Have you ever heard of gramping? Yes, that’s actually a real thing. It's when grandparents and grandchildren take a trip and leave the parents at home.
We all know that today’s grandparents are no longer content sitting in a rocking chair on the front porch. The 60+ baby boomers are truly a "get up and go" generation, and now they are finding traveling with their grandkids is one of the best ways to bond.
Approximately 40 percent of the whopping 69.5 million grandparents in the United States travel with their grandchildren…and most of them leave the middle generation home. The grandparents, mostly retired, have years of practice traveling, money saved and retirement time on their hands. Many of them live far from their grandkids. All of these factors combine to make skip-gen travel a perfect opportunity.
Almost any vacation experience can be tailored to accommodate multi-generations, but here are a few of our favorites:
Visit a National Park
You can teach your family’s youngest generation about the beauty and grandeur of our own country by visiting one of the many National Parks located across the U.S. There are endless opportunities to see our majestic land – and almost as many ways to go. For instance, you can join an escorted tour or find an active travel company to immerse yourself in the beautiful outdoors. Backroads, California-based travel company, offers dozens of itineraries for families that group age-specific children together and include biking, hiking, rafting and exploring. Whether you choose to hire a guide, go on a tour or independently navigate your trip, the National Parks offer amazing gramping experiences.
Sail Away on a Cruise
For the grandparents and grandchildren who have very different energy levels, an ocean cruise can be a wonderful vacation. Everyone can spend their days in different activities and meet for dinner to share stories. Royal Caribbean has a variety of sailings that are perfect for skip-gen travel. Rock climbing walls, surf riders, nightlife and private islands are just some of the family-friendly fun available on a Royal Caribbean ship. And, of course, the benefit of unpacking and packing only once is a great one. Make sure you check out April’s special BOGO offer with Royal Caribbean – ask your travel advisor for details.
Go on a Safari
For families lucky enough to take this amazing vacation, the experience can be transformative. The opportunity to see wildlife, conservation and culture is beyond compare. Micato Safaris offers trips to Kenya and Tanzania where guests visit a rhino conservancy or an itinerary in South Africa that visits Capetown and explores the life and accomplishments of Nelson Mandela. Trips to Africa can include hot air balloons, game drives and horseback riding, as well as the luxury of some beautiful safari lodges.
Enjoy a Theme Park
No discussion of family travel would be complete without mentioning popular theme parks. For Charlotteans, Orlando is so close it’s great for kids traveling without their parents for the first time. It’s truly a theme park mecca with Walt Disney World, Universal and Legoland, to name just a few. Disney has a variety of accommodations for every budget, a new Toy Story Land and Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge to make every age group and interest level very happy!
The possibilities are endless! Speak to your Mann Travels advisor and start planning your skip-gen vacation now.
Roni Fishkin is the Marketing Director of Mann Travels, which, with local ownership in Charlotte, has been serving travelers with personalized service for 40 years.
800.343.MANN (6266) | MannTravels.com
