Make Your Next Trip Extraordinary
A Solution for Grandparents: How to Plan a Trip Itinerary Everyone Will Enjoy
The author sandboarding in the Sahara. Photo: Ryan Damm I’m recently back from a glorious trip to Morocco with my daughter, son-in-law, and 14-year-old grandson. I wanted to get there while I can still enjoy a vigorous trip—and discovered that I’m not too old to try sandboarding!
I also discovered a new travel philosophy: Over breakfast at an inn, a same-age (70s) guest remarked, “My husband and I are doing an active trip now while we still can.” The inn was Kasbah du Toubkal, in the High Atlas Mountains, and the only way to reach it is to hike a steep, rocky trail or catch a mule ride up the hill. It’s not a place for the physically challenged. “This is great for now,” my new friend continued. “Later on, we can always go to Italy.” It was a perfect statement of my own attitude as my age increases and my physical abilities begin to ebb. I hope I’ll never stop traveling, but I want to front-load athletic trips and have those adventures while I still can.
Here’s the balancing act: avoid under- or over-estimating my limitations, join my sporty family when possible, and find fun alternatives if a given activity is no longer right for me. One day my family took a ten-mile hike to a summit with views all the way to Marrakech. I couldn’t do the hike, so the WOW List expert planning our trip arranged an alternative right up my alley: I rode a gorgeous black stallion, an Arabian/Berber cross, through bamboo-shaded paths past tiny adobe settlements to an elegant picnic lunch. It was a perfect day for everybody, and we had photos and stories to share at dinner.
As the reviews below show, when you have a crew with varying abilities or conflicting interests, a savvy local fixer will have ideas to keep everyone happy. If you’re wondering who the right fixer is for your trip, click on the black button below and we will advise you.
There may be more sedate vacations in my future, and when there are, I will be grateful to still be on the road. Meantime, I’m eyeing a small lodge in the Canadian Arctic where polar bears and foxes roam….
CHILE: Easier and more challenging outings let family members choose their own adventure
Traveler Lauren Schor and her extended family in Patagonia, with Torres del Paine in the background.
“Our multigenerational family of eight just returned from a two-week trip to Chile over the holidays. From our first conversation, I knew that Jordan understood the challenges of traveling with both teenagers and grandparents. We started with four nights in the Atacama Desert at Explora, which was amazing. Explora has so many activities to choose from, and we planned our itinerary once we arrived: Moon Valley, Mars Valley, the geysers, Cejar Salt Lagoon, Rainbow Valley, stargazing at Explora’s onsite observatory, and a hike to Explora’s private hot springs!
Next we traveled south to Patagonia and stayed at Cerra Guido, a ranch just outside of Torres del Paine National Park, for another four nights. They were super-accommodating to everyone’s activity level and physical abilities: We even split up a couple of the days, so everyone could do what they wanted.
My sister-in-law and I did the iconic ten-hour hike to the base of the towers in Torres del Paine, two of the teenagers went horseback riding with a gaucho, my husband and niece rode e-bikes, and my in-laws were taken by car to meet up with them. Then we also did some easier hikes and walks all together.
I was initially worried the teens would get bored on this trip, and boy was I wrong!” —Lauren Schor
To get your own WOW trip, start with our trip questionnaire, reached via the black button below.
SWITZERLAND: A itinerary of cities, train rides, and an alpine festival—all with a baby in tow
The Roberts family hiking in Wengen. Photo: Traveler Laura Roberts
“We traveled to Switzerland for 16 days with the help of Ana in Nina’s office. I asked a lot of her because we were traveling with our four grown children, our daughter-in-law, and our ten-month-old granddaughter. She did a great job of finding interesting activities that all eight of us could enjoy! We hiked, had a raclette lunch in a candlelit cave, rafted, mountain biked, wine tasted, and much more! We had three major destinations: Zurich, Wengen and Ascona. Wengen was our favorite—beautiful views of Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau, accessible only by train and no cars in town.
However, the true highlight was in the mountains near Ascona. There was a local alpine festival for the opening of a cattle-grazing area high in the mountains. Ana arranged for us to go by helicopter and see the local traditions—cheesemaking, eating polenta and alpine horns. We were the only foreigners there, and the people were very welcoming!” —Laura Roberts
To get your own WOW trip, start with our trip questionnaire, reached via the black button below.
THE GALÁPAGOS: An itinerary, boat, and crew that mixed things up for 16 travelers of varying physical abilities
Turtles show off their surprisingly long necks at the Darwin Research Station. Photo: Traveler Nancy Polikoff
“When I set out to plan a trip to the Galápagos in honor of my partner’s 65th birthday and the 70th birthday of one of my closest friends, The WOW List pointed me to Allie. She helped me think through my priorities and presented a number of options for chartering a ship for 16 guests.
I cannot imagine a better crew than the one we had on the Horizon. We had guests of varying physical ability and varying dietary restrictions, and the crew accommodated everyone seamlessly. Naturalist Eduardo was a terrific guide for all our excursions, and Vivien excelled as our cruise director, managing the staff that made every moment of our time onboard a delight. The birthday celebration Vivien organized—with decorations, music and dancing—was a total delight.
All Galápagos ships offer different itineraries, and Allie helped me select the one I wanted. We had close encounters with marine iguanas, land iguanas, sea lions, fur seals, penguins, rays, sea turtles, tortoises, and, of course, blue-footed boobies and other spectacular birds. Allie answered hundreds of emails from the 16 of us, with no question too large or small. I am grateful for all the work she did, and we really did have the experience of a lifetime.” —Nancy Polikoff
To get your own WOW trip, start with our trip questionnaire, reached via the black button below.
COSTA RICA: Extra support for a grandparent ensures the teens still get their adventures
The right planner can design a Costa Rica itinerary that works for the whole family. Photo: Shutterstock
“We were traveling to Costa Rica with ten people, including four active teenagers who are up for any adventure, and my father who didn’t want his physical disability to stop the adventure or fun for his grandchildren. Priscilla found us the perfect home on an amazing beach where we could watch the sunset daily and take day trips scuba diving, surfing, and fishing. After five days, we moved to the Monteverde Cloud Forest for the sky walk, zip-lining, and endless hikes.
What really made this trip special was the planning that Priscilla did in finding us the perfect naturalist guide, Eddie, as well as the perfect physical therapist, Alonso, to travel with us for the ten days we were away. Alonso provided my father with the best care possible and had the knowledge and ability to work with him in the pool and help him do things he has not been able to do, like taking short walks on the beach. Having Alonso with us allowed my mom to get the vacation she so needed and took all the daily stress away.
As for Eddie, from the moment we met him at the airport, he got the kids engaged and interested in learning about Costa Rica. When we were out hiking, he not only helped us find the monkeys, quetzals and sloth, but educated the kids on the cloud forest and the environment.” —Kristen Ebner
To get your own WOW trip, start with our trip questionnaire, reached via the black button below.
Be a smarter traveler: Sign up for Wendy’s weekly newsletter to stay in the know. Read real travelers’ reviews, then use the black CONTACT buttons on Wendy’s WOW List to reach out to the right local fixer for your trip.
Stay in the Know With Our Newsletter
