By Cathy Severson

Grandparents traveling with family, in this case, travel with grandchildren can be a wonderful experience. However, there are also challenges along the way. We’ve been traveling with our grandchildren since they were young. They are comfortable with us and we with them.

We recently returned from a road trip where we stayed in motels for five nights. At the time, our granddaughter was eight and our grandson was almost twelve. As a result, we are now encountering a travel challenge.

When we have traveled overnight, we stay in hotels or motels. We have always had one room. This was fine when the children were young. As our grandchildren are getting older, we need to think about other arrangements.

My quandary is when is it appropriate to get another hotel room? Moreover, if we do get an additional room, how do we manage the sleeping arrangements? Do I let a young teenage boy have his own room? Do I put him in the room with his sister? Or, do the guys share one room and the girls another.

There is one more consideration and that is cost. Having to get two rooms increases the cost per day considerably. This would mean we wouldn’t be able to travel as often.

There is another thought and that is to get a vacation home or condo. We did that in Hawaii when our own children were growing up and it worked out nicely.

I would love to hear other grandparents’ solutions about sleeping accommodations when traveling with grandchildren. What are your thoughts and how have you addressed them as your grandchildren got older. Traveling with family is an important aspect of our retirement. But, I want everyone to feel comfortable.