How to Find the Right Multigenerational Tour for Your Family

You’ve decided. It’s time to go on a trip in the company of the best travel companions in the world: multiple generations of your family. Multigenerational travel is an incredible way to create lasting memories, but how do you pick a trip that will work for your whole crew?

Collette has been supporting multigenerational touring since 1918. And as a family-owned company, our team is built by people who love to travel with family. That means we have some pretty solid experience in finding tours to suit multiple generations travelling together.

Here are the things we think about when choosing the right multigenerational tour experience for our own families:

Considerations for Your Multigenerational Family Trip

Our daily to-do-lists often make it difficult to prioritize quality time with family. The beauty of intergenerational travel is that our normal responsibilities at home are left behind.

The added beauty of guided travel is that all the details are taken care of: All you have to focus on is being together and having the time of your life.

But how do you make sure everyone is having a good time? Let’s break down the factors to consider when planning multigenerational tours, assuring that you’re on the right tour for the 13-year-old, the 30-year-old, the 55-year-old, and the 80-year-old in your family.

Tour Length, Travel Timing, and Responsibilities at Home

Travelling with multiple generations is rewarding, but it can be challenging to find the right time for everyone.

The children have school to consider. Adults who are still working may have limited time off to play with. Even if work isn’t a factor, we have responsibilities to our communities and other loved ones to consider when planning family travel.

Our tip? Coordinate calendars as far in advance as you can and communicate very openly as a family.

Identify school vacations, if you are bringing school-aged kids, as soon as you get the academic calendar for the next school year. For the adults, be very transparent with each other about the amount of time you can take off of work or be away from home. Collette tours range from five to 27 days, so there is a tour for every family’s schedule!

Once you figure out the when, you can start organizing how your households will run while you’re away.

For families who live close together, it can be helpful to pool resources for responsibilities back home. Do you have a family friend who can bring in the mail, take out the trash, and check on everyone’s pets?

Activity Level

Communication and recognizing everyone’s strengths and limitations is key when it comes to deciding how active your family trip will be.

If you have very active family members and those who would prefer a slower-paced trip, you have to decide as a group what compromise best suits your family. For those who are not involved in the immediate planning, set expectations around activity level with everyone. If your family members know what to expect, they will have a much more enjoyable experience while on their intergenerational travel adventure.

And we can help with that. Each Collette tour is ranked with a Tour Activity Level – ranging from Light & Leisurely to Very Active. As you are looking into tours, review the Tour Activity Level to help identify if the pacing and physical requirements of a trip is the right fit for your family.

I went on tour with my grandmother, who is pretty active. She goes on a walk daily and since our trip, she has started going to yoga classes at least twice a week. She saw that our trip was going to be active, and she upped her activity even more to get prepared for our trek into the rainforest.

Next time if she would prefer to relax in Hawaii or go on a leisurely cruise in Alaska, that is fine by me, too. As long as we are exploring the world together, I’ll be happy.

Destination

You’ve decided the what (a tour) and the when (based on your extended family’s schedule and availability). So now it’s time to decide: Where to?

Think about what is important to family, the time you have available, and any limitations your group may have. If you only have a few days to spare, it may be better to hit the ground running and book a closer destination with less travel time.

Next point: Does everyone have a passport? If not, is there time and ability for those who don’t have a passport to get one? This should be something you discuss as soon as you decide to travel together, if you don’t already have a destination in mind.

And that’s when it starts to get fun.

Do you want to explore cosmopolitan cities together, like New York or London and Paris?

Do you want to feel like you've visited Europe without having to travel overseas? Maybe you'll explore Quebec City on the Charms of Quebec tour.

Do you want to retrace your family’s history and heritage? Popular tours for this include Countryside of the Emerald Isle and Reflections of Italy.

With 170+ Collette tours that cover all seven continents, the world is your oyster.

Group Size and Travel Style

The camaraderie you find on tour is part of the beauty of guided touring. Unique perspectives and backgrounds help us understand the world around us differently than we would on our own. But the number of people you are travelling with and the experience you can expect vary based on the type of tour you choose.

Whether you’re looking at family travel for a large group or small-group options, here's some info on Collette’s different Travel Styles to help you choose the right trip for your family:

Collette's Classic tours reveal the best of a destination. These feature-rich journeys include must-sees and opportunities to connect with the local culture. Ideal for travellers looking to mark things off their bucket list, Classic tours explore iconic sites with immersive moments.

Travel with an average of 37 people (maximum of 44) and delve into new worlds, cultures, and flavours like never before.

Uniquely designed just for small groups, Explorations tours help travellers dive deeper. Savvy, confident travellers get to know the pulse of a destination with local expertise from guides who live there. Travellers get access to places that larger groups can’t always reach and build camaraderie with their small group and local experts. Diver deeper into culture with big experiences in a small group.

With an average of 19 travellers (maximum 24), make friends, form connections, and immerse yourself in the destination.

Collette’s destination Spotlights tours offer up a deeper understanding of a single culture – travellers unpack just once and make themselves at home in one place. From the iconic sights to the hidden gems, these tours balance free time with fuller days for travellers who want to truly explore a place in depth.

Extend your time in a single destination with an average of 37 people (maximum of 44).

Cruising tours offer a more inclusive experience, a relaxed pace, and ample sightseeing on vessels ranging from private yachts to small ships. Whether sailing iconic rivers or the open sea, onshore excursions and experiences immerse travellers in the local culture when you step off the ship.

Sail the world’s waterways with fellow seafaring travellers, noting that group size varies based on the size of the ship.

Collette’s Faith tours are reverent and reflective. These trips are ideal for anyone wishing to connect with their spirituality on a deeper level. Featuring included Mass and devotional services, plus visits to holy sites, these tours focus on the faith-based highlights and include a destination’s must-sees.

Embark on a spiritual journey with an average of 37 people (maximum of 44).

Want to explore with only your family, but still enjoy all the perks of going guided? Private Touring is an option for a group of 10 or more (for the coolest family reunion ever).

Depending on your group size and travel style of your tour, each traveller will pay the base cost of the tour, plus a percentage of the price as a private touring surcharge.

Family Interests

Are there areas of interest that connect you as a family? Do you share a love of nature? Have you bonded over unique modes of transportation? Do you want to share a look into history together?

These are some of the top interests that families choose to share together on their multigenerational tour. Take a peek at some of the most popular picks, by interest area:

Nature and Wildlife Tours

Pura Vida: The pure life. The simple life. A greeting and the answer to “how are you?” All paths in Costa Rican culture lead to this peaceful, relaxed philosophy. And this small group journey into this Central American country will get your family closer to culture and the local flora and fauna.

A major highlight on the Costa Rica: A World of Nature tour? Tortuguero – where Costa Rica’s remote jungle meets the sparkling waters of the Caribbean coast.

This small group Explorations tour brings travellers on multiple game drives, plus offers a glimpse into life for the people of Kenya.

Your family will discover the thriving cultures and innumerable natural wonders that make this one of the most popular African countries to visit.

America’s National Parks Tours

In the heart of the Sierra Nevada mountains, giant sequoia trees whisper tales of centuries past. Families from around the world journey to California’s Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks to marvel at the towering trees that have stood for thousands of years.

If your family wants to explore some of America’s most popular national parks and must-sees of the West, check out this tour. America’s Cowboy Country includes visits to Yellowstone, Grand Teton National Park, Badlands National Park, and Mount Rushmore.

Closing out the trip with a night of Western hospitality at a chuckwagon dinner with entertainment offers a great memory for your family, too!

Train Tours

This tour offers your family the opportunity to take in the views of snow-capped mountains, glacial lakes, rushing rivers and the sheer unspoiled wilderness of Canada, by road and by rail.

This postcard perfect journey in the Canadian Rockies will have your family board VIA Rail’s The Canadian for a once-in-a-lifetime overnight train journey.

Looking to see some national parks and travel by rail? All aboard for this tour!

Take an awe-inspiring train trip from Denver to Moab aboard Rocky Mountaineer, and trek across the Southwest as you take in the sienna-coloured canyons, towering spires, and desert landscapes found in Utah’s five national parks: Arches, Canyonlands, Capital Reef, Bryce, and Zion.

Book Your Family’s Multigenerational Tour with Collette

Travelling with your family is so special, but it can be tough to figure out the right trip to fit everyone’s needs. And once you figure out the right trip, you shouldn’t have to then spend your time handling logistics.

That’s why families book Collette tours – to let experts take care of all the details so you can just focus on having a great time together.

When you’re ready to book your tour, call us or see your travel professional and ask for Collette.