Grandparents Are Ditching Parents for ‘Skip-Gen’ Travel This Year
Skip-gen travel is one of 2026’s defining vacation trends, with grandparents increasingly booking trips alongside grandchildren while parents stay home entirely. Nearly 57% of families now plan trips that include grandparents and children together, and a growing share skip the middle generation altogether. If you’re a grandparent considering a getaway with the grandkids, here’s what’s driving the trend and how to plan one well.
Why This Matters to You
Skip-gen travel reflects a meaningful shift: many grandparents today have both the time and the financial resources to invest directly in experiences with grandchildren, rather than waiting to pass down an inheritance. It’s also a response to busy adult children who may not have vacation time to spare. For grandparents, these trips offer a rare chance at one-on-one bonding and can create lasting family memories without a packed, multigenerational itinerary to coordinate around everyone else’s schedule. It also reflects a broader cultural shift toward prioritizing shared experiences over material gifts, with many grandparents saying a week of undivided attention means more than another item under the tree.
Key Facts & Context
Extended family vacations are up 7 percentage points since 2023, and nearly half of families now plan trips spanning more than one household. Travel researchers point to a related trend called grandma tourism, where nearly 70% of travelers say they prefer learning from older locals and relatives while on holiday over following influencer recommendations. Meanwhile, affluent grandparents are also driving a luxury travel surge, pouring record budgets into ski trips and other legacy vacations built around spending time, and money, with grandchildren while they’re young enough to remember it.
- 57% of families now plan trips including grandparents and grandchildren
- 7-point rise in extended family vacations since 2023
- 70% of travelers favor learning from older locals over influencer picks
What This Means for You
Choose an Age-Appropriate Destination
Match the trip to your grandchild’s age and stamina. Younger grandchildren often do best with shorter travel days and destinations offering both structured activities and downtime, while teens may be ready for more ambitious international trips with a fuller itinerary. Involve your grandchild in some of the planning, letting them choose one activity or meal, which builds excitement and gives them a sense of ownership over the trip. See our multigenerational travel planning guide for more destination ideas.
Loop In Parents Early
Even though parents aren’t coming along, keep them informed on the itinerary, emergency contacts, and any medical needs. Clear communication prevents anxiety on both sides and makes everyone more comfortable with the arrangement well before departure day arrives.
Plan for Your Own Pace
Build in rest days and avoid overpacking the schedule. A trip-planning resource like TripsNearby can help you map out grandchild-friendly stops close to home if a big international trip isn’t the right fit this year. Our piece on budgeting for a grandchild’s first big trip can help you plan the costs ahead of time.
Looking Forward
As more grandparents embrace skip-gen travel, the trend is reshaping how families think about vacation time and legacy spending. Whether it’s a weekend getaway or a multi-week international adventure, these trips are less about the destination and more about the relationship. If you’re weighing the cost, a conversation with a financial coach like Coached by Bukky can help you plan a trip that fits your retirement budget comfortably. For many families, a well-planned skip-gen trip becomes a story grandchildren tell for decades, long after the souvenirs are packed away.
