Quick links to our topics below)
Who is GRANDTRAVEL and how long has the company been in business?
What is your basic premise?
Where do you go, how does it work?
What happens if my child doesn’t like the trip or wants to go home?
Is it safe?

Dear Parents,
You have a great family.  Your parents want to travel with your children and give you a bit of time to yourself.  Sounds wonderful, but you have many questions and want reassurance.  You want to make sure that both your parents and your children will share a once-in-a-lifetime experience together that will foster an enduring bond to last the rest of their lives.  So here are some answers to your questions.

Who is GRANDTRAVEL and how long has the company been in business?    Back to Top)

GRANDTRAVEL is a 22-year-old company that was founded by Helena Koenig, a travel professional who in 1986, when she learned she was to become a grandmother, thought grandparents like herself might like to travel independently with their grandchildren.   The innovative idea grew and blossomed into a full-fledged tour operating business, while receiving recognition from the press and many grandparenting organizations. We quickly became the leader in Grandparent/Grandchild travel in the industry. 

In 2003, GRANDTRAVEL was bought by Academic Travel Abroad, Inc., a 57-year-old tour company in Washington, D.C.,  fully insured, that has been operating tours for the client memberships of large non-profit museums and universities, including the Smithsonian Institution, National Geographic Society, The National Trust for Historic Preservation, various alumni associations, and many more.  Today Helena Koenig continues with the company as its consultant on all things GRANDTRAVEL.

What is your basic premise?      (Back to Top)

We believe that grandparents and grandchildren are great companions for each other and that the best way to get to know one another is during shared fun and relaxing experiences.  Today’s grandparents are well-educated and widely traveled, and want to pass on to their grandchildren a cultural inheritance which traveling through a world of many splendors provides.

Where do you go, how does it work?     (Back to Top)

Our tours are worldwide and the groups are small. Activity Directors, who are certified teachers, accompany each group, enhancing the educational component for children by making learning fun and engaging. In addition, every tour is operated by a professional local tour manager who knows the destination well and can manage all the on-tour logistics to enable our GRANDTRAVELERS to relax and sail through the vacation without worries.  We take care of all reservations, transportation, luggage handling, hotels and meals on tour.

What happens if my child doesn’t like the trip or wants to go home?     (Back to Top)
It’s very simple: if a child is unhappy and wants to go home, we arrange return transportation (unfortunately, there is no refund at this point). But, that has seldom happened to GRANDTRAVEL in 22 years.  We have client references for you to access and we have been told by Grandparents that they will be happy to speak to you.

We know that every child gets homesick at first and our activity directors are prepared for that eventuality.  We also know that parents are familiar with the relationships of  that exist between these two distinct generations and have fully assessed their parents and children’s expectations and abilities to ensure the success of a trip without parents.  No one should take a GRANDTRAVEL trip if one is not excited about going.

Is it safe?     (Back to Top)

Please see Safety: Our First Priority.
Parents, we are sure you have many more questions.  We have only touched on a few.  Please don’t hesitate to call us at 1-800-247-7651 for those we have missed.  It will be a pleasure to talk with you.