Have you ever been on a multi-generational vacation? If you’re unfamiliar with the term, these are holidays that can be enjoyed by grandparents, parents and children alike, and something that is not always easy to achieve. Finding a single travel experience that will keep a wide age range entertained can be a challenge, but here we provide you with a handful of ideas that you could be enjoying.
By investing in an ISA or Junior ISA such as that offered by F&C Investments soon to be known as BMO – something that parents or grandparents can contribute towards – trips like these can not only be enjoyed now but be made possible for future generations to come and with a Junior ISA, it’s something that parents or grandparents can contribute towards too. . With National Grandparents Day just around the corner, here’s a look at 7 ways to enjoy a truly luxurious multi-generational travel experience.
Take a road trip
Have you ever considered taking a road trip? You can simply hire a motorhome or campervan and the world is your oyster. But for a multi-generational vacation with a difference, take a look at the overland jeep safaris in Patagonia (across both Chile and Argentina), offered by Quasar Expeditions.
It’s an ideal choice for adventure-loving multi-generational travellers, allowing guests to pilot their own Jeep, relying on state of the art navigation systems, to stop and go as they please, enjoying various family-friendly excursions. From action-packed activities, such as hiking and kayaking, to photography offerings, stargazing-filled evenings and more, Quasar has experiences for people of all ages and activity levels.
After exploring the park each day, travellers stay at some of the top hotels and lodges in all of South America, where they can kick back and relax with a delicious meal before escaping to their cosy rooms for a comfortable night’s sleep.
Take a cruise
With the right luxury cruise, you can find something to suit all ages, whether it be an activity, the cuisine, a spa treatment or on-board entertainment. It’s an opportunity for quality time together, whilst at the same time giving adults and children alike the opportunity to break away from time to time to explore different aspects of the ship. It’s easy to share meal times together, yet still let the kids run to the pool whilst the parents and grandparents relax with a drink. When on shore, there’s flexibility for the family to explore together, or perhaps for Mum and Dad to have some extended time together whilst grandparents take the children back to the ship.
Disney Cruise Line do a great job in this regard and have a winning formula when it comes to bringing families together. It’s not just about meeting Mickey Mouse -there’s fine dining, comfortable accommodation and some very well-appointed ships, all in a family-friendly environment.
Similarly, Cunard have activities on board for guests of all ages, and that are ideal for families to enjoy together. They can take a virtual ride into space with Queen Mary 2’s full-scale Planetarium, where families can stargaze at night. On board, guests also explore the largest library at sea, which features stunning views and over 8,000 books and magazines. Cunard is even hosting the first-ever Journey of Genealogy, a crossing in partnership with Ancestry DNA. The voyage will offer guests an opportunity to follow in the footsteps of one’s ancestors and experience sailing across the Atlantic like so many immigrants did and learn from ancestry experts. This opportunity for families to learn about their past together in a luxurious setting, is sure to be a special experience.
Go on a ranch holiday
A memorable multi-generational travel experience can be found on a ranch holiday. With so much outdoor adventure, the younger generations are swayed away from their screens, much to the delight of the elders. Together, all three generations can engage in new and old traditions that are at the heart of Americana and Western culture. Horseback riding, fishing, archery, hiking, hatchet throwing, swimming, exploring and so much more.
Greenhorn Ranch in California is just an hour’s drive from the Tahoe Reno International Airport and just about two hours from Sacramento International airport or a three-hour drive from the Bay Area. Gorgeous roadways through gold country provide some historical context for an education as well!
The Red Reflet Guest Ranch in Wyoming is an all-inclusive, year-round luxury ranch/resort. It is an absolutely perfect place for a “wild west” multi-generational retreat where guests stay in their own private chalets with hot tubs and steam showers.
Stay on a private island
What could be more luxurious than staying on a secluded private island with your family?
Sweet Bocas is a luxury eco-retreat set on a private island in Panama’s pristine Bocas Del Toro archipelago where multi-generational travel is a very popular pursuit as grandparents, parents and grandchildren forge bonds over games, exploring nature, taking day trips on the property’s yacht, and visiting indigenous tribes to learning about the local culture. Parents and grandparents can enjoy active pursuits, spa, yoga, organic cuisine and more, while kids can bond over treasure hunts, friendly sports challenges, animal encounters, snorkelling, canoeing and more. Families can come together to bond and reconnect amidst distraction-free wild nature.
The villa at Sweet Bocas houses seven suites, a fully-equipped kitchen with culinary team, an espresso bar, entertainment-equipped den, living and lounging areas, state-of-the-art gym, infinity pool and yoga studio. Additionally, two lakeside bamboo properties provide a tropical “glamping” experience under the stars. Guests enjoy full use of the property’s 30-foot motor yacht and boats, limitless land and sea pursuits, as well as premium experiences like surfing with world renowned professional surfer Terry Simms, indigenous tribe encounters, bat cave explorations, free-diving, shaman healing, and more.
Charter a yacht
An incredible luxury experience to have with a multi-generational family is chartering a yacht for a week of cruising in locations like Croatia, Greece, the French Riviera, Mexico, or the Caribbean. It’s a great way to bring the family together in one place but enable different age groups to enjoy their desired activities. You can stop for a swim and a snorkel or have a crew bring food and drinks to older family members who want to enjoy the ocean breeze while seated.
GetMyBoat have thousands of charters in desirable destinations around the world, making a boat trip with family an easily accessible experience. Their captains can cater to any specific needs or requests and can provide fun excursions and activity options for travellers of all ages.
Go on safari
For the ultimate multi-generational luxury travel experience, try an African safari. It is without doubt one of the most relaxing, luxurious breaks for all involved, regardless of age group. Forget any pre-conceptions that a safari is just about sitting in a vehicle watching animals. It’s so much more than that. Choose the right safari for you and you’ll find there’s a host of other opportunities, whether it be nature treks, animal tracking, hot air ballooning, spa treatments, kayaking, visiting local schools or indigenous tribes, and much more. It can be an enormously rewarding educational experience, too, regardless of how much you already know and regardless of your age.
Ker & Downey pride themselves on creating unique, custom itineraries for each client, including travellers booking a multi-generational family safari. They recognise the many challenges faced by the organisation of such a trip – booking several different flights, arranging transfers for larger groups, and the competing ideas from family members as to what the trip should look like and what the group should do. The youngest clients to participate in the same activities as the rest of the family, don’t want to bore adults, and don’t want to strain the grandparents. It can be tough to navigate the needs and desires of the entire group. Look for private reserves that typically only have 5-12 rooms, which means a much more intimate experience both in the bush and back at the lodge.
Stay in a holiday home
Another attractive option for multi-generational travel is staying in a holiday home or vacation rental property. It gives families independence and flexibility in their holidays. With a luxury home that is completely self-contained, including a fully-equipped kitchen, families can gather and cook their own meals and eat around the dinner table together. Holiday homes also means less holiday preparation: parents can pack light knowing that sheets, towels, pillows and books will be waiting for them. In some cases, even the week’s grocery shopping is there to greet you on arrival, or you can hire a private chef to come and cook for you.
Private Properties provides wow-factor holiday homes that sleep up to 13 people and are situated in some of the most breathtaking locations in Western Australia. Most guests are families with children so the boutique business understands what parents with babies, toddlers, teenagers, and grandparents need to make the perfect holiday. They offer more than 100 luxury family-friendly holiday homes and unforgettable holiday experiences in coastal retreats, on sprawling country estates, character cottages and stunning architecturally designed homes.
Families with older children usually want properties with pools, separate living areas, beach access and large open spaces, while those with younger children list safety, enclosed yards and wildlife high on their ‘must-have’ lists.
With children returning to school after the Summer holidays, it’s a great time to get your head down again, plan some future trips and do some financial planning to ensure that you can be enjoying many more fabulous holidays with your family!
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by F&C Investments. F&C Investments offers a range of savings plans and 10 investment trusts that are designed to help you reach your investment goals.
Paul Johnson is Editor of A Luxury Travel Blog and has worked in the travel industry for more than 30 years. He is Winner of the Innovations in Travel ‘Best Travel Influencer’ Award from WIRED magazine. In addition to other awards, the blog has also been voted “one of the world’s best travel blogs” and “best for luxury” by The Telegraph.
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6 Comments
When I was staying at an apartment in Grand Canaria the manager told me that the multi-generation market was really growing. The Babyboomer Generation were buying big apartments so that their cash-strapped kids could get a holiday. It also meant that they were getting to see their grandchildren. Problem was that the grandparents were getting exhausted so they’d developed a prototype flat where the grandparents could completely shut themselves away in a separate flat. There was even a shutter on the balcony to barricade themselves in! But would you spend over €1 million on that?
I would say a cruise fits the bill perfectly. Everything you might need is right in one place: food, accommodation, entertainment. If you’re travelling with older people, they don’t have to walk very far or bake under the sun. And in a cruise, kids are easier to look after since you’re in a relatively confined space.
Cruises have got very good at offering something for everyone. There’s always been loads of activities. Now some cruises offer brilliant talks on the next port-of-call. Many of the speakers are brilliant. And they are adaptable. On his last cruise my mate started up walking football in the gym to exercise off all the calories! Anything else they can offer?
Ranch Vacation with family is a real fun. Here we spent quality time with each other. Truly said, we eat a lot and on-time as well. Riding is also a fun in ranch vacation, Created a perfect picture.
I agree, trying safaris are really a great way to have the best holiday. Guests of all ages would enjoy it. Adding a cultural trip to your adventure is also an excellent idea especially for the kids. It will help you open your minds about other people’s lives, and a great way to reduce cultural barriers between people. Visiting the Datoga tribes is a fantastic addition to a tour if your going on African safaris especially if your destination is in Tanzania. This post though is just magnificent! Surely a must-share. Keep it up!
By investing in an ISA or Junior ISA such as that offered by F&C Investments soon to be known as BMO – something that parents or grandparents can contribute towards – trips like these can not only be enjoyed now but be made possible for future generations to come and with a Junior ISA, it’s something that parents or grandparents can contribute towards too. . With National Grandparents Day just around the corner, here’s a look at 7 ways to enjoy a truly luxurious multi-generational travel experience.
Take a road trip
Have you ever considered taking a road trip? You can simply hire a motorhome or campervan and the world is your oyster. But for a multi-generational vacation with a difference, take a look at the overland jeep safaris in Patagonia (across both Chile and Argentina), offered by Quasar Expeditions.
By investing in an ISA or Junior ISA such as that offered by F&C Investments soon to be known as BMO – something that parents or grandparents can contribute towards – trips like these can not only be enjoyed now but be made possible for future generations to come and with a Junior ISA, it’s something that parents or grandparents can contribute towards too. . With National Grandparents Day just around the corner, here’s a look at 7 ways to enjoy a truly luxurious multi-generational travel experience.
Take a road trip
Have you ever considered taking a road trip? You can simply hire a motorhome or campervan and the world is your oyster. But for a multi-generational vacation with a difference, take a look at the overland jeep safaris in Patagonia (across both Chile and Argentina), offered by Quasar Expeditions.
It’s an ideal choice for adventure-loving multi-generational travellers, allowing guests to pilot their own Jeep, relying on state of the art navigation systems, to stop and go as they please, enjoying various family-friendly excursions. From action-packed activities, such as hiking and kayaking, to photography offerings, stargazing-filled evenings and more, Quasar has experiences for people of all ages and activity levels.
After exploring the park each day, travellers stay at some of the top hotels and lodges in all of South America, where they can kick back and relax with a delicious meal before escaping to their cosy rooms for a comfortable night’s sleep.
Take a cruise
With the right luxury cruise, you can find something to suit all ages, whether it be an activity, the cuisine, a spa treatment or on-board entertainment. It’s an opportunity for quality time together, whilst at the same time giving adults and children alike the opportunity to break away from time to time to explore different aspects of the ship. It’s easy to share meal times together, yet still let the kids run to the pool whilst the parents and grandparents relax with a drink. When on shore, there’s flexibility for the family to explore together, or perhaps for Mum and Dad to have some extended time together whilst grandparents take the children back to the ship.
Disney Cruise Line do a great job in this regard and have a winning formula when it comes to bringing families together. It’s not just about meeting Mickey Mouse -there’s fine dining, comfortable accommodation and some very well-appointed ships, all in a family-friendly environment.
Similarly, Cunard have activities on board for guests of all ages, and that are ideal for families to enjoy together. They can take a virtual ride into space with Queen Mary 2’s full-scale Planetarium, where families can stargaze at night. On board, guests also explore the largest library at sea, which features stunning views and over 8,000 books and magazines. Cunard is even hosting the first-ever Journey of Genealogy, a crossing in partnership with Ancestry DNA. The voyage will offer guests an opportunity to follow in the footsteps of one’s ancestors and experience sailing across the Atlantic like so many immigrants did and learn from ancestry experts. This opportunity for families to learn about their past together in a luxurious setting, is sure to be a special experience.
Go on a ranch holiday
A memorable multi-generational travel experience can be found on a ranch holiday. With so much outdoor adventure, the younger generations are swayed away from their screens, much to the delight of the elders. Together, all three generations can engage in new and old traditions that are at the heart of Americana and Western culture. Horseback riding, fishing, archery, hiking, hatchet throwing, swimming, exploring and so much more.
Greenhorn Ranch in California is just an hour’s drive from the Tahoe Reno International Airport and just about two hours from Sacramento International airport or a three-hour drive from the Bay Area. Gorgeous roadways through gold country provide some historical context for an education as well!
The Red Reflet Guest Ranch in Wyoming is an all-inclusive, year-round luxury ranch/resort. It is an absolutely perfect place for a “wild west” multi-generational retreat where guests stay in their own private chalets with hot tubs and steam showers.
Stay on a private island
What could be more luxurious than staying on a secluded private island with your family?
Sweet Bocas is a luxury eco-retreat set on a private island in Panama’s pristine Bocas Del Toro archipelago where multi-generational travel is a very popular pursuit as grandparents, parents and grandchildren forge bonds over games, exploring nature, taking day trips on the property’s yacht, and visiting indigenous tribes to learning about the local culture. Parents and grandparents can enjoy active pursuits, spa, yoga, organic cuisine and more, while kids can bond over treasure hunts, friendly sports challenges, animal encounters, snorkelling, canoeing and more. Families can come together to bond and reconnect amidst distraction-free wild nature.
The villa at Sweet Bocas houses seven suites, a fully-equipped kitchen with culinary team, an espresso bar, entertainment-equipped den, living and lounging areas, state-of-the-art gym, infinity pool and yoga studio. Additionally, two lakeside bamboo properties provide a tropical “glamping” experience under the stars. Guests enjoy full use of the property’s 30-foot motor yacht and boats, limitless land and sea pursuits, as well as premium experiences like surfing with world renowned professional surfer Terry Simms, indigenous tribe encounters, bat cave explorations, free-diving, shaman healing, and more.
Charter a yacht
An incredible luxury experience to have with a multi-generational family is chartering a yacht for a week of cruising in locations like Croatia, Greece, the French Riviera, Mexico, or the Caribbean. It’s a great way to bring the family together in one place but enable different age groups to enjoy their desired activities. You can stop for a swim and a snorkel or have a crew bring food and drinks to older family members who want to enjoy the ocean breeze while seated.
GetMyBoat have thousands of charters in desirable destinations around the world, making a boat trip with family an easily accessible experience. Their captains can cater to any specific needs or requests and can provide fun excursions and activity options for travellers of all ages.
Go on safari
For the ultimate multi-generational luxury travel experience, try an African safari. It is without doubt one of the most relaxing, luxurious breaks for all involved, regardless of age group. Forget any pre-conceptions that a safari is just about sitting in a vehicle watching animals. It’s so much more than that. Choose the right safari for you and you’ll find there’s a host of other opportunities, whether it be nature treks, animal tracking, hot air ballooning, spa treatments, kayaking, visiting local schools or indigenous tribes, and much more. It can be an enormously rewarding educational experience, too, regardless of how much you already know and regardless of your age.
Ker & Downey pride themselves on creating unique, custom itineraries for each client, including travellers booking a multi-generational family safari. They recognise the many challenges faced by the organisation of such a trip – booking several different flights, arranging transfers for larger groups, and the competing ideas from family members as to what the trip should look like and what the group should do. The youngest clients to participate in the same activities as the rest of the family, don’t want to bore adults, and don’t want to strain the grandparents. It can be tough to navigate the needs and desires of the entire group. Look for private reserves that typically only have 5-12 rooms, which means a much more intimate experience both in the bush and back at the lodge.
Stay in a holiday home
Another attractive option for multi-generational travel is staying in a holiday home or vacation rental property. It gives families independence and flexibility in their holidays. With a luxury home that is completely self-contained, including a fully-equipped kitchen, families can gather and cook their own meals and eat around the dinner table together. Holiday homes also means less holiday preparation: parents can pack light knowing that sheets, towels, pillows and books will be waiting for them. In some cases, even the week’s grocery shopping is there to greet you on arrival, or you can hire a private chef to come and cook for you.
Private Properties provides wow-factor holiday homes that sleep up to 13 people and are situated in some of the most breathtaking locations in Western Australia. Most guests are families with children so the boutique business understands what parents with babies, toddlers, teenagers, and grandparents need to make the perfect holiday. They offer more than 100 luxury family-friendly holiday homes and unforgettable holiday experiences in coastal retreats, on sprawling country estates, character cottages and stunning architecturally designed homes.
Families with older children usually want properties with pools, separate living areas, beach access and large open spaces, while those with younger children list safety, enclosed yards and wildlife high on their ‘must-have’ lists.
With children returning to school after the Summer holidays, it’s a great time to get your head down again, plan some future trips and do some financial planning to ensure that you can be enjoying many more fabulous holidays with your family!
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by F&C Investments. F&C Investments offers a range of savings plans and 10 investment trusts that are designed to help you reach your investment goals.
When I was staying at an apartment in Grand Canaria the manager told me that the multi-generation market was really growing. The Babyboomer Generation were buying big apartments so that their cash-strapped kids could get a holiday. It also meant that they were getting to see their grandchildren. Problem was that the grandparents were getting exhausted so they’d developed a prototype flat where the grandparents could completely shut themselves away in a separate flat. There was even a shutter on the balcony to barricade themselves in! But would you spend over €1 million on that?
I would say a cruise fits the bill perfectly. Everything you might need is right in one place: food, accommodation, entertainment. If you’re travelling with older people, they don’t have to walk very far or bake under the sun. And in a cruise, kids are easier to look after since you’re in a relatively confined space.
Cruises have got very good at offering something for everyone. There’s always been loads of activities. Now some cruises offer brilliant talks on the next port-of-call. Many of the speakers are brilliant. And they are adaptable. On his last cruise my mate started up walking football in the gym to exercise off all the calories! Anything else they can offer?
Ranch Vacation with family is a real fun. Here we spent quality time with each other. Truly said, we eat a lot and on-time as well. Riding is also a fun in ranch vacation, Created a perfect picture.
There are some perfect formulae here for Happy Families from happy holidays. I can see grandchildren loving playing at being cowboys on the ranch.
I agree, trying safaris are really a great way to have the best holiday. Guests of all ages would enjoy it. Adding a cultural trip to your adventure is also an excellent idea especially for the kids. It will help you open your minds about other people’s lives, and a great way to reduce cultural barriers between people. Visiting the Datoga tribes is a fantastic addition to a tour if your going on African safaris especially if your destination is in Tanzania. This post though is just magnificent! Surely a must-share. Keep it up!