Tommy Lloyd
Author: Tommy Lloyd, Managing Director

Tommy has over 15 years experience within the insurance industry, and his primary focus is helping travellers find the right cover for their medical conditions.

4 min read

With half-term starting for many children later this month and holidaying with grandchildren on the rise, we’ve put together our guide to creating enjoyable multi-generational holidays.  

A recent survey by Dubai Tourism showed that 78% of respondents think multigenerational holidays are a great way to bring the family together, whilst CV Villas has seen a 61% rise compared to 2019 for bookings of multi-generational properties.

To make sure everyone gets the most out of the trip, so-called ‘3G’ holidays do need careful planning - meeting the needs of a wide range of ages can be challenging!

Consider everyone’s needs

It’s useful to start with a list of each person's wants from the holiday. Everyone should try to remember it is important to be flexible and willing to make some compromises so that everyone can enjoy a stress-free holiday.

For example, are the grandparent’s action-lovers or would they prefer more relaxing activities? What about mealtimes – will self-catering be preferable over hotel meals?

And importantly what will the sleeping arrangements be and how much privacy does everyone want? Granny might prefer a separate hotel room or villa, rather than to be woken promptly at 6 a.m. by a lively toddler!

Finally, agree on a budget that everyone is happy to stick to.

When to go

If your party has school-age children in your group it’s worth checking well in advance when their school holidays are. Different counties in the UK can have different school holiday dates.

It’s also important to check what the temperature will be in your chosen destination for when you want to travel so that it’s comfortable for everyone to enjoy, bearing in mind younger children and older adults can struggle with hot or very cold temperatures.

Grandmother & Grandchild

Where to go

There is a wealth of destinations that are perfect for multi-gen trips to suit everyone in the group – from self-catering cottages in Cornwall, to skiing in Austria or resort based holidays in the Med. When deciding where to go, it’s important to think about flight times and time zones, and if members of the group will be able to cope with long flights or adjusting to big time differences.

For villa holidays with young grandchildren and elderly grandparents choose a villa with minimal steps, especially leading to and from the pool. Make sure the pool has plenty of comfortable seating space around it so that granny can enjoy watching the splashy play of her grandchildren without having to use binoculars from the villa terrace.

And for self-catering properties make sure it can seat everyone at one table for mealtimes. Whilst inside, you’ll ideally want ensuite bathrooms for yourselves, the grandparents and the kids so that everyone can carry on with their different routines.

Any special requirements

To ensure everyone in the group is taken care of, it’s important to check if there are any pre-existing medical conditions that need to be considered for the trip, from food allergies to medication requirements. Some of these conditions may need specific travel insurance policies.

Ensuring everyone stays safe and enjoys the holiday need not be stressful when you plan ahead and make sure you have right travel insurance planned in advance of your trip.

Who can help book your trip

Many travel agents now offer specialised multi-generational holiday packages that they can put together for you based on your specific brief. Whilst many villa companies have specific collections of properties that meet the needs of different age groups.

Importantly make sure you are clear on the budget available for the trip and that everyone has had chance to review the final options before you click ‘confirm’ on the booking!

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