For some, the thought of organizing multigenerational travel—spending weeks in a foreign country with both parents and children—can feel like an infuriating nightmare. However, if your family dynamics are sound and you can navigate occasional emotional turbulence and longstanding behavioral quirks, the advantages of planning multigenerational trips greatly outweigh the potential challenges. Our family has embarked on numerous multigenerational adventures over the years, and we’ve learned a lot along the way. Before you start packing your bags and calling Grandma to arrange that Amazon jungle trip, there are several important factors to consider. Here’s a comprehensive guide on how to successfully plan and execute a multigenerational family vacation.
What is a Multigenerational Family Vacation?
In recent years, there has been a notable increase in multigenerational travel. (The American Travel Industry Association estimates that over 5 million family vacations each year consist of three or more generations.)
So, what exactly is multigenerational travel? These vacations provide an excellent opportunity for extended families to create lasting memories on holiday together. Typically, such trips include grandparents, adult children, their kids, and sometimes even other relatives.
Families often plan these trips to commemorate reunions or celebrate special occasions. The benefits of a multigenerational holiday are vast and significant: sharing the costs of accommodation, food, and travel; strengthening familial bonds across generations; celebrating personal and family milestones; and creating unforgettable memories together.
How to Plan Multigenerational Family Travel
1. Start Planning Early
So, everyone has agreed to travel together! But what type of vacation is everyone interested in? Are you looking for a week at an all-inclusive resort, a stay at a dude ranch, an adventure in a national park, a cruise, or perhaps a month-long tour of Europe? Are you coming together to mark a special family event, or simply to explore a new destination?
Gathering input from all participants about a year before your intended departure is crucial. This will help you decide on the type of holiday everyone is interested in.
It’s essential to consider the ages and physical capabilities of all family members during your planning process. If you’re traveling with infants or elderly relatives with mobility challenges, your itinerary may need to be adjusted accordingly.
Activities that involve long hours of walking, like exploring Rome or biking along the Danube, may not be feasible. Be realistic in your planning to avoid disappointment and fatigue.
2. Coordinate Travel Plans
With many families living across the country, it’s important to decide whether it’s best for everyone to depart from the same place or to meet at your destination. Designating a trip planner from your group, or hiring a travel agent, can streamline this process, as one person can manage research and make informed recommendations for the entire group.
Many airlines offer group rates for large families traveling together to the same destination. Additionally, if you need multiple vehicles, try to negotiate better rental car rates, but be sure to assess your needs on the ground first. Who will drive, and what kind of space will you require? What are the costs involved?
Renting a mini-van for 6 or 8 people is practical in North America, but in Europe, it might be more cost-effective to rent two smaller cars, due to higher rental costs for larger vehicles. Use online travel sites like TravelAlerts, Auto Europe, Kayak, Travelocity, or Expedia to compare prices across airlines and rental companies.
3. Budget for Multigenerational Travels
Nothing adds stress to a trip like financial concerns. Even when pooling resources with family to save money, discussions about who will cover what expenses and how costs will be divided are essential.
Unless your wealthy uncle has offered to cover the entire trip, discussing your travel budget well ahead of time is advisable. Establish a payment plan before booking any flights or accommodations to mitigate misunderstandings and avoid possible resentment among family members. Bringing this topic up may be uncomfortable, but failing to do so can ruin your trip and lead to long-lasting grievances.
4. Find a Home Away from Home
Accommodation is often the largest expense during any trip. One significant advantage of multigenerational travel is the cost savings achieved through shared resources and communal living arrangements.
Look for vacation rental apartments or hotel rooms that offer multiple bedrooms and kitchen facilities. Staying in one place and preparing some meals in your accommodations, rather than dining out three times a day, can save you hundreds of dollars, particularly on an extended trip.
Finding suitable rental accommodations has never been easier, with multiple websites that offer reviews and booking options for apartments, hotels, and hostels worldwide, including HouseTrip, Airbnb, TripAdvisor, or Booking.com. Additionally, Google Street View allows you to see the location of your potential rental to ensure it’s in a convenient area.
Home exchanges are also an excellent way to save money while exploring new places. Two of the top options are HomeLink and HomeAway.
5. Patience is a Virtue
Ideally, having a good relationship with one’s parents or in-laws is beneficial, but even the best connections can face challenges, especially after a long flight or when navigating unexpected situations, like lost GPS signals on a road trip.
Identify your personal triggers and conflicts—things that have historically tested your patience. If you anticipate that a family member may exhibit behavior that could disrupt your trip, address it beforehand.
Consider strategies for coping, such as taking a walk or finding a quiet space to regroup. Alternatively, have an open conversation to address the issue directly. Ignoring conflicts can quickly turn a dream vacation into a stressful ordeal, especially when you’re together for an extended period.
6. Be Prepared to Compromise
When Grandpa desires a day on the golf course but the kids want a trip to Disneyland, how do you decide?
Like life, traveling with an extended family involves recognizing the necessity of compromise. By planning ahead, you should have a clear understanding of everyone’s holiday desires.
Each family member should be willing to give a little to receive something back, from young children and teenagers to adult parents or grandparents who may be used to getting their way.
It’s wise to schedule your daily activities in advance, based on location or type of event. Developing a flexible itinerary allows everyone to input their ideas, ensuring that each family member can enjoy at least one of their personal highlights—whether it’s a family beach day, a museum visit, or an afternoon of shopping in the city.
7. Celebrate Togetherness
Spending quality time on holiday with family is a wonderful privilege and the main reason people embark on multigenerational travel. It’s a chance to bond, strengthen family ties, and collectively enjoy vacation activities. We have celebrated numerous milestones worldwide, creating cherished memories.
For young children and grandparents, a family holiday nurtures and fosters their unique relationship, creating fun learning experiences about family history. For adult children, multigenerational travel allows for shared activities with their parents.
Additionally, the built-in babysitting arrangement can give parents of young kids some much-needed time alone.
It’s also important to plan separate activities to accommodate everyone’s needs. Older relatives may desire some downtime away from energetic kids, and planning independent pursuits for each age group can keep the holiday enjoyable for all.
Each family member can enjoy their interests during certain times, and regroup for meals to share stories from the day. Achieving a healthy balance of independence will keep everyone feeling positive about the trip.
The key takeaway? Use the multigenerational travel experience to reconnect with each other. It’s a rewarding way to strengthen family bonds and preserve relationships across generations.
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Photo Credits: C. Laroye
Have you ever been on a multigenerational family vacation? Did you enjoy it, or was it a disaster? Share your thoughts and tips in the comments below.
Claudia Laroye is the founder and publisher of ClaudiaTravels. An award-winning writer, content creator, and author, she is a recognized and trusted travel expert with decades of experience in adventure, family, and sustainable travel. Her family book, “A Gelato a Day,” was published in fall 2022.
