Family vacation ideas

Planning a family trip means balancing the needs of everyone. Children need stimulation and space to play. Parents need a break from cooking, cleaning and sometimes even the kids. If the grandparents come along, that’s another layer of logistics and planning.

To help you get started, here are some family trips that stand out for their multigenerational appeal.

What you’ll learn:

• Costa Rica is an option for families who love sunshine, nature and adventure, offering everything from kayaking in the rainforest to beach walks under the stars.

• Chicago combines culture and convenience, with family-friendly hotels near iconic attractions like Millennium Park and the Art Institute of Chicago.

• Bermuda is an option for a short family getaway, with pink-sand beaches, ancient caves and plenty of water activities for all ages. 

• Eligible cardholders can earn elevated rewards when they use Capital One Travel to book their trip.

Costa Rica consistently delivers nature, sunshine and a sense of true escape. Here’s a sample starter itinerary.

• Fly into San Jose, then take a short flight or boat ride to Tortuguero National Park on the Caribbean coast. 

• Stay at Mawamba Lodge, your home base for a jungle adventure. 

• Take an easy kayak excursion through the rainforest, then enjoy a guided beach walk to spot one or more of the four species of sea turtles that nest in the area. Watching a rare green turtle cover dozens of softball-sized, freshly laid eggs with sand is the stuff college essays are made of and something grandparents will enjoy too.

• Head inland to Arenal Springs Resort and Spa, set near the towering Arenal Volcano. 

• Spend mornings bird-watching among the 138 indigenous and migratory species documented in the area. 

• Try tubing down a winding river or join a guided hike that includes rappelling down a waterfall.

• At night, the kids can join a rainforest walk to spot frogs, snails, snakes and insects, while you relax in a hammock on your room’s terrace, soaking in breathtaking views of the volcano as the sun sets. 

• With three restaurants serving everything from sushi to thin-crust pizza, there should be something for every palate.

• End your trip in Manuel Antonio, a coastal resort village surrounded by lush jungle and beautiful beaches. 

• While there, let everyone choose their own adventure, whether it’s beach time, zip-lining or a jungle trek. Whatever you do, be on the lookout for sloths.

• Stay at the Hotel San Bada or La Vela Boutique Hotel for a true “pura vida” finale to your week in Costa Rica.

The Peninsula Chicago is a 5-star hotel known for blending traditional Asian service with Midwestern warmth. It’s smack dab in the center of a city that offers shows, shopping, museums, historic sites and plenty of green space. 

Anish Kapoor’s Cloud Gate sculpture, affectionately called The Bean, is just blocks away in Millennium Park. And Navy Pier is roughly a 15-minute walk from the hotel. 

Kids can enroll in the hotel’s bespoke Peninsula Academy or splash around in the indoor pool. Ask about architecture tours, cooking classes, a firehouse excursion and more. And there are a spa, buzzy bars and restaurants on the property.

Boasting pink beaches, dramatic water caves and pastel-colored mansions, Bermuda is a great trip for families in search of tropical breezes and easy travel days.

• Tropical accommodations: The all-inclusive Grotto Bay Beach Resort and Spa is just five minutes from the airport, with two beaches, nearby golf and tennis and several restaurants. The showstopper is its private spa set inside an ancient cave.

• Adventure and fun for every age: You could spend your time chartering a fishing boat, sailing at sunset or taking a day trip to a secluded stingray habitat on your own rented boat. Teenagers can spend hours at the floating water park just offshore.

• Unforgettable experiences: Walk along a wooden platform framed by azure water below and stalactites above to get to your massage inside the ancient cave spa.

For a crew of people who want to get out on the slopes—or the trails, when the weather is warmer—Vail Village and the surrounding area offer up more than enough to do. It also has twinkling lights, snowy streets and cozy lodges that feel straight out of a holiday movie. 

Vail appeals to all ages, from bunny-slope skiers to grandparents who want to spend some time shopping in the village or strolling the Betty Ford Alpine Gardens. For those looking for a nightcap, the Tasting Room at 10th Mountain Whiskey & Spirit Co. has a house-made cordial that’s infused with sage, vanilla and peach. It’s a delicious way to end the night.

Vail Village’s size is what makes it perfect for multigenerational groups. It’s small enough that people can split off comfortably and meet throughout the day without having to make a big trek. But there are also some can’t-miss day trips outside Vail that serve up mountain-town vibes of their own, including Leadville, Breckenridge, Glenwood Springs and Aspen.

When it opened, Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Hollywood was the biggest addition to the California park since the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. A major attraction is an augmented reality ride called Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge, where you compete on some of the chaotic racing series’ courses in classic dark-ride style. The course is fixed, but the interactivity plays out in your headset.

Kids of all ages can also play four mini key challenges and pose for photos with Mario, Luigi and Princess Peach. For the ultimate photo op, eat at Toadstool Cafe, where adorable mushroom-capped toads work the kitchen.

Groups that want to stay within walking distance of the park can book the Sheraton Universal Hotel. The Garland, a smaller boutique hotel in North Hollywood, is another option. It offers special trolley rides to Universal Studios and themed events by the pool for adults, with plenty nearby to keep older kids and teens entertained. 

Looking for an unforgettable meal? Head to Anajak Thai for outdoor omakase, chef collaborations and potentially the best meal you’ll have in Los Angeles (and beyond). There’s also Osteria La Buca for farm-to-table Italian.

Even those with little riding experience can spend a week at a dude ranch and enjoy every moment. A week at Vista Verde Ranch can include a private fly-fishing lesson, a one-on-one yoga session in the woods beside a creek, and an unforgettable night of line dancing on your last evening. 

Located in the Rocky Mountains, about 40 minutes outside Steamboat Springs, Vista Verde is a luxury dude ranch with casual vibes. Every morning after sunrise, you can grab your camera to record the mesmerizing sight of the daily running of the horses. Or you can listen from your cabin for the sharp “Yaaah! Yaaah!” calls echoing from the valley where the ranch’s 100 or so horses are free to graze overnight. 

The ranch offers three levels of kids’ programming. A highlight for teenagers might be the overnight campout, when they can ride out to a parent-free location in the mountains, eat a campfire dinner and listen to the counselors’ ghost stories.

Families can eat breakfast and lunch together in the main lodge. Dinner varies from family-style to luxe campfire cookouts only a horseback ride away. On a handful of nights, the kids dine and then dash for games. At day’s end, families can be found soaking in the hot tub on their cabin porch.

Few states say “summer camp” like Maine. Since 1916, Migis Lodge on Sebago Lake has been the classic lakeside resort of choice for generations of families to gather. With a main lodge and 35 cottages of varying sizes nestled amid 125 acres of pine forest, branches of your family tree can be as together or as far apart as they like. 

Migis’ 3,500 feet of calm shoreline and small beach are the ideal setting for sandcastle making, canoeing, kayaking and sailing. Nonmotorized boating and water skiing are also free.

Sunset cocktail hour and dinner at Migis’ main lodge atop the gentle hill can feel like an event. Jackets and collared shirts are required for the men, but kids can eat with counselors and then scram for movies and ice cream. Everyone tends to come together for bingo night, the Friday lobster bake and the end-of-week kids’ talent show.

From Costa Rica’s rainforests to Maine’s lakeside retreats, these dream vacation spots offer something special for every age and travel style.

Ready to plan your own trip? You might want to consider taking a travel rewards credit card:

• Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars and 5X miles on flights, vacation rentals and activities when booking through Capital One Travel with the Venture X card.

• Earn unlimited 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals, rental cars and activities when booking through Capital One Travel with the Venture card. 

• Earn 2X miles on all other purchases, at home or away, with the Venture X and Venture cards.

From booking to takeoff, Capital One helps make every part of your family getaway more seamless and rewarding: 

• Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® credit. Venture X and Venture cardholders can receive up to a $120 credit for either Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® when they pay for the application fee with their card. 

• Flexible options for redeeming rewards. Redeem rewards for flights, hotels, vacation rentals, rental cars and activities booked through Capital One Travel.

• Travel protections. Cardholders may have access to travel insurance through their credit card. Network benefits may include trip cancellation insurance and lost luggage insurance. You can review your guide to benefits for more information on which benefits come with your credit card.

• Security features. You’ll also have access to security features like fraud alerts, card lock, $0 liability for unauthorized charges and virtual card numbers.