At a glance, camping at a national park seems like the most obvious choice for an affordable family vacation. The way we do it, each family is given a designated meal—or two—to prepare, so throughout the course of the vacation, you might “work” a couple times. Grilled Island Chicken 2. Meal Planning for Vacation. So how do you do it? When our family goes on vacation, I always make a meal plan. In 2011, I pulled together a fast and easy vacation meal plan. With open communication, a little compromise, and a lot of planning, a multi-generational family vacation can be the highlight of your year. While I love cereal, sandwiches, hot dogs, and burgers, I can only eat so much! As the resident family planner, I’d rather not “wing it” like some thou-shalt-not-be-named family members. It even has a name: togethering. Meals always have been one of the best parts of multifamily trips, especially when we've had access to a kitchen. For all of the other meals, you can simply kick back and be served! There’s the additional pressure of preparing meals for a larger-than-normal group of extended family or friends, plus the fact that you were hoping to spend more time in a hammock with a good book than in front of the stove. If you put in the work ahead of time, you’re sure to not only enjoy a wonderful trip filled with lifelong memories, but also return home ready to plan your next vacation. Well, you’re in luck! Does your family have a vacation meal tradition? Single Family Vacation Meal Planning Ideas If you are traveling by car, consider packing a cooler with snacks and drinks from home . Here’s Some More Ideas I Discovered. To find even more options, I searched the internet and found this article about multi-generational vacation ideas to be a perfect reference. Q: We’re planning a week-long summer family beach house trip (10 to 14 people; two older kids). Looking to plan a multigenerational vacation but you aren’t sure where to begin? When I think of “vacation food,” I think of meals that are tasty, easy, comforting and somewhat quick. We generally only do weekends and overnights with other families, but we’ll be doing a full week in Orlando with another family at our timeshare in a couple of months. Pack up grandma, grandpa and the babies—it’s time to vacation with the entire family! As the resident family planner, I’d rather not “wing it” like some thou-shalt-not-be-named family members. We’ve been lucky so far in the families that we’ve traveled with. We came up with a week of Scramble recipes that your family can enjoy while on vacation without toting a ton of ingredients: 1. What Are You Going To Do? We love to eat out, but it isn’t very relaxing with little ones. Over the years, we’ve gotten lots of requests from members who would like easy recipes and menus to make meal prep in a vacation rental easier. According to a survey by Yesawich, Pepperdine, Brown & Russell, a travel-marketing agency in Orlando, 80 percent of vacationers took at least one trip with extended family … While I love cereal, sandwiches, hot dogs, and burgers, I can only eat so much! Planning a trip with multiple families and generations can be overwhelming. A multi-generational family vacation is an excellent way for families to bond. Great points to think about when planning a vacation with another family. Beach Vacation Meal Planning for Multi-Family Travel Easy meals for a week at the beach. Plus, by planning your meals ahead of time, you’re actually enjoying the benefits of vacationing even before heading out the door. What are some easy meals for a large crowd? Luckily, with a little planning, you can save yourself the hassle—and some cash. Plus it gets expensive! It will not only help you eat healthier … Making dinner in a strange kitchen is always a challenge, but it can be even more difficult in a vacation house. What are some easy meals for a large crowd? However, these multigenerational travel tips will help the process run smoothly and make sure that you have the best vacation for all ages and abilities. We went for simple recipes as it can be challenging... Bring more of these Beach vacation items. And if you’d like help planning your meals, try a two-week free trial of The Scramble to see how simple getting dinner on … Plus, you might even be able to squeeze in a date night during your trip. Sent by Jen Editor: I’m with you, Jen. I’d love to hear about it below or on The Scramble Facebook page, especially if it involves some home cooked meals. Maybe you are the type of family who will enjoy one large suite or a vacation rental, ideal for fostering togetherness, or perhaps, separate hotel rooms work best for your brood.Either way, don’t leave it to chance. There’s no right or wrong choice on accommodations — the key is to discuss your options with everyone in your group. Group travel has become one of the fastest-growing trends in the industry. Light and Garlicky Penne with Plum Tomatoes 3. Affordable Family Vacation Ideas. Do the planning now so you can kick back and enjoy your vacation. Even if we didn’t follow the plan exactly – having a vague idea of what we’d be eating would help to keep our food spending under control.