Last spring, I went on a family trip to Paris with nine people, including my husband, children, parents, brother, sister-in-law, and nieces. Although it wasn’t our first trip as a party of 10, it was our first time visiting Europe together.
Our group ranged in age from 10 to 74, and I soon found that multigenerational travel to another continent comes with its own set of challenges.
Although we had an incredible time, there are a few things I would’ve done differently to make the trip go even more smoothly.
Next time, I’d do more research before choosing a week to travel
We chose to travel during the Easter and Passover break because it was a rare time when all four kids in the group were off from school at once. I expected things to be a bit busier because of the holiday, but I didn’t realize we’d be visiting during the Paris Marathon.
I’ve been fortunate enough to visit the city several times, but I’ve never seen it as crowded as it was during our family vacation.
It was fun to cheer on the runners as they passed right in front of our hotel, but the event clearly drew in massive crowds.
Some of the city’s most popular tourist destinations, like Versailles, were packed, and tickets to the Louvre were sold out. This was a bummer since it was the first trip to Paris for half of our crew.
Next time, when booking a trip, I’ll research any big events happening in the area that could increase traffic. This will help us avoid higher prices and sold-out attraction tickets.
I wish we’d done more group tours
When planning our trip, I didn’t book a lot of group tours because I was worried it would make traveling with 10 people more difficult.
But after doing one in Montmartre, I realized it actually might just be the best way to see the city with a large group.
Our tour guide gave us valuable insights, from the most opportune moments to use a restroom to the best places to sit down and enjoy a madeline.
Knowing the best places to rest were especially helpful when the 10-year-old got cranky or the 74-year-olds wanted to slow down.
The guide also helped us maneuver crowds and knew which steep stairs and rocky streets to avoid walking down. Plus, her local perspective and expertise meant she taught us a lot of facts about famous artists in the area. We saw a different side to the famous neighborhood that we may not have seen on our own.
Next time I’m planning a big family vacation, I’ll definitely prioritize booking more group tours.
Flexibility is key when planning an itinerary for a multigenerational group
Even though we only planned to be in Paris for a week, I created a packed itinerary. I even booked a day trip to Tours, France, (which is about an hour and 15 minute train ride from Paris) so my kids could see where I studied abroad.
However, it was toward the middle of the trip, and my husband and kids were exhausted. I thought they’d be able to rally, but we ended up canceling this excursion and losing out on some money.
While planning, I was so eager to do it all that I lost sight of the fact that we might need to sleep in one day.
Next time, I’d leave more room in the itinerary to relax and recharge.
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