A Week with the Grandkids at a Luxury Vacation Rental
March 16, 2007. Today's active grandparents may be finding scarce opportunities to spoil their grandchildren. Some children's schedules have become as hectic as those of their parents, while others simply live too far away. Perhaps that explains the increasing popularity of "Grandtravel," which NBC's Today Show recently identified as one of the fastest growing segments of the travel industry.
They also offered some tips for grandparent-grandchild travel:
* Parents and grandparents should communicate beforehand about ground rules and children's abilities. This will ensure that some well-intentioned spoiling doesn't thwart a parenting strategy, and will make sure kids aren't dragged into an activity beyond their skill.
* "Don't insist on togetherness for the sake of togetherness." This is a theme we've seen with family travel before. You should genuinely want to spend time with the little ones, or nobody will have fun. Also remember, grandtravel seems to be successful because Grandma and Grandpa are more likely to do what the kids want to do, not what the grown-ups want.
* Do a test run. Spend a weekend together before booking a week at Disney World. Pick a fun, local town that a has a children's museum and a nearby petting zoo, like Portsmouth, New Hampshire, before embarking on the big trip.
