Multi-generational travel has become very popular as families look for ways to spend more quality time together. Many trips are being arranged and paid for by grandparents to help make a bucket-list experience possible for their families.
Booking travel for more people than just your own family can make planning more complicated, as everyone has different wants and needs. If you’re looking to plan a group trip with extended family or friends, here are some tips for a successful trip while keeping your sanity:
Schedule Breaks in Your Days
Don’t fill every minute of every day with activities. You should proactively plan some downtime in your trip for people to relax and regroup. Having some flexibility in the schedule also helps if something unexpected happens.
Find the Right Accommodations
Depending on the size of your traveling party, finding accommodations that can fit everyone can be complicated. Multi-bedroom accommodations like Disney deluxe villas are always more expensive than getting everyone individual rooms. A note on your reservation with requests for your rooms to be connected or adjoining helps everyone stay as close as possible.
Make a List of Everyone’s Priorities
With multiple conflicting opinions, it’s important to get the top 1 or 2 requests from each traveler and make a list. Not everyone will get to do everything they want, but everyone should at least get to do the number one item on their list.
Plan Some Time Apart
Not all members of your traveling party have to spend every minute together. After you have the list of priorities you can split into groups for parts of your day to tackle different to-dos. That way no one is left waiting around while others complete an activity.
Be Proactive About Meal Planning
Getting a table for a large party can be difficult, so be sure to get reservations as soon as they open for booking. At Disney you may have to break into smaller groups and make multiple reservations and then ask the host at the restaurant if you can sit together.
Choose Someone to Take the Lead
It’s easiest if all requests can go to one person, who acts as the planner for the entire party. You don’t want “too many cooks in the kitchen” with conflicting information. If you don’t want to bear the responsibility of planning the trip for your family, using a travel agent can be very helpful. We’ll take everyone’s needs into account and make the perfect travel plan for you.
As a travel agent, my services are free when you book your trip with me. The price is the same as booking directly with a hotel or cruise ship, but you’ll receive my personal guidance and advice for all the planning steps. You’ll also have a personal connection to reach out to if anything goes wrong - I’ve dealt with blizzards, hurricanes, broken ankles, COVID-cancelled trips and more. Reach out to me at info@travelbymaeghan.com or message me on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TravelbyMaeghan to get started.
