So you want to take the whole family—grandparents down to grandkids—on one epic European rendezvous? Traveling with your extended family is a fantastic way to create cherished memories together.
Of course, figuring out an experience that can please everyone (and doesn’t get too overwhelming logistics-wise) is the tricky part. I’ve started you off with three ideas that are sure to be a crowd pleaser; they have been for my own clients!
1. Stay at a unique historic property
You can’t toss a stone in Europe without hitting a historically noteworthy property of some sort, whether it’s a castle in Scotland, a villa in Tuscany, a chateau in France, or a masseria in Southern Italy.
Luckily, many of these historic properties are available to rent out as vacation properties, making them the perfect launching pad for a big family escape. For one, these historic properties are often large and sprawling and may even come with multiple buildings (like a carriage house, for example), which gives a multigenerational group plenty of room to spread out.
Plus, your unique stay becomes a special part of the trip itself—imagine checking into accommodations that are older than the United States! Because being at your historic property is part of the vacation experience, you won’t feel the need to wake up and immediately get going (unless you want to); a slower pace can be a godsend when you’re traveling with a big group of mixed ages. Lingering in your villa’s vineyard or castle’s turreted tower could become the best part of your family’s trip. To VIP your villa experience, you can even bring in a private chef for an evening to create a custom dinner just for your group in your spectacular settings.
2. Explore Europe’s Christmas Markets
Create a new holiday tradition with your family by discovering the Christmas markets in Western and Central Europe that date back to the Middle Ages. Quaint, fairytale-like towns in Eastern France, Germany, and beyond get all decked out in the weeks leading up to Christmas—and young and old alike will be in awe of the lights and decorations. You can explore the cobblestone backstreets, shop for special artisan-made treasures at the market stalls, and warm up with gluhwein (or hot chocolate for the kids!). There is most definitely magic in the air at this special time of year.
You can explore multiple Christmas markets in a single region via a rented car with a carseat for the wee ones; I helped a client arrange a big family trip to Europe this way during the Christmas Market season and everyone came home raving (and came home with plenty of presents picked out, too). If you want an even greater sense of ease for your multigenerational family vacation, consider a Christmas market river cruise. The nimble cruise ship will do all the heavy lifting of getting your family from place to place, so you get to enjoy a relaxed pace of exploration, while only ever unpacking once. Plus, river cruises are an excellent option for multigen trips where travelers, young and old, may have mobility issues; some of your group may choose to stay and relax on the ship, or take the “easy walker tour” option, while others can take the bike or hiking tours. There’s something for almost everyone’s fitness level!
3. Yacht across Southern Europe
Do you know what’s even better than a cruise through the glittering Mediterranean? Island hopping on board a private yacht, arranged just for your family. I love this option for big, multigenerational family trips because it’s a once-in-a-lifetime “all-inclusive” experience—your chartered yacht comes with captain, crew, and chef. And when the yacht is all yours, you get to go exactly where you want, when you want.
Yes, chartering a yacht sounds like a super posh experience, but it may be more do-able than you think when factoring in your group’s size. Yachts in the Greek islands are on the larger side, so you would want to be traveling with a group of 20+ passengers to get the most value. If your multigen family group is smaller, I highly recommend a yachting experience off the coast of Croatia. It’s an amazing country with so much to explore, and you can find smaller yacht charters here for just 14-16 travelers.
Ready to plan your own custom-crafted European adventure? It all starts with a complimentary consultation call; simply click here to book your call with me to start planning.
