How to Plan for Multigenerational Family Trips and Travel With Aging Parents in Mind

The interest in taking family trips with three or more generations is booming. According to International Medical Group, which provides global insurance benefits and travel assistance services, over 1 in 3 families plan to take a multigenerational trip in 2024.

Multi-day trips in the U.S. are most common, according to a Family Travel Association survey in 2023. And as more families look for unique opportunities to create memories, Katie Kubitskey, certified travel planner and owner of travel-planning agency My World Travel, said they are stretching beyond the typical large family beach vacation. She's seeing a rise in what 28% of grandparent travelers are already doing, according to the Family Travel Association — planning a multigenerational trip that's more ambitious and outside of their home country.

"The families that have realized they work well traveling together just want to get a little more adventurous," Kubitskey told Stacker. "It just becomes a bucket list item that they're like, 'Oh, this is kind of a dream that my kids will get to hang out with their grandparents and make memories in these amazing international places.'"

Caring.com visualized Family Travel Association survey data to explore the growing popularity of multigenerational vacations and consulted experts for tips on how to get the most out of your family's next big adventure.

More than half of parents surveyed by the Family Travel Association say they will take a multigenerational trip in the next year. The second most popular family outings are those with 41% of parents inviting extended family such as aunts, uncles, nieces, and nephews. Trips with other families unrelated to one's family closely followed. The least popular family outing falls to skip-generation trips where grandparents are left with their grandchildren without parents to supervise.

Though multigenerational trips are the most popular, according to the Family Travel Association's survey, the burden of planning usually falls to the grandparents. More than half of grandparents typically plan their family's multigenerational trip. Half of the grandparents surveyed also usually foot the bill or share the cost with their children, rather than having their children pay for the whole trip.

But senior travel adviser Katie Stewart of Ciao Bambino! says although she's seen steady numbers of grandparents planning trips for the whole family, she's also noticed more middle-aged working parents stepping up to plan and pay for trips for their kids and parents to attend.

"We don't feel this need to go home, wherever home is, for Christmas, and spend our holidays with them because we're able to spend time outside of those holidays. We create these new traditions where we can travel with our parents, which is much more impactful and better for the kids," Stewart told Stacker.

Whether you're planning an ambitious multi-city family vacation or a more simple beach trip for the whole family to relax, there are several factors family planners have to consider. Family members of different ages will have various needs, and everyone's interests will need to be taken into consideration to ensure a safe trip that's enjoyable for everyone. Here are a few things to think about before embarking on that next family adventure.

Before anyone starts to plan the trip, Kubitskey recommends talking with each family member about what's comfortable for them, both physically and mentally. Make sure the family's planner considers accessibility issues senior travelers may have—for example, making sure accommodations have step-in showers rather than bathtubs. Families may also need to request airport wheelchair access and plan for accessible airport transfers.

Food allergies and dietary restrictions of family members are also something for the family travel planner to consider. Stewart's clients ask her questions like, "Grandpa can't eat any salt; can we travel with him?" She says the answer is a resounding yes, but families may need to take extra time ahead of the trip to plan meals or ensure local restaurants will meet the needs of everyone's diet.

A dude ranch or farm vacation may be the least typical destination for multigenerational trips, according to the FTA's study, but some families are finding ways to make active trips and activities work for all generations, Stewart said. She recently booked a dude ranch for a multigenerational family with grandparents in their 80s but made sure the ranch accepted visitors who wouldn't participate in horse riding.

Regardless of what kind of trip a family is taking, make sure some activities are a suitable pace and style for everyone. Many families find success in planning suggested activities that family members can do on their own while opting for specific meals or activities that bring the whole family together.

The FTA's survey revealed that about half of grandparents book hotels for multigenerational trips, with 43% opting for vacation rentals. Kubitskey says if value is the most important thing your family is looking for, renting a large vacation house with enough rooms for everyone will likely be the best deal. Other families may prioritize privacy or alone time without having to share public spaces, in which case opting for separate rooms in a hotel or resort may be worth the extra money.

Family vacations are certainly no mean feat to plan, especially when more than two generations are involved. Science has yet to fully prove its true benefits, but where studies fall short, personal experience shows clear gains when it comes to building relationships and a sense of belonging for those in every generation. As Michael Waters wrote for The Atlantic, "Multigenerational trips let you rethink not just what travel is supposed to be but who your family members really are."

Story editing by Carren Jao. Additional editing by Kelly Glass. Copy editing by Janina Lawrence.  Data work by Dom DiFurio.