Planning a multigenerational family trip

Ask each generation what would make it a good trip

Grandparents may want time with the grandchildren more than any particular sight. Teenagers may care about one activity and wifi. Parents may just want one evening off. Ask each of them directly, including the older kids, since they'll enjoy the trip more if they had a say.

Choose where you stay first

On this kind of trip, the place you stay matters more than the destination. Things worth checking before you book:

• A shared space to gather in, with some private rooms to get away to.
• Stairs, walking distances and whether there's a ground-floor bedroom.
• A kitchen, so that early risers and picky eaters have options.
• Somewhere everyone can get to without a long drive, so people can head back at different times.

Plan one main thing a day

Schedule one main activity, ideally in the morning when kids and grandparents both tend to do best. Leave the afternoon open for naps, the pool or a smaller group outing. If an activity is too much for someone, plan what they'll do instead rather than leaving them behind by default.

Think about getting around early

Moving a big family is usually the hardest part of the day. Check how far you'd actually walk, whether car seats are needed, and how many vehicles it takes. Fewer moves help too: staying a week in one place is often easier than three stops.

Give the paying and the planning a clear owner

Decide early who's paying for what, especially if grandparents are offering to cover part of it. Be clear whether that means one dinner or the whole house. Then share the planning: give each household one day or one meal to organise, so it doesn't all fall on one person.