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Making the Most of Skip-Generational Trips

For grandparents traveling with grandchildren, it’s a chance to bond and create shared memories

grandparents with their grandchildren on a Road Scholar boat tour
Group tours, above, heritage tours, safaris, cruises and ranches are among the trip options for skip-generational travel.
Alyssa Bichunsky/Road Scholar
By

Cheryl Maguire,

 
AARP
Published April 05, 2024

One of the travel trends to look for in 2024 is skip-generation trips. This is when grandparents travel with their grandchild sans children, thereby skipping a generation.

According to the 2023 U.S. Family Travel Survey, grandparents choose to take a skip-generational trip to be able to bond with their grandchild. In the survey from the Family Travel Association, grandparents said that after taking this type of trip, they think their grandchild is more adventurous and that the trip helped their grandchild be more flexible and adaptable.

We spoke to travel experts to find the best tips and types of travel for your skip-generation trip.

1. Talking with your child about traveling without them

“The initial conversations have to be between the grandparent and the parents, without the grandchild involved, and just make sure that the parents are comfortable with it,” says Kenneth Shapiro, the board president of the Family Travel Association. He explains that typically parents are excited that their child and parent are going to take a trip together. In most cases the grandparent pays for the vacation, so their child doesn’t need to worry about expenses. Also, if the grandparents take their grandchild on the trip during their school vacation or the summer, the parent doesn’t need to take time off from their job. “It’s a win-win for everybody,” says Shapiro.

Grandparents can explain that this trip is an opportunity to spend time with their grandchild. “I think it’s a chance to just say that [the grandparents] want to bond in a special way,” says Darley Newman, the host and executive producer of Travels with Darley.

2. Explaining expectations during the trip

If a grandparent doesn’t live with their grandchild, they will need to set expectations with them before they travel. “There are certain situations that an adult needs to be in charge. You can’t just let the kids run the show all the time,” says Shapiro.

He explains that the grandparents should ask for their grandchild’s input during the planning stages. “I think that’s an opportunity to give the grandchild some responsibility and also a chance to have fun,” he says. If you allow the grandchild to collaborate during the planning process, then they will be able to select activities or destinations based on their interests. “The more that the grandchild’s involved [in the planning], the more special I think the trip is going to be,” says Jessica Griscavage, a senior travel adviser and the founder of Runway Travel.

3. Consider activity levels, mobility needs and downtime

Shelby Dziwulski, founder and CEO of the Denver-based travel company Authenteco explains that it is important to understand the limitations at your destination related to physical activity, safety and mobility. “It really does change where you’re sending people,” she says. For example, if you have mobility needs she might suggest a location that has accessibility features such as elevators or wheelchair ramps instead of a place with a lot of stairs or cobblestone roads. Another key factor is incorporating breaks or downtime into your trip. No matter your age, if you don’t take a break you’ll be too tired to enjoy the trip. “For any family travel, you have to add some downtime,” Griscavage says.

4. Consider these trips for skip-generation travel

You can take a skip-generational trip anywhere, but experts suggest these types of trips are typically set up to accommodate you.

Exploring ancestry and heritage

Heritage tourism, a type of travel that traces your roots, has become popular in recent years due to DNA services that track your lineage. “I think it’s a great opportunity to learn more about yourself and the world that you’re in at the same time,” Shapiro says.

Before your heritage trip, you can research your genealogy and then meet relatives or travel to places based on your ancestry. “It’s not until you’re actually there tasting the local food and seeing the sights that you understand that location in that intrinsic way. It can change the way that you think about yourself,” Newman says.

Ocean or river cruises

Cruises are an all-inclusive accommodation and meal option that easily allow you to see multiple destinations. “You unpack once and you get to visit multiple countries,” says Griscavage. Cruise lines such as Royal Caribbean Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line and Disney Cruise also offer group activities, entertainment and excursions. Kids or teen clubs offered on some cruises could provide a chance for the grandparent to take a break if needed. Another bonus is that grandparents can easily keep track of their grandchild on river cruises such as A-ROSA Cruises, Uniworld or AmaWaterways. “It’s a contained and safe environment,” says Newman.

All-inclusive resorts

Similar to a cruise vacation, an all-inclusive resort, such as Beaches, Club Med or Nickelodeon Resorts, offers activities and entertainment in a hotel instead of on a cruise ship. Many of these resorts also offer a kid or teen club. If you get seasick or prefer to stay in one location, this may be a better option than a cruise.

Ranches

A ranch trip offers a Western lifestyle experience including fishing, horseback riding, hiking and more. Newman explains that ranches, like Devil’s Thumb Ranch, Gros Ventre River Ranch and Tanque Verde Ranch, are a great way to get together in a secure environment but still have an outdoor adventure that leads to bonding with one another.

Safaris

Safaris like Good Earth Tours, Australian Wildlife Journeys and Micato Safaris allow you to travel to a natural animal habitat. “Safaris are great, because you have a guide with you the whole time,” says Dziwulski. “The children get to see animals every day, which is an engaging, once-in-a-lifetime, memorable [experience]. But you have a guide with you all the time to cater to all of your needs.”

Group tours

Group tours are a popular option for skip-generational trips arranged by a travel agent. Road Scholar is a group tour company that focuses on experiential learning. It and Intrepid Travel offer specific trips for grandparents and grandchildren traveling together. Rick Steves’ Europe family tours are another group tour option. “We take care of all the planning and all the logistics, so you don’t have to think about what you need to plan ahead of time,” says Kelsey Knoedler Perri, director of public relations for Road Scholar.

Cheryl Maguire is a freelance writer whose work has been published in The New York Times, National Geographic, The Washington Post, The Boston Globe, Parents Magazine, Healthline and many other publications. She is a member of the American Society of Journalists and Authors. 

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