Taking the whole family on vacation—grandparents, parents, kids, and grandkids—can be an incredible experience. But before you start making reservations, there are a few important things to consider to help ensure everyone has a wonderful time.
In this episode of Travel Talk, we’re sharing our favorite tips for planning a multigenerational vacation that brings everyone together while still allowing each family member to enjoy the experience in their own way.
What Is Multigenerational Travel?
Multigenerational travel, sometimes called multigen travel, is when grandparents, parents, and grandchildren travel together.
You may also hear the term skip-gen travel, which refers to grandparents taking their grandchildren on vacation without the parents.
Both types of travel offer wonderful opportunities to make memories and strengthen family relationships.
At Magical Memory Planners, we’ve planned many multigenerational vacations, and we know how much coordination can go into bringing everyone together. From accommodations and reservations to activities and transportation, there are a lot of moving parts.
That’s where working with a travel advisor can make a difference. We help coordinate the details so your family can focus on enjoying the experience together.
Here are some important things to think about as you begin planning.
1. Everyone Doesn’t Have to Do Everything Together
This might be the most important tip of all!
It’s easy to imagine the entire family spending every moment together, enjoying every activity, and having a wonderful time. But realistically, that might not be the best approach.
Instead, plan for a combination of whole-family experiences and smaller group activities.
For example:
- Plan a family dinner where everyone comes together each evening.
- Let the grandparents spend time with the grandkids while the parents enjoy an adults-only evening.
- Give individual families time to enjoy activities with just their own children.
- Plan a special outing for the cousins.
- Arrange a spa day for the ladies or an adventure for the guys.
These smaller experiences can be just as meaningful as the moments when everyone is together. The key is recognizing that everyone doesn’t have to participate in every activity for the vacation to be a success.
2. Choose a Destination That Works for All Ages
One of the first things to consider is the age range of everyone traveling. Some multigenerational groups include babies, young children, teenagers, parents, grandparents, and even great-grandparents. Others may include teenagers and active adults in their 60s or 70s.
The right destination depends on who’s going and what everyone enjoys.
Some options to consider include:
Theme Park Vacations: These can be wonderful for families with different ages and interests, especially when everyone has the flexibility to enjoy activities at their own pace.
Guided Vacations: An Adventures by Disney trip to Europe or a family adventure in Costa Rica might be a great fit for active families. It’s important to consider the youngest travelers and whether everyone can comfortably participate in the activities.
Cruise Vacations: Cruises are especially appealing for multigenerational groups because they offer activities for different ages and interests. Younger children can enjoy kids’ activities, adults can choose their own experiences, and family members with mobility concerns may find it easier to navigate the vacation. Excursions also allow different family members to choose activities that suit them.
Whether you’re considering Alaska, the Caribbean, Europe, or somewhere else, start by thinking about the abilities and interests of everyone in your group.
3. Consider Mobility and Stamina
When planning a vacation for multiple generations, mobility and stamina are important considerations. And this doesn’t just apply to grandparents! Young children may need naps, while other family members may not enjoy long days filled with constant activity.
A guided vacation with full days of sightseeing might be wonderful for an active family, but it may not work as well for someone who needs frequent breaks.
Theme park vacations can offer more flexibility. Your family might enjoy the parks together in the morning, return to the hotel for an afternoon break, and then have some family members head back out for the evening.
Cruises and all-inclusive resorts can also work particularly well because accommodations are generally convenient to the activities.
On one of our own multigenerational vacations, my parents stayed with our youngest children while we took the older kids kayaking. It was a perfect arrangement! My parents weren’t interested in kayaking, and the little ones weren’t old enough, so everyone enjoyed an activity that worked for them.
When choosing your destination, consider how long everyone can comfortably participate in activities and how easy it will be to take breaks when needed.
4. Think Carefully About Accommodations
Where everyone stays can have a big impact on the overall vacation experience.
Some families love the idea of sharing one large villa, while others prefer having separate rooms and a little more privacy. At certain theme park resorts and all-inclusive properties, multi-bedroom villas can accommodate large families, sometimes 10 to 12 guests or more. For some families, this arrangement is ideal. For others, having everyone together in one space might be a little too much togetherness!
Another option is to book individual rooms at the same resort. You might choose rooms next to each other or have the grandparents stay in a different area of the property. This gives everyone some personal space while still making it easy to spend time together.
Cruises offer similar flexibility. Families can choose staterooms close together or spread out around the ship. There’s also the option of selecting different accommodation categories based on each family’s preferences and budget. For example, grandparents might choose a larger suite where everyone can gather, while their adult children and grandchildren stay in balcony or ocean view staterooms.
Think about how much space and privacy each family needs before deciding on your destination. If having everyone in one large accommodation is a priority, that may influence where you choose to travel.
5. Plan Time Together and Time Apart
While this connects to our first tip, it’s worth giving some additional thought to how you’ll structure your vacation. Time together and time apart doesn’t always happen naturally, especially with a large group.
Planning these experiences in advance helps make sure no one feels left out and everyone has opportunities to connect.
At some all-inclusive resorts and on cruise ships, kids’ activity programs allow the adults to spend time together while the children enjoy activities of their own. You might plan a spa day, a couples’ outing, or special time for grandparents and grandchildren. These smaller gatherings can help family members reconnect, strengthen relationships, and enjoy experiences they might not otherwise have together.
It’s also important to think about the types of activities you want to enjoy before choosing a vacation. If a spa day is a priority, for example, an all-inclusive resort or cruise might be a better fit than a guided group vacation with a full schedule.
Consider what everyone wants to do and which family members might enjoy doing those activities together.
6. Decide Who Is Making the Decisions
Planning a trip for a large family can become complicated when everyone has different opinions. That’s why it’s important to establish who will be making the final decisions.
Maybe a small group of family members will coordinate the planning. Perhaps grandma and grandpa are hosting the trip and will make the decisions after gathering input from everyone.
Whatever arrangement works for your family, make sure it’s clear from the beginning. It’s equally important to discuss who’s paying for what. Will the grandparents cover the entire vacation? Will they pay for accommodations while each family handles its own transportation, meals, and activities?
These conversations are important because not everyone may have the same financial flexibility. You don’t want family members to feel pressured into spending more than they’re comfortable with simply because they don’t want to miss the trip. And if someone is generously paying for the vacation, it’s still important to consider the needs and preferences of everyone attending.
Open communication about decision-making, expenses, and expectations can prevent frustration later.
7. Discuss Expectations Before You Travel
Finally, make sure everyone understands what the vacation will look like before leaving home. If the plan is to have dinner together every evening, communicate that expectation. If there are specific family excursions, activities, or meals that everyone is expected to attend, discuss those plans ahead of time.
It’s also important to be realistic about what each family member can comfortably do. For example, if a young child won’t be able to participate in a particular activity or follow a certain schedule, it’s better to work through that before the vacation rather than discovering the problem after you arrive.
Make sure everyone understands:
- Which activities are planned for the whole family.
- When there will be free time or smaller group activities.
- What expenses each family is responsible for.
- What everyone should bring.
- Which experiences are especially important to the group.
Having these conversations early helps everyone arrive with a shared understanding of the trip.
Creating Memories That Last for Generations
Multigenerational vacations—and even skip-gen trips with grandparents and grandchildren—can become some of the most meaningful experiences your family shares. They can become traditions that children and grandchildren look forward to year after year.
These trips are about more than the destination. They’re opportunities to strengthen relationships, create special moments, and build family memories that carry into the next generation. With thoughtful planning, your family vacation can be an experience everyone remembers for years to come.
At Magical Memory Planners, we love helping families bring these trips together. Whether you’re considering a cruise, an all-inclusive resort, a theme park vacation, or a guided adventure, we can help coordinate the details and find an experience that works for your family.
Ready to start planning your next family adventure?
Contact Magical Memory Planners and let us help you create magical memories together.
