Traveling with three generations or, if you're very lucky, with four, can be one of life's greatest memory makers or… one of its biggest nightmares.
As participants in many "3G" vacations and observers of countless others, the Family Travel Forum staff has learned a few tips about making multi-generational vacations less stressful.
Keys to Success for any Multi-Gen Vacation
First, we culled through the Multi-Generational Vacation section of the site to get our bloggers' advice on successful family gatherings. Here are some tips the staff thinks are particularly relevant to today's families, who face stresses that their grandparents never imagined.
1. The middle generation, regardless of who's paying, should plan a vacation itinerary with down time after taking into account the different ages.
2. Respect grandparents' and teens' need for privacy; even if the cost means you have to cut your trip short, book them a private room.
3. Give kids their own spending money; treating grandparents to ice cream can smooth out most financial conflicts.
4. Alternate the familiar with the exotic; not everyone shares a passion for new adventures or molecular cuisine.
5. If you're worried about family friction: the planned activities, service, dining and childcare of a cruise or all-inclusive resort is a no-brainer.
Tips for Multi-Generational House Rentals
While planning Grand Reunions Under the Tuscan Sun, a grandfather shared his thoughts on how to make a house or villa rental a successful venue for a small reunion.
1. Plan well ahead, not losing sight of the fact that the middle generation has least flexibility because of fixed school holidays and companies' vacation schedules.
2. Give everyone the chance to participate in the planning, or decide on the arrangements yourself, with proper consideration of individual needs and preferences.
3. Pick a destination which can offer a wide variety of attractions, suitable for all ages involved, with seasonal and climatic considerations.
4. Immerse the whole family in guidebooks, maps, brochures (from the local visitor's bureau or the Internet) to prepare youngsters and adults alike for what they are to experience.
5. Get in the mood. Preparation is fun and rewarding, as well as useful.
6. Plan the food arrangements ahead of time if you are to be in a self-catering situation, even if it consists of trying to determine who will be responsible for what and when.
7. Transportation is important. No one should be in the position of dependence on others for their own mobility and daily activities.
8. Emphasize that everyone will be free to do exactly as they please, with no requirement to do things as a group or on anyone's timetable.
9. A diary or scrapbook is always a fun project and makes a wonderful keepsake, even heirloom.
10. When you get back, thank everyone for coming. Arranging to spend time together is one of the most important things an elder can do for a multi-generational family.
More Thoughts for a Large Family Reunion
In Family Reunion Planning we found more great thoughts on how to organize a 3G vacation for a large number of relatives.
1. Determine who's going to be in charge and leave them alone to plan and book vacation details.
2. Decide on a central location that's easy to get to for the majority of family members.
3. Choose a date well in advance, considering everyone's work and school schedules. A long holiday weekend may turn out to be the best option (though not the cheapest).
4. With the budget limitations of every family member in mind, book hotels. Travel is best booked by participants individually.
5. Make sure there are activities planned that include all age groups and interests. If you have to split up the clan, offer a variety of affordable options.
Everyone Agrees: When Making Memories, Save Them
Don't forget that whatever memories are made together, you have to preserve them. If you have a spare digital camera, pass it around and ask everyone to record a fun moment.
Use any of the photo sharing sites or tools like Dropbox to share images. If there's interest, invest in a photo album book from Snapfish, Smugmug or one of the other on-demand printing companies.
Memory or nightmare, the record of your multi-genrational family vacation is sure to be a hit.
Dear Reader: This page may contain affiliate links which may earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. Our independent journalism is not influenced by any advertiser or commercial initiative unless it is clearly marked as sponsored content. As travel products change, please be sure to reconfirm all details and stay up to date with current events to ensure a safe and successful trip.
Good morning,
I wanted to give you some feedback…. We went to your site to determine what documentation was needed for my grandson to travel with me to Canada, and printed out two forms. We had one of the forms notarized as suggested, and set out on our trip the next day. When we arrived at the border, I was told we did not have proper identification! The page we had been working from on your site did not say anything about a birth certificate or photo ID, which they said I should have had. PLEASE amend that page to say something like… “In addition to a birth certificate and photo ID, these other documents are recommended…”
Thank you so much for your responsiveness. You may mention this on other pages on your site, but it really should also be on the documentation page.
Janet Gill
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Does Australia require a PERMISSION TO TRAVEL letter?
Oahu is famous for its surfing beach at Waikiki, and that’s where many tourists take their first lesson. There’s calmer water as well as huge waves (if you know how to catch them) and there are many, more popular schools right there on the sand.
You don’t have to stay at a fancy hotel ot take lessons even though some schools are affilated with them; any surf guide will take you to other parts of the island and practice safe surfing with you.
My apologies, Michelangelo's David is not in the Uffizi, but in the Gallery of the Accademia. We did not travel to the Uffizi; the Gallery is the museum which houses David, and all of Michelangelo's bound slave statues.
Happy Travels!
Like you’re going to see any tourists riding the Banzai
What about tourist friendly surf spots?
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Just for clarification, it doesn't matter if a certain casino is the largest/smallest, the thing is that gamblers all over the world could play casino games they've wanted. As long as all types of games such as pokers, slot machines, etc. are available, then it's the type of casino we've always wanted in the first place. Well, we can't deny the fact that there's a lot of larger casinos in Netherlands…. π
Usually it's better to confront your fears. If you choose to do so, as a parent you can start prepping your child with a couple of weeks before the flight. Try taking him to an adventure park where there are similar crafts to airplanes. And step by step you will get him used to flying. Otherwise, if you start drugging him since a child, as you said no good doctor can recommend it. I'm not sure if you would like to take him to rehab because he'll be getting to used to taking too many drugs all the time.
hi all π
My family and I recently visited Morocco.
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Price of the private tour fm him is reasonable compared with others agency as i have done some research for about 2 months before this trip. my family and I were taken good care of during our 9 days.
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These are really good places to go on a family eco friendly vacation. Very beautiful with amazing nature. Eco vacations are getting more and more popuar nowaday and it is good that people appreciate the nature.
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Thanks ….Family Travel Forum's guide to the best family attractions, parks, museums, and events in New York, I bookmark this site.
your link for disney land does not lead you to disneyland, it goes to Catalina Island info
Thanks for the heads-up, we fixed the link and hope you were able to find what you needed about Disneyland.
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Going to the theme parks without the kids is FUN FUN FUN π
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Olive Restaurant
Olive Restaurant is the first terrace restaurant in the old town Istanbul. Olive Restaurant is a part of YaΓ ΕΈmak Hotels which has the experience of hospitality since 1955. At Olive Restaurant, you can feel the past and present together. You will pursue the trace of history just by looking at the Panoramic view of Istanbul Peninsula. The amazing view of St. Sophia, Topkapi Palace, Bosphorus lays out in front of you with an amazing harmony together. On the other side, welcomes you the Golden Horn which is a heritage from Genoeses while you are enjoying various delicious tastes of Turkish and International cuisine.
The 3-star Hotel Olimpiyat Istanbul offers comfortable accommodation in a fantastic location, just steps from the most famous symbols of the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires, including Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, and the bustling Grand Bazaar!
Olimpiyat Hotel is a modern three star hotel built in 1955 and fully renovated in 2006. It is located in the old town of Istanbul and in a walking distance to major attractions as well as the port and famous train station Orient Express!
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Don't forget Bob Megraw's Blueberry Patch in Kent! They always have the sweetest selection! Check out this other list I found for u-pick spots around Seattle:
http://www.redtri.com/seattle/5-natural-blueberry-u-picks-near-seattle
any idea about what time leaves turn? thanks, lmccutch@aol.com
We are hosting our first exchange student this year with EF Foundation for Foreign Study! Our family can't wait until he arrives!
I only wish I could host 3 students instead of two! Love EF
My family did this a few years ago and had a great experience. Highly recommended!
Scottsdale, Arizona is known as ‘The West’s Most Western Town’. With average of 300 sunshine days Scottsdale is fast becoming a popular tourist destination. There is plenty to do in this beautiful resort town.
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Hosting an exchange student is a life changing experience for both students and host families! There is so much we have to learn from each other. Getting to know more about a new culture is exciting at ANY age.
As the Director of International Programs in a private school, I have worked with recruiting & placing foreign exchange students in host families. The bonds between host and student become cemented over time and even after the official host experience ends, families continue to be involved. If you are considering becoming a host, I recommend talking with an experienced host family to get the good, the bad and the ugly. Somehow, the good always dominates the experience.
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"The Mohegan Sun, which claims to be the second largest casino in the world and the largest convention and meetings destination in the Northeast, opened in 1996 and was expanded in 2001."
Wow! is it for real? I bet theres larger casinos in Netherlands than that. — http://nl.unibet.com/casino
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Great article!!! Makes me want to travel to Gatlinburg!!! Thanks for sharing your vacation with us!
That was great!
Awesome job! Sounds like a fun trip!
I like how you described sights you saw. and how much fun you had. I enjoyed reading
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