time together and had the entire pool to ourselves!
Assign a point person (or work with a travel advisor!). Group planning can become chaotic with too many cooks in the kitchen. Designate one person to be the primary planner who gathers all the input from others. If that seems overwhelming, hire a travel advisor who specializes in multigenerational travel. We coordinate all of the details and handle problems that arise-letting families focus on enjoying their time together rather than focusing on logistics.
Making it Happen: Your Next Steps
Multigenerational travel can reward you with memories that transcend typical vacations. Yes, it can take a lot of effort and requires balancing everyone’s needs. However, the payoff of watching your children bond with their grandparents, cousins, aunts or uncles can make every bit of planning worthwhile. Seeing your family truly relax together and creating stories that you will laugh about for decades to come is why we plan multigenerational vacations.
As you begin planning your adventure, remember that perfect vacations do not exist. Someone will get cranky, weather may disappoint, plans can change and that’s alright. The beauty of family travel is in navigating those imperfections together, supporting one another and celebrating the joys in life-simply being together.
About the Author: Sara is a Rochester, Minnesota-based travel advisor specializing in multigenerational travel, family cruises and all-inclusive vacations. With a background in mental health and a passion for creating meaningful connections, she understands the unique dynamics of family travel and crafts experiences that bring generations together.