Family holidays with friends: good or bad plan?

Travelling in a group with children has many advantages. Firstly, it strengthens friendships while sharing experiences. Children have the opportunity to make friends with other children, which creates a fun and enriching group dynamic for everyone. Playtime, joint activities and shared meals create a friendly atmosphere.

From a practical point of view, travelling in a group can also mean taking advantage of special rates. Whether it’s for renting a large house or flat, or for group activities or excursions, the savings can be significant. What’s more, if the need arises, there are always adults nearby to look after the children, so everyone can relax a little more.

The choice of destination is crucial. You need to take into account the needs of adults and children, the interests of each family and the possibilities for activities for everyone. Some destinations are particularly well suited to family groups, offering child-friendly facilities as well as relaxation areas for adults. For example, holiday villages or leisure residences often offer activities for children, holiday clubs, swimming pools and entertainment so that everyone can enjoy their stay.

It may also be a good idea to opt for a destination that combines relaxation and adventure, such as a holiday in the mountains or by the sea, where the children can have fun in the open air while the parents enjoy some quiet time or group activities.

Just 2 hours from Paris, Normandy offers a wide variety of landscapes and activities, perfect for a family holiday. Between the D-Day beaches, the cliffs of Étretat, Claude Monet’s gardens at Giverny and Mont-Saint-Michel, there’s something for everyone. Families can easily rent large houses or gîtes with gardens, ideal for children. As well as history and nature, there are plenty of activities for the little ones, such as amusement parks (Festyland near Caen) or bike rides on the region’s cycle paths.

Tuscany, Italy’s legendary region, is ideal for a more remote but still easily accessible getaway. Just a 2-hour flight from Paris, this destination offers magnificent scenery, with rolling green hills, medieval villages and vineyards. Families can stay in spacious villas with swimming pools, offering an authentic experience of the Italian countryside. Children will love visiting cities such as Florence and Siena, as well as outdoor activities such as hiking, discovering castles and local farms. Tuscany is also perfect for relaxing, with al fresco dining and local produce for the whole family to enjoy.

For a truly out-of-the-ordinary adventure, why not head to the other side of the world, to Bali in Indonesia? Although it requires a long flight (around 16 hours), Bali is an absolutely fascinating destination for families. The island offers a variety of magnificent landscapes: heavenly beaches, rice terraces, jungles and volcanoes. In Bali, families can explore impressive temples, go snorkelling, take part in cooking classes, or even discover safaris with exotic animals. Bali also has many family-friendly resorts, with kids’ clubs, swimming pools and cultural activities. It’s an exotic destination, ideal for creating unforgettable memories as a group.

Travelling in a group inevitably involves careful organisation, especially when there are several families with children of different ages. It’s essential to coordinate expectations and plan each stage of the trip carefully.

When several families are together, there are often age differences between the children. This is not a problem in itself, but you need to anticipate the needs of each age group. Young children will have different needs to older children. Taking the different age groups into account helps to avoid moments of frustration for young and old alike. It is sometimes useful to have a separate programme of activities for the youngest and oldest children, while allowing for group times when all the children can be together.

Parents will also have to take it in turns to look after the children, giving everyone a break. The organisation of bedrooms is another important point to consider. Some families prefer to group the children together in shared rooms, while others choose to allocate a room to each family for greater privacy.

One of the greatest advantages of going away in a group is the ability to be flexible and adapt to everyone’s needs. Holidays are often a time when everyone wants to relax in their own way. Some families prefer to spend the day at the beach, while others opt for excursions or sporting activities. So it’s important to be flexible when it comes to organising your holiday, so that everyone can enjoy it to their heart’s content.

In the event of a minor setback or change of programme, good humour and understanding between the families will be invaluable allies in ensuring that the adventure remains enjoyable.

Finally, one of the most enjoyable aspects of a group holiday is undoubtedly the memories shared. Between the laughter of the children, the moments of complicity between parents, and the many anecdotes, this type of holiday creates solid bonds. What’s more, children who grow up together, even occasionally, forge lasting friendships that last the test of time. The moments shared during meals, games and discoveries all contribute to the construction of common memories that will remain engraved in everyone’s minds.