Family Vacation Trends
Family vacations aren’t what they used to be—and honestly, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. When I was a kid in the ’90s, our annual trip meant piling into the car at 5 a.m., driving for hours, and staying at the same budget hotel by the beach every summer. No frills, no flights, and absolutely no complaints allowed.
These days, family travel looks completely different. Parents are booking international trips, wellness retreats, even eco-lodges in the middle of nowhere. Some families skip the hotel altogether and go for AirBnbs or van life. It’s a big shift, and I think a lot of it comes down to how priorities have changed.
People now want experiences over souvenirs. It’s less about ticking destinations off a list, and more about being together in a way that feels meaningful—or at least Instagram-worthy. Technology plays a role, too. With remote work, some families turn their vacations into “workations,” stretching a one-week holiday into a month abroad.
I took my own parents on a trip to Portugal last year—our first family vacation as adults. It was totally different from our old-school road trips. We actually slowed down, explored little villages, ate ridiculously good food, and had proper conversations—something that rarely happened back in the chaos of childhood holidays.
Sure, there’s a bit of nostalgia for the simplicity of the past, but I think today’s vacations are more intentional. We’re no longer just trying to escape—we’re trying to make it count.
Vocabulary:
piling into – when many people join or go to something quickly, “Everyone was piling into the bus before it left.”
no frills – simple and without extra luxuries, “We stayed at a no frills motel on the road trip.”
complaints – expressions of being unhappy about something, “The restaurant got many complaints about slow service.”
wellness retreats – trips focused on health and relaxation, “She booked one of those wellness retreats to reduce stress.”
eco-lodges – hotels built to be environmentally friendly, “The couple stayed in eco-lodges while traveling in Costa Rica.”
van – a large vehicle for carrying people or things, “They traveled across Europe in a camper van.”
souvenirs – items you buy to remember a trip, “He brought back souvenirs from Mexico for his family.”
ticking off – marking something as done or completed, “She loved ticking off places from her travel bucket list.”
Instagram-worthy – so attractive or cool that people want to post it on Instagram, “The sunset was definitely Instagram-worthy.”
workations – trips where people work and vacation at the same time, “Digital nomads often take workations in sunny places.”
stretching – lasting longer than expected or needed, “Their trip ended up stretching into a full month.”
abroad – in or to another country, “He studied abroad for a year in Spain.”
old-school – traditional, not modern, “They took an old-school road map instead of using GPS.”
proper – real, serious, or complete, “After hiking, we were ready for a proper meal.”
nostalgia – a warm, sad feeling when remembering the past, “Hearing that song gave me a wave of nostalgia.”
intentional – done on purpose, “She made an intentional choice to travel slower and enjoy each place.”
make it count – use time or opportunities in the best way, “If you only have one day in Rome, you need to make it count.”