Where should we go for a multi-generational family trip?

Tuscany, the Algarve, Provence, the Greek mainland, Mallorca, the Yucatán peninsula. All have a beach + town combo that lets different generations have different days without splitting the group.

How long should a family group trip be?

7-10 nights at one base is ideal. Less and you spend it travelling; more and energy collapses. Rent a single house, not three hotel rooms.

How do you handle picky eaters in a family group trip?

Cook some nights at the house, picky eaters can have their own thing without holding the restaurant table up. Restaurant nights, pick places with broad menus.

Should kids and adults eat together every meal?

One shared meal a day is the sweet spot. Dinner usually works best, cook together or pick a casual restaurant. Breakfast and lunch are "find your own" so different rhythms don't fight.

Family group trips, 6 min read

How to plan a family group trip with kids and adults

Published 4 June 2026

Quick answer

-Rent a single house, splitting hotels kills the trip's family rhythm.
-Pace for the slowest person, not the kids or the grandparents specifically.
-Plan ONE crew meal a day, leave the rest as "find your own".
-Pick a destination with a beach AND a town, multi-mode trips beat single-mode for families.
-Set ground rules about screens, bedtimes, and shared groceries before day one.

Rent the house, not the rooms

A family group trip in three hotel rooms is just three families having parallel trips. A shared house with everyone under one roof is the actual family trip.

Look for a property with at least one common area big enough for everyone to eat together, a kitchen real enough to cook in, and enough bedrooms that nobody is on a sofa. Italy's agriturismi, Portugal's quintas, French gîtes, and Spanish fincas all fit.

Pace for the slowest member

The grandparent who needs a nap after lunch sets the pace, not the 8-year-old who wants to keep going. Building the day around the slower constraint is what makes the trip feel restful for everyone.

A good rhythm: morning activity (9-12), long shared lunch (12-3), afternoon rest or solo time (3-6), shared dinner (7-10). The 3-6 block is where the trip breathes.

One crew meal a day

Forcing every meal to be a crew event burns people out by day 4. Dinner is the family meal, cook together at the house or pick one restaurant and go as a group. Breakfast and lunch are "find your own" so the early risers and the late sleepers can both be themselves.

Pick a destination with two modes

The strongest family group trip destinations have a beach AND a town: Tuscany (Mediterranean + Florence/Pisa day trips), Algarve (coast + Lagos/Faro), Provence (lavender + Aix-en-Provence), the Greek mainland (beach + Athens/Nafplio).

Why two modes: the kids can have beach days, the adults can have a culture day, and the grandparents can pick their own. Single-mode trips force everyone to do the same thing, which is how family group trips collapse.

Ground rules before day one

Three rules to agree on before anyone packs:

-Screens at the dinner table: yes / no? (decide before, not at the table)
-Kids' bedtime, do all the kids share one or do different families do different things?
-Shared groceries, one card paid by one person, split at the end. Do NOT do running settles.

Activities scaled to mixed ages

Pick activities that work at multiple ages. A boat trip works for everyone. A hiking trail in Tuscany has a one-hour and a three-hour version. A cooking class can include kids. A museum specifically does not work at mixed ages, grandparents linger, kids combust.

Frequently asked

Where should we go for a multi-generational family trip?
Tuscany, the Algarve, Provence, the Greek mainland, Mallorca, the Yucatán peninsula. All have a beach + town combo that lets different generations have different days without splitting the group.
How long should a family group trip be?
7-10 nights at one base is ideal. Less and you spend it travelling; more and energy collapses. Rent a single house, not three hotel rooms.
How do you handle picky eaters in a family group trip?
Cook some nights at the house, picky eaters can have their own thing without holding the restaurant table up. Restaurant nights, pick places with broad menus.
Should kids and adults eat together every meal?
One shared meal a day is the sweet spot. Dinner usually works best, cook together or pick a casual restaurant. Breakfast and lunch are "find your own" so different rhythms don't fight.