The Keys to Planning a Successful Intergenerational Family Vacation

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Keys to Planning a Successful Intergenerational Family Vacation

Podcast: All Of It (WNYC)
Host: Tiffany Hansen (in for Alison Stewart)
Guest: Paul Brady, News Director at Travel + Leisure
Date: May 6, 2024

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Episode Overview

This episode explores the joys and challenges of planning vacations that span multiple generations of family (or chosen family). Tiffany Hansen and guest Paul Brady discuss the growing popularity of intergenerational trips, provide practical tips for planning, share listener stories, and address common hurdles such as differing needs, budgets, and personalities. The conversation is lively, supportive, and highlights both the friction and fun possible when families (and friends) travel together.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Benefits of Multi-Generational Travel

• Building Stronger Relationships:
  Brady emphasizes that "Travel can help you become a better person, become a better spouse, become a better parent, become a better child" (03:31), noting how new experiences together foster bonding.
• Creating Lasting Memories:
  Shared adventures, especially out of everyday routines, open up new pathways for connection and memory-making (02:46).

2. Initial Mindset and Planning Tips

• Start with Openness & Communication:
  Brady suggests, "It's important to go into the planning with a sense of, of listening and an open mind," (04:18) highlighting pre-trip conversations about needs, expectations, and compromises.
• Divide Responsibilities:
  Assigning tasks (e.g., each family cooks one dinner) spreads the workload and stress (05:23).

3. Not Everyone Has to Do Everything

• Permission to Split Up:
  Brady offers reassurance: "Not everybody has to do everything together… I'm here to tell you, you have permission not to do that" (05:23).
• Regrouping Is Rewarding:
  Separate activities during the day give families something to share and laugh about come evening (06:02).

4. Listener Stories & Real-World Experiences

• France Family Vacation with Young Kids (Gordon, 06:53–07:56):
  • Rented an apartment, split up for activities.
  • Used local experiences to teach their daughter numbers in French from house numbers.
• Celebrating Milestones Together (Carol, 09:34–10:52):
  • Rented a beach house for her parents’ 50th anniversary.
  • Tip: Match sleeping arrangements to family needs (e.g., accessible bedrooms for elders).
  • The tradition continued for 20 years.
• Large Group Logistics:
  • One family organizes “dip and drink night” where kids make dips and adults make drinks, adding fun competition (12:16).

5. Solving Common Challenges

• Who Should Plan?
  • Ideal to discuss up front so no one is overwhelmed: “We can all pitch in and help because we don’t want somebody to not get their vacation” (13:21).
• Navigating Special Needs:
  • Use rentals with accessible features or multiple spaces, especially for seniors and those needing down time (11:17, 20:37).
• Activities by Age Group:
  • Camps (e.g., Common Ground Center, Vermont, 15:30–17:15) or cruises provide tailored options and shared mealtimes.
  • Brady: "Having activities and things to do during the day for different age groups can really help" (17:34).
• Conflict Management:
  • Plan for space and solo activities to prevent disputes (20:37).
  • Consider accommodations with separate living spaces or nearby cabins for “alone time”.

6. Food, Dietary Preferences & Activity Levels

• Varying Tastes:
  • Mix adventurous eating (e.g., cooking class) with simple meals (22:55).
  • “Pack an open mindset… some days it’s more your style, some days less—thrill of going somewhere new,” Brady says (22:55).
• Introverts vs. Extroverts:
  • Mix active and low-key days; sometimes, permission to stay in and watch a movie is the best advice (23:39–24:18).

7. Budgeting and Financial Fairness

• Set Budget Expectations Early:
  • Talk openly before booking to avoid “hurt feelings” later. Use cost-splitting apps when needed (24:48).
• All-Inclusive Options:
  • All-inclusives and cruises offer simple pricing that help manage budgets across the group (25:31).
  • “Many of the bigger brands are going into this space, and you can get a lot of trust from… brand acknowledgement,” Brady notes for vetting (26:23).
  • Hyatt and Marriott are mentioned as reputable brands, plus Marriott's hotel-grade home rentals (26:58).

8. When to Say 'No'

• Opting Out Is Okay:
  • Sometimes, you need to decline: “I’m sorry, I’m going to be on a river cruise in Europe,” is a valid excuse, Brady quips (19:13).
• Creating Your Own Traditions:
  • Traveling during holidays can create alternative family rituals and avoid stressful gatherings (19:13).

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “You have permission not to do that.” – Paul Brady, on feeling obligated to do everything together (05:23)
• “The more people that are going on the trip, I think the more buttoned up you need to be.” – Paul Brady on planning (04:18)
• "Not everybody has to do everything together... when you do different things during the day, that gives you something to talk about when you come back together." – Paul Brady (05:23–06:02)
• “It's about mixing it up... Some of the best travel advice you could possibly give is to give people the permission to one night just stay in and watch a movie. It’s really going to be okay.” – Paul Brady (23:45–24:18)
• "I love that caller describe it as life changing. I mean, isn't that the whole point?" – Paul Brady, on all-encompassing camp experiences (18:19)
• "I think setting the expectation right from the outset is the easiest way to avoid upset and confusion.” – Paul Brady on budgets (24:48)

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Important Timestamps

• [02:46] – Benefits of intergenerational travel
• [04:18] – Mindset and planning guidance
• [05:23] – Assigning responsibilities and splitting up activities
• [06:53] – Listener Gordon: Vacationing with a toddler and grandfather in France
• [09:34] – Listener Carol: Anniversary trip tips & rental logistics
• [12:16] – Listener describes activity competitions among large families
• [13:21] – How to avoid overburdening one planner
• [15:30] – Listener Aaron: Family camp tailoring for different age groups
• [17:34] – Paul Brady on planning age-appropriate activities
• [19:13] – When it's OK to decline stressful trips
• [20:37] – How to create space (literally and emotionally) for family conflict
• [23:45] – Food, introverts, and extroverts: mixing up activities
• [24:48] – Navigating tight budgets and setting expectations
• [26:23] – Vetting all-inclusive brands; recommendations

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Additional Practical Takeaways

• Use group calls before booking to discuss interests, needs, and finances openly.
• Choose accommodations that allow for both togetherness and private retreats.
• Consider destinations or resorts with built-in options for all ages and energy levels.
• It’s acceptable to set boundaries, skip a year, or even travel solo.
• All-inclusives and cruises can simplify budget and food stress.

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Final Thoughts

The episode is packed with practical wisdom, humorous asides, and real-life stories, all wrapped in a tone that’s supportive and optimistic about the value of traveling with family—however you define it. By planning with open communication and flexibility, multi-generational travel can create positive, lasting memories for everyone involved.

Transcript

[A]

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[B]

Listener Supported WNYC Studios.

[A]

This is all of it. I'm Tiffany Hansen in for Alison Stewart. We all know that a trip taken with kids and grandparents feels vastly different from long weekend with friends. Vacations taken with different generations of the family can bring on their own stresses, what activities to plan, picking the right destination, accommodating everyone's needs, all while trying to avoid the usual family arguments. That doesn't mean that multi generational family vacations aren't worth it. According to the Family Travel association, over 50% of parents say they plan to travel with kids or grandparents this year. With us to talk about how to plan a vacation with multiple generations of your family or friends is and to give us some ideas about traveling in our area and farther away if you're feeling more adventurous, is Paul Brady, Travel and Leisure's news director. Paul, welcome.

[B]

Thank you so much. What a pleasure.

[A]

And listeners, of course we want to hear from you. Are you planning your summer travel anything different with different generations of your family involved? What do you think are the keys to success in planning a successful intergenerational trip? Have you done it? Have you not done it? 212-433-9692. You can call us, you can text us at the number and you can also reach us on all of the social medias at all of it. Wnyc Paul, I think we're hinting at the fact that there's a lot of challenges in this area when traveling with multi generational groups. But before we dig into that, I'm curious what the benefits you think might be.

[B]

Yeah, that's a great perspective. I think there are tremendous benefits to traveling with your bigger family and I think it starts with just the definition of a family. Who is a family These days, and I think at T and L, we take a broad view of that. Whether you're grandparents with kids, you're a blended family. Whatever your circumstances, getting out of your everyday routine and experiencing something awe inspiring together can really create new memories and open new pathways. And I think that's one of the reasons that multi generational travel has been trending so highly in these recent years.

[A]

Do you think it is good for relationship building in family environments, family structures, family units?

[B]

I would say so. You know, we're very much into travel, but I think all kinds of travel can help you become a better person, become a better spouse, become a better parent, become a better child. You know, doing new things together opens your mind, and I think that's one of the reasons we love travel.

[A]

Well, knowing that there are going to be some challenges. There's. First of all, there's always challenges when you're traveling with a larger group of people in general. But knowing that there are going to be some challenges traveling, traveling with a multi generational group, how do you get yourself in the right mindset for that? Before we even dig into kind of specifics, just kind of saying, all right, I know that this is, you know, if you're the one, quote unquote, in charge, how do you get yourself in the right mindset?

[B]

Yeah, it's a great question. And planning is really, really key. You know, the more people that are going on the trip, I think the more buttoned up you need to be. And remember, I would just say at this, at the top, you don't have to put that on yourself. There are tons of great travel advisors out there who can be your asset and your advocate and whose help you can call on. So I would say to people, first and foremost, don't feel like you have to put all that pressure on yourself. That being said, if you do want to take it on, I think it's important to go into the planning with a sense of, of listening and an open mind. You know, I think many difficulties can be avoided if we listen to the others in our traveling group ahead of time and kind of compromise before we even get there. And that can really smooth over any snags that might come up.

[A]

Paul, we got a text. 4 families, 8 adults, 11 kids, 5 dogs at a lake house in upstate New York this summer. Nervous but excited. That's a lot of people at a lake. You know, I'm sure it's going to be great. I'm just going to stay positive. Is that part of getting in the mindset, Paul? Just kind of staying positive about it.

[B]

Yeah, I like that. Nervous but excited. That's how I feel about most trips. Yeah, I think so. You know, if I were heading out on that, on a similar itinerary, my thought would go to, let's assign each group that's attending to be in charge of dinner and entertainment one night. And that takes a lot of the pressure off one person to make sure everybody's happy. So, you know, you guys do your specialty, we'll do our specialty. And the other thing I would say is not everybody has to do everything together. That's such a common thing. We hear from families. Well, we have to spend every waking moment together. I'm here to tell you, you have permission not to do that.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And in fact, when you do different things during the day, that gives you something to talk about when you come back together in the evening for a meal or, you know, sitting around the campfire. And I find that that leads to some great conversations.

[A]

Yeah. And I want to dig into those different kinds of things that you can plan, but, you know, sort of tipping on nervous but excited listeners. How do you navigate that nervousness, that stress of traveling with kids, parents, grandparents? Do you have any tips to share with Paul and I about making sure things go smoothly? Are there activities that you like to plan for a big mob multi generational group? We want to hear from you. 2124-3396-9221-2433 w nyc. You can call, you can text that number. And Paul, I want to bring a listener into the conversation. Gordon, good afternoon.

[C]

Hi, how are you?

[A]

Great. What's your experience?

[C]

We had a great vacation in Italy when our daughter was 2ish. And we rented an apartment in a small town in Italy with me, my wife, our daughter and my father. It was a great opportunity to spend time together, but also to spend time apart. We could split off when we needed to. My wife and I decided we would share the town and walking trips with our daughter and teach her the numbers. I'm sorry I said Italy. I meant France. I'm sorry, it's out the France. And we would teach her the numbers in French by reading the street signs, the house numbers. And it was such a small town that there were no numbers above 14, so she learned from and to catterals.

[A]

Nice, nice. Thanks for the call, Gordon. We appreciate it. So, Paul, kids, traveling with kids can be different depending on the age of the kids. Right. So traveling with toddlers versus or babies and traveling with, you know, preteens and then Traveling with teens can all have their own challenges associated with it. And so I'm curious, you know, we can't just say, hey, when you're traveling with kids, do this. So let's maybe talk about the age group that Gordon mentioned. They're kind of young, younger children. What are what some good advice for folks traveling with younger children?

[B]

Sure. Well, I think, I think one of the things I love about that story is that education was a part of it. And that's something that we hear very much, that teaching kids about the world and exposing them to new cultures and new languages is a key motivator. So, you know, if you're traveling with especially younger ones, I think it's important to ask, you know, wherever you're staying, can you help us out? Is there something that you can do? Many hotels and even, you know, vacation rentals now offer sort of hotel like services or concierge style services. So I think one thing to, to keep in mind, and I kind of touched on this, but you don't have to do everything yourself. You know, there, there are young kids all over the world, right. And so they're set up for that. Wherever it is you're headed, they're set up to take care of your kids and help you along. And one thing we hear from, from readers often is that especially in Europe, places are so much more welcoming to young kids than you might expect based on experiences that you may have had here in the States.

[A]

Paul, let's bring in Carol to the conversation. Good afternoon, Carol.

[C]

Good afternoon. Thanks for taking my call. Real brief. This is my parents 50th wedding anniversary and I was living in New York at the time. My brother down in D.C. said, let's get together and rent a house in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, which is about a three and a half hour drive from New York City. And it was great. My tip and what I suggest is get a house, check out the layout. If you've got older people, like people in their 80s, make sure that they have the bedroom on the bottom floor and that they have the bathroom of their own. Anybody young put them upstairs. Just make sure everybody has their own bedroom and their own bath. A lot of these rentals have that. It's nothing like living in New York City. You have extra bathrooms, extra bedrooms. Think about ordering pizza on your day you arrive and maybe Chinese food on the day you le in between. Maybe plan on going to a restaurant where everybody chips in. Otherwise, the earlier caller said everybody takes a diet and says they'll prepare the dinner.

[A]

And Carol, this was for a special occasion, an anniversary, you said.

[C]

And yes, and it continued. So that was back in 2002. We continued that for 20 years, even though my parents have passed away. The next generation, we just keep, keep doing it.

[A]

Paul Anniversaries, birthdays can also be a good time to kind of gather everyone together for a trip. And to your point about, you know, you're not going to go anywhere where somebody's not going to have something for kids to do, there are really a lot of ways to kind of tap into. You don't have to take the party with you. Is it where. I guess I'm going with this. Right. Like, you can kind of do some party planning once you get there, if you plan right.

[B]

Right, yeah, absolutely. And I think some really excellent insights there from the caller about keeping in mind accessibility, not just, you know, sort of mobility challenges that people may have, but also just the comfort level of people. Right. Like everybody having their own individual space to retreat to is, is such a benefit of a vacation rental. And I have to say, companies like Airbnb or VRBO have really upped their game in terms of the accessibility and the information that's available about what the house is really like. You're there on the, on the event side, though, for sure. You know, places like Rehoboth beach or places out west that you might head to, to, to, to really celebrate. You know, you're, you're not the first person to show up on vacation and, and you probably won't be the last. And so remember that they've got a, they've got a system set up to make sure you have a great time. So again, don't be afraid to take some of that pressure off yourself to make the perfect trip. Just being there is, is the whole goal.

[A]

We have a text, we do a week at the BEACH with now five different families, 24 people all ages. Some of the families are very competitive. We do a dip and drink night. Kids make their make and design their own dip. The adults do drinks. There's voting for the best and top three winners get cheers. So that sounds like some really good planning there when you have five different families, 24 people all ages. Now, what I'm wondering is, how do you decide who's the planner?

[B]

Boy, I wish I had the answer to that one. You know, having something like that, that's a competition. You know, a colleague of mine told me about that group trips where you almost set up a version of that reality show Chopped, where there's a sort of cooking competition and you make the kids do their best recipe. Sounds like a thrilling time. But it's a great open question on who has to take the burden of planning it and making sure it's all there.

[A]

I mean, some people love to take planning. Is it right to just sort of defer to people who are like, you know what, I got this.

[B]

Well, you know, I don't know that I'd say it's right or wrong. I think if you're going on one of these trips, it's probably worth having a call with everybody who is participating and being upfront and being frank with each other and saying, hey, we can all pitch in and help each other out because we don't want somebody to not get their vacation. Right. That's what we're really worried about is that somebody at the end of this feels like they didn't get their week vacation down at the beach. Right. They ended up being the, the party planning committee. Right. So again, I think communicating ahead of time, your expectations and also your desires is really critical.

[A]

Another text came in here, Paul, just returning from a spring break where six of us ages 7 to 82 took a Disney cruise. I was surprised. I didn't feel trapped or nickeled and dimed. It was a lovely getaway for all of us, even our most taciturn and anx prone. Also, another text. We have a bicoastal family, many nieces and nephews. This summer, our close friends, three of their girls from Philly, three of our nephews from Washington will all join us for the first annual Auntie Camp in New Hampshire. Listeners, are you planning your summer vacation right now? Here's your opportunity. We're talking right now with Paul Brady, Travel and Leisure's news director about planning intergenerational summer vacations. It's your chance to chime in to tell us something that went well for you. 212-433-9692. You can text us, you can call us at that number. Paul. We're going to get back to it in just a second. We're going to take a quick break. I'm Tiffany Hansen in for Alison Stewart. This is all of it. I'm Tiffany Hansen in for Alison Stewart. We are talking intergenerational vacations, how to plan a successful one, how to avoid some pitfalls. Our guest is Paul Brady, Travel and Leisure's news director. Paul, I'm going to go right. We were talking about Auntie Camp in New Hampshire. I want to go right to our phones here and bring in Aaron. Hi Erin.

[D]

Hello. I'm so glad I got on. Thank you.

[A]

Yeah. You wanted to talk about a camp.

[D]

I do. So. Family camp. Camp Common Ground. It's at Common Ground center in Starksboro, Vermont, which is about 40 minutes south of Burlington. And it is one of the. I now have four adult children, but as they were growing up in many different, you know, I had under 4 between 6 and 10 and then teens. And trying to do something that sort of served us all was challenging. So we found family camp and we would go as a family. We. There were different options of camping, so. Or different options of lodging. So there's a, there's camping. You could pop a tent. So the teens kind of pop their tent. We had a cabin in the woods that had no electricity. And then there were shared. There's a shared bathhouse with various families that are using the cabins. And then for, you know, different grades of comfort. There's also the eco lodge, which has electricity and their own bathrooms. So people brought, you know, grandparents, aunts, uncles. And then there is a group. You eat together as a camp in the dining hall and it's a buffet style vegetarian meal. And then during the day is kids go to Kidville, teens go to teen group, adults go to, you know, various activities, arts and glass blowing, woodworking. Just things you got to do it, try. So this served everyone and it was life changing. And we continue to go and I'm hoping to bring, you know, my cousins and, and aunt and babies this summer with Aaron.

[A]

Thank. Thank you. That really does sound like an all inclusive, all inclusive, at least for the age groups. So, Paul, is that kind of the name of the game? You have to kind of plan for every person, every eventuality in the group if it's going to be successful?

[B]

Well, I don't know that, you know, one person has to plan it, but I do think having activities and things to do during the day for different age groups can really help. You know, we've seen a huge rise in sort of what's called glamping, you know, these sort of steps, campgrounds. And I think, you know, what we're talking about here is all sort of this similar idea that people want to be outside, people want to be engaged, people want to be off their devices. And then when they come together in the evening for those shared meals and to sit around the campfire, they want stories to tell about what they did that day. And so, you know, whether that's an under canvas or a company called Hutopia, you know, one of these glamp ground operators, a more traditional camp like this, or even a cruise, which, you know, somebody had mentioned earlier.

[A]

Right, the Disney cruise program.

[B]

A cruise gives you an opportunity to kind of split up during the day, do different things and things that are tailored to your interests and abilities, by the way, and then come together and talk about it at the end of the day and you get a real energy. And I just love hearing that caller describe it as life changing. I mean, isn't that the whole point?

[A]

Well, and on a cruise, right, Nobody then is forced to be in charge of the food, right? There's not a, like, you know, somebody, you get kitchen duty, you know, you can kind of. Right, that's, that's right. Yeah. Here's a good question, Paul. Can you also address the perfectly normal and acceptable choice to decline a vacation with in laws when one would need a vacation twice as long afterward to recover from the stress?

[B]

I'm certainly, certainly happy to take that one. Yes.

[A]

Right. All right, time for Paul to put his therapist hat on. What do you got for that person, Paul?

[B]

Well, you know, one thing that has proven very successful in my life is to travel over the holidays and there's really no better excuse to not come to the Thanksgiving dinner than I'm sorry, I'm going to be on a river cruise in Europe. You know, if you have a big trip planned of your own, people get excited for you and that can be your own family tradition, you know, and something that I've done in my own life is start this tradition of traveling by sea over the holidays and it's really rewarding. And also fewer crowds at that time of year. So that's my strength strategy.

[A]

Well, here's, here's another kind of follow up question to that. My family has taken multi generational vacations every year for the last 20 years. And every year for the last 20 years somebody gets into a fight with my mother. I love this question. How do we set expectations and avoid this going into this year's trip? So this is not a case of like you're allowed to politely decline and say, I'm going to be on board a ship sailing the Danube. Your attendance is required. How do you get around complicated family dynamics? Let's say, is it just a matter of like, I guess, is it just a matter of like saying okay to, to kind of avoid that scenario. Let's each plan something that gets us apart to your point. Right. Gets us apart for the day.

[B]

Yeah. Well, you know, what I was going to suggest is maybe taking a second look at where you're staying. You know, there are a lot of interesting vacation rentals these days that aren't just one big house where everybody comes together in the same space, but actually have multiple spaces. You know, it's. It's one main farmhouse and then, you know, one of those cute little tiny homes out to the side, or there's a tree house or there's a pond or there's something else, you know, on the property. And so you literally have that physical distance that you can call on that might be something that could help, and then activities, for sure. You know, I find that it's very helpful to give people some. Something to do during the day, whether it's, you know, playing a game of cornhole or, you know, maybe there's an archery range on. On the property and you can.

[A]

Although if you're mad at your mother, maybe an archery range isn't the best thing, but sure.

[B]

Well, or you can paddle out in one of those canoes and spend some time out on the pond meditating with.

[A]

Yourself all by yourself. Yes. All right, Paul. We've gone down a bit of a rabbit hole of things that have gone wrong, so I want to bring in Kendra, who has a success story. Hi, Kendra.

[B]

Hi. Good afternoon.

[C]

I recently came back from Barbados with my grandkids, 6, 9, and 12, the preteen. I thought it would be problems, but it was great. We all want to go to the beach and hang out. That's what we did.

[A]

Wow. Sounds like a wonderful trip. So as grandma, you were there as the parent, the guardian for these children just by yourself?

[C]

No, my daughter lives with me and the two older ones, the girl, the little girls. Their parents are in the military, and they stayed for a year. So this was the perfect opportunity for the three grandkids to go to Salvador.

[A]

Wow. It sounds like a great, great opportunity there, Paul. I'm wondering just to kind of pivot a little bit what we do, because we're talking about, you know, sort of competing ideals when people are traveling. One of the things that you can often get into when it comes to food is you have someone who's very food curious, especially if you're going somewhere like, I don't know. We had a caller mention the south of France, Right. Someone who's very food curious, Somebody who's very food timid. How do we help that?

[B]

Well, that's a great question, and certainly many people are traveling for the food. So I think it's about having an open mindset and knowing that one day we're going to do something a Little more adventurous. We're going to do the cooking class and we're going to learn how to make a recipe that's really distinctive to the place that we're visiting. But the next day we're going to take it a little more easy, take our foot off the accelerator a little bit, you know, stay home and keep it chill and maybe just do sandwiches or something. And so I think it's important to go into a trip like this. The bigger the group, the more of a flexible, open minded sort of mentality. I think you need to pack along with all your luggage. Right. And be ready that some days it's going to be more your style, some days can be a little less your style. But that's kind of the thrill of going somewhere new.

[A]

Sort of a true statement if traveling with introverts and extroverts.

[B]

Yeah, indeed. And I think, you know, overall and just in terms of tips that people can take away, it's. It's about mixing it up, right? It's the most successful trips, I think, whether you're with all of your family or just a spouse or partner, you know, is about mixing it up and having different things on different days. One day you want to do a ton and really get out of your comfort zone. The next day you want to take it easy. I mean, I think some of the best travel advice you could possibly give is to give people the permission to one night just stay in and watch a movie. It's really going to be okay, right?

[A]

I mean, part of vacation is taking the vacation you want, right?

[B]

Exactly, exactly. And I think it's so easy to put a lot of pressure on yourself when really the whole point of this is to take the pressure off and enjoy time with your loved ones.

[A]

Last question here, Paul. We were going to sandwich it in and I want to talk about really quickly, talk about budgets because a lot of times people want to join in the fun, but maybe they don't have the same budget to spend on the trip that someone else might have who's included in the group. So how do you, you navigate that?

[B]

Yeah, it's a great question. And a place where unfortunately, oftentimes feelings are hurt. And I think even before you talk about where we're going, I think it's important to talk about what our budget is going to be. And I think you got to have make yourself a little uncomfortable and say who's going to pay what? You know, there are tons of apps out there that can help us with splitting costs, but I think setting the expectation Right from the outset is the easiest way to avoid upset and confusion.

[A]

Do those all inclusive type places help with that? In other words, I can go to the spa if I can afford it, but if someone else can't, they don't have to necessarily.

[B]

Yeah, that's a great idea. All inclusives have been booming in popularity these past few years and I do think that's part of it. That people are kind of over the, the nickel and diming as well as the sticker shock on some destinations. They just want to know up front, hey, this is what the cost is going to be. I'm going to opt into that. And there we go. Cruising here too is another opportunity for you to find, you know, many lines are all inclusive and there's sort of the price to quote is the price that you pay and that again gives you that peace of mind.

[A]

Is that true?

[B]

Yeah, for some of them it is. You know, there are certainly many that, that like an upsell, but there are many that are all inclusive and kind of free you from that dread of the, of the bill at the end of the stay.

[A]

How do you know that you're finding a reputable inclusive that's not going to just kind of slip in some charges at the last minute? What's a good, what's a good tip for finding one that's really reputable?

[B]

Yeah, well, there are many of the bigger brands, hotel companies are going into this space and so you can get a lot of trust from the sort of brand, you know, acknowledgement that they're an above board operator. Certainly we AT T have our own list and then there's countless online reviews and might take a little filtering to get to the review of somebody who's of the mindset that you are. But you can usually get a pretty quick sense of whether the place is above board with a little bit of web sleuthing.

[A]

What are two that are on your list?

[B]

Well, there's a lot of brands from Hyatt. They have several all inclusive brands in the Caribbean that are really cool. And then, you know, Marriott also is working on this and they also, just to mention quickly, have a whole host of home rentals that are really nice and come with great sort of hotel grade cleaning standards and amenity standards. And so Marriott having that portfolio of home rentals I think is something that folks might not have heard about but may want to give a look.

[A]

Sounds good. Paul Brady, Travel and Leisure's news director, we've been talking intergenerational travel. Paul, thanks so much.

[B]

Thank you.

[A]

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