There‘s nothing quite like watching three generations of your family gathered around the same table, swapping stories after a day of shared adventures. It‘s no surprise that multigenerational travel, vacations that bring together grandparents, parents and kids, is having a real moment. According to the Family Travel Association‘s 2025 U.S. Family Travel Survey, 71% of grandparents have taken a multigenerational trip recently, and more than half of parents are planning one that includes grandparents in the next year.
Planning a trip for a group with wildly different ages, energy levels and interests can feel like solving a puzzle, though. Here‘s how to pull it off without anyone (including you) losing their mind.
- Pick a destination with something for everyone – Look for a home base that offers a range of activity levels, not just one. National park lodges, all-inclusive resorts and cruise ships all work well because grandkids can hit the pool while grandparents relax on a shaded patio, and everyone can regroup for dinner.
- Loop everyone into the planning early – Grandparents increasingly want a seat at the planning table, not just a spot on the itinerary. Ask what everyone hopes to do and see before you book anything. A quick group chat or shared document can surface deal breakers (bad knees, early bedtimes, picky eaters) before they become trip-day surprises.
- Book accommodations built for a crowd – Adjoining hotel rooms or a single large vacation rental let everyone have private space while still sharing a kitchen or living area. If you‘re booking a rental, look at the bed and bathroom counts closely. As a rule of thumb, most travelers find four people per full bathroom is about the max for comfort.
- Set the budget (and the split) before you book – Money is the number one source of group-trip friction. Decide upfront whether you‘re splitting costs per person, per room or some other way, and get everyone on the same page before the first deposit goes down.
- Balance big activities with real downtime – It‘s tempting to pack the itinerary, but multigenerational trips run smoother with breathing room. Build in a few unscheduled afternoons so grandparents can nap, teens can sleep in and parents can actually relax instead of running a group tour.
- Do not rule out a cruise – If coordinating a big group sounds exhausting, a cruise might be the easiest option out there. Everyone can split off during the day and come back together for dinner, and there‘s no daily debate about where to eat or what to do next.
Planning a trip for the whole family tree takes a little extra coordination, but the payoff, watching grandkids and grandparents make memories together, is worth every group chat. Have you taken a multigenerational trip with your family? Share your best planning tips (or funniest travel stories) with the Shop Talk community!
Did you know? Cruising the generations
AAA projects a record 21.7 million Americans will go on ocean cruises in 2026. Turns out a lot of them are sailing together: cruise industry data shows 28% of cruise travelers now sail with three to five generations of family at once, making ships one of the most popular ways to vacation with the whole family.