Tips

Tips on How to Plan a Multi-Generational Family Vacation.

 Do you struggle to get the entire family together? Would you love to finally organize a trip for all members of your family?  Think of all fun you can have fun while spending time with each other?

A family vacation can be a fantastic experience; however, it needs to be very carefully planned before it ends up being a stressful nightmare. Keep reading to read our top 6 tips on how to plan a multi-generational family holiday!

 

Start Planning Way in Advance

The first step in planning a multi-generational family vacation is making sure that you are all on the same page.  That is the reason why you need to start planning way in advance. First, the more people will be traveling together the more difficult it would be to coordinate the best time to go. Secondly, though, planning ahead of time also means that you would have enough time to discuss what each person’s expectations are. If you live in the same city, plan dinners where the main topic to discuss will be the upcoming trip, if you live far away from each other, plan family calls and have an agenda and topics to cover, such as the destination, how long are you going for, when are you taking the holiday, etc.

 

Build the Excitement

We would really stress the benefits of getting the children involved in the planning. Anyone who is invested in the trip will be more willing to go along with others and what they want to do.  Purchase magazine articles, other sources periodically to get everyone excited and engaged with the planning process.  You could even rent movies or DVDs about where they are thinking of going.  Zoom meetings are also a good way to get everyone involved.  If you are going on a cruise, you could have a zoom meeting with a representative of the cruise line, if going to a resort, there are quite a few YouTube videos you can access.  Give the children that are old enough an “assignment” to find out interesting facts about where they are going.  Then they can look for them when they get there and also so that they can report their findings in one of the planning meetings.   Also, if you are going somewhere where there is a foreign language, everyone can try to learn some basic phrases and words.  Also, learning about the different cultures and customs they children might encounter and why they are different from theirs so that they will have respect for the differences and understand that everyone has different beliefs, customs, etc.   Maybe they can also find some recipes for local cuisine and try them out.

 

Have a Budget

When there are multiple people involved in a holiday, one of the most important topics is the budget. It is best to set a budget at the first stages of planning the holiday. If you are going on a multi-generational holiday, this means you will be traveling as a group. Group travels, though, can be expensive. Do not stress out too much, though, just have an honest discussion and determine what each person’s budget for this trip is. It is also a good idea to divide the expenses into different categories and maybe each person can pay for a different category.

Inclusives the cost is pretty well-known upfront and there will be very little outlay once you have paid for the trip.  You might have to pay for drinks or excursions, but these would be at your own discretion and not something everyone would have to do.  On AMA Waterways, for example, all shore excursions are included in the price.  On most cruises, you can pay for your gratuities with the cost of your cruise too.  Drinks are extra outside of meals, but then those who don’t drink won’t have that bar tab to worry about.

 

Find Balance Between Activities and Rest Time

One of the most difficult aspects of planning a multi-generational family holiday is deciding on the itinerary and the activities and places you would like to do and see. While there can be members of the younger generation, who would love to spend the entire day scuba diving or hiking, there might be elderly, who would prefer more time to relax and rest. It is important to remember that you need to make compromises and you are taking this trip so you can spend more time together. It is a good idea for each person to come up with a shortlist of what they would like to do during the trip once the families have decided on your destination. You can then have a common discussion and choose 1 or 2 items from each person’s list.

 

Do not be Afraid to Ask for Help 

Planning a multi-generational family holiday can be extremely time-consuming, tiring, and stressful. It is important to remember that one person cannot make the arrangements for a few families. So do not be afraid to ask for help. You can either go to some of the other family members who can assist or if you are all too busy and occupied and find it too difficult to coordinate, you can even discuss the option of getting a travel agent, who would organize everything for you.   A travel agent could actually save you money on this trip of memories.

 

Protection

We recommend purchasing insurance, as this pandemic has shown us that insurance is very important.  We encourage everyone to take out insurance. We feel this is still very important going forward.

 

Just Enjoy, Have Fun and Create Memories Together

It is highly possible for some pressure to arise during the trip if some people are feeling left out. If this happens remind everyone why you have planned this multi-generational family holiday. It is to relax, enjoy, have fun, and most importantly to create memories together. Especially, if you only rarely see some of these people, it is vital to make the most of your time together and remember that you will only have this time now. Take photos, laugh, entertain each other, and create memories, which you will cherish long after you have gone back home.

If you choose to cruise this article may be of interest.

If you are perusing river cruises here is a must-read article on avoiding river cruise booking mistakes.  For the best river cruise experience, you will want to contact Nancy at Unique Journeys.  She will assist you in finding the perfect cruise experience where you will create memories for a lifetime.   You are welcome to find additional information at AMA Waterways regarding the luxury river cruise experience.