Posted on Wednesday, January 15, 2025

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by AMAC, D.J. Wilson

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The coming of the New Year provides opportunities for fresh beginnings. Why not make 2025 a year of adventure by planning an unforgettable multigenerational family vacation with the people you cherish the most in life?

What are multigenerational family vacations?

Multigenerational family vacations are getaways that involve relatives from multiple generations. These fun trips encompass relatives of varying ages, experiences, personalities, interests, and abilities to participate in adventures. While creating a pleasing vacation for family members with vast differences is likely challenging, don’t throw in the towel. Know that multigenerational family vacations are completely doable with our top travel tips!

Welcoming 2025 in style

A multigenerational family vacation is a trip of a lifetime. There is no better way to bond with family than through shared fun adventures!

Here are five trip planning tips to make your multigenerational vacay run smoothly & be truly memorable!

• PLAN IN ADVANCE. This provides everyone in your travel group with opportunities to research travel destinations, decide on an optimal time to travel, arrange for passports if required, score cheaper flights and hotels and tours, and save up for the trip. Per Bankrate in 2023, “Family vacations can be costly, and with persistently high inflation, many families are modifying their travel plans or canceling them altogether.” While inflation has slowed, many people in 2025 still struggle to afford vacations. Saving up for a trip in advance can alleviate sudden financial strain and diminish the likelihood for canceled plans.
• VACATION IN THE USA. While overseas vacations are fun, international travel is pricey. Overseas travel tends to include unique hardships. In addition to needing extra travel time to get to and from one’s destination, travel outside the USA requires everyone to have passports, exchange money, obtain pricey international travel and cancellation insurance, and more. Additionally, language barriers can pose challenges. Why not keep the trip manageable by vacationing in the USA? Not only are you making it easier for everyone to get to and from the location, but you are also supporting the travel industry of your home country.
• BE OPEN TO INPUT. Everyone has their own picture of the ideal vacation. If you want most family members to be happy, it’san absolute must to allow them to be involved in the trip planning – including helping to choose the travel destination.  Listening to other family members and working to accommodate most of their desires not only gets everyone excited for the trip, but it also reduces stress. By addressing majority group needs and desires, such as vacationing in a warm weather location in lieu of cold, family members are less likely to complain – and more likely to gear up for fun!
• DON’T OVERPLAN. One of the biggest pitfalls of group vacations is overplanning activities. This leaves people with an overextended, tiring agenda. When planning your multigenerational family vacation, give attendees time for sleep, breakfast, and chill time for favorite solo activities or to address personal needs. Consider that most people enjoy or require some free time to rest or explore on their own. Perhaps little Bobby needs a daily nap, the cousins want to meet up at the pool for a swim, or Uncle Jerry hopes to put his feet up in the afternoon to read a good book. The key is to offer a balance of fun activities and give travelers options to relax on their own.
• PAY ATTENTION TO DETAILS. When planning a multigenerational trip, attention to detail is a must. Whoever oversees arrangements should be attentive to the needs of the travelers. For example, should Cousin Sue be traveling with her three school-age children, it is likely helpful to arrange adjoining rooms for her family.  Perhaps Grandma can no longer step into a tub-shower and requires level shower access. Planners should provide Grandma with a room featuring a walk-in shower. When planning group tours for multiple ages, keep tours short and provide walking assistance if needed. Also, if some family members are on a budget, choose affordable activities and places to dine.
• CONSIDER USING A TRAVEL AGENT. It’s generally easier to let a professional do the planning for group travel. Travel agents are experts in their fields. Not only are they familiar with destinations, but they also can arrange money-saving package deals. On top of that, they can troubleshoot situations that may arise when traveling. For example, they may help rebook flights or rearrange your hotel stay should you decide to extend your trip.

Multigenerational family vacations on the rise

Vacationing with family members that span generations is quite popular. Nevertheless, planning these types of trips can be challenging. As with most group vacations, ages, interests and physical capabilities may vary. To get everyone on board, it’s helpful to plan vacations in advance, keep travel simple and within the USA, be open to input from other travelers, avoid overplanning, pay attention to details, and hire a travel agent if needed. Each of these tips can go a long way to ensuring the success of your family vacation.

There’s more Trying to decide where to travel within the USA? Click here to read a short list of five highly visitable places to add to your travel bucket list.