Travelling with multiple generations — grandparents, parents, teens, kids, and everyone in between — is one of the most rewarding ways to explore the world. You get shared memories, deeper connections, and the joy of seeing a destination through different eyes.
But let’s be honest: multigenerational travel also comes with its own set of challenges. Different energy levels, routines, budgets, and interests can make planning feel like a puzzle with too many pieces.
The good news? With a few practical tools that make everything easier, multigen trips can be smooth, joyful, and honestly way more fun to organise than you’d expect.
Below are my top tips for planning a multigenerational trip everyone will love (based on over 15 years of coordinating group travel across ages, abilities and family dynamics).
🌱 1. Start Early – and Bring Everyone Into the Planning
Multigen groups need more lead time than most. School holidays, work leave, mobility needs, medical considerations, and budgets all take coordination.
Start planning 9–12 months out so everyone has time to prepare.
Make planning collaborative:
- Host family dinners to chat through ideas
- Set up a shared doc or planning app
- Use video calls to include relatives who live farther away
- Ask everyone what they’re excited about
- Get an idea of what timing works best for everyone
Early involvement helps everyone feel included — and avoids surprises later.
🧠 2. Understand Your Group’s Energy Rhythm
Every generation brings a different pace and for travel across multiple ages you’ll have what I call a ‘group energy rhythm’.
Grandparents may prefer slower mornings. Teens might come alive after lunch. Little ones need naps. Parents often sit somewhere in the middle.
Instead of fighting it, plan around it:
- Schedule high‑energy activities for mid‑morning
- Build in quiet time or rest blocks
- Alternate busy days with slower ones
- Use the Grumpy Day Rule (everyone gets one ‘grumpy day’ on the trip, they must book it in before 9am, and it’s limited to one person a day – you can read more about that here)
When you honour everyone’s natural rhythm, the whole trip feels calmer and more enjoyable.
🏡 3. Choose Accommodation That Gives Everyone Space
Space is the secret to group harmony.
Look for:
- Multiple bedrooms and bathrooms
- A mix of private and shared spaces
- A kitchen for easy breakfasts and snacks
- A living area big enough for everyone
- Ground‑floor rooms or lifts for accessibility
Holiday homes, villas, and apartment‑style hotels often work best. A little extra space goes a long way in keeping the peace.
🍽️ 4. Plan Meals Before Anyone Gets Hangry
Meal times can be the trickiest part of multigen travel — especially with different dietary needs, routines, and hunger levels.
I rely on the “no one gets hangry” rule, which is simply having a plan for meals before hunger becomes a problem:
- Pre‑book dinners for larger groups or in smaller towns/villages
- Mix sit‑down meals with casual options
- Keep snacks on hand for kids and older travellers
- Choose restaurants with flexible menus
- Rotate who chooses the meal spot
Shared meals are often the heart of a multigen trip — make them easy and enjoyable.
🎒 5. Build a Flexible Itinerary (Your Future Self Will Thank You)
The biggest mistake organisers of multigen groups make? Trying to do everything together, all the time.
Instead:
- Plan a few anchor activities everyone will enjoy
- Add optional blocks for free time
- Let people split into mini‑groups
- Include downtime every day
- Use “choose‑your‑own‑adventure” afternoons
- Have free days, where coming together for dinner might be the only plan
This gives everyone autonomy while still creating shared memories.
💸 6. Talk Money Early – and Keep It Transparent
Different generations often have different budgets and comfort levels with spending.
Avoid awkwardness by:
- Setting a rough budget early and ensuring everyone is comfortable with it
- Agreeing on what’s shared vs. individual
- Using an expense app like Splitwise
- Being clear about payment timelines
- Offering options at different price points
Money clarity = smoother relationships.
🧭 7. Assign Roles Based on Strengths (Not Age)
Multigen groups shine when everyone contributes.
When everyone contributes in a way that feels natural to them, the trip becomes a shared project rather than a burden on one planner.
Try:
- Teens researching cafés, markets, or street art
- Grandparents choosing cultural or historical experiences
- Parents coordinating logistics
- Kids picking one fun activity each
You can also pair generations together to plan a day – it’s a great bonding opportunity.
💬 8. Keep Communication Clear, Kind, and Inclusive
Good communication is the backbone of a successful multigen trip.
I recommend a simple daily check-in ritual – quick five minutes each morning to confirm plans, energy levels and any changes (and to check if anyone is booking in their ‘grumpy day’)
For communication while travelling:
- A group chat for updates (make sure everyone knows how to use it)
- Clear expectations around timing
- Gentle reminders about flexibility
- Space for quieter voices to be heard
And remember: not every moment needs to be a group decision. Rotate who leads the day to keep things balanced.
📸 9. Capture the Moments (Big and Small)
Multigen trips create the kind of memories and storytelling that last decades, and the photos become the memories for future generations to look back on.
Make it easy to save them:
- Use a shared photo album
- Nominate a “family photographer” each day
- Capture candid moments, not just posed ones
- Plan a post‑trip dinner or video call to relive the highlights
These shared memories often become family treasures.
🔐 10. Don’t Skip Travel Insurance
With multiple generations, the risk of delays, cancellations, or medical issues increases. Insurance protects everyone — and keeps small hiccups from becoming big problems.
Travel insurance becomes less of a ‘nice to have’ and more a ‘non-negotiable’ and should be factored into the budget early.
🧳 11. Consider Using a Travel Agent to Make Planning and Payments Easier
Multigen trips come with a lot of moving parts — flights, room types, accessibility needs, transfers, activities, and possibly different timings and budgets. A good travel agent can take a huge amount of pressure off the main planner.
They can help with:
- Coordinating flights and accommodation for different generations
- Managing special requests (ground‑floor rooms, mobility needs, adjoining rooms, dietary or medical requirements)
- Handling payments so you’re not chasing family members or one person isn’t needing to fund the group payment
- Keeping track of deadlines, deposits, and changes
- Recommending destinations and hotels that genuinely work for mixed‑age groups and your family member interests
Using a travel agent doesn’t take away your control – it just removes the admin load so you can focus on the fun parts of planning.
👣 Final Thoughts
Multigenerational travel is one of the most meaningful ways to explore the world. With thoughtful planning, clear communication, and a flexible mindset, you can create a trip that feels joyful, connected, and memorable for every generation.
It’s not about doing everything together – it’s about creating shared moments that become part of your family’s story.
Explore my Multigenerational Travel Hub for more guides, tools and planning frameworks.
The Group Travel Guide 
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