When three generations travel together, everyone has a say. Here’s how kids, parents and grandparents can share the planning for a trip that works for the whole family.
By Kaci Scziraki
Planning a multigenerational vacation comes with plenty of moving parts. Parents may be coordinating school calendars, vacation days, flights and itineraries. Grandparents may have opinions about destinations, accommodations, budgets and travel pace. Meanwhile, the kids may already have a wish list of attractions, restaurants and experiences they’ve discovered online or via TV.
Family vacation planning isn’t just about one person deciding; when several generations travel together, everyone’s input matters, fostering respect and inclusion.
So, who really chooses the family vacation?
The answer may be less about who decides and more about which parts of the trip each generation helps shape.
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Kids Have Become Vacation Co-Pilots
Younger family members may not book flights or choose the vacation rental, but their influence on family travel has grown considerably.
According to the Family Travel Association’s 2025 U.S. Family Travel Survey, children ages 7–18 have become vacation “co-pilots,” helping influence family travel decisions and bringing their own ideas to the planning process. Social media, YouTube and other digital platforms give young travelers more opportunities than ever to discover destinations and experiences before the family ever leaves home.
In the travel industry, that influence has even earned a name: kidfluence.
Kids have big opinions when it comes to the fun parts of the vacation. Credit – Freestockpro via Pexels
BONUS CONTENT: How the Kidfluence Trend is Shaping Family Travel
Kidfluence often shows up in the experiences that make a vacation exciting for younger travelers. A child may have strong opinions about visiting a theme park, trying a certain restaurant or type of food, going ziplining or choosing a hotel with a waterpark or unique pool.
And giving kids an appropriate role in planning can have benefits beyond keeping them entertained. The FTA survey found that 84% of parents believe involving children in travel planning can make them more adaptable and open to new experiences.
The key is giving children choices they can reasonably make.
Parents might let kids choose between two attractions or research restaurants, empowering children and making them feel their opinions are valued. They get a meaningful voice without having to steer the entire trip.
Grandparents often say spending quality time with loved ones is a top vacation motivator. Credit – RDNE via Pexels
The Growing Power of Grandfluence
If younger travelers help influence what sounds fun, grandparents often bring another important perspective to multigenerational planning.
Call it grandfluence.
Grandparents are a major part of today’s family travel landscape, whether they’re joining children and grandchildren on a multigenerational vacation or taking the grandkids on a skip-gen getaway of their own. For many, travel provides something especially valuable: uninterrupted time together.
Family Travel Association research has found that bonding is one of grandparents’ strongest motivations for multigenerational travel. Spending extended time with grandchildren, creating shared memories and giving younger generations meaningful experiences consistently rank among the reasons families choose to travel together.
Grandparents may also help make a larger family vacation financially feasible. Some contribute toward lodging, transportation, meals or special experiences; others may treat the family to most or all of the trip expenses. In other families, several households divide the costs.
Having honest talks about who plans to pay for what helps everyone feel transparent and trusted, easing potential financial worries.
Before anyone books the six-bedroom beach house or volunteers to cover airfare, families should talk openly about who plans to pay for what. A generous invitation can become uncomfortable when assumptions about restaurant tabs, excursions or transportation begin piling up.
Discussing the budget early lets grandparents be generous on their own terms while helping parents understand which expenses they’ll cover.
Parents Often Bridge the Gap
If kids bring the wish lists and grandparents help shape budgets, traditions, or trip priorities, parents often end up somewhere in the middle.
Their biggest influence may be practicality.
Parents often coordinate school schedules, work calendars, transportation and their children’s everyday needs. They may know that the destination everyone loves requires three connecting flights with a toddler. They know whether the 7 a.m. guided tour is realistic after a late arrival. And they’re often the ones determining whether five attractions in one afternoon will leave everyone exhausted.
That puts parents in an important role: translating everyone’s ideas into an itinerary the family can actually enjoy.
But there is no universal formula.
In one family, grandparents may choose the destination because they’re hosting the trip. In another, adult children may take the lead because they know everyone’s schedules. Older kids and teens might play a significant role in choosing activities, while younger children may pick between a few parent-approved options.
Rather than assigning one generation complete control, families should develop strategies to navigate disagreements and conflicting opinions, ensuring each voice is heard and respected for successful multigenerational planning.
Divide the Decisions, Not the Family
One of the easiest ways to make multigenerational vacation planning manageable is to stop treating the trip as one enormous decision.
Instead, break it into smaller pieces: destination, budget, accommodations, transportation, dining, activities and downtime. Then decide whose input matters most for each.
A few strategies can make the process much easier:
- Give kids limited choices. Instead of handing children the entire itinerary, invite them to choose two activities, research an attraction or select between options that already fit the family’s plans and budget.
- Have the money conversation early. Decide who is covering accommodation, transportation, meals and activities before making reservations. If grandparents want to treat the family, consider having them cover one major expense—such as the vacation rental or a special dinner—rather than leaving everyday spending undefined.
- Plan around shared interests. Look for experiences that connect generations rather than appeal to an age bracket. A grandparent and grandchild who both love wildlife, baseball, history, cooking or music may enjoy an outing together regardless of the decades between them.
- Build in flexibility. Multigenerational travel doesn’t require everyone to spend every minute together. Some family members may want an active morning while others relax by the pool. Splitting up occasionally can make the time everyone spends together even more enjoyable.
- Leave room to slow down. A packed itinerary can be especially challenging when several generations have different energy levels and mobility needs. Build in unscheduled break time so nobody feels like they need a vacation after the vacation.
Grandpa and grandaughter enjoy a quiet moment on the beach. Credit – Mary Blackwey via Unsplash
The Best Family Vacation Is a Shared One
The goal of a multigenerational trip isn’t to determine which generation gets the final word. It’s to create an experience in which everyone feels considered.
Kids can help shape the fun. Grandparents can share their priorities, experience and, in some families, financial support. Parents can help turn everyone’s ideas into a realistic plan.
Most importantly, families can stop assuming that everyone wants the same vacation simply because they share the same last name.
When each generation has an appropriate role in the planning process, kidfluence and grandfluence don’t have to compete. They can work together—giving families more ideas, more perspectives and ultimately more opportunities to create the memories that brought everyone together in the first place.
Find more inspiration for bringing your family together in the latest Destination Reunions guide.
