How often do you actually get some time out and gather all your favorite people together at one place at one time? Planning a large family vacation is hard to do, but you’ll be amazed how family dynamics can be switched up and refreshed once you change your routine and spend some quality time together.
Think of all the possibilities: you could get yourself a personal chef, a personal fitness trainer or yoga instructor. Go somewhere new and meet the locals, get different food from a local farm, pick your own flowers, try out a new restaurant or shop for local independent gifts for the family. Bond over new experiences and expand your horizons together – this is something you can never do at home.
Read on for the expert tips from our hosts and our Kid & Coe founder, Zoie Kingsbery-Coe, on how to make the best of a multigenerational break.
1. Start Planning Early
First, think about who is coming and what do they want from the trip – this will determine how far in advance you need to plan. Certain times of year will also create a need for a certain destination, so this may shape by the type of vacation you end up with.
Try to involve all the guests with these initial conversations so you can find out what their goals are, and who might be interested in helping with the planning the family vacation.
If you’re planning a large family reunion for guests you haven’t seen in years, you’re going to need to book in your guests 6 – 12 months in advance.
Zoie’s Tip:
“I suggest that the person who takes the lead in booking gets the biggest room, so that might be an incentive to get started on the planning!”
2. Budget
If you’re going to need to plan a family vacation on a budget, that will restrict your destination, accommodation and potentially also the time of year you can travel too, so it’s worth getting this figured out at the start.
Ask each member of the family how they feel about the cost and get an idea of what they want to spend (unless you have a fantastic family member who is happy to pay for everyone!). If the budgets for each guest are looking a little different, you could suggest using a sharing app like Splitwise, which allows you to collect the costs of accommodation, food, bills or entertainment and share it between you to keep it fair.
If money is no object, you could explore our luxury family vacation ideas for 2024 for inspiration.
Zoie’s Tip:
“Buy groceries freely and split the cost at the end of the trip. It might be helpful to nominate one person to be in charge of this (and thank them for the responsibility with a bottle of wine!)”
3. Choose the Perfect Destination
The most important part! The destination should really be driven by the interests and ages of your guests, as well as the time of year you want to travel and how many days you have to spare.
- City Breaks – ideal for shorter vacations and for families with young kids who need lots of entertainment each day. Less great for older family members who may get tired easily with lots of walking and you might need to stay in different properties if your group is too large to fit in a city home.
- Coastal Escapes & Beach Houses – perfect for kids and teens but might be trickier for parents with very young babies who need to factor in naps, stroller access or access to shade. Year-round sun is limited to certain destinations too, and those summer beach locations are likely to be more expensive in peak season.
- Country Retreats – year-round location options and spacious accommodations. Great for outdoor activities but there might be a lack of entertainment for older kids or teens.
- Mountains & Adventurous Trips – only suitable for active families or younger guests with no mobility issues. Great scenery and perfect for a vacation in the winter months.
4. Make Accommodations That Accommodate Everyone
When you bring families together, personal space is often at a premium – and it can be a problem. Look for properties with enough space for a bed or two to spare, or those where you can rent an extra building, apartment or guest house for those who don’t want to be woken by children at 6am, and make sure there are multiple lounge spaces so the whole group can spread out and split into smaller groups when needed.
Lauren Aichinger, host at The Clearwater Cabin says: “The best thing to look for is a home with space to spread out, and many nearby activities so that no one feels trapped. Kids should be able to do kid stuff without bothering the adults, and adults should be able to relax without feeling guilty. Think about sleeping arrangements at this planning stage too. A recent group left after 4 days because they couldn’t get the kids to sleep when they were sharing a room together. The parents were exhausted, kids were cranky and they just gave up. Sleeping arrangements are important to consider!”
Clio Wood, host at The Manoir La Croix Residence suggests: “Most people can’t decide which bedrooms to assign to which families and whether or not all the kids are allowed to share one or two rooms or if they have to be with parents. I suggest having a discussion about this early on so you don’t end up with fisticuffs when you arrive. But also be flexible about your setup. You don’t want to miss out on a really amazing property and fantastic holiday just because you can’t decide who’s bunking with whom.”
5. Appoint a Chief
Clio also recommends that every large family vacation group needs a chief. “Someone has to be in charge – someone who is not afraid to tell people what to do! Keeping the communications simple via your chief really helps the property owner/manager as well as the holidaying group. If email gets a bit confusing, try a Doodle poll for decision making, or the old-fashioned phone for more involved discussion.”
6. Plan Transportation
Ask your chief organizer (if it’s not you) to get everyone thinking about transport way in advance, to get the best deals on flights or car rentals. Once you’re at the location, your property host can help with advice on the best way to get around. Find if your destination is within walking distance of grocery stores or restaurants, so you can advise the rest of the group if they’ll need a travel stroller or baby carrier and if they’ll need to rent a car or organize kids car seats once they arrive.
Group discounts may also be available for larger families, so it’s worth asking rental companies or train services if they offer this in advance.
Zoie’s Tip:
“I think everyone or every family unit should have their own car so they have freedom to get around independently as well as coming together as a large group.”
7. Create a Diverse Itinerary
When you’re choosing a property and location, take into account what there is to do nearby so there are some options for all the family to enjoy. Plan new things together, and share the organisation so nobody feels overburdened. Taking part in the planning gives each group a sense of ownership too – they’re not just along for the ride.
Many vacation home hosts will be able to help your group plan local activities or suggest places to visit. Once you’ve chosen a place to stay you can contact them for help with planning a fun itinerary, making sure to add some down time in between.
Zoie’s Tip:
“Book babysitters for a couple of nights a week to help with dinners and bedtimes, or to allow adults to experience an evening away.”
8. Packing + Logistics
- Before you go: delegate certain items to each family member so you don’t have to duplicate and you can reduce everyone’s luggage space. For example, a few kids can share toothpaste for a week, and you don’t need 4 different hairdryers.
- When you travel: think about using packing cubes or hands-free travel accessories to help you pack smarter, not harder.
- After you arrive: ask the kids to help you unpack! They’ll love taking their own toys and clothes to their designated bedroom and finding a home for all their beloved items.
9. Safety Tips
Appoint someone in the group to be in charge of safety and admin for your chosen location. With a little research, they can list out the nearest hospital, choose a designated meeting spot and maybe find a group discount on travel insurance.
They can also check in with any elderly members of the group to see if they have additional needs like accessibility requirements or access to pharmacies.
10. Be Flexible and Enjoy It
Above all, relax and have fun! A large family vacation is different to the time spent at home with your own kids or a smaller group, so it may take some time to adjust. If it all gets a bit too much you can always escape to your own room for a little privacy or get away from the house for a few hours if you need to.
Try to embrace the different setup and go with the flow so you can be present and enjoy the experience.
Zoie’s Tip:
“Always book a daily housekeeper from 9am-12pm – it sounds like a lot, but when you divide it up, it’s the cost of a dinner out and a large family group makes a lot of mess which can be stressful!”
Book Your Large Family Vacation With Kid & Coe
Whether you’re planning a short weekend getaway to the country with another family or gathering multiple generations together for a large group vacation, you can find the perfect family friendly vacation rental on Kid & Coe.
- https://www.kidandcoe.com/destinations/dordogne/le-mas-and-le-mazet-dordogne-residence
- https://www.kidandcoe.com/destinations/dordogne/the-chateau-de-la-bourlie-residence
- https://www.kidandcoe.com/destinations/somerset/the-somerleaze-residencehttps://www.kidandcoe.com/destinations/crete/the-elounda-villa-n-1
- https://www.kidandcoe.com/destinations/haute-vienne/the-manoir-la-croix-residence
- https://www.kidandcoe.com/destinations/estoril/the-rua-do-pinhal-residence