What trips can a family without kids take?

April 18, 2007 5:30 PM

Where to take a non-kid oriented family vacation next Christmas/New Year season (that is not a cruise)?

Posting for a friend:
It is my grandmother's 90th birthday this coming winter and my family is trying to plan a group vacation for a week or so, probably between Christmas and New Years as several of us are students and/or teachers. Some of my family members are floating the idea of a cruise (sorry for the bad pun) but a small minority of us feel like this cannot be the best option, so . . .

Where do you take 10 people (ages ranging from 22 - 90) for a relatively stress free family oriented vacation that is not targeted at people with elementary-school aged children? We, as a family, represent some pretty diverse interests, but for the most part we are looking for something warm (it will be the middle of winter) and easy (there will be ten of us, no one wants to spend the whole week managing an itinerary for 10).

Price is not a huge issue - clearly cruising with 10 people is not going to be cheap - but I feel as though there must be a better alternative to a cruise, as we would be paying a lot of money for services and features we simply don't have much use for (in addition to not having small children, drinking, overeating and gambling are all of relatively low priority for the most of us).

Does anyone have any ideas (or past experiences) for a fairly low maintenance week long vacation that meet our needs?

posted by k8t to travel & transportation (14 comments total)

How active are the older members of the group? And where are people based?
posted by mdonley at 5:37 PM on April 18, 2007

Cruising, particularly with my family, is my worst nightmare. No easy escapes.

How about a nice town that offers a lot of day trips? Someplace pretty but not isolated, like Savannah Georgia, or Taos NM, or if money's not an issue, Hawaii or San Francisco. You can rent a cabin/house and then spend as much time together as you comfortably can. It's nice to have the option of separating from time to time to accomodate different tastes, personalities and interests. Or maybe I'm just thinking of my family.
posted by gesamtkunstwerk at 5:41 PM on April 18, 2007

Cruising actually can be a relatively low-budget option, keeping in mind that lodging, food, and transportation are all paid for in one fell swoop. It has many weaknesses, but if you don't go with a luxury cruise line and (especially) don't bother getting a room with a window, you can get great deals.

Still, I'd choose Hawaii over a cruise any day of the week, especially in the dead of winter.
posted by crinklebat at 5:47 PM on April 18, 2007

The idea of being trapped on a boat with 9 other people for a week is horrifying to me, personally.
I'd be inclined to rent a house/villa-type deal for a week in a hot climate, that way people can sort of set their own itenerary and you can have the choice of eating out/cooking in.
Your profile says you're in California, but I don't know what your boundaries are.
If Europe is a possibility, you can do an agriturismo thing in Italy, staying in an old building in the country. We did this last May in the hills above Florence, staying in a gorgeous 400-year old house on a huge olive grove where they made their own oil. It was the best place we've ever stayed, approximately 600 euros for 5 days. But mid-winter may still be chilly.
You can rent awesome places in the Bahamas and I'm sure Mexico (closer to you.)
It's a bit more work to rent somewhere, with cooking your own food and getting around on your own, but it pays off because you experience more of the place than just being catered to on a McCruise.
posted by chococat at 5:52 PM on April 18, 2007

I think the main thing to do here is to think of the comfort and enjoyment of the 90 year old member of the family and plan your trip around her. A lot will depend on how active she is. Is flying for several hours to get to a destination going to be difficult for her? If so, that might limit your options. Cruising does have the advantage of allowing her to see different things while still being very physically comfortable. If she needs a nap, a bed is close by. If she prefers to sit and watch the view, other family members can come and go as they please. With that being said, though, if she doesn't care about seeing a lot of changing scenery and just wants to spend time with family members, look into renting a block of hotel rooms someplace beachy and not too hard to get to.
posted by MsMolly at 5:53 PM on April 18, 2007

I second MsMolly. If it's not too inconvenient for the eldest member of the group, what about Las Vegas? Wait, wait, hear me out! A plethora of interesting hotels, even with themes? Check. Great, affordable food in every variety? Check, check. Oh, theme parks, yeah, got that. Gambling. Yep. And shows for every taste? Got that too. Why not?
posted by laskagirl at 6:05 PM on April 18, 2007

Cruises are economical and offer something for everyone. And for some people it's a dream vacation, you unpack once, see everything, and get to move through the world in a bit of a bubble. However, cruises over the holidays are crazy expensive.

Depending on where everyone is based, I second the suggestion of Mexico. Puerto Vallarta is nice. Cancun or Cozumel is more resort-y, but you can do day trips to Mayan ruins, snorkle, etc.

You want a place with some things to do, but not too many things to do. I know you aren't into gambling, but this is precisely why Vegas works well for things like this. You can get a bunch of connecting rooms, people can hang out and eat good food and talk, they can do things, but people don't completely scatter they way they would in say, Chicago.

Other ideas are Key West, Sarasota, Lake Tahoe [not warm, but maybe you'd like snow] San Diego [Coronado especially], Puerto Rico, Cabo, or you could honor the times your family member grew up in and do a train voyage.
posted by Mozzie at 6:12 PM on April 18, 2007

I've never been to Vegas, but I hear you can love it or love hating it, and it's surrounded by fantastic destinations. The grand canyon is close, as are a half dozen other natural wonders.
posted by gesamtkunstwerk at 6:27 PM on April 18, 2007

Backroads has amazing vacations that seem to suit your needs. I would guess that some of their casual travel would even work for a 90 year old.
posted by B-squared at 6:38 PM on April 18, 2007

What about renting a private place in Tulum, Mexico? Something like this or this? Calm and relaxing for those who want it, fun and adventurous for those who what that, and the weather will be beautiful at the time of year.
posted by logic vs love at 7:36 PM on April 18, 2007

I'm waiting to hear back from my friend, but I believe that most family members are located in Northern California.
posted by k8t at 7:51 PM on April 18, 2007

I like Tulum, no I love Tulum. But stuff is a bit spread out. A car helps and 9 people cant get in a car together.
I vote for JUST north of Tulum Playa del Carmen. The beach, rest, shops and hotels are all within walking distance. SOO many choices for food, etc. Really is something for everyone.

And the bus is so easy and cheap (and really nice) you can easily take trips from here. The Pyramids, etc.
posted by beccaj at 5:25 AM on April 19, 2007

I did just say the pyramids huh? Um, I should have said the Mayan ruins. I'm an idiot.
posted by beccaj at 5:27 AM on April 19, 2007

It probably seems really far, but I wonder if a week spent exploring the North Island of New Zealand would be good:

- not a too-terrible exchange rate
- English spoken
- probably well set up for older travelers
- nonstop flights from SF to Auckland
- middle of the summer down there
- lots of cool stuff: wineries, beaches, volcanoes, hiking, Maori culture, etc.

Places like Rotorua or the Coromandel Peninsula could provide a smaller focus for vacation activities.
posted by mdonley at 10:12 AM on April 19, 2007