So why is the multi-generational family travel a growing movement? Because families are realizing that family vacations provide opportunities to enjoy leisurely activities together, to get to know one another better, and to develop more appreciation for each other.
The trend includes family members of all ages, from grandparents down to small children. According to a recent survey, 66 percent of grandparents travel with their grand kids. They either travel alone with the little ones or with the entire family. Among U.S. parents with kids living in their household, 44 percent of kids take at least one trip a year with their parents/grandparents.
Tips to Ensure the Best Family Vacations
For most, traveling goes smoothly. There can be challenges, however, especially with larger groups. To ensure your multi-generational family vacation is fun, safe and rewarding, keep these tips in mind.
1. Get the Whole Family Involved. You probably have a family member or two who will say "I don't care what we do, you can decide," but rarely do they mean it, or if they do, they may regret saying it once the trip begins.
For the best family vacations, include everyone involved in the decision making process, from where to visit all the way to what activities they want to be part of. When everyone feels like they have a say, they are more likely to feel like they played a part in making the trip a success.
2. Choose Your Destination Wisely. There is no right or wrong place to vacation; the key is to visit a place that everyone will enjoy. Talk about your preferences as a group and then come to a compromise where everyone will have fun and be happy.
3. Plan Something for Everyone. No matter where you are traveling or what time of year, you will find plenty of tourist types of activities. However, the key is making sure that a few of your activities are appropriate for all the age groups you are traveling with. The wider the age range in your extended family, the more opinions you will want to consider.
4. Be Clear on Financial Responsibilities. When putting together all the details, make sure to consider everyone's travel budget and discuss who will pay for what. you may have one person who foots the bill for the majority of the trip or everyone may be responsible for paying their own way. It's important to talk about all of this up front so everyone knows about their financial obligation, not just for the major costs like airfare and overnight accommodations, but the smaller expenditures as well.
5. Take a Break From the Family. Even though it is so much fun to travel with family members, everyone needs a little time away from each other. Take time to enjoy an afternoon without the rest of the group or divide the kids amongst the grownups. Then regroup at the end of the day to share special stories about your experiences.
6. Turn to a Vacation Planner if You Need Help. Planning the best family vacation, for most, is part of the fun; but if you're feeling overwhelmed or your group is having trouble agreeing on family travel ideas, you might prefer to have a planner help. They offer many options to remove stress from your travel preparation and help coordinate the trip.
7. Capture Every Moment of Your Trip. Since multi-generational trips don't happen as often as we would like, make sure to grab hold of the memories. Knowing this is a special trip, take lots of pictures and videos including a number of silly photos to recall the funny moments.
More and more, families want to travel together. Instead of grandparents heading on vacation alone, or just mom, dad and the kids taking a trip, everyone wants in on the fun. Traveling together creates solid bonds and special adventures that often can;t be found anywhere else.
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