One of the hottest trends in travel over the past few years is multi-generational travel – think grandparents, parents, kids, aunts, uncles, cousins. With families geographically spread out across the country more than ever, multi-generational family vacations might be the one time each year (or each couple of years) that everyone can get together.

If the idea of planning this type of vacation – with different ages, interests and personality types – is giving you hives already, don’t worry. We have some tips to help make for smooth planning and of course your AAA Travel Consultant is always ready to offer up expertise and do the heavy lifting to make sure your vacation is stress-free and full of wonderful memories.

1. Plan well in advance: with busy schedules it’s difficult to get a block of time where everyone is available, so start planning a year or more in advance.


2. Discuss the expectations ahead of time. Is the goal to spend a lot of time together? Maybe a house rental on a lake would be best. Is it to have a lot of adventures? Perhaps a theme park or all-inclusive resort would accomplish that? Is it to have structured activities and then meet up for dinner? A cruise might be just what you need.


3. Get everyone involved: even the people who say “I don’t care” – they will care once you get there. Making everyone a part of the planning makes sure that everyone has fun and takes the burden off one person to be responsible for the whole family’s good time. Narrow the options down to two or three, taking into consideration ages, interests and limitations, and put them up for a vote.


4. Choose accommodations that suit your style: do you all want separate hotel rooms so everyone can get some alone-time? Or a house rental to foster togetherness? Talk about preferences and need for privacy ahead of time. Do you need a pool? A gym? A beach? A giant table at which to dine? A kitchen? You will likely be spending a lot of time at the accommodations so make sure there are things to keep the older and younger people from being bored.


5. Plan something for everyone: make sure there are a variety of different activities from which to choose and don’t expect or demand that everyone participates in everything. Make sure there are options for people not doing the main activity so they aren’t stuck just waiting for the rest of the group to return. Take the needs of all ages into consideration, not just the kids. Be honest about preferences and limitations.


6. Take a break: while the goal is to create shared memories, it’s also important for everyone to get some private time. Kids might need some time to just burn off energy, while grandparents might need some quiet time to decompress. Eventually someone will get on your nerves and vice versa. Don't take that personally -- it's a normal expectation with that much togetherness. Be sure to schedule some time apart to avoid a meltdown. Then regroup at the end of the day over dinner and share stories about how everyone’s day went. Make sure to kick off and end the vacation together though, with a special dinner to enjoy everyone’s company.


7. Be clear on finances: discuss who will pay for what and take everyone’s budget into consideration. How will meals be paid for? Drinks? Activities, tips, transportation?


8. Don’t overwork the grandparents: this is their vacation too and while they probably are thrilled to spend time with the grandkids, that doesn’t mean they are there as your built-in babysitter. Discuss a grandparents/grandkids night out (or in) ahead of time and also make sure there is scheduled time for them to get out alone with just the adults too.


9. Capture the memories: if these kinds of vacations where everyone gets together are few and far between, make sure you take a lot of pictures and videos. Make sure you get photos of the entire group together. Who knows how long it'll be before you'll all together again!


10. Be flexible and open-minded: things will happen that are not what you expected or planned – relax and go with the flow. Respect everyone’s differences and be willing to bend the rules if necessary.




 
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