“Multigenerational volunteer travel” isn’t something you’ve considered? It should be. As Covington Travel points out, multi-gen travel is simply “traveling as a group with three or more generations, but grandparents traveling with grandkids count as well.”
Not sure how multigenerational travel planning works? Getting the whole family (and/or a group of friends) together to go sightseeing, volunteer, and travel together can be an incredibly rewarding experience – but it’s an experience that requires planning.
Go ahead – swim with manatees with your kids. Help build structures out of plastic bottles with your siblings. Help teach English with your parents or grandparents. Most of all, start your planning with the tips below.
TRAVELING WITH THE ELDERLY
“Elderly” can have many different implications – not the least of which include mobility and medical conditions.
When making multigenerational travel plans, mobility is important. Perhaps one of your family members can’t walk long distances. Maybe walking or standing around causes pain. How do you plan for that? Rather than choosing a trip that involves tons of physical activity, look into vacations that work well with the mobility level of all travelers.
Medical conditions are another consideration when planning multigenerational travel. Always check with your doctor before embarking on any lengthy or international trip, or with any travel-related questions or concerns!
Our top picks for multigenerational volunteer travel with mobility concerns:
1. Galapagos – Family Volunteer Vacation
2. Thailand – Cultural Kaleidoscope
3. Peru – Children of the Andes
TRAVELING WITH CHILDREN
Traveling with children can be so rewarding, but it does take some careful planning. With proper planning, multigenerational volunteer travel with children can go off without a hitch!
Things to think about when traveling with kids:
- Age of children
- Child’s patience level and attention span
- Any additional concerns specific to your child (health conditions, picky eaters, need for bathroom breaks, etc.)
Once you’ve got an idea of what type of traveler your child(ren) may be, it’s time for the fun part – choosing the vacation! Just remember: Nobody knows your child better than you. If you know he/she has any particular fears, allergies, or physical limitations, be sure to consider that when planning to bring them along.
Our top picks for multigenerational volunteer travel with children:
1. Bali – Komodo Dragon Adventure
2. Costa Rica – Family Volunteer Vacation
3. Belize – Caribbean Wildlife Adventure
TRAVELING AS A FAMILY
“Multigenerational volunteer travel” means little more than traveling with your family/friends of all ages – typically three generations or more. Think of it as, typically, a family trip you take with your parents AND your children (and maybe some friends!), to an incredible destination, infused with doing social good.
Finally, to successfully travel as a unit, be sure to check off all the important to-do’s before leaving – for every member of the family!
- Make sure all travel documents are up to date (passports, birth certificates, medical records, vaccinations, VISA applications, etc)
- Plan ahead for the what-if’s: What if your child is a picky eater? What if a flight gets delayed? What if there is inclement weather at your destination?
- Plan your trip as a family! Get everyone involved in the planning and decision-making process.
- Communicate often and honestly about cost – everyone has a budget they need to work within!
MORE FAMILY-FRIENDLY DISCOVER CORP TRIPS
Discover Corps offers more multigenerational trips than those mentioned above. While some trips are titled “Family Volunteer Vacations,” many of our other trips are also family friendly! Take a peek at our list of trips here. Choose one (or more) that you find interesting, click, and scroll down for trip details. Any dates that have “FF” listed next to them are family friendly!
If you could go on a multigenerational volunteer vacation to any of our locations, where would you go? Comment below with your top pick!
