In this episode of Travel Talk, Allison helps you understand what multigenerational travel is, and includes tips and a few ideas on the best types of destinations to go to. Listen and find out how to create those special memories for your family.
What is Multigenerational Travel?
Multigenerational travel is when different generations want to travel together. Usually, we see grandparents, parents, grandkids, aunts, uncles, and cousins in a multigenerational group. Sometimes the grandparents are paying for all or most of the trip and in other cases, each family is paying for their own portion. Sometimes the group is big enough to qualify for group rates and other times not. A multigenerational group trip can bring up a lot of questions.
Why Multigenerational Travel?
Great memories are made, especially on vacation. Sometimes families only get to spend time all together during the holidays or at a birthday or celebration and being together for a few days on vacation is a great time to really connect. Other families may live in different parts of the country so they don’t get to gather for celebrations and a vacation destination is a better location for everyone to reconnect. In other cases, families get together regularly and what better way to spend time with your family than on vacation. No matter the reason, multigenerational travel is a great way to create special memories for your family. Grandparents can spend time with grandchildren, parents/adult siblings can reconnect, and aunts and uncles can spend more time playing with their nieces and nephews. And don’t get me started on the cousins! It’s a nice opportunity for cousins to deepen their relationships too.
Where Should Multigenerational Groups Travel?
There are lots of options for multigenerational travel, but I have a few options that work really well for families. First, is cruising. Cruises offer a variety of experiences for different age groups, but can have everyone come back together at dinner to reconnect. The ships are the right size to be able to find family easily without scheduled meetups. You can choose rooms altogether or you can select different categories to accommodate different price points and amenities. Cruise lines work great with groups of all sizes.
Secondly, I recommend all-inclusive resorts. There are lots of options throughout the Caribbean and Mexico. Many are family-friendly and since most everything is included, it is easy to budget what the trip will cost and once you are there, everyone has what they need. Groups can break off to go to the spa, play golf, or go on excursions, but everyone can meet up for dinner, and spend the days together on the beach or by the pool. All-inclusive vacations have a laid-back atmosphere, which is nice for relaxing and spending time together.
Lastly, if there is a bucket list destination or if you want to learn more about your heritage as a family then a guided group tour can be a great idea. There are private options or small groups so that it can be just your family. You can travel with other families which can be fun too. Some tour companies actually plan a tour based on your personal heritage or you may want to visit a country that your family is from.
Theme parks are fun for families for sure, but if you have a larger group it can be difficult to move as a group or to see each other during the vacation. It is best for family groups of around 12 or less. For larger families, especially if there is a wide age range, it may be challenging to do.
How Do You Put Together a Multigenerational Group?
There are many ways to plan your multigenerational group vacation. No matter who makes up the group, the same issue arises. Traveling with a big family group can be very overwhelming.
The best thing to do is reach out to a travel agency (like us) that works with multigenerational travel.
I recommend starting with a family meeting. Decide on who is paying, what type of travel you are looking to do, and possibly a location or narrow it down to a few locations. Figure out a timeframe or travel dates that work for everyone.
Next, schedule a meeting with your travel agent. Give your travel agent the information you decided on and have the family decision makers meet with the travel agent. You will get their recommendations on the best options for you.
A travel agent will be a HUGE asset to help you keep your group organized and answer all your questions. The agent will also manage payments which is very helpful if you have each family paying a portion or separately. It can be a lot to plan a big trip and having a professional do all the planning is a huge help.
Tip: Create a family trip logo and some fun merch to hand out like stickers, hats, bags, or shirts.
When Is the Right Time?
Well, the answer to that is now. There is no time like the present. Time moves quickly and if you don’t start taking steps then the trip may never happen. Starting the conversation with family is the first step. Is this something everyone wants to do? Are you a grandparent and want to do this for your family? That is amazing first of all, but get the conversation started. Start with, “What do you think about us all going to …?”
We love to help families travel together. Magical Memory Planners has planned many multigenerational trips and even planned them for our own families. We would love to help you too!
