Family travel trulybrings together the best of two worlds. Most people would agree -time spent with family and loved ones is the most valuable timethere is. Whether it’s spent gathered around a holiday feast orsimply meeting up for a shopping day, the opportunity to talk,laugh and experience things with the people who are most importantto you is priceless. Imagine combining the pleasure of spendingtime with loved ones with the rewarding experience of travel.Everything you can do, learn and see while on a trip is enrichedwhen it’s family travel.

Family travel doesn’tnecessarily mean just mom, dad and the kids. It can includegrandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and more. The benefits ofmulti-generational travel are manifold: kids can bond with oldergenerations, everyone can share their unique perspectives on whatyou’re seeing and doing, and you’ll all end up creating memoriesthat can be shared with each other for years to come.

Of course, there are some special considerations to take intoaccount for family travel. Start by considering these tips whenyou’re ready to begin planning your trip.

* Activity levels. Traveling with people of different ages meansthat you’ll have to accommodate a number of different energylevels. While the kids might be ready to run wild, grandparentsmight rather take a leisurely stroll — but it’s all about findinga happy medium. Travel specialists at companies like Tauck areexperts at planning family vacations that every generation is sureto enjoy.

* Coordination. Managing an itinerary for numerous people can bea challenge, no matter where you’re traveling, but if you’re goingoverseas, the task can be even more daunting. Consider travelingwith a tour company to make the process easier – it might even be abetter value. Tauck Bridges tours — which are designed by family travel specialists and goto destinations as varied as Italy, the Galapagos Islands, Tanzaniaand the Canadian Rockies — take care of all the details. You cansit back and enjoy while they manage hotels, luggage handling,sightseeing, on-tour transportation, special entertainment, diningand even gratuities. When all of those services are packagedtogether, it can save you as much as 40 percent off the cost ofdoing it all yourself – not to mention how much stress issaved.

* Trip duration. Much of how long you’ll stay depends on whereyou’re going. Since some plane trips to overseas destinations cantake as much as a full day of transit time, you’ll want to budgetenough days to do everything on your list. If you’re traveling witha tour company like Tauck, the details about the length of the tripwill already be precisely worked out – you just need to choose thetrip length that is best for your family and all your travelers’schedules. Plus, they can help you book pre- and post-tour stays,if you want to have a little extra time to explore yourdestination.

* Interests. All travelers are individuals with diverseinterests – your schedules should try to have a bit of somethingfor everyone. That way, you can please the art buff and the naturelover alike, and provide some unforgettablethinking-outside-of-the-box experiences. Again, compromise andrespect are key – everyone will get a chance to do what they want.Check tour company schedules to see which itineraries fit best withall of your travelers’ interests.

Taking a trip with family members might be a once-in-a-lifetimeexperience during which you’ll experience the wonders of the worldtogether. But then again, it might just be such a great time thatyou’ll want to make it a tradition that you enjoy over andover.

To learn more about family travel and to explore itineraries,visit Tauck Bridges at www.tauckbridges.com.