Traveling with family members from different generations is a rich and rewarding experience. Not only are new memories created, but family bonds are strengthened.
And what better time to create memorable travel experiences with our loved ones than the holidays!
My name is Tee McNeill, and I’m an award-winning personal travel advisor. Over the last few years, I’ve had the privilege of helping countless multi-generational families with their travel plans. From family heritage trips to Ireland, a family gathering in Costa Rica, and a destination wedding in Rome, I’ve planned it all!
What Matters Most: Forging Family Connections
How do you create long-lasting memories that will have everyone looking forward to the next trip? This is what multi-generational family travel is all about.
It’s never about zipping through as many activities on your itinerary as humanly possible or getting as many Insta-worthy photos as you can. It’s about bonding and forging connections with the people closest to you.
If there’s something the pandemic has taught us, it’s that we should never take meaningful human interactions for granted. In fact, people are moving away from the pre-pandemic travel patterns of getting as many passport stamps as possible or being overly focused on checking off boxes on their bucket list.
Post-pandemic travel is now about nurturing genuine and heartfelt interactions with your travel companions, your desired destination and the local people you meet there.
In this article, I’ll share a few ideas and tips on how to plan a well-thought trip for two or more generations of parents and their families; one everyone will truly appreciate and enjoy.
Finding Your Travel Inspiration
Every family trip begins with someone pitching a trip idea! But before you started planning an itinerary for an exotic travel destination, you’ll first have to agree to travel together!
The most important part of planning a multi-generational vacation is ensuring that everyone is on the same page. Try to schedule a time when everyone can meet up over lunch or join a group video call to discuss the idea of traveling together.
Assuming everyone is amenable to the idea of a family trip, you can then move on to the next stage.
Discuss the where and the when.
Who’s paying for the trip? How much is each group member or family unit willing to spend? The budget will help guide the location and style of the trip.
Also, figure out what time of year works best for everyone and narrow down a few potential dates that might work.
This is a good time for people to start sharing their travel ideas. Multi-generational vacations have been trending for several years, and people have spent the last year dreaming about travel. So, you can be sure there’s no shortage of travel inspiration!
That said, there’s no amount of research you can do or any number of travel magazines you can read that can have you 100% prepared for every curveball your family trip might throw at you. I recommend hiring a travel advisor to help with the planning.
Bringing in a professional early on ensures you have someone reliable to simplify the often complex planning process and help your families navigate all the challenges you are bound to face.
Navigating Complex Family Dynamics
Personality clashes, occasional emotional storms and behavioral patterns — every family has its fair share of these. Sadly, vacation planning is not spared from these family dynamics, and it can quickly become a divisive issue.
That’s why you need to set the proper foundation for the trip during the planning stage.
Here are a couple of ideas to help you along:
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Create a safe space for communication
When the pandemic hit, many multi-gen families were forced to put a pause on traveling together. But as more and more travel destinations reopen, the conversations are restarting. However, now everyone might be on totally different pages.
For example, there may be differing views on COVID-19 travel complications. Some family members might be vaccinated and others may not be vaccinated at all. How do you find a middle ground? And how can you make sure that whatever you do works for everyone’s comfort (and safety) level?
These are real concerns that didn’t exist before the pandemic. This is why it’s critical to create a safe space for all family members to share their ideas and express healthy, respectful discord.
Remember to ground the conversation on why this vacation matters to everyone in your family. This way, you all have common ground to start on.
A good starting point is creating a WhatsApp group or private Facebook group where everyone can freely share their opinions on the trip. If you’ve hired a travel advisor, make sure to add them to the group chat.
A travel advisor is not your typical travel agent from thirty years ago. Today, they take on a much more significant role—part psychologist, part concierge, part dream maker, to name a few of the multitude of roles they fill.
More than that, you never know when you might need a neutral third party to calm things down when they get heated.
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Is it your first trip together (or first trip in a long time)?
During a trip, you have to work together and coordinate multiple activities. The longer the vacation, the greater the probability of disagreements arising—especially if you haven’t seen each other in a while.
Imagine being stuck on a long trip with tensions flaring up over what activities to prioritize or a myriad of other issues.
A vacation is supposed to be an opportunity to relax and renew, rather than a source of stress, so it’s vitally important to figure out a strategy for dealing with discord early on.
That’s why you should consider a short trip with just a few days/few activities to test the waters. If you have never traveled with your parents, grown-up kids or grandkids before, it’s a good idea to keep it simple the first time.
You can start with a short weekend trip with a brief itinerary and build from there. Before you know it, the journey is over and you are back home, already fantasizing about the next one.
Let me share one of my best travel tips. It’s been a lifesaver for so many of my clients’ trips!
Even with a tight-knit family unit, issues will arise during a trip. That’s why I always recommended having one free day in the middle of the itinerary where there are no scheduled events or activities.
On this day, each traveler is free to decide what they want to do on this day. It’s around the middle of the trip when people start getting fed up with each other, and a day away from each other can do wonders and restore excitement for the family activities.
This is only one of many travel hacks that I’ve garnered over years of creating itineraries with the right amount of free time, activities, and flexibility that a multi-generational vacation needs. Learn how I can help you plan your trip.
Choosing a Domestic vs. International Destination
The pandemic has really upended the travel landscape, especially when it comes to international travel. Now you have to take into account post-pandemic travel complications if you want to travel outside the country. It’s even more complicated for multi-gen families than solo travels!
For most family groups, a domestic trip might be an ideal option.
No passport, no visa, and, in most places, no COVID tests are required to travel locally.
Worried about safety in small numbers? You can opt to escape into nature and wide-open spaces over city breaks.
People seeking active adventures might want to view wildlife on private ranches or explore any one of the spectacular National Parks such as the Grand Canyon, Yosemite, and Yellowstone to name a few.
More laid-back travelers might enjoy a private wine and culinary tour in Sonoma County which offers idyllic picnic grounds and picturesque vineyards or kick back at an all-inclusive resort stay.
All in all, the United States as a travel destination offers countless must-see sites as well as off-the-beaten-track treasures that most guidebooks overlook.
Alternatively, consider a staycation instead. There are many activities you can enjoy close to home. You can organize picnics, trips to your local or state park, or spend time visiting galleries in your neighborhood.
Still determined to travel internationally?
Save yourself unpleasant surprises and delays by checking for restrictions at your final destination and anywhere you might transit along the way.
Travelers now have to worry about the entry requirements for each destination. Which countries require a COVID-19 vaccination or a 14-day quarantine, and which doesn’t? If you insist on an international trip, give yourself plenty of time to plan it properly, at least 12-18 months. The demand for travel is higher than it’s ever been so give yourself time to gather rates, check availability, and new COVID travel protocols.
Or, better yet, tap into the knowledge of an experienced travel consultant and make life easier for yourself. Check out my COVID-19 travel services.
Building a MultiGen Family-Friendly Itinerary
Never underestimate the effort it takes to pull off a successful vacation with multiple generations. You are dealing with various people who have diverse interests and travel styles.
Most multi-generational trips disappoint when people excitedly stuff as many activities as possible in their journey. Despite the good intentions, this often tends to backfire.
Also, just because you are a family traveling together doesn’t mean every excursion has to be a group activity.
To plan a successful multi-generational vacation, you have to ensure it’s inclusive enough for everyone to have a good time together while still leaving room for individual expression.
Ensure the trip itinerary offers activities for each member of the family. So if one family needs some time alone or wants to go exploring on their own, no feelings are hurt.
A perfect example is from a family heritage trip I planned recently. The entire family went kayaking together in the morning, but later on that day, the daughter & son-in-law went hiking while Mom and Dad went to the pub for live music and a few pints. Everyone was happy, that’s what I call a win-win!
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Travel Destinations for 2022?
Though the pandemic is not yet over, multi-generational travel is picking up again with vaccine rollouts and lifted travel bans.
However, expectations are changing! Travelers now want more authentic, immersive experiences where they can connect with local cultures as well as each other. To guide you into the new year and prepare you for a year of travel, I’ve compiled a list of the top trending destinations for 2022.
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Planning the Perfect Trip for Your Large Family
Many families often turn to turnkey services that offer pre-packaged tours. But with modern travel becoming more sophisticated as travelers find themselves more in tune with what they desire, even these are starting to fall short.
If ever there was a time to engage a travel advisor to help your multi-generational family sort through their options, simplify the logistics and bookings, navigate the new travel landscape and plan the vacation of everyone’s dreams, this is it.
Not only can I secure great perks (hard-to-get dinner reservations, behind the scene tours, room upgrades, to name a few) for my clients, but I can handle other crucial details such as ensuring that everyone in your travel party adheres to local COVID 19 travel protocols.
Working with a personal travel advisor will undoubtedly save you time and hassle and quite possibly money.
Nothing will give you more peace of mind than knowing that you have someone experienced and knowledgeable overseeing your journey while your loved ones bond over an enjoyable vacation. Spend more time reconnecting with family members and less time stressing!
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Expressing Gratitude this Holiday Season
We have every reason to be thankful for new opportunities to reconnect with family, some of whom we haven’t seen for months on end.
Not only does it feel emotionally and spiritually good to have a grateful outlook on life, but the benefits of gratitude are scientifically proven to affect everything from your relationships to your stress level to the quality of your sleep.
Take some time to express your gratitude and spread cheer to your dear ones this holiday season. Who knows? It very well might sow the seeds of a family vacation!