5 New Multigenerational Trips From Backroads

23.04.2024 - 07:28 / forbes.com / Tom Hale

Backroads, a longtime leader in adventure travel, has made its reputation by catering to changing traveler needs and shifting demographics. In 2024, that means focusing on the increasing number of multigenerational families eager to travel together.

An astonishing 38 percent of their adventure travel trips cater to this market. So it's worth paying attention when they announce a roster of new multigene family trips as they just did today.

New for 2025 are multi-adventure trips for families in the Netherlands and Belgium, Scotland and England, Croatia and Slovenia, and along the Camino de Santiago. They’re also unveiling the company’s first North American Snow Adventure for Families with Young Adults in their 20s and Beyond, which they see as a growing demographic in family adventure travel.

“We’re seeing huge demand for our Family Trips with friends wanting to travel with their kids, and also with multigenerational families,” said Tom Hale, Backroads Founder, President and CEO, in an email interview. “The flexibility on our trips means everyone, including grandparents and grandkids, can have an experience tailored to their interests. Backroads is the only active travel company to offer family trips designed for different age groups so that guests travel with other families in the same life stage, nurturing great camaraderie and connections on every trip.”

Backroads refined adventure trips for families in 2018 when they began offering trips for three distinct age groups: Families with Teens & Kids is for ages 9–17, with ages 4+ welcome; Families with Older Teens & 20s for ages 17+, with younger siblings 14+ welcome; and Families with Young Adults 20s & Beyond for ages 20+, with younger siblings 17+ welcome. They also added a dedicated Kids Adventure Leader for the youngest children. A single trip may come with two or three family variations to choose from.

Here are five of the new 2025 Family Trips, all of which feature accommodations in Premiere Hotels:

The Croatia & Slovenia Multi-Adventure Tour is for Families with Older Teens & 20s. This trip from the Julian Alps and Lake Bled to the Adriatic Sea features trekking through the Alps, bike riding along the Adriatic coast, sea kayaking, and rafting on the Sava River. Accommodations on this six-day trip include the Kempinski Palace Portorož. All trips mentioned here are from $4,799 per person, based on double occupancy.

The Netherlands & Belgium Multi-Adventure Tour is for Families with Teens & Kids and promises canals, windmills, and waffles from Amsterdam to Brussels. The six-day trip packs in biking, kayaking, walking, and hiking. Accommodations include the Grand Hotel Karel V. From $5,399 per person.

The Canadian Rockies Snow Adventure is for