The family that plays together stays together. The families that play together also stay together—and have more fun while they're at it.

Whether they’re related or just friends, two or more families traveling together can take adventures that might otherwise be out of reach. A multi-family vacation offers a number of benefits, like help with the budget and more companions for the kids. It allows families to remake a familiar trip (say, to Orlando theme parks) into a more dynamic adventure or help them travel to faraway places they couldn’t manage on their own.

Of course, vacationing with another family can have its challenges. We’ve compiled a few perks of traveling together and some tips on how to do it smoothly. That way, when you’re next considering vacation ideas for families, your eventual trip will be a success.

3 benefits of traveling together

Kids make new friends.

Traveling with another family lets kids step out of their normal routine and befriend other children without the pressure of school, sports, or other extracurricular activities. Bonding during leisure time or excursions, kids form new relationships, learn about different strengths and perspectives, and, most importantly, keep one another entertained.

Parents get a hand and time to socialize.

One of the most difficult things about having a family, particularly if your kids are still young, is finding time to socialize. It’s doubly hard when your friends or siblings also have kids. A multi-family vacation is a convenient excuse to get some hang time with your pals, which is especially welcome when you haven’t seen one another for a while.

Having another eye on the situation can be a relief in and of itself. Traveling with other parents means that there’s always someone else around to help out at bedtime or stop accidents before they happen. After the kids go to bed, parents can pour a glass of wine and relax together, getting that needed adult time without the hassle of finding babysitters.

Costs are shared.

Vacationing in a group has very obvious benefits for your budget, too. Group rates for parks, museums, and sightseeing tours provide significant savings. Accommodations can be cheaper, as well: renting a house together or setting up as a group at a campground are both great options for pooling resources.

4 tips on how to make it work

Be clear about what you’d like to do.

If your family is looking for an exhilarating trip with lots of hiking and parasailing, you might not gel so well with a group that wants to lounge on the beach or stick to a resort. Before booking anything, come up with a list of vacation ideas for families and go over them together. That way both families can find something to get excited about.

Be honest about comfort levels.

Are you looking for a fancy hotel with all the amenities? Does the other family want to stay in hostels and hitchhike across the desert? Does one family prefer every day to be fully scheduled? Do they expect to spend the entire vacation together, whereas your family wants some off days? Being honest about expectations ahead of time will save a lot of time and headaches down the road.

Be willing to meet them halfway.

You’re traveling with another family because you enjoy their company. You might not see eye-to-eye about everything, but finding ways to compromise will help the trip go smoothly. Avoiding unnecessary conflicts is critical for having a pleasant vacation and maintaining the friendship for years to come. (Another trip might even be in your future!)

In short, communicate.

Come up with an itinerary, get everyone on board, and let yourselves be excited about the trip.

What are your tips for vacationing with another family? Tell us in the comments below.

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