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Multigenerational travel index

Name: Highlights of Spain and Portugal
Brand: Trafalgar
Price: 4144 CAD
Availability: InStock
Rating: 4.5 (1263 reviews)

We Picked the Best Places to Travel With All Ages

Travel can be one of the most rewarding experiences a family can have Multigenerational travel is on the rise, with more people picking vacation spots for fun family trips than ever before. But with so many different ages and interests, how do you find something that suits everyone? That's where Trafalgar's Multigenerational Travel Index comes in.

By measuring factors like tourist volume, accessibility, nightlife options and more, we’ve made a list of the best destinations to visit for your family vacation. With this information, you can plan the best trips for grandparents, grandkids, and every age in between.

Use this index to unlock insights and tips like building a diverse itinerary, or discovering common factors that all age groups care about (hint: sunny weather and outdoor activities make all ages tick!) These will make sure you have the best multigenerational family vacations.

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Statistics of destinations in a scoring format

Top 20 Cities for Multigenerational Travel

It’s no surprise that our top 20 family vacation destinations are all highly cosmopolitan cities, friendly for the whole family to visit.

Our top pick, Barcelona, ranks highest for a number of nightclubs and bars per km, and second highest for parks and spas. It also topped the metrics for TikTok, with over 112 billion #Barcelona tags making it popular with the youngest group. So whether it’s a walk in the park or a boogie in the dark, there’s something for everyone in Barcelona; one of the best places for a family trip.

Paris came in a hot second, topping the metrics for a whole range of factors - from accessible infrastructure to spas, museums, Michelin restaurants (a gourmet 490 of them!) and 5-star hotels. No matter if you're after culture, a chill-out, or a touch of class, you can't go wrong in the Ville-Lumière!

Coming in third is the gorgeous city of Istanbul. With the highest proportion of parks (1.64 x km²), 100% accessible metro stations, and plenty of social media coverage, Istanbul is buzzing with life while still slow, steady, and welcoming to all - perfect for multigenerational travel.

Highlights from other cities? If you prefer to travel to places where locals speak good English, Amsterdam is our number one city for English proficiency. Love the hustle and bustle? Visit Venice, a tourist hotspot with over 13 million tourists visiting this 414 km² city! And if it’s all about relaxing on the beach, Porto and its 10 city beaches makes for an ideal family holiday destination.

Some cities ranked high, but we had to take into account other factors. Take Tokyo, which has a huge amount of wine bars and pubs (4,825 to be precise!) but a low level of English proficiency. Or London, with plenty of museums and nightclubs (a hip 497) but a low level of accessible infrastructure. But don't let that discourage you, just choose what's right for your group. Looking for family vacation ideas?

Use our Index above to compare different cities and see if they work for your cohort!

Man and woman sitting in a bus and laughing

Passing on a passion for travel

“One of my main purposes of asking my niece Avery to come long was to instill that travelling bug; to get her to want to go everywhere in the world. So, by the time she’s my age…she’ll have been everywhere on this planet.”

Lawrence, Trafalgar guest

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The key to great multi-generational travel infographic

Our Top Tips for Planning Multigenerational Travel

Making multigenerational family vacations work is like putting together a puzzle. It can look complicated to start, but once all the pieces are in the right place it works beautifully.

Here’s how you do it.

Get everyone's input. Ask for what people value, rather than specific destinations. That way you can better brainstorm family ideas and find a compromise that ticks everyone’s box.

That takes us to finding the right location. Cosmopolitan cities are some of the best places to travel with family, as there’s always something for everyone, no matter the age. The same rings true for a beach vacation, along with cruises & outdoor activities. So beach cities with lots of outdoorsy things to do top the list for best family vacation spots.

Next comes the fun part – activities! Mix and match to accommodate different interests and energy levels. Grandma might love a relaxing spa day, while the kids just have to get outdoors. A good balance throughout your itinerary ensures everyone’s happy. In a nutshell, multigenerational travel is all about inclusivity.

Pick places where there’s plenty of choice of things to do.

What our multigenerational guests are saying

Multigenerational trip people with a mountain view in the background in Spain

We had the time of our lives in Barcelona!

"We were able to take this trip with all the extended family. My parents, siblings, and their kids, along with my husband, daughter, and myself. The whole trip was full of fun and laughter - we all have so many great memories from our time together in Spain!"

This trip to Rome will long remain my favourite family vacation

"We had so much to celebrate this year...The whole family decided to celebrate with a tour. Here we are in Rome, enjoying our first dinner together! This trip brought us so much joy that we still smile thinking about it to this day."

Travel Deal-Breakers? Here's the Key to Planning Fun Family Trips

We surveyed travelers across all age groups to find out their biggest travel deal-breakers. If you’re brainstorming the best family vacation spots that’ll fit everyone, keep these quirky facts at hand:

18-29

A surprising 22% of 18-29 year olds found accessibility a deal breaker. This was also the age group that cared most about Michelin restaurants (7%) and having a busy environment (9%).

A progressive, accessible, foodie city would be ideal if you have this age in your cohort! Melbourne anyone?

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How We Worked Out The Multigenerational Travel Index

We ranked the best family vacation destinations in the world across 40+ cities covered by Trafalgar Travel. Using 18 metrics, all validated by a poll survey across three age brackets (18-29, 30-50, 51+), we figured out what would be the best places to visit with family.

We then totaled these metrics to create a final multigenerational index score, ranked out of 10.

Through running the survey, we found some metrics were more important for different age groups. 18-29 year olds valued free attractions, accessible transport, and social media popularity. Whereas parks + outdoor spaces, bars + pubs, and 5-star hotels were more pressing for the 30-50s. And those over 51 cared most about UNESCO sites and accessible infrastructure.

Differences aside, there were plenty of similarities! All age groups valued beach access, sunny weather, and English proficiency. Make these a priority in your planning!

Ready for a multigenerational vacation? Browse tours that work best for the whole family.