photo: Maia Lemov
Adventure travel with adult children is, well, an adventure with an extra dimension. "Though it gets less attention that traveling with young children, there are," a travel editor assures us, "as many joys and as many complications in traveling with adult offspring."
The editor's family--mother, father, two 20-something daughters--went to China and toured around remote Yunnan Province. The family "had to catch seven flights, spend a night together in a tiny sleeper train compartment, find restaurants to please every palate, and survive two illnesses, a mountainside van breakdown, altitude sickness, a shakedown and a couple of questionable hotels." That said, it was a wonderful and bonding experience. Looking back at it and other trips, the author, Elizabeth Chang, shares guidelines for travel with adult offspring. You can catch the full list here.
Here are a few highlights:
Consult everyone about the itinerary. Compromises need to be made but everyone should have a destination or site they're excited about.
Don't overbook--allow time for impulse visits and to recoup energy.
Create a shared document where everyone can check the hotels, departure and arrival times, names of guides hired.
Get separate rooms--everyone needs a chance to get away from each other.
Discuss money beforehand--as in, who's paying for what.
Have them organize and lead some of the trip excursions.
