Making Group Travel Work: Planning Trips for Different Budgets, Ages, and Interests

Summary

Smart Travel: Upgrade Your Getaways Episode: Making Group Travel Work: Planning Trips for Different Budgets, Ages, and Interests
Hosts: Sally French & Meghan Coyle
Release Date: June 11, 2025

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Introduction to Multi-Generational Travel

In this episode of Smart Travel: Upgrade Your Getaways, NerdWallet’s travel experts, Sally French and Meghan Coyle, delve into the intricacies of planning successful multi-generational trips. They share personal experiences, industry insights, and practical tips to help listeners navigate the complexities of organizing vacations that cater to diverse age groups, interests, and budgets.

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News Segment Highlights

Before diving into the main topic, Sally and Megan discuss recent travel industry updates:

• Capital One Lounge Access Changes ([01:31] - [03:20]):
  Capital One Venture X cardholders will lose complimentary guest access to Capital One lounges and Priority Pass networks unless they pay a $125 yearly fee.

  • Sally French remarks, “These are so nice because it means you don't have to recheck your bag at customs” ([03:55]).

• Southwest’s New International Partnership ([03:20] - [04:30]):
  Southwest Airlines has partnered with China Airlines, allowing travelers to connect through Los Angeles, San Francisco, or Ontario, California, to various destinations in Asia.

• Starlux Airlines Expansion ([04:30] - [06:10]):
  Taiwanese-based Starlux Airlines begins operating out of Ontario Airport, offering enhanced first-class experiences and affordable booking options through Alaska Airlines’ mileage program.

• American Airlines’ Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner ([06:14] - [07:05]):
  The new Dreamliner features the flagship Sweet seats with lie-flat options and enhanced amenities, debuting on routes to major international cities.

  • Megan Coyle notes, “That's so comfortable” ([06:22]).

• Hotels.com 2025 Hotel Price Index ([07:05] - [07:37]):
  Highlighting countries where five-star accommodations are available for under $200 per night, including Vietnam, Thailand, and New Zealand.

---

Planning Multi-Generational Trips

Sally French shares her experience planning a family reunion trip, termed the "Bush Bash," offering a blueprint for others embarking on similar journeys.

Understanding the Trend

• Millennial Influence:
  Millennials (late 20s to early 40s) prioritize experiences over material possessions and have the disposable income and family structures that make multi-generational trips appealing.

  • Sally French cites the Amex 2025 Global Travel Trends Report: “58% of millennials and Gen Z parents plan to bring their extended family on vacation in 2025” ([11:33]).

• Geographical Dispersion:
  Families are more spread out than in previous generations, making group trips a practical way to reunite.

Sally’s Bush Bash Trip

• Initial Planning ([10:22] - [14:49]):
  Sally initiated the trip with a family survey to gauge preferences on duration, activities, and locations.

  • Sally French shares, “We all voted on Orange County. It made sense” ([14:30]).

• Lodging Strategies ([15:02] - [17:02]):
  To accommodate different preferences and budgets, Sally allowed family members to choose their own lodging options:

  • Staying with family for cost savings.
  • Opting for hotels or Airbnbs based on individual needs (e.g., pet-friendly for some).

• Budgeting Tips ([16:33] - [17:02]):
  Individual lodging choices prevent the awkwardness of splitting costs for large group accommodations.

  • Sally French advises, “If everyone picks their own lodging, you're not messing around with this awkward situation” ([16:33]).

Activities and Entertainment

• Inclusive and Optional Activities ([17:35] - [20:49]):
  Sally organized a mix of mandatory and optional activities to cater to all ages:

  • Family Trivia Night: Engaged everyone with fun, personalized questions.
    • Sally French describes it as “100% heartwarming. Wholesome” ([00:57]).
  • Photo Scavenger Hunt: Encouraged capturing group memories while exploring local spots like Balboa Island.
  • Physical Activities: Organized a family-friendly 5k and hiking sessions, allowing flexibility for those with different energy levels.

• Meal Planning ([20:49] - [21:51]):
  To manage meal costs, the family employed a combination of sponsored dinners, potluck brunches, and flexible dining options:

  • Sally French explains, “We had our grandpa sponsored sort of one big restaurant meal” ([20:59]).

---

Alternative Travel Options

The hosts explore various travel formats that simplify multi-generational planning:

• Cruises ([22:10] - [24:14]):
  Megan shares her experience on a Royal Caribbean cruise, highlighting the ease of budgeting and the ability to partake in shared and separate activities.

  • Megan Coyle notes, “We actually had a lot of time to explore ourselves” ([22:34]).

• All-Inclusive Resorts ([24:14] - [24:39]):
  These resorts offer pre-booked amenities and activities, reducing the need for extensive planning. Increasingly available for booking with points, making them accessible for varied budgets.

• Vacation Homes and Timeshares ([24:39] - [27:19]):

  • Vacation Homes: Provide communal spaces and kitchens, fostering family bonding and cost savings on meals.
  • Timeshares: Similar to vacation homes but often affiliated with major hotel brands, offering additional amenities without long-term commitments.
    • Sally French mentions, “We have seen many timeshares affiliated with Points and Miles properties” ([26:10]).

• Hotel-Vacation Home Hybrids:
  Sally discusses Evermore, a resort near Walt Disney World that combines the comforts of vacation homes with hotel-style consistency and amenities.

---

Top Tips for Planning Multi-Generational Trips

Sally and Megan distill their experiences into four actionable tips:

1. Assign a Trip Leader ([27:28] - [27:48]):
   Designate someone to coordinate and delegate tasks without micromanaging.

   • Sally French suggests, “They’re more like the orchestra conductor delegate out” ([27:28]).

2. Gather Input and Build Consensus ([27:48] - [28:20]):
   Use surveys to understand preferences on dates, locations, and activities. Ensure the itinerary includes both mandatory and optional events to cater to everyone’s interests.

3. Incorporate Downtime ([28:05] - [28:20]):
   Allow flexibility in the schedule for personal activities and relaxation, acknowledging that not everyone will participate in every event.

4. Transparent Budgeting ([20:49] - [21:51]):
   Clearly communicate meal plans and shared costs. Utilize potlucks, sponsored meals, and flexible lodging to accommodate different budgets.

---

Listener Question: Booking Return Flights in-Region ([28:42] - [30:37])

Question from Ray:
Ray is planning to take his niece to Asia using Chase points but is undecided about booking the return flight. He's considering adding a few days in Seoul and wonders whether to book flights in Asia or in advance in the U.S.

Hosts’ Advice:

• Sally French advises booking return flights in advance from the U.S., especially for long international trips, to secure better prices and ensure seat availability ([30:05]).
• Megan Coyle concurs, emphasizing the importance of locking in prices early and avoiding the risks associated with last-minute bookings ([30:20]).

---

Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Sally and Megan wrap up the episode by reinforcing the importance of thoughtful planning, flexibility, and open communication when organizing multi-generational trips. They encourage listeners to utilize the tips discussed and explore various travel options to create memorable and stress-free family vacations.

Notable Quotes:

• Sally French: “We all voted on Orange County. It made sense” ([14:30]).
• Megan Coyle: “We actually had a lot of time to explore ourselves” ([22:34]).
• Sally French: “If everyone picks their own lodging, you're not messing around with this awkward situation” ([16:33]).

---

Additional Resources

For more tips on leveraging Chase Ultimate Rewards points and optimizing travel bookings, visit NerdWallet’s travel resources.

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This episode was produced and edited by Nick Karismi, Claire Soci, and Hillary, with fact-checking by Georgie.

Transcript

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[Sally French]

Megan, have you ever tried to plan a vacation that includes grandparents, parents and kids and live to tell the tale?

[Megan Coyle]

No.

It's like trying to find a restaurant that serves chicken nuggets, vegan poke, and prime rib all in the same place.

[Sally French]

Oh, you're right. But you know, Megan, I have planned a multi generational trip. I am here, I am intact. I am alive. And believe it or not, it was one of the best trips I've ever had.

[Megan Coyle]

You mean you didn't hate everyone by.

The end of it?

[Sally French]

I have to say, I liked everyone more by the end of it.

[Megan Coyle]

Oh.

Oh.

[Sally French]

100% heartwarming. Wholesome. This is what multi gen trips are all about.

[Megan Coyle]

Welcome to Smart Travel, a deep dive into the tips, tools and tactics to maximize your travel dollars.

[Sally French]

I'm Sally French.

[Megan Coyle]

And I'm Megan Coyle.

[Sally French]

And we're the travel nerds ready to help you plan your next big trip.

[Megan Coyle]

And today we're talking about how Sally planned a vacation for a gajillion people and how other people can, too. How I'm excited to hear your tips on how you kept everyone from toddlers to grandpa happy while staying within your Smart Travel budget. But first, the news.

[Sally French]

Capital One is cutting back on guest access. This is good news for some people, but I know it's absolutely heartbreaking news to others like you.

[Megan Coyle]

Megan, I'm devastated. Starting February 2025, Capital One Venture X cardholders will lose free guest access to Capital One lounges. Guests will cost $45 each or $25 for those 17 and under. Kids under 2 are still free, and.

[Sally French]

They'Ll also lose complimentary guest access to lounges in the Priority Pass network. Though, oddly, Capital One Venture X business card holders still have guest access to those Priority Pass lounges.

[Megan Coyle]

And it's not just the guests. Authorized users will also lose all of their lounge access to Capital One and Priority Pass lounges unless they pay a $125 yearly fee.

[Sally French]

So technically, you can bring guests into Capital One lounges with no additional fee if you spend a minimum of $75,000,000 each calendar year on the card But I don't think a lot of people are doing that. Save with Sally definitely isn't.

[Megan Coyle]

I'm personally so bummed about this. I used to be able to get my entire family of six into the Capital One lounge because I made my mom and my sister authorized users. So between all of us, we had enough guest passes to get everyone in, including our other two sisters and my dad.

[Sally French]

Now, Megan, I'm sorry to say this, I love your mom and your sister. I've met them both fans of the show. But I have to say this is exactly why I am not bummed these lounges were getting crowded with people like you. Megan Squeez. He did six people off of one card.

[Megan Coyle]

Sorry, not sorry.

[Sally French]

Okay, okay. We might have to debate this one later, but let's link to the story about the updated Capital One lounge access rules in the episode description. And I will say one more thing in defense of Capital One, and that is also that we've seen very similar guest rule clawbacks with other lounges like Amex, Centurion Lounges, and with Delta Sky Clubs.

[Megan Coyle]

It wasn't really a surprise, but it's still heartbreaking nonetheless. Okay, moving right along. In other news, Southwest just added a new international partner, China Airlines.

[Sally French]

And I know what people are thinking. The same airline that does not have assigned seats is now flying you to Asia. And the answer is not quite. Though it is not live yet, it means you can soon book Southwest flights to connect with China Airlines in Los Angeles, San Francisco or Ontario, California, then fly onward to destinations in Asia.

[Megan Coyle]

It's called an interline agreement. Actually, we just talked about something similar last week between JetBlue and United.

[Sally French]

Yes, and these are so nice because it means you don't have to recheck your bag at customs.

[Megan Coyle]

And you can also fly one leg with one airline and then the other leg with another airline. And it's all on the same ticket. This just opens up way more options and potentially lower fares.

[Sally French]

And of course, there's plenty we still don't know, but I think this could be good for a lot of travelers. So I'm thinking about my family in Missouri. There are no direct flights from China to St. Louis, Missouri, but there are a lot of domestic southwest flights from LAX to St. Louis. So now with this, you could fly from China to LAX on China Airlines and then connect onwards to St. Louis on a Southwest flight.

[Megan Coyle]

This is Southwest's second international partnership ever, after Iceland Air. And I will say that Southwest operates a small handful of international flights to Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean. So adding any type of international partner is a win for Southwest Flyers. They haven't had a lot of wins lately.

[Sally French]

Finally won. Okay, speaking of flights to Asia, there is some news about starlux out of Ontario.

[Megan Coyle]

Yes, so starlux is a Taiwanese based airline that started flying out of Ontario Airport. It's one of those smaller airports serving the LA metro area. It's a much better experience than sitting in the traffic nightmare that is lax.

[Sally French]

Speaking of nightmares, I have to say Ontario is forever burned in my brain as a nightmare because. And this is not really Ontario's fault, but I was supposed to take an evening flight out of John Wayne in Orange County. That flight was delayed and as it turns out Orange county has a curfew, so flights cannot leave past 10pm what sort of airport has a curfew? This is not my high school parents in airport form. Anyway, they shuttled us at 10pm over to Ontario Airport instead so we could fly out of there.

[Megan Coyle]

Okay, well it sounds like Ontario was a good alternative for you then.

[Sally French]

Picking up Orange county slack. I guess so. Thank you Ontario for not being an airport that has a curfew. So I'm sorry, tangent I just had to share back to starlux to tell me about it. It sounds fancy.

[Megan Coyle]

Yes, their first class seats are so bougie, they're lie flat, they have these giant screens. It was honestly so comfortable. I've been on board an airplane just to try out the seats and it was awesome.

Also, you can book starlux with Alaska.

Airlines miles and it can be really affordable in some cases. Alaska is actually having a big sale on award flights right now and some of them are on starlux flights.

[Sally French]

Oh, good to know. Okay, last piece of international flight news.

[Megan Coyle]

American Airlines has finally put its brand new jet in the air, the Boeing 7879 Dreamliner with the new flagship Sweet seats.

That's sweet.

S U I T E not suite.

[Sally French]

Though really, they're both so this plane just had its inaugural flight from Chicago to Los Angeles last week and our colleague Benjamin Dinh got to see it in person before it took off.

[Megan Coyle]

Yes, and this also looks very fancy based on his pictures. So the flagship suite replaces traditional business class with fully closing doors, lie flat seats, wireless charging and a lot more space. I'll link to his story in the episode description.

[Sally French]

And this aircraft will be flying to cities including London, Zurich, Brisbane and Auckland this year.

[Megan Coyle]

So if you've been hoarding a advantage miles, this is a good plane to aim for. Especially if you can book flagship suites and get the bulkhead Seats. These are even fancier seats called the flagship suite preferred. And they don't cost any extra.

[Nordstrom Ad]

Yet.

[Sally French]

Time for some hotel news. Hotels.com just released their 2025 Hotel Price Index. Everyone says travel is so expensive, but this report listed countries where you can book five star stays at hotels for under $200. These include countries like Vietnam, Thailand and New Zealand.

[Megan Coyle]

Yeah, I just stayed at two five star hotels in Rome. The Intercontinental and the Anantara. Let me tell you, once you go fluffy robe, you don't go back.

[Sally French]

Yo. If I can book a room where someone folds my towel into a swan for less than $200 per night, I'm in.

[Megan Coyle]

Next episode I've got a guest lined up who will walk us through all of the hotel price index findings. A little deeper.

[Sally French]

Ooh, fun. I can't wait for that one.

[Megan Coyle]

Now you, Sally, just got off a cruise, Megan.

[Sally French]

We just miss each other in Los Angeles. So I did a short flight from San Francisco down to Los Angeles to sail on Royal Caribbean's Ovation of the Seas down to Ensenada.

[Megan Coyle]

I was cracking up because I was just there for a wedding the day before you arrived.

[Sally French]

We just miss each other. I even had a few hours to kill in Los Angeles before my flight and I was like, oh, should I hit it, Megan? Then I checked her location on Find my and I was like, well, she's already in Ensenada. So I went to Equinox instead.

[Megan Coyle]

So how was the cruise?

[Sally French]

So I will say this cruise is a bit older by cruise standards. It was built in 2016, but still really fun. Within an hour, I had done roller skating. I climbed the rock wall twice and I was suited up to get this. Go indoor skydiving.

[Megan Coyle]

Oh my gosh.

I love the idea of indoor skydiving on a cruise ship. And we'll post the article to the photos of you skydiving in the episode description.

[Sally French]

You know, I loved it so much. I was like, wow, Royal Caribbean might have turned me onto a hobby. So immediately after I did it, I was like, how do I go pro as a skydiver? And you know, they even have indoor skydiving competitions.

[Megan Coyle]

And then you saw how much the lessons cost.

[Sally French]

Oh my gosh. I was like, okay, never mind. But thank you Royal Caribbean for the two minute skydiving experience. And that is what I love about cruising. You can try new things.

[Megan Coyle]

Totally.

This is now the largest ship to sail out of Los Angeles, so a really good option for west coast people who want that big cruise ship experience without the cross country flight to Florida, where most of these ships usually take off from.

[Sally French]

Yeah, and most of my family is on the west coast, so this would be a really good option for a big multi generational family trip.

[Megan Coyle]

Well, speaking of big family trips, let's dive into the one you planned.

[Sally French]

We'll have more in a moment. Stay with us.

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[Sally French]

I want to get into my body and then my skin. Don't talk.

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The Vitals app tracks key overnight metrics so you can spot changes in your health before you feel them. The Vitals app ON Apple Watch iPhone XS are later required. The Vitals app is for wellness purposes only and not for medical use.

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[Sally French]

Megan I have to say I am a pro at planning multigenerational trips now.

[Megan Coyle]

Really? How many have you planned?

[Sally French]

I've only planned one, but I've been covering the travel industry for years now and I am increasingly seeing more and more people taking these trips and they have been telling me about all their secrets to how they planned the best possible multi gen trip. So I took all those tips, I planned my own and we are going to talk about it today.

[Megan Coyle]

And you still like your family after this reunion.

[Sally French]

We like each other more than ever now.

[Megan Coyle]

That's a success. Let's talk about why our listeners might have to go on one of these trips in the future and how to make the best of planning it.

[Sally French]

First off, I sort of think about this trend of millennials. They prioritize experiences over stuff. We've heard this forever and now I think about it. Millennials today are late 20s to early 40s. They are no longer recent college grads. Presumably we have more disposable income. We now have kids to actually take on these trips. So I think now is kind of the time that these millennials like me are actually planning these trips and people.

[Megan Coyle]

Are traveling more with their parents, with their kids. Like I mean it's many gener going on these trips now.

[Sally French]

That's exactly right. So the Amex 2025 Global Travel Trends Report put out some really interesting data. 58% of millennials and Gen Z parents who were surveyed actually plan to bring their extended family on vacation in 2025.

[Megan Coyle]

Nice.

[Sally French]

I think this is funny because they're not just doing it for the free babysitting, which is something that the report actually said. The majority of these people are bringing their parents because they want to spend quality time, which is exactly what these trips are all about.

[Megan Coyle]

That's my love language. So I love that.

[Sally French]

And then finally, the other thing I think makes these trips boom is because so many people now live farther apart. So we used to see that back in the 40s and the 50s, people all lived in the same hometown. Even when I was growing up, all of my cousins lived within a few miles of each other. And now we are all spread apart. So all of my cousins grew up in Southern California. Now we live in Colorado, Idaho, Minnesota. I'm in Northern California, which is practically different state from where I grew up in Southern California. And so with a multi generational trip, you can bring all these people who are spread apart back together.

[Megan Coyle]

When do you get to see these people otherwise, Sally, like, are you seeing your cousins that are in all these different states outside of this big trip you planned?

[Sally French]

Many of us think, oh, we should get together for Christmas. But I work and travel. Christmas is the worst time to travel. So I say let's spend Christmas on our own and then get together some other random time of year. Get together in February, go on an amazing cruise to the Caribbean where it's nice and warm and we can can spend that quality time then.

[Megan Coyle]

One of the things that we've seen in travel is that all of these companies are now catering towards all ages. When they're making new cruise ships, they're building out these new resorts and adding amenities for all sorts of different people. Let's talk a little bit about those and how you planned your own trip. When did this happen and how long did you spend planning it?

[Sally French]

We planned this trip last summer and then it ended up happening in February, which was kind of a great timeline. Typically NerdWallet says you should book airfare one to three months in advance. So having that big booster allowed us to think about where we wanted to go and then still have that lead time to actually book. We called the trip the Bush Bash. That is in honor of all the other family's last name. I'm a French, but they're all bushes. It all happened when my aunt called me and she said, hey, Sally, I want to plan a family reunion. You're going to travel. Can you make it happen?

[Megan Coyle]

And you said yes, because you're like, I'm the expert here. And also I love the chaos.

[Sally French]

I love travel, but I mostly love chaos. So I started this trip with a survey. I asked everyone in the family how long they wanted to spend together. Do people want to do two days or do they want to do seven days? What kind of activities they want to do and then what locations they preferred.

[Megan Coyle]

The location piece is so hard. I cannot get any of my friends to agree to go on the same trip to the same place.

[Sally French]

Yes. So having that survey kind of at least helped dial it down. We all grew up together in Orange county and I mentioned we're all all in different states. So for the Bush Bash, everyone just voted on Orange County. It made sense. My grandpa lives there, so it's easiest for him to get around. And then a lot of us have friends or in laws who we could crash with, which all just made it cheaper.

[Megan Coyle]

It's kind of like a homecoming. That's sort of sweet.

[Sally French]

Totally a homecoming.

[Megan Coyle]

And let's be real, the lodging costs are usually the biggest expense. How did you get creative with making this affordable for everyone besides staying with your family?

[Sally French]

Yeah, so it made sense. My mom was able to stay with my grandpa, I was able to stay with my fiance's parents. And then we did have some other people who were able to choose their own housing based on their preferences. So for example, my sister wanted to stay in a hotel. She was like, I just want to have my own private place. We had some family who has kids and they have dogs, so they went for an Airbnb, which just made it more possible for them to get what they needed out of it. And that's really one thing I would recommend when it comes to multi generational trips, is to let everyone choose their own lodging. Try not to just put everyone in this same floor situation. That's a one size fits all slash, one size fits none. With everyone picking their own lodging, they could really pick that size that works for them and works for their budget.

[Megan Coyle]

And how long was this trip? So how many nights were you guys staying in lodging?

[Sally French]

So we ended up doing three days together. We had everyone come in for a Friday dinner, then we had all day Saturday, and then we did Sunday, a half day brunch and activity. But then we also had some people who extended longer, people who wanted to spend more time to see other friends and family in the area. So again, we gave everyone parameters of be together these days and then plan the rest on your own in terms of your own airfare, your rental car. That's on your own based on how long you want to stay.

[Megan Coyle]

That's where picking your own lodging can really help because then you have the flexibility to extend the trip and you don't have to pack and repack and stay in a bunk bed for seven nights by accident. So what about the budgeting?

[Sally French]

One of my best budgeting tips. If everyone picks their own lodging, you're not messing around with this awkward situation of we're all in this 20 person Airbnb. How do we split the money? I don't want to Venmo people for that. And then also the challenge you get with Airbnb is who gets the better room. What if someone flies in a day later, should they pay for that extra room, but they didn't actually stay in it that night? So by allowing everyone to just book their own, I think that really avoids a lot of that negative experience.

[Megan Coyle]

Okay, but what if you are doing the Airbnb? What are the rules for splitting the costs and picking a room? Because I have some hot takes on this too.

[Sally French]

What are your. What are your hot digs?

[Megan Coyle]

I really think it should be first come, first serve. I mean, maybe with some allowances. Like, for example, your grandparents are coming. Obviously they should get like the best room. But other than that, I really think it's like, who got there first, who got to claim the room first.

[Sally French]

I think we should talk about activities for family and multi generational trips.

[Megan Coyle]

Yeah. How are you keeping everyone entertained? On this trip?

[Sally French]

We chose an activity that was free or cheap or activities plural. We also did some physical things. We did hiking. We planned an unofficial family only 5k, no official race bibs involved. But for us it was basically just like run up the beach, run up the pier, be done. So I would definitely recommend with a multi generational trip, everyone has a different budget. So look for activities like that that are free or cheap. Again, it's a family trip, so do activities that bring in the whole family. So for us, we did a family trivia night. I delegated my sister to run this and we had baby photo guessing, which was hilarious because we had photos of everyone when they were like two days old. And then even their moms couldn't guess. Baby. Babies look like aliens. You can't tell what they look like.

[Megan Coyle]

Yeah, yeah, it's hard to tell. I mean, I'm sure they all kind of look similar. You know, at that point, our great.

[Sally French]

Grandpa was a Hawaiian musician. So we did a name that song where they played the music and you had to guess the title. Oh, that's so fun. Yeah, we all failed lots of, like, family in jokes, so that was a really good activity. We also did a photo scavenger hunt, and this is something I would highly recommend all family trips do. So for us, we went to Balboa island, which is in Orange county, and I had everyone take photos of about 20 different things. Some were classic Balboa spots, like the frozen banana stand, but then also some general stuff like a family jumping pig. Everyone's done the jumping pig. Now this is a real life hack because I wanted everyone to take photos of each other on the family trip. So this is just basically a forced way to make sure everyone takes photos.

[Megan Coyle]

Oh, that's really sweet. There's never enough photos of mom. So I feel like when I'm on a trip with my mom, like, got to get photos of her.

[Sally French]

Yeah, yeah. So highly recommend all family trips do this.

[Megan Coyle]

Nice. I think it's also important to plan activities and let people know which ones are required and which ones they can opt out in because they might not want to do everything. And that's totally fine. Like, it's good to give people the option. But you also have to be really clear, like this dinner, everyone does need to come and be very clear upfront about the costs if there are things that that are required and do cost money.

[Sally French]

We did exactly that. We had a dinner where we said all but mandatory, you have to go to this. Same as the family trivia. We did that with our brunch. We did some family photos during then. But then. Yeah. All those extra events like the hike or the 5K and whatnot, those were all optional. It's like the cousins are so ready to go for the hike, but then some of the people with kids skip that because they don't want to go on a hike with a stroller.

[Megan Coyle]

Yeah. And depending on how big this group is, you can also create alternative activities. For example, if there's a lot of people who are not doing the 5k, then maybe they go hang out on the beach while you guys are all running. I think that's really nice to have those extra options where you can still be part of something but not doing the main intense thing.

[Sally French]

Exactly. Right. And then some. Sometimes people just need time apart. You want to accept not everyone is going to spend 247 together. Sometimes just skipping the 5k or the beach and going to just have some. Some zen me time is also perfect. Acceptable.

[Megan Coyle]

100. Okay. And then what about for meals? How did you guys split that in terms of paying for it? And Deciding where to go and that kind of thing.

[Sally French]

So in some families, maybe there's just someone who has more money and wants to sponsor the trip and they'll sponsor all the meals. That makes it easy. We did have our grandpa sponsored sort of one big restaurant meal. But then for everything else we did a potluck brunch. So lots of people were able to contribute to that. We also did a food hall style, which I love food halls because everyone just goes to their own food stand of choice and buys what they want on their own.

[Megan Coyle]

I also like if you assign different meals if the trip is long enough to different families.

[Sally French]

Definitely. I talked to someone who they had a seven night family trip and there were seven individual families that made up the whole bigger family, which was perfect because each night each family hosted a different dinner. So some people brought people into their vacation home and cooked something. Other people said, you know what, we're going out and we'll just pay for the bill. But I thought that was a really good way to split it up.

[Megan Coyle]

We did something similar for that, for the cruise that I went on with my family last year. Last summer we went to the Mediterranean with my grandma, my aunts, uncles and cousins. We kind of did the same thing where it was like certain families picked the main activity or the main dinner that we were doing that night. And it turned out super fun. I really liked it.

[Sally French]

So I love that you mentioned cruises. I think we should pivot to talking about these bigger planned trips. So my Bush bash was a very DIY trip. But there are other types of trips, cruises, all inclusives, things like that, that make family trips really, really easy to pull off. So let's go ahead and talk about those. And now, Megan, I know you did a multi generational trip on a cruise.

[Megan Coyle]

Yeah. And we didn't do all the same excursions, which I want to point out here is maybe the bulk of your days when you're at port. We actually had a lot of time to explore ourselves. Sometimes we didn't even go with our parents. Like it was just me and my sisters adventuring in Italy on our own and our parents stayed on the ship with my grandma.

[Sally French]

And I think that's what's so nice about cruises is you can be together for lots of it for the meals, but then you can go off on those excursions and do your own thing. If you and the cousins want to go on some wild adventure, ziplining in Costa Rica, you can do that and then other people can stay on the ship, but you all come together that evening for dinner and we found out.

[Megan Coyle]

That my grandma's like a night owl and she loved going to the shows. Then we do the karaoke after. It was really fun because at home my grandma isn't really in that kind of space. She's not karaoking till 11pm but on the cruise she's a different person.

[Sally French]

You know, I love everyone's cruise Persona. The other thing that I really like about cruises for multi generational trips is how easy they are to budget. And then you don't need to mess around with payment after the fact. So typically with a cruise, everyone pays once and then there are minimal surprise costs. You can also also scale it. So I think about if everyone in their individual family unit is paying for their own cruise, someone on a budget might book that interior cabin, which is often half the price of some of these other cabins that have the balcony suite and whatnot. You might also have some family members who upgrade and pay for the alcohol package, who do book that shore excursion. That's the expensive zipline tour. And then you have other people who say, you know, what shore excursion, we're just gonna lay on the beach, which is free.

[Megan Coyle]

All inclusives are really similar in this way where like the budgeting is kind already done ahead of time and there's a ton of activities to choose from. I've never stayed in one, have you?

[Sally French]

You know, I have not. Both of us love our cruises, but we should maybe check out an all inclusive because it does have that similar vibe of once you're there, you don't need to worry about the pain of pain. And I know it's a lot easier for us to do this because so many hotel brands are expanding their lineup of all inclusives.

[Megan Coyle]

Yeah, these all inclusives are super popular and there are more and more options every day to book them on points, which is super great. If you have a lot of points or if one family has points, they can book this hotel. And then, you know, the other families, if they don't have those points, they can pay in cash and it still works for everyone.

[Sally French]

Let's also talk about vacation homes. These can obviously be a popular option for multi generational group trips.

[Megan Coyle]

Yeah, vacation homes are a great option because they have kitchens. So that might be a way to provide meals for everyone, gives everyone a place to gather and just gets everyone in the same roof. I love that there's like a place where you can have downtime in a vacation home and you can be all together.

[Sally French]

I recently covered a really interesting hotel slash vacation home resort that I'm fascinated and want to check out. It's called Evermore. So this right now is just one property. They're looking to expand, but they operate near Walt Disney World in Florida. They are run a lot of ways like a hotel. They're affiliated with Hilton. All of their rooms are consistent in size and quality. So you don't have to have that fight of who got the bigger primary bedroom because all the primary bedrooms are exactly the same size. Cleaning is included. And I know so many vacation rentals have wild rules about taking out the trash at the end. This way you don't need to worry about that one person having to take out the trash because that's included as well.

[Megan Coyle]

So it's kind of like a vacation home, but it operates like a hotel. And I'm assuming amenities as well are included.

[Sally French]

Exactly right. And you know, we mentioned what sorts of family trips have free activities. And with something like Evermore, they have a massive pool lagoon on site, they have a gym, lots of activities already included, which really mitigates that planning.

[Megan Coyle]

And if there are no Evermore properties near you, because there's only one and it's in Orlando.

[Sally French]

Right.

[Megan Coyle]

I would say a pretty comparable alternative is timesharing, because these are like a lot of times like apartment style type of places and you can sometimes book them on points. And like if you had multiple timeshares, it's sort of similar in that you get a lot of hotel amenities but a bigger space.

[Sally French]

Yeah. We should mention timeshares are not for everyone. They can lock you into a really ongoing contract, which is something that you might not want to budget for forever. But what we are also seeing this trend of is a lot of timeshares affiliated with Points and Miles properties, things like Hilton and Marriott. And often you can use your points to book at these timeshares without being a timeshare member, which is a great way to get those benefits of the kitchen, as you mentioned, without being locked into this multi year contract.

[Megan Coyle]

So to sum it up, let's narrow it down to just four tips for people who are planning their own multi generational trip. Sally, what's the first one?

[Sally French]

My best tip is to assign a trip leader, but that trip leader should not be in charge of doing everything. They're more like the orchestra conductor delegate out. So, for example, I delegated my sister to do trivia. I delegated my mom to largely handle brunch. You cannot do it all, but you can be that conductor to make sure everyone is in the right place.

[Megan Coyle]

Yeah. And then that Trip leader is responsible for number two, getting buy in, surveying the people, getting their input on the dates, where to stay, types of activities that you want to do, the budgeting. Even if you are planning for a lot of people, it is important to try and get get some consensus from everyone.

[Sally French]

Yeah, and that trip leader is making that loose itinerary. As we mentioned, they are making some primary events that are largely mandatory and then they're building in these optional events and then also baking in time to let people do their own activities.

[Megan Coyle]

Really important to build in that downtime. And lastly, just accept that not everyone will go to every event. It's nothing personal. I think it's just managing your vacation expectations and managing your relaxing time and, and I think all of that's okay. Time for the listener question. Speaking of family travel, we have a question from our listener, Ray, who's going to take his niece to Asia.

[Sally French]

Here's what Ray has to say. While booking a flight on Chase and using points, I decided to add my niece, but we only had enough points for two one way flights. All my other plans for this day are set, but I have yet to decide upon a return flight. I've found some flights from Tokyo to LA that had some layovers, but I'm thinking that instead of layovers, why not add a few days in Seoul and then Tokyo to Seoul and then Seoul to lax. While in the US he is wondering though, should he book those flights in Asia or should he book them in advance in the US he says, I have heard booking while in the actual country you are returning from could come at a lesser cost. Any ideas or suggestions? All right, thank you Ray for the question.

[Megan Coyle]

First of all, we love the spontaneity here. I love the idea of turning a long layover into a few extra days in another city. That's genius. Sally, what do you think about the trying to buy those airfares in another country?

[Sally French]

It is sometimes true that you can find cheaper fares when booking in country and this is really only applicable to when you are booking at a local budget airline that only sells in that country. In Ray's case though, you're doing this big international trip and you do need to come back to the US That I think it's just better to book those flights in advance from the U.S. especially since you're traveling with someone else and you do already have a rough schedule in place.

[Megan Coyle]

Especially for a long flight like that and a few months out. I think it's better to just try to lock in the prices that you see right now that are good and not risk the seat selling out, especially for that sold to LAX Leg.

[Sally French]

Any savings that you might potentially see from booking in country probably get washed out because you're booking last minute. Typically we find that airfares do not get cheaper when booked last minute, they only get more expensive. So I would just recommend you go ahead and book it now and since.

[Megan Coyle]

You have Chase points, we won't go into it here, but I'm sure you've seen that NerdWallet has a ton of resources on booking travel with Chase, Ultimate Rewards points and how to optimize transfer partners and all of that. So we'll link to that in the episode description.

[Sally French]

Thanks so much Ray for the question and if you have questions, please email them to us us travel nerdwallet.com and.

[Megan Coyle]

Make sure to follow Smart Travel on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode. We're on Spotify, Apple Podcasts iHeartradio. It'll automatically download new episodes if you're following the show. And if you're listening on Spotify, please drop us a comment right in the app. This episode was produced and edited by Nick Karismi, Claire Soci and Hillary.

[Sally French]

Georgie helped with fact checking and here's our brief disclaimer. We are not financial or investment advisors. This this info is provided for general educational and entertainment purposes and may not apply to your specific circumstances.

[Megan Coyle]

We hope you're inspired to keep your passport full and your wallet even fuller. Thanks everyone. We'll see you next time.