Discover more by traveling with the entire family

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With smart planning, multigenerational travel builds bonds and memories BY » Michele Huggins

Family vacations are gaining new meaning as more people choose to travel together with parents, siblings, kids, grandkids, and other extended family members. Defined as traveling with three or more generations—grandkids traveling with grandparents also counts—multigenerational travel opens opportunities for family members to learn from one another with more time to talk, ask questions and bond. Though multigenerational travel makes for memorable shared experiences, it requires thoughtful planning to accommodate a wide range of ages, interests and stamina.

Jennifer Boles, owner and chief exploration officer for Explore More Family Travel, is an avid traveler and travel planner. Her love for travel started through adventures as a child with her mom and grandmother, and has continued on getaways with her dad and sister. Now Boles is a self-described “culture loving mom of twins obsessed with finding flight deals” that guide her family’s next adventure. She’s taken 18 overseas flights with her twins, who are now in kindergarten. Her motto: Just go. Boles shares some of her tips and ideas

for planning the best multigenerational getaways. Here are a few takeaways from my conversation with her.

Talk to me about how the travel industry is making accommodations for multigenerational travelers. One of my favorite new concepts is the private resort. It is a villa complex rented out by an entire family or group of people. Everything is included: food, drinks, activities, even cooking classes and a kids’ club. Surprisingly, the price for this type of experience is pretty reasonable. Another example is the Haven on Norwegian Cruise Lines. This all-suite section of the ship is completely cut off from the rest of the trip and can only be accessed by those staying in this section. There is a private pool, lounge, restaurant, and bar where the grandparents could stay while the rest of the family stays in the more active area of the ship. Or the kids and parents can also stay in the Haven and still have full access to the rest of the ship.

What are some of the best travel experiences for families traveling with a multitude of ages?

I think the easiest options are either a cruise or all-inclusive resort, but it is so important to choose the right cruise or all-inclusive. Many resort and cruise brands don’t market directly to the consumer, so if you do not use a travel advisor, you may miss out and possibly not choose a brand that is a good fit for your family.

I am seeing more and more multi-gen families take trips to Europe. Seniors are more active than ever before, so they are not as content to lounge around for an entire trip. Europe allows for more exploring, which I think is important to get a feel for a destination.

What should families consider when planning a multigenerational trip? Get the kids involved. That does not mean you allow them to pick the destination, but get them excited about the trip and make sure they are considered in the planning. Something I like doing is planning a scavenger hunt or something similar for the family to bond over while experiencing the destination. Also, do not expect the entire group to be together the whole time. The group can break up according to interests, but there should also be plenty of time to engage with each other.

What are some of your favorite locations for multigenerational travel, both domestic and international? I love the Mediterranean for family travel in general. If you are traveling with young kids, everybody is so accommodating. Plus, grandparents are very involved in the lives of their families in these countries, so it is a natural destination for multi-gen travel. As far as domestic travel, I love Hawaii. It has the perfect mix of adventure and relaxing, so everybody in the family can be satisfied.

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