Traveling with the Whole Family: Tips on Group Travel

7/20/2021

It takes a lot of planning to pull off a successful group trip – especially if that group is family. There are always a lot of ideas and personalities to consider when you have your whole family involved. The payoff is a wonderful vacation and memories that will last a lifetime. Here are some tips for planning a successful group family trip: 

Get Everyone Involved

Make sure everyone is involved in planning the vacation in some way. When the whole family puts effort into planning, it gets them invested in having a good trip. It doesn’t have to be a huge portion of the trip, even just choosing a place for dinner or a fun excursion. It’s important that everyone feel like their voice was heard and it lets everyone do at least one thing they really want to do.

Choose Your Accommodations

There is no one-size-fits-all answer to the best type of accommodations for a family trip. Some families may enjoy everyone staying in one house together – while other families might find this exhausting. Discuss what is best for your family and find accommodations that fit those needs. For example, have a lot of kids on the trip? A resort or cruise with specific activities for the kids might be a good way to go.

Variety is Key

Having the option of a few different activities lets people pick and choose what they prefer to do. While a few big group activities are nice, it’s also good to split up into smaller groups and enjoy each other’s company on a more one-on-one basis. 

Schedule Time Apart

Vacation may be the most time you’ve spent with some of your family in a while. Things that don’t bother you at home may get on your nerves on vacation. Prevent any negative attitudes by working alone time into the schedule - a time for everyone to decompress and recoup before getting back together.

Be Clear on Finances

When planning multigenerational travel be sure to consider everyone’s budget. It’s best to have the hard conversations of who will pay for what up front so there are no surprises on the trip.