Travel Tip 102
How to enjoy a family trip
Welcome to my newsletter! I’m so glad you’re here!
My first family trip with my mother and grandmother, in Washington State’s San Juan Islands. Don’t be fooled by that face. I had a great time!
I’m on a family trip this week!
I went on a short road trip with my parents this week, which I think we all enjoyed. I’ve always enjoyed road trips, trips of any kind honestly, but my family trips have almost always been road trips. Even when my parents came to visit me in Istanbul, we rented cars for a road trip on the Mediterranean coast and for a road trip around Cappadocia.
This week I’m getting a refresher on how to travel with a couple in their 70s, my parents, while preparing for an upcoming trip with a couple of friends in their 40s and their children aged 10 and 12. If you’re planning, or even contemplating, a family trip with multiple generations, here are my top five tips for you.
If you have little ones in the group, make sure you know what their nap times and bedtimes are before you plan activities.
1. Consider everybody’s needs.
Before you start the list of what people want to do, make sure you know what everybody has to do. Is there a nap time you need to plan around? Does somebody have a special diet that must be accommodated? Are there medical routines or needs that have to be factored in? Does somebody in the group have a wheelchair or limited mobility? List the non-negotiables for everybody on the trip and reference it throughout the planning process.
2. Start with travel logistics.
Where is everybody starting from? Are you all in the same city and can carpool to the airport or are you spread across the globe and all traveling separately? Who prefers to travel alone and who needs to be accompanied? Compare both costs and practicalities for everybody to get to the destination.
If half the group really wants to go wine tasting, look for wineries that have other activities for the non-drinkers.
3. Plan activities that will be enjoyable in the moment.
Don’t get ahead of yourself by planning what you think will make good memories, focus on what will be fun while you’re on the trip. Hands-on activities like cooking classes or panning for gold may be more enjoyable than walking tours or museums. Don’t get too caught up in the destination. It’s okay to go to Napa and not tour wineries, especially if not everybody likes wine. Focus on activities that will be fun bonding experiences in the moment.
4. Build choice and breakout groups into the itinerary.
If you’re in Napa and half the group loves wine, but the other half is underage or simply doesn’t drink, plan a “choose your own adventure” day. Schedule a winery tour at the same time as an activity like bowling or an afternoon on a guided sailboat tour. Besides creating choice for different interests, it also lets big groups split into smaller ones, so people don’t feel overwhelmed by always being in a big group.
Scheduling down time doesn’t have to be nap time for everybody.
5. Schedule down time.
Don’t leave holes in the itinerary but plan restful activities like a picnic or a movie. This is especially important if you’re working around a regularly scheduled naptime. Some of the group may have to stay in during naptime but others may want to do something lowkey at the same time. Check out local theaters for matinees and go to local library websites to find story time or other quiet afternoon activities.
Bonus: Get an expert.
I hope you can plan a trip with just these tips, but if you’re juggling a job, parenting and caring for your parents, you should hire a travel planner. People hire wedding planners, doulas, personal trainers and life coaches, so hiring a travel planner makes sense, even if you’re not leaving the country. Don’t let the planning overwhelm you to the point that you don’t get to have a family trip at all: outsource anything that’s too much. If you’re coming to Peru, contact me to schedule a travel call so I can help you plan.
