The Wayfinder
Navigate Travel Like an Expert
There’s family travel, and then there’s multigenerational travel. It’s time to get everyone in on the action, from the tiniest of tots to Granny and Pop-Pop.
Multigenerational travel can create some of the most lasting memories. Make sure they’re good ones. Brush up on some of the most common mistakes of family travel and how to avoid them.
It can be difficult to budget for a multigenerational trip, especially when older or more generous family members offer to cover the lion’s share of costs.
To avoid stressful spending decisions, have a candid conversation with the adults on your trip. Establish how much everyone is willing to contribute, and how items like restaurant bills and tickets will be divided.
With an agreed-upon budgeting strategy in place, finances won’t overshadow the fun.
Don’t shoulder the burden of choosing activities alone. Instead, take an informal poll of everyone who is going on the trip, and get a sense of what kind of activities they’d like to do.
Whether you’re chatting with kids, teens, grown-ups, or seniors, don’t settle for “I’m happy to do whatever.” This can quickly turn into “But I don’t want to!” sometime during the trip. Encourage everyone to contribute their family travel ideas. As long as the activities are safe and cost-effective, it’s okay to try something out of the ordinary!
Talk about general expectations, too, not just the excursions you want to take. If it’s important for Grandma that everyone eats dinner together each night, let her know you can accommodate that, but you’ll want the afternoon free to do your own thing or take the kids out for some sightseeing.
These conversations can help you avoid tensions later.
Seven Corners writer Grace Lower calls these “dynamic destinations.” You want a destination that offers a variety of active and relaxing activities.
“Kids and teens typically thrive when they have opportunities for independence, while older travelers tend to prioritize relaxation,” says Grace. “A dynamic destination will give you the flexibility to build in dedicated downtime where everyone has a chance to recuperate in the way that works best for them.”
You’re taking a multigenerational family vacation for some quality time together, but there is such a thing as too much togetherness. Separate bedrooms, or at least enough bedrooms so the kids and adults can each have their own space, saves more stress than you might think.
If you’re planning to hang out in a vacation rental all day, make sure there are different hang-out spaces, indoor and out. This will give you the quality time and breathing room you need.
Writer Caryn Anderson reminds us that if you’re all in the same space, you have to follow the same schedules, too. “When you all share a standard hotel room, you'll need to go to sleep at the same time as the kids. Booking separate rooms or renting a vacation home or condo can give you extra space to spread out and the freedom of having a little downtime to enjoy other adults joining you.”
When you’re planning family vacations, it’s easy to try to cram as many activities and as much sightseeing into each and every day. That’s often a recipe for disaster, but it’s also an easy mistake to fix.
Start by remembering that when you travel with a mixed-age group, there can be a huge variation of energy levels and physical abilities. While the youngest travelers might begin the day brimming with energy, without the proper planning, mid-afternoon meltdowns are inevitable.
And while the grandparents might enjoy taking a nature walk with the family, a 10-mile trek could cause more stress and soreness than it’s worth.
Take jet lag and travel weariness into account, too, and keep your first day relatively light and easy. Plan big adventures in the morning or early afternoons when everyone’s rested and feeling energized. Then give yourselves time later to rest and have a bit of quiet time.
Make sure to consider the needs and limitations of everyone in your group, and factor that into your travel plans. Regardless of your travel companions’ ages, take breaks between activities, and bring plenty of snacks, sunscreen, and water.
One of the cardinal rules of family vacations is that everything takes longer when you’re traveling with kids. When you traveled without kids, a mad dash between connecting flights may have been no big deal. But now that you’re traveling with a crew, particularly with young children, you need a little extra layover time.
Shoot for at least 90 minutes so you have ample time for potty breaks, snacks, and getting everyone from Point A to Point B.
Remember that stuff happens. “Weather delays, illness, and other things out of your control can throw off your plans,” says Caryn. “Don’t let the unexpected derail your vacation; rather, have a plan to deal with the unexpected, which includes buying travel insurance before you begin your vacation.”
Even after you’ve reached your destination, build in extra time. Just when you think you’re ready to go, someone needs to use the bathroom one more time. Meanwhile, someone else wanders away, the toddler has somehow made a shoe disappear, and now you’re late for your dinner reservation.
More buffer time equals less stress when traveling with a group.
Overpacking is an issue for even the most seasoned of travelers. Compare notes with your family to see where you can save room by not doubling up on items like sunscreen, hairdryers, and toothpaste that you can share.
Sharing your packing list with everyone can also help you identify items you might be forgetting. An extra set of eyes to point out that you’ve left extra diapers off the list could be a lifesaver.
When traveling with little ones and seniors, it’s essential to ensure that everyone’s trip is as safe as it is enjoyable. Identifying those risks will be different for each group, though.
If you and your loved ones are traveling abroad, it’s wise to invest in medical travel insurance to reduce the costs of unforeseen emergencies. If you have family members with medical needs, make sure that they check with their doctor and pack any required medications or devices before you go.
You’ll want to read up on your destination — and your accommodations — to understand any risks to travelers. Even if it’s nothing more than a bout of rainy weather or a steep flight of stairs on your rental house, doing proper research can ensure your family is prepared to handle any challenges that arise.
Clearly, planning family vacations requires extensive coordination. There’s a lot to factor in, and it’s all too easy to forget about the importance of travel insurance.
Travel insurance helps to protect your investment in case you need to cancel your trip or interrupt your plans. When you’re spending a lot of money to take the whole family on a trip, you need to be smart with your finances.
Travel insurance also provides benefits if your baggage is lost or delayed, and coverage for medical expenses if someone gets sick or hurt during your trip. This is particularly important when you’re going overseas. Your domestic health insurance, including Medicare and Medicaid, typically do not cover you outside the United States.
Ultimately, travel insurance allows you to worry less and focus more on the memories you’re making together. Get to the business of having fun by getting a quick quote or talking to a licensed Seven Corners agent today.
Grace Lower and Cayrn Anderson contributed to this article. Grace has written extensively about travel for Seven Corners, using her experience traveling throughout the United States and abroad as inspiration. Caryn is a professional copywriter who specializes in subjects ranging from health and travel to lifestyle and finance. Her work has been featured on popular websites such as USA Today, Bankrate, and Credit Sesame.
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