Travelling with grandparents: gentle trips everyone enjoys

By the Nexara Holidays travel desk · 2 min read

Grandparents often enjoy travel most when the pace is slow, the hotels are comfortable and there is time to rest. These ideas suit them, and the rest of the family too.

Gentle destinations

• Pilgrimages with good facilities: Tirupati, Madurai, Rameswaram and Varanasi.
• Hill stations: Kodaikanal, Ooty and Munnar, avoiding very high altitude.
• Kerala's backwaters: a houseboat is relaxing and requires little walking.
• Easy international trips: Singapore, Dubai and Colombo with Sri Lanka's hill country.

Comfort first

• Request ground-floor or lift-access rooms.
• Choose hotels close to the main sights.
• Plan rest after lunch.
• Book wheelchair assistance at airports.

Activities everyone enjoys

• Boat rides and cruises.
• Temple visits at quieter times.
• Gardens and lakes.
• Cultural performances in the evening.
• Shopping for handicrafts.

Health

Carry medicines and prescriptions, avoid long days in the sun and check with a doctor before high-altitude trips. See Travelling with elderly parents: planning a comfortable trip.

Include them in planning

Ask grandparents what they would love to see. Often it is a pilgrimage they have always wanted to make or a hill station from their youth.

See our Senior-friendly holidays page.

A sample gentle trip

For example: two nights in Madurai for the Meenakshi temple, two nights in Kodaikanal by the lake and one night in Rameswaram for the temple. Or four nights in Singapore with a garden day, a zoo day and an easy city day. Short drives, early dinners and plenty of rest make all the difference.

Paperwork

Check passport validity and travel insurance that covers pre-existing conditions for trips abroad.