One trip, every generation
Custom Travel Makes Family Travel Easier
One trip, every generation
Grandpa wants the WWII history. Dad wants the food. Mom wants a spa day. The tweens and teens want something to post about, and the little ones want to touch everything. Multigenerational trips to Europe are some of the most rewarding journeys a family can take, and some of the hardest to plan.
The reason is simple: one itinerary rarely fits three generations. A packaged tour moves everyone at the same pace, to the same sites, on the same schedule. Someone always ends up bored, tired, or left out.
Custom travel changes that. When every day is built around the people actually on the trip, you can plan for each generation without splitting the family apart. Here’s how to do it, and how each Europe Express travel style fits the families you work with.
One Trip, Many Travelers: Design Around Each Generation
The best family itineraries start with a simple question: who is coming, and what does each of them want from Europe? Here’s how that can look for a multigenerational trip, with a few examples of some of our experiences.
Grandparents: History and Comfortable Touring
For many grandparents, this is a bucket-list trip. They want depth, not a checklist, at a pace that leaves room for a long lunch. Private guides, skip-the-line entry and door-to-door transfers make the big sites easy.
- Rome: our private Vatican Museums and St. Peter’s Basilica tour includes a private guide, skip-the-line entry and hotel pick-up and drop-off. (It isn’t suited to wheelchairs, walkers or canes, so check mobility needs first.)
- Scotland: a private Edinburgh to Inverness transfer with a full-day castles and lochs tour turns travel day into a sightseeing day, with no luggage to wrangle.
Parents: Food and Culture
Parents often want the trip they’d plan for themselves. Food and wine experiences give them time to connect as adults while the rest of the family is happily occupied.
- Tuscany: a private cooking class at a castle, plus San Gimignano, from Florence: fresh pasta with a chef, a Tuscan lunch with regional wines and time to explore a medieval hill town.
- Barcelona: a small group Montserrat tour with tapas and wine pairs mountain scenery with a taste of Catalonia.
Teens: Harry Potter and Adventure
Teens are easier to win over when the trip includes something they already love, plus a little adrenaline.
- London: the Warner Bros. Studio Tour: The Making of Harry Potter, with round-trip coach from central London and studio entry.
- Scotland: a full-day Scottish Highlands tour with the Jacobite Steam Train, the train made famous as the Hogwarts Express, from Edinburgh.
- Switzerland: Jungfraujoch, Top of Europe, from Interlaken, by mountain train up and the Eiger Express gondola down, with the Ice Palace and Sphinx Observatory at the top.
- Ireland: the Gap of Dunloe and Lakes of Killarney Adventure Tour, with a pony and trap ride through a mountain pass and an open-top boat across the lakes.
Young Children: Interactive Experiences
Little ones learn by doing. Look for short, hands-on experiences with games and stories built in, and leave room for parks, playgrounds and downtime. A rested child makes for a happier family day.
- Barcelona: the Sagrada Familia Tour for Kids and Families is designed for ages 5 to 10, with animal hunts, color challenges and storytelling.
- Edinburgh: a private Old Town walking tour for families with young kids includes a unicorn hunt on the Royal Mile and a puzzle at Greyfriars Bobby, on a short, stroller-friendly route.
- Interlaken: the Funky Chocolate Club chocolate workshop lets kids 4 and up make their own Swiss chocolate, earn a chocolatier certificate and take their creations home.
Together Time and Independent Time
A great family trip isn’t about keeping everyone together every minute. It’s about making the time together count and giving each generation room to enjoy Europe their own way.
That balance is exactly what today’s luxury travelers are asking for: choice and flexibility. Custom travel makes it easy to build both into the same itinerary. This could look like:
- Shared anchors: a welcome dinner, a private family tour or a day trip everyone will remember
- Split mornings or afternoons: grandparents at a museum, parents at a cooking class, teens on an adventure, little ones at the park with a caregiver
- Easy regrouping: private transfers that bring everyone back together for a sunset aperitivo or a family dinner
- Built-in breathing room: free time and flexible days, so no one is rushed and plans can shift with the weather or the mood
The result is a trip where every traveler feels seen, and the family still comes home with shared memories.
Our Travel Styles for Family Travel
Every family is different, so we offer three ways to travel. Each one is fully custom; the right fit depends on the size of the group and the experience they want.
Custom: For Families Who Want Freedom
Why it fits: Custom is independent travel built entirely around one family’s dates, pace and interests. It’s ideal for a smaller multigenerational group that wants structure without a set schedule.
How it works for families: pick hotels that suit every generation, mix private guided touring with free days, and add transfers, rail and experiences exactly where they’re needed. Each traveler’s must-dos go in the plan; nothing they don’t need does.
Groups: For Big Families and Reunions
Why it fits: when the whole extended family is coming, from cousins and in-laws to a milestone birthday crowd, Groups keeps everyone together without the logistics falling on the Travel Advisor.
How it works for families: a private itinerary for your group alone, with dedicated guides, private transportation and hotels chosen for larger parties. Shared highlights keep the group connected, while leaving room for downtime for further exploration to let smaller groups break off and regroup.
Elevated: For Families Who Want Every Detail Handled
Why it fits: Elevated is our luxury travel style, designed for guests who expect the exceptional and want choice and flexibility at every turn.
How it works for families: handpicked luxury hotels with family-friendly suites and connecting rooms, exclusive private experiences for each generation, and concierge-level support before and during the trip. It’s an effortless way for a family to travel together, and to travel apart when they want to.
Putting It to Work: Questions to Ask Every Family
The secret to a great multigenerational itinerary is a great first conversation. Before you request a quote, refer to our travel style questionnaires to help guide your initial client conversations:
Bring those answers to us, and our Europe Specialists will design an itinerary that gives every generation something to love.
Ready to plan a family trip to Europe? Here’s the best way to get started:
- Reach out to your Europe Specialist to submit a quote.
- Call us at 800-927-3876, and we’ll connect you with a Europe Specialist.
However you reach us, we’ll bring the plan.
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