The benefits of children's travel with their grandparents: why they are unforgettable

There is no doubt that traveling with your grandparents is an unforgettable experience for children and a great way to learn from the experiences of the adult, but also the innocence and vitality of the child.

They are no longer such strange initiatives, especially now on vacation to help reconcile parents, and the picture of grandparents with grandchildren playing on the beach, is quite common.

But they also venture to other types of trips 'out of safe territory' and travel agencies have realized this trend, because they already offer trips specially dedicated to them.

Therefore, today that Grandfather's Day is celebrated, we have wanted to review all the benefits of joint trips to grandparents and grandchildren and we give you some keys to make them unforgettable for all.

Those wonderful grandparents

Among my childhood memories they always appear, my mother's parents, who spent the summer with us in the village. My grandfather taught me how to ride a bicycle in the park and my grandmother how to knit.

Thinking of them I still get the smell of my grandmother's casadielles and my grandfather's sincere laugh telling me about their 'battles' sitting in the shade of a tree. I can't imagine a summer in my childhood where they wouldn't have been.

Because, I have tried by all means that my children did not miss that magnificent experience of living with their grandparents on vacation And don't just go visit his house or eat on Sundays.

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So I have not imported the criticism received because "I took advantage of my mother and took her grandchildren in summer to Asturias, while I stayed in Madrid working, instead of sending them to a camp," as usual.

And, moreover, I try to travel with us whenever there is a possibility. I am sure that those moments of coexistence will remember you with love all your life.

But I know, because my parents have told me so, that they are also very rewarding for grandparents. My father forgets his years as soon as he gets into the pool with the children and returns to play football and tennis like when he was a kid (or so he says)!

And if necessary, he also stings with his grandson playing football or bowling in the game console and teaches him to play dominoes.

Trips with a generational jump are a trend

As in my case, in which my parents live hundreds of kilometers away from us, spending a holiday together becomes a great option to compensate for the distance.

This is reflected in the survey conducted in the United States by AARP 'Grandparents today'. According to their figures, published only three months ago, 40% of grandparents say they travel with their grandchildren and spend an average of $ 1,746 a year on these trips.

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According to the study, three quarters of the grandparents had traveled with their children and grandchildren in the last year, while others opted for grandparents vacations with grandchildren only. That is to say, A third of the grandparents have taken their grandchildren on a trip without their parents.

Very appetizing benefits for children and their grandparents

  • Distances approach If grandparents and grandchildren live far away, a holiday together is a great opportunity to get close. Because it is clear that although Skype helps, it is not comparable to a good night kiss, a hug or the opportunity to walk hand in hand.

Traveling together is a great opportunity to combat that distance and make the absence more bearable for the rest of the year.

  • Family ties are reinforced. By eliminating schedules, day-to-day rush, relationships are more spontaneous and ties are strengthened, by sharing unique experiences that make the people who live them feel more united.

Grandparents and grandchildren live special moments, exclusive of them, that will make them feel closer when they return home.

  • They practice 'slow travel' Or, what is the same, unhurried tourism. Children can travel more slowly but better. They will slow down to stop traveling as tourists and start living the destination as their inhabitants do.

  • They live an intergenerational exchange. They enjoy each other's presence, to share special adventures, in a relaxed atmosphere, far from the routines and obligations.

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These are two different worlds that approach through shared moments and learning that occur from one world to another on a trip. Grandparents will know their grandchildren more at all times of the day and children will learn from their elders.

  • They experience a second youth When people retire they live what is known as a 'second youth', in which 'they cease to have job responsibilities and are free to travel when they please and have a lifestyle similar to when they were younger.

And these advantages can take advantage of grandchildren, because they can travel with them during all school holidays, without fixed days round trip and in a totally relaxed environment. The grandparents will return to sports and activities with their grandchildren, who have already forgotten, and the children will enjoy exclusive attention for them and very entertaining.

  • Endless wonderful stories. The years give wisdom and the anecdotes of a long life make grandparents great storytellers. With them there are no dead times in travel or boring waiting. They will enjoy remembering them and their grandchildren knowing them firsthand.

Tips to make the trip perfect

It is clear that it cannot be generalized. There are grandparents with very different ages and grandparents with different moods, lifestyles or health status.

For young people, vitals and travelers, any destination is worth and they do not need more advice than those that mark their experience. But if it is the first time that grandparents and grandchildren go on vacation together and the age begins to weigh, these tips will help them enjoy a unique experience.

  • You can prepare the trip together. If the children are young, the grandparents can explain the travel destination on a map, see photos on the computer or mobile phone, prepare the suitcase with them, so that it starts to be fun before leaving.

  • An affordable distance destination. When choosing the destination, you have to think that a long trip can be heavy for both children and grandparents, so it is preferable to choose a place where you can not take more than four hours to arrive.

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As for whether it is better to choose beach, mountain or sightseeing ... The important thing to travel together is to be able to do all the same activities, so the ideal is to choose it based on what can be done in each destination. It is best to choose a beach place or a place to go sightseeing without long walks.

  • The best transport Children and pensioners usually have discounts on public transport tickets, so you have to assess the possibility of leaving the car at home and traveling by train or plane. Also this way you arrive more relaxed at the destination.

Better therefore if the place chosen for the holidays is accessible on foot and you can avoid long trips daily.

  • Joint accommodation with own spaces. The best way to be able to be grandparents and grandchildren sharing vacation days is to choose an accommodation that allows you to be under the same roof, but enjoying each of its own space: an aparthotel is a good option, because it will also help children and grandparents feel at home and can choose to eat at the restaurant or make their food.

Travel only for them

A good alternative to ensure that vacations are a success is to opt for a scheduled trip. And, as those that imply a leap of generation are already habitual, there are already travel agencies that organize them thinking exclusively for grandparents and their grandchildren.

  • Travel platform Fabulist Travel He has launched a series of trips with a generational leap for grandparents and grandchildren in Europe.

Their cultural proposal goes through gimkanas at the destination, something that allows children to experience and play while they learn.

To publicize the traditional crafts there are scheduled meetings with local artisans, such as the Danish village of Funen, set in the middle of the 19th century, or clog factories in Holland.

To try to awaken the critical awareness of children and adults, responsible tourism activities will be carried out. For example, the collection of plastics in the canals of Amsterdam or Copenhagen or volunteer work on urban farms, to learn about the practices of agriculture and sustainable livestock.

The gastronomy of the place is also the protagonist through workshops where grandparents and grandchildren will work on the stove to create typical dishes of the destination such as the famous French macarons or German pretzels.

It is completed with visits to local farms and walks and nature activities. The babysitter figure emerges at nap time and also serves to support some activities so that grandparents feel more comfortable.

More information.

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  • The Spanish tour operator TravelKids, travel specialist for families with children offers the option of organizing a custom trip to any destination in the world to the taste of travelers.

Adapt the destination to the needs of each type of family: from single parents to large families traveling together with grandparents, parents, grandchildren ...

More information.

  • Families en route proposes 'My amazing super grandparents', a meeting to gather grandparents and grandchildren from all over Spain in Cerdanya EcoResort.

For 4 or 6 days they will carry out group and free activities, suitable for everyone. The grandparents will also have moments for them while the grandchildren will be at the Miniclub in charge of the monitors.

An opportunity to share a few days with the grandchildren in an atmosphere of brotherhood, in a magical environment, with activities for all ages where, in addition, they can share experiences with other grandparents and grandmothers.

And meanwhile, children can also interact with other children in nature.

More information.

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