Life.Culture.Discovery.

Holidays for all ages: post-millennial or silver sunseeker, these are the perfect trips for you

Teens don’t ‘get’ scenery, so save yourself the effort; toddlers are intimidated by the giant slides at water parks, so save yourself the entrance fee

40- and 50-somethings with cash to splash can opt for bespoke travel experiences, or there’s always that round-the-world cruise

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For older teens, gap years can combine travel with volunteer tourism. Photo: Shutterstock

Published: 10:15pm, 21 Aug 2019Updated: 6:50pm, 23 Aug 2019

Pigeonholing holidays by age group throws up as many exceptions as it does stereotypes. A quick online search reveals plenty of websites recommending cruises for teens and skydiving courses for senior citizens.

Nevertheless, here’s a list of travel tips, trends and traditional tourist activities divided by decade:

Under 10s

Children love splashing about at beaches and swimming pools but they’re not so keen on long flights, so stick to short-haul holidays. Pre-schoolers are happy playing with other kids and won’t care whether they’re in Thailand or Tahiti. You will, though, after 17 hours in the air with a plane change in Auckland.

Renting a villa with family or friends is a popular option but make sure the pool is properly fenced off or you’ll never be able to relax. Water parks are more suitable for older children but those huge slides and water chutes look terrifying to a five-year-old. So while they’re playing it safe in the paddling pool, you’re left wondering why you paid those steep entrance fees when you could have gone to the beach.