What is ‘gramping’ and why we think you need to suggest this sweet travel trend

The holiday trend of ‘gramping’ is taking off online and the sweet approach to family getaways is something every family should try. 

The summer holidays are nearly here and that means finding a whole load of ways to keep kids entertained over the six-week break. It probably also means finding childcare for those days where you have to work - but a new holiday trend may have the answer to both of your woes. 

'Gramping' is taking off online and it's a sweet trend you'll want to jump on. The term, a mix of 'grandparents' and 'camping', pretty much does what it says on the tin; it's a camping trip taken by grandparents and their grandkids so the two generations can have some uninterrupted time together in nature. 

It's a great way to make lasting memories and many people have shared their experiences of gramping to inspire others to make the trip. 

Speaking to HuffPost, Elizabeth McInerney reminisced on the 16th birthday trip her grandmother took her on back in 2004. “I was really excited because it was kind of a rite of passage with my cousins, but also nervous because my parents weren’t going to be there,” she said. “The one thing that she said is: 'Talk to everyone. You never know when you’re going to meet your next best friend'. I feel like her sharing this [holiday] with me, even though she probably didn’t say ‘I love you’ one time on the trip, was her ultimate show of love for me.”

Krystal L. Clemons has similar memories of the road trips her and her brother would take with their grandparents. Speaking about the beginning of these trips, she revealed that they've given her lasting life-skills as well as memories. 

She said, “They would go to the local AAA office, get maps, come back to the house. We’d get a highlighter or marker, and literally mark the routes that they were going to take. And they would sit my brother and I down and show us. So that’s how my brother and I can actually read maps now.

“Sometimes they would talk to me. But other times it was like they were just having their own conversations,” she added. "I would just watch and observe.”

Decades on, the memories are still clear in both McInerney and Clemons's minds. It's clear, then, that gramping is a great way to connect between generations. It's just a case of deciding where to head off to! 

Making that decision will be easy when consulting with others, says Alicia Velez, a licensed clinical social worker. She recommended to HuffPost that grandparents should consult their child’s parent or parents on where they think the child would enjoy, or where they think would be age-appropriate, to make sure there is no disappointment when they arrive.  

But, if the grandkid is a teenager, she says to ask them for their input and get them really involved with all the planning so they can not only feel included, but also learn how to book a holiday on their own. 

If you're planning a gramping trip, make sure you're prepared with our family-friendly camping meals and the best travel cots to buy in 2024. You'll also want to stock up on the best sun creams for you and your family - and why not try out a Eurocamp family holiday? Our deputy editor highly recommends the trip after going with her own family.