Tips and Trip Ideas for Mother-Daughter Trips

I've taken several trips with my mother. I'm in my 40s, mom in her late 60s. Since my dad passed, she loves to travel, and is still quite active.

We started slow with a weekend trip to NYC, which I think makes for a great mother-daughter trip since we both love theater and museums.

When I was out of work for a while, she took me to Paris for a week, which, it goes without out saying, is a great place for any kind of trip, mother-daughter or otherwise.

Last year, we only had a few days, so we took a road trip to the Brandywine valley in PA for a long weekend. Again, we were able to indulge a few interests that my spouse doesn't really share...gardens and decorative arts. We'd both wanted to go to Winterthur for the longest time.

We wanted to go to Charleston this spring. Maybe in the fall, or next year we'll manage that one.

DD and I did a trip when she was about 10 that I loved. First visited some family in southern Indiana, then headed to Chicago for American Girl Place and more.

Also did a trip with DS to Toronto after HS graduation. Wanted to see The Producers but it closed a month before our trip. Ended up seeing Mama Mia instead. Also did the usual Toronto things -Science Center, boat trip on Lake Ontario, etc.

I've taken trips w/my mom also.

In 2003, we went to the Rhine Valley in July. I was gonna go by myself and mom decided to join me. WE had a good time, though my pace was a bit too fast for my mom. Fortunately, we had 2 days sailing on the rivers to slow things down a bit.

Last year, mom and I went to LA for a couple of days. Again, I was gonna go by myself and she found out and wanted to join me. I became sort of her chaffeur as she has lots of friends there and I drove her to see her friends. But we also got to do some sightseeing on our own. Had a great time (and great food) at both Getty Center and Getty Villa.

When my mom (in her 60s) travels with me, she's guaranteed good food. My dad isn't a foodie at all so when he travels, he never concerns himself with restaurant research. He also is rather frugal, so he's unlikely to go to expensive restaurants. So when my mom comes with me, she'll get to eat at fancier places.

yk, that's funny...one of the things my mom says about travelling with me (and my husband) that she likes better than groups, friends, or anybody else in the family, is that we always eat better and at more interesting places.

my dad was always pretty frugal, and disinterested in food. didn't want to try anything new, and often thought they should just skip lunch to save money and calories. Drove her crazy at times.

After my Grandfather passed away, my Grandmother started talking about wanting to "take the train to Nova Scotia" with all us girls (leaving my Dad at home ). Her family was from Nova Scotia and she used to spend her summers as a small child on their farm. At the time, my Mom was dealing with my Grandfather's death, my Grandmother's neediness, and my Dad's failing business, so she'd just respond with a "oh yeah, that'd be nice."

Fast forward a few years and my Grandmother passed away and the thought disappeared. Then, a few years ago, I mentioned the trip idea to my Mom. She had completely forgotten about it. At that point, my Mom was sick so we didn't talk about it again. A few years ago, she passed away.

This summer, I am going to Nova Scotia. I can't do the train, but I will be there for 2 weeks and am setting aside a few days to do some bonding time with my heritage. I will be wearing my Grandmother's ring (long story, but this ring represents her to our family) and a couple other pieces that represent my Mom and Great Grandmother. It's not exactly what my Grandmother had in mind, but my going there will pull together 5 generations of strong women "back to the farm".

Sounds sappy and emotional, so I'll end with the fact that during the trip, I will be remembering my Great Grandmother's words to my Great Grandfather when he'd wistfully say "we never should have left Nova Scotia"... "What are you talking about!?! You were only there during the summer! You'd never have made it through a Nova Scotia winter - it was d**n cold up there! And you would have freezed your butt off!"

Geeze...I've taken countless trips with my mother at this point, and I've loved every moment. Except for our first trip to Italy, she suggested the locale for each trip we've taken since (I get to plan).

Our last mother/daughter trip was to Switzerland, where we spent not enough time in Zermatt, Wengen and Zurich, even though we're glad we went to each town/city. Our next mother/daughter trip will be a 15 night transatlantic cruise on the new Celebrity Solstice. We will have a room with a balcony, and end up in Italy on my birthday. And since we both love the seas so much, this will be the perfect trip for us.

But knowing my mother and me...if we see a bargain that's too good to pass up, we'll be off before that cruise gets here. After all, that's a whole year away!

I like reading these...toedtoes-- your Nova Scotia trip sounds fun plus you'll finally be able to "check it off" your life to-do list! It sounds like something that's been on your radar for a long time. My mom brings up going to Ireland every few years to see where her family came from; your story makes me want to pursue that trip with her more. It's something my sisters and I always think we'll get to someday but I have a feeling that one of us will just need to take the lead to make it happen.

mc-- that cruise sounds great! I'm not a cruise fan but I think I'd have a really good time with my mom on one just hanging out by the pool. Have you taken a cruise with her before?

Where does your cruise sail to in Italy?

I have always enjoyed trips with my Mom, but in the last 5 years, I have gotten her to come with me on a Caribbean cruise, a week in Paris, a long weekend in NYC, a Mediterranean cruise, and this fall we are going to the Canadian Rockies for 5 days! She is definitely 'have suitcase, will travel'. The best part is that my Dad doesn't mind if she goes--his idea of travel is much more limited.

Yes! All of my trips with Mom were wonderful. Mom found out later in life that Dad didn't want to go to Europe. Ever. But she also found out that her oldest daughter (me) had been completely smitten with Europe. So starting with London in 1998, and with Dad's blessing, we went every year for about 6 years...Italy three times, Paris twice. It was an amazing experience. I got to see my Mom in a cultural situation that she was completely unfamiliar with and how she handled it. We share virtually identical tastes in food, shopping, art, music and all things beautiful, so she was an ideal traveling companion. (My favorite quote of hers is "Oh go ahead and buy it, I don't want you calling me when you get home wishing you had!")

My favorite trip with her was our first to Italy, which was 10 days on the Amalfi Coast with a day trip to Rome. It was just phenomenal. The food was amazing, the area was unbelievably beautiful and we fell in love with the country and the people. We laughed at each other and some of our situations and cried at the Pieta and walking into St. Peter's that first time. We shared limoncello, gelato and the best pasta on earth. It was heavenly.

My Dad's recent illness keeps my Mom at home now, but I'd jump at the chance to get away with her again if at all possible.

Definitely take the chance to enjoy your Mom in a new way...it'll chance your relationship forever!

china_cat - The other issue with my dad is that he has a small appetite. So when he and my mom travels, it seems very awkward to go to a fancy restaurant and order just 2 appetizers...

But when both of them travel with me, we will also eat at nice places. It's not that my dad is against spending $$$ on food, it's just not his priorities.

Katie-I did a Key West trip with my daughter and had a ball. The drive from Miami was half the fun as we took our time driving down there stopping at all of the "souvenir tacky spots" along with eating some great seafood. Down in Key West, we combined historical things with LOTS of anything with Key Lime. Enjoy! Just remember to wear the old "50 sunscreen" even in the fall!

Hi Katie,

You know, I never thought I'd be a cruise fan, but I actually like it. In small doses. Ok, so 15 nights isn't exactly a small dose, but as long as I'm away from the office these days, I take it!

As for where we'll be landing in Italy, it'll be La Spezia and then Civitavecchia as our final stop, after spending too short a time in Ponta Delgada, Azores; Lisbon, Portugal; Spain's Cadiz, Malaga, and Barcelona; and Marseilles, France. Right now, we're trying to figure out how long in Rome after the cruise.

Amyb, my mom has a similar saying: If you like it, just buy it.

Toed, where in Nova Scotia are you going?

Hi Katie-- this is a nice idea for a thread and brings back good memories! Your road trip sounds fun, and going to Ireland would be wonderful too.

When my daughter was a senior in high school I took her to London for a week. It was March 2002 and post-9/11, so there were incredible deals. I saw a special for a flight on Virgin Air and a week at a hotel on Gloucester Road for about $500/pp!! I jumped at it and we had the best time. It was her first time abroad and London was the perfect "starter" city. She really got the travel bug. We went to the theatre almost every night and had a blast. We realized we like doing the same things and it was great for our relationship.

It's fun to remember that trip-- thanks!

Katie - definitely make the move to do the Ireland trip. I just remember when I mentioned my Grandmother's wish to my Mom, she was visibly upset that she had blown it off. I also know that my Mom really wanted to go to Italy (her Dad's family was from there) and she regretted never going. If I had known then what I know now, I would have forced her to take the trip.

McNYC - I'm doing Halifax, Lunenburg, Brier Island, and Truro/Brookfield (this is where my family's from). I'm saving Cape Breton for another trip later on.

My mom (68) and I (48) have been traveling all over the world for the last 4 years and I just love it. We try to do 2 trips a year. One in spring and the other in the fall. I look forward to spending a few weeks a year together since we live 600+ miles from each other. My favorite trip so far with my mom was to Egypt and Kenya. She had always wanted to go on a safari and see the pyramids so I found this wonderful tour that included both of them plus a river cruise down the Nile and it was just the two of us. We are working on a trip now to India and Nepal for November. India has always been one of her dream places to go and mine has been Nepal.

In the last couple of years my dad went us. The three of us did a two week trip in Turkey, 16 days to Warsaw, the Baltic states and Russia, 16 days to England, Wales, Ireland and Scotland. I love these trips just as much as my dad is now sick. We were able to go to quite a few of the countries he always wanted to go to before crossing the big pond became to hard on him. Now he encourages my mom to go while she can.

I have traveled with my daughter taking her on a cruise for graduation from high school. I took her to the Dominican Republic for her 21st birthday at an all-inclusive resort and no one there could believe we were mother-daughter since we danced all night long and hung out at the beach all day long. We don't get to travel together much now that she is married and has given me two beautiful grandsons (4 and 16 months).

To all of you, Happy Mother's Day and enjoy traveling with your Mom, daughter, Dad, and all your loved ones as life is to short and we never know if we will fall ill and never get to fulfill our dreams.

My son is an avid sailor and we
sailed for a week together in the
BVI's, which was one of the best
trips ever. My daughters and i are just beginning to talk of traveling together.
I am inspired by clients who have
joined me on Serendipity Traveler
trips where i have spent a week
with mothers and daughters traveling together. In fact next week a mother
and daughter are joining our English
garden trip to celebrate a 75th.
What glorious memories we all make when we give the gift of time to those we love,
To the Nova Scotia traveler, i recommend Magnolias in Lunenburg for lunch, we have a cottage there and
it is one of our favourites.Also the
Doers and Dreamers guide from N>S>
is an excellent resource.

My daughter and I started taking yearly "Momma and Me" trips when she was 12, she's now 21! We always go somewhere warm and sunny in the Spring. We love waterparks and theme parks so Orlando was a 2 timer! Last year we went to Schlitterbahn (near San Antonio)and we are already planning next years trip. I wouldn't give those trips up for anything... the memories will last a lifetime.

My daughter and I also have "Mommy & Me" trips each year. So wonderful to see so many do!
Our first trip was to NYC when she was about 13, and we have done something special every year since. Two years ago it was the Caribbean island hopping vacation and in two weeks we are doing the ultimate Grand Canyon trip! She will be 21 this December, and I am already thinking about what we will do next year! You never get those moments or opportunities back, and I am blessed to have them with her while we can.

My daughter and I take a trip together every year for the past ten. We have gone to incredible places. London, Paris, Amsterdam, Brussels, Venice, Rome, Barcelona, Dublin, Praque and Frankfurt. Most of the years it has been over Mother's Day. I live in Naples, FL and these place have been extraordinary for me. I feel very fortunate to have been able to do this. It helps that my daughter has lived in Germany for the past 10 years. Never in a million years thought I would have had these opportunities

Lupinelady - got the Doers and Dreamers, making note of Magnolias. Thanks.

My adult daughter and I take a mother-daughters trip every summer. We have gone to New York, Baltimore, Chicago and will go to Dallas this summer. We take an extended weekend and try to do one thing special on the Saturday night. Does anyone know what would be fun to do on a Saturday in June. This has been a great memory maker for all of us and we plan to keep doing it for a very long time. If anyone has any ideas for other cities (for next year) please let me know.

My mother and I started our travels together 8 yrs. ago when she was 83 and I was 48. We've cruised on the Danube on river boats (she doesn't like having to put her suitcase out early in the AM and get on a bus)from Melk, Austria to the Black Sea when she was 83 and 88; a Po River boat cruise in Italy with my divorced brother and my 14 yr. old son--we took a trip to Ravenna to see Aida and we all climbed to the top of the ancient arena for the performance (she was 84);our most magnificent trip to Iceland when she was 85--and this wasn't just Rekjavik--this was through the hinterlands of Iceland, the geysers, climbing down to see waterfalls, etc.--she loved it; a trip to Wales when she was 86--loved going to the pubs until they closed at 11PM; a river boat cruise from Moscow to St. Petersburg with my just graduated from college daughter and still divorced brother when she was 87; and our last trip from the Black Sea up the Danube through Eastern Europe when she was 88(as a former piano teacher, she loved the strolling musicians in the Hungarian restaurants and would always request some piece she'd played). We stuck closer to home (Blue Ridge mts. of VA) at B&B's when she was 89. Unfortunately, later that summer, she tripped over a rock while gardening in her yard and broke a vertebra in her back. So the past 2 years have been filled with doctors, discomfort, etc. and very little travel. But the trips we've had I will always treasure--she was a better travel companion in her 80's than i think any of my friends would be. On the river boat cruises, she was usually the hit of the dining tables. Her biggest travel regret was not being able to go on a scheduled Rovis Rail trip in South Africa about 10 yrs. ago due to what she thought was a serious health problem. She'd always wanted to see the wildebeests. But she's paying for me and my just graduated from college middle daughter to go to Greece this summer and no doubt she will enjoy it vicariously, and I hope to start a trend with travelling with my daughter.

My daughter and I took a trip to Las Vegas with another mother & daughter. The girls had just turned 21. We enjoyed the shows, shopped, spa day and actually very little gambling. It was a fun time.

My mom and I (ages 75/50) enjoyed a wonderful road trip along the Maine coast last September. We relaxed in beautiful B&B's, wandered in and out of lovely antique shops and dined on delicious lobster and steamers at restaurants and lobster pounds. We would definitely recommend picturesque Maine to other mothers and daughters looking for a leisurely coastal trip!

my mom and I both took a spring break trip to Ireland and Scotland a year ago. It was fabulous, we got to see our family castle in Scotland. I was amazed at the historic details mingled in with modern Dublin where I had my first drink of Bailey's. We took a bus tour of the coast from limerick all the way to Galway, Bunratty castle, and the Cliffs of Moher, potato famine houses, the only thing that really bummed me was we had to leave on St Patty's day. But mom and I had a blast overall, we're putting together a scrapbook from the trip and we're planning another Mother daughter trip to either New Zealand, or Japan next.

My mom and I are planning a trip to the east coast next year. We are going to visit family and friends and do some sightseeing. My mom is a work-aholic and hasn't been on a vacation in ages, but now she is under doctor's orders to work less and have more fun. Eat more veggies and exercise more are also on the list.

The last time we went on a trip together - other than to my grandparents' house or something like that (they live 3 hours away - big deal) was about 15 years ago.

My mom (60) and I (38) started travelling together 4 years ago. Since then we have been to Europe, Canada, a cruise to the Caribean, Philadelphia and this year we´re going to Thailand. It has been a great experience!
We have mostly travelled on our own (except Canada, where we took a tour)and I must say that I have discovered myself as my mothers daughter...we both are avid to learn about different cultures, so we have enjoyed our trips at our own pace.