Multiple generation travel is not a new idea. Leisure travel began primarily with wealthy people who wanted to see buildings, art, and cultures in faraway regions, and often this meant going as a family. Today's family vacation is the latest version of a long-standing tradition.
Kelby Carr's December 2008 article, " What is Hot in Family Travel " talks about the role of a family trip in strengthening relationships. This is quite relevant today. Often, we don't think about the natural bond created between people while traveling together. Parents may be very focused on work during the rebound of the economy and not as available for vacations with their children. In a multi-generational trip, grandparents and older relatives can get the chance to enjoy some travel time and get better acquainted with the younger adults and children in their family.
An example of this was seen in the 2010 movie, Letters to Juliet. Three characters, grandmother, son, and a young writer, travel together on short car trips in search of something. As in the movie, not everyone in real life has immediate family available to travel with. A mentor, or person who helped out at some time, even acted like an adopted parent, may also enjoy traveling with children.
Tips for How to Travel With Family
Be sure to establish a few simple ground rules while planning for multi-generational trips. This is a great time for younger relatives to connect, learn to be flexible, and learnnew ways of doing things by observing how the older adults handle travel situations.
It is about getting acquainted – not about competing. This is a starting list of things to remember while traveling together.
- Plan in advance how to divide up trip expenses, and pay independently of each other. This teaches younger children of managing a budget.
- Two adults may get separate rooms or try to stay in suite hotels where each person has a separate room.
- Rotate seats on bus, car, or plane when traveling.
- Let each person choose an activity or sightseeing attraction to visit on trips.
- Learn about the other person’s interests in advance. This may be done by email correspondence and pen pal letters. If each person is in same local region, take day trips together.
- Respect the privacy of each other. Of course there are days on the trip that one person may need to have some downtime. Remember to reconnect the next day.
- Walk beside people – not ahead or behind.
- Stop talking and listen to each other.
- Ask in advance of what the other person may want to do.
Types of Multi-Generational Trips
Large family reunions are popular and certainly fun. Some are held locally, others are part of cruises or tours. The planning before and after is almost as fun as the actual event. Don’t forget about some affordable trips to share travel memories with relatives or important people in one's life.
Car and train trips between grandparents and grandchildren may not sound very much fun at first, but it is great for both generations to have this experience. The strengths of each age can combine to make for an overall better experience. The older adults will have the confidence while youth has an eagerness to find new things.
Visits to relatives or friends during weekends are fun getaways. Be careful with this and do not always expect others to provide accommodations. Find a smaller hotel, hostel, or campground near where they live as an alternate option to sleep. Research local attractions like outdoor theaters, unusual museums, parks, and festivals to attend together or independently. Always offer to take relatives out to a special dinner or have a picnic with them.
Fishing trips are a great example of a soft adventure trip to be with each other. This may be a sport for males and females. It is not necessarily as strenuous as hiking, but still gives people a chance to enjoy nature and the outdoors together. Many regions offer independent fishing as well as fishing supported by local guides.
People remember barn-raising as an old custom of inviting relatives (and friends) over to help. People would work together during the day and then have a potluck dinner after. Use this idea to invite people to help with projects like a garage sale, work on backyards, or even to research and make family trees. Simple activities like sitting in a backyard after dinner talking with families, stargazing, or softball games are things people remember.
A multi-generational trip is a current trend with the baby boomer generation, and a way of being able to share some special time with younger relatives.
Donna West - Donna West is a Writer with an uncanny ability and passion of finding unusual ideas, off the beaten path, even in everyday occurrences.
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