How to Survive A Vacation With Your Family

Traveling soon with your family? Here are five must-have tips on how to survive a vacation with your family.

For some, multigenerational vacations with the family are a ritual never to be broken. For others, the thought of trying to arrange this type of vacation can be too much to deal with.

However, the Travel Industry Association has reported that multigenerational travel is one of the travel industry’s fastest growing areas. Each year, over 5 million families are going on vacation with three generations in tow.

But how do they do it? How do they create a vacation that’s catered toward everyone, from grandparents to toddlers?

Thankfully, it’s not as hard as it sounds. Here are our top tips for creating the ultimate multigenerational family vacation:

1. Choose the Destination Together

When kids (and adults) have a choice they feel as though they’ve invested something in the trip and have a more positive attitude toward things they maybe didn’t opt for. So, before you even start booking, call a family meeting or create a group chat so you can all discuss potential destinations.

2. Choose the Right Accommodation

For some multigenerational families, a rental property is ideal. It often costs a lot less than traditional hotel rooms and gives you the space you need to integrate as a family. Plus, it’s ideal at mealtimes, especially if you’re cooking first for the kids then for the grownups – and it also removes the need for babysitters, and so on.

However, if you know some of your family members will want their own space, perhaps even being able to dine on their own at night, a hotel may be the better option for you. That way, each of you has their own separate space that’s not adjoined by a communal living area so you can come and go as you please. Always look for child-friendly hotels that also have all of the facilities your family will need, like the Marriott Protea Hotel Cape Town, for example.

3. Bear Your Family’s Routine in Mind When Scheduling Activities

Toddlers tend to be full of beans in a morning and this is also the time your grandparents may be up, but teenagers will often sleep later. So, if you want to do a group activity or want to do something as a family, it’s best to schedule these for the afternoon or early evening.

4. Go Off in Small Groups

Before you set off, discuss what people do/don’t want to do. It’s important to let everyone know they don’t have to be with everyone 24/7 and can dip in and out of the organized activities when they feel like it.

Where there are different age groups, tastes, or preferences, create small groups so you can each go off and do what you want to throughout the day, meeting again at night for a family meal.

5. Take Time to Relax

Finally, no one’s going to enjoy the vacation if they’re constantly dashing from one activity to another so be sure to include some quiet time in the schedule. Having this time to chill throughout your trip will help you recharge your batteries, unwind, and have some “you” time.

More tips on how to survive a vacation with your family:

• 4 Must-Have Travel Safety Tips for Busy Families
• 7 Essentials for Your Family Road Trip
• 22 Family Vacation Movies on Netflix
• 6 Tips for a Great Weekend Getaway With Kids
•  Five Genius Ways to Keep Your Kids Off Their Phones During Vacation
• 5 Tips To Keep Clothes Looking Great While Traveling
• 5 Ways To Raise Cash For Your Vacation