There’s something rather special about getting three generations away together. Grandparents get proper time with the grandchildren, parents might even get the occasional coffee in peace, and the children have a whole holiday’s worth of people to persuade into buying them an ice cream.
The trick is choosing somewhere that makes spending time together easy without expecting everyone to want to do the same thing all day.
If you’re planning a multigenerational South Devon holiday, Salcombe and the surrounding South Hams work particularly well. Beaches, boat trips, coast paths, shops, cafés and restaurants are all close together, so your days can be as busy or as slow as you like.
Choose a base where everyone can have a little space
When several generations are sharing a holiday home, space matters.
You want somewhere everyone can gather for breakfast or dinner, but also enough room that grandparents can enjoy a quiet cup of tea while the children are watching television, playing or getting ready for the beach.
Kennford in Salcombe sleeps up to eight guests across four bedrooms, with one king room, two twin rooms and a small bunk room that's best suited to children.
The dining table seats eight, so everyone can actually sit down together, whether that's for a big breakfast before heading out, a family dinner or an increasingly competitive evening of cards.
Make getting around easy
One of the biggest advantages of staying in Salcombe is that you don't necessarily need to organise the whole family every time somebody wants to go somewhere.
From Kennford, Island Street and the Co-op are around a two-minute flat walk away, while the centre of Salcombe is approximately five minutes on foot.
That makes separate plans much easier.
Grandparents might wander into town for coffee while everyone else is still getting ready. One parent can take the children to look at the boats while somebody else stays at the house. Older children can head out with Mum or Dad without requiring the entire group to come along.
And if you realise halfway through the morning that you've forgotten the sun cream, you're not facing a major expedition to go back for it.
Kennford also has one private off-road parking space for the days when you do want to explore further afield.
Plan one thing to do together
Trying to keep three generations on the same itinerary from breakfast until bedtime is probably optimistic.
Instead, choose one thing each day that everyone can enjoy together.
In Salcombe, that could be catching the passenger ferry across to East Portlemouth, finding a spot on the beach, heading out for lunch, taking a boat trip or simply wandering into town for an ice cream.
You don't need a packed itinerary. Often the best family holiday memories come from the simplest things children playing on the beach, grandparents watching from a deckchair and everyone meeting up afterwards for something to eat.
Let everyone holiday at their own pace
The beauty of a multigenerational break is that you don't have to spend every minute together.
Some of the family might want a longer walk along the South West Coast Path. Others may prefer a morning browsing Salcombe's shops and stopping for coffee.
Parents could take the children to the beach while grandparents enjoy a slower start, or grandparents might take over for an hour while Mum and Dad disappear for lunch or a drink together.
Everyone gets a holiday just not necessarily the exact same holiday.
Make evenings part of the holiday too
Eating together is often one of the nicest parts of a family break.
Some nights you might cook at the house and get everyone around the table. On others, being able to walk into Salcombe means nobody needs to volunteer to drive.
There are pubs, restaurants, seafood, takeaways and plenty of places for an early family dinner. You can also keep things very simple: pick something up in town, bring it home and open a bottle of wine while the children wind down.
And once they're finally asleep, there's a wood burner waiting downstairs for the grown-ups.
A practical note about staying at Kennford
We always want guests to choose a property that genuinely works for their group.
Kennford is arranged over three storeys, with steps from the driveway and a tiered garden. Families travelling with anyone who has limited mobility should therefore consider whether the layout will suit them.
It's also worth knowing that while a highchair is provided, there isn't currently a travel cot or stairgate, so families with babies and very young children may prefer to bring the equipment they need.
For the right group, though, having four bedrooms, room for eight around the table, private parking and Salcombe within an easy flat walk makes Kennford a lovely base for bringing everyone together.
The best plan? Don't over plan
Choose a beach. Book a meal. Take the ferry. Go for a walk.
But leave some gaps too.
A successful multigenerational South Devon holiday isn't about getting eight people to agree on an itinerary. It's having everyone in the same place, with enough freedom to do their own thing and plenty of opportunities to come back together afterwards.
Planning a family stay in Salcombe?
Take a look at Kennford, our four-bedroom Salcombe holiday home for up to eight guests, and start planning your South Devon escape.
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