Backroads: Recommended Ages for Kids on Family Trips

Just for Families

"This trip was magical. We have four children, ranging in age from five to seventeen, and everyone was completely, unequivocally happy. I smile just thinking of it."

—Amy Golian
New Albany OH

We strongly encourage families to join our Family Trips, designed with kid– and adult–friendly features. While we don’t see many families with very young children, we do have a minimum age requirement of 1 year for all Inn trips and 2 years for all Camping trips. Other than that, we do not restrict trips to a minimum age except in the rare case of a hotel age restriction. We do, however, recommend minimum ages based on the following criteria:

12+ cultural appreciation, difficulty of activities and route
9+ difficulty of activities and route
6+ several long adult dinners; parent may not be able to pull a Burley and/or there may be multiple activity restrictions
3+ riding is on bike paths, making it great for young kids; Burley and Piccolos are available; there are few or no activity restrictions; and no long dinners (or we offer alternatives)

Please note that a trip may feature an activity with an older age requirement than the minimum age recommendation for the trip. For example, the Alaska Multisport trip has a recommended age of 6+ yet kids must be 8 to kayak. Kids under 8 are still welcome on the trip and while they will not be able to kayak, the leaders will suggest an alternate activity to kayaking.

For safety reasons, children under 7 may not ride their own bikes and are required to ride on a Piccolo or in a Burley. For certain destinations, children must be 9 or older to ride their own bikes.

Please see below for details on each trip; our Trip Consultants will gladly answer any questions you may have.

FRANCE FAMILY TRIPS:

Brittany & Normandy Biking, Premiere Inns
Brittany & Normandy Biking, Casual Inns
Recommended minimum age for trip: 9+, minimum age restriction to ride own bike: 7+.

Provence Biking, Premiere Inns
Recommended minimum age for trip: 12+, minimum age restriction to ride own bike: 9+. No Burleys or Piccolos are available.

Dordogne Multisport, Premiere Inns
Dordogne Multisport, Casual Inns
Recommended minimum age for trip: 9+, minimum age restriction to ride own bike: 9+.

Loire Valley Biking, Premiere Inns
Recommended minimum age for trip: 9+; minimum age restriction to ride own bike: 7+.
Loire Valley Biking, Casual Inns
Recommended minimum age for trip: 3+; minimum age restriction to ride own bike: 7+.

ITALY FAMILY TRIPS:

Dolomites Multisport, Premiere Inns
Dolomites Multisport, Casual Inns
Recommended minimum age for trip: 9+, minimum age restriction to ride own bike: 9+. No Burleys or Piccolos available.

Tuscany Biking, Premiere Inns
Tuscany Biking, Casual Inns
Recommended minimum age for trip: 9+, minimum age restriction to ride own bike: 9+.

Tuscany Insider, Premiere Inns
Tuscany Insider, Casual Inns
Recommended minimum age for trip: 9+.

Tuscany and Maremma Biking, Casual Inns
Recommended minimum age for trip: 9+; minimum age restriction to ride own bike: 9+.

EUROPE AT LARGE FAMILY TRIPS:

Czech Republic/Austria Biking, Casual Inns
Recommended minimum age for trip: 9+, minimum age restriction to ride own bike: 9+. No Burleys available.

Czech Republic/Austria Insider, Casual Inns
Recommended minimum age for trip: 9+.

Dalmatian Coast Multisport, Casual Inns
Recommended minimum age for trip: 9+, minimum age restriction to ride own bike: 9+. No Burleys or Piccolos available.

Dalmatian Coast Insider, Casual Inns
Recommended minimum age for trip: 9+.

Denmark Biking, Premiere Inns
Recommended minimum age for trip: 3+, minimum age restriction to ride own bike: 6+.

Holland Biking, Premiere Inns
Recommended minimum age for trip: 3+, minimum age restriction to ride own bike: 6+.

Ireland Multisport, Premiere Inns
Irelnad Multisport, Casual Inns
Recommended minimum age for trip: 6+, minimum age restriction to ride own bike: 9+. No Burleys available.

Swiss Alps Multisport, Premiere Inns
Swiss Alps Multisport, Casual Inns
Recommended minimum age for trip: 6+, minimum age restriction to ride own bike: 7+.

AFRICA FAMILY TRIPS:

South Africa/Botswana Active Safari, Premiere Inns
South Africa/Botswana Active Safari, Casual Inns
Minimum age restriction for trip: 12+ because of hotel age restriction; minimum age restriction to ride on own bike: 12+. No Burleys or Piccolos available.

South Africa/Botswana Insider, Premiere Inns
Minimum age restriction for trip: 12+ because of hotel age restriction.

ASIA & THE PACIFIC FAMILY TRIPS:

Australia Multisport, Premiere Inns
Minimum age restriction for trip: 12+ because of hotel age restriction; minimum age restriction to ride on own bike: 12+. No Burleys or Piccolos available.

Bali Multisport, Premiere Inns
Recommended minimum age for trip: 9+; minimum age restriction to ride own bike: 9+. No Burleys available.

China Biking, Premiere Inns
Minimum age restriction for trip: 12+ because of hotel age restriction; minimum age restriction to ride own bike: 12+. No Burleys or Piccolos available.

Hawaii's Big Island Multisport, Premiere Inns
Recommended minimum age for trip: 5+; minimum age restriction for kayaking: 5+; minimum age for surfing: 5+; minimum age restriction to ride on own bike: 9+.

Hawaii's Kauai Multisport, Casual Inns
Recommended minimum age for trip: 6+; minimum age restriction to surf: 6+; minimum age restriction to ride on own bike: 7+.

New Zealand Multisport, Premiere Inns
Recommended minimum age for trip: 6+; minimum age restriction to bungee jump: 11+, minimum age restriction to ride own bike: 9+. No Burleys available.

Thailand Biking, Premiere Inns
Recommended minimum age for trip: 9+, minimum age restriction to ride own bike: 9+, minimum age to ride elephants: 8+. No Burleys available.

Vietnam Multisport, Casual Inns
Recommended minimum age for trip: 9+; minimum age restriction to ride own bike: 9+; minimum age restriction for kayaking: 5+. No Burleys or Piccolos available.

LATIN AMERICA FAMILY TRIPS:

Baja Multisport, Casual Inns
Minimum age restriction for trip: 6+ because of campsite age restrictions. Recommended minimum age restriction for trip: 9+. No Burleys available.

Belize Multisport, Premiere Inns
Recommended minimum age for trip: 9+, minimum age restriction for snorkeling: 8+, minimum age restriction to ride own bike: 9+. No Burleys or Piccolos available.

Costa Rica Multisport, Premiere Inns
Costa Rica Multisport, Casual Inns
Recommended minimum age for trip: 6+, minimum age restriction to ride own bike: 9+. Minimum age restriction for rafting: 8+ (Premiere Inn trip only), minimum age restriction for surfing: 7+ (Premiere Inn trip only), minimum age restriction for sea kayaking: 5+ (Casual Inn trip only). No Burleys available.

Costa Rica Insider, Premiere Inns
Recommended minimum age for trip: 6+, minimum age restriction to raft: 8+, minimum age restriction to surf: 7+.

Ecuador & Galápagos Multisport, Premiere Inns
Recommended minimum age for trip: 9+, minimum age restriction to ride own bike: 9+. No Burleys or Piccolos available.

Peru Multisport, Premiere Inns
Recommended minimum age for trip: 12+, minimum age restriction to ride own bike: 9+. No Burleys or Piccolos available.

Peru Insider, Premiere Inns
Recommended minimum age for trip: 12+.

Yucatán Multisport, Premiere Inns
Recommended minimum age for trip: 6+, minimum age restriction to ride own bike: 6+, minimum age restriction for rapelling/swimming in cenote: 6+. No Burleys available.

UNITED STATES FAMILY TRIPS:

Alaska Multisport, Premiere Inns
Alaska Multisport, Casual Inns
Alaska Multisport, Camping
Recommended minimum age for trip: 6+, minimum age restriction to ride own bike: 7+, minimum age restriction for rafting: 5+ on Casual Inn trip, 10+ on Premiere Inn and Camping trips, minimum age restriction for kayaking: 6+ on Casual Inn trip, 8+ on Premiere Inn and Camping trips.

Bryce/Zion/Grand Canyon Multisport, Casual Inns
Bryce/Zion/Grand Canyon Multisport, Camping
Recommended minimum age for trip: 6+, minimum age restriction to ride own bike: 7+, minimum age restriction for canyoneering: 6+, minimum age restriction for mule rides: 7+.

Glacier Multisport, Casual Inns
Glacier Multisport, Camping
Recommended minimum age for trip: 6+, minimum age restriction to ride own bike: 9+, minimum age restriction for rafting: 5+, minimum age restriction for horseback riding: 5+.

Maine Multisport, Premiere Inns
Maine Multisport, Camping
Minimum age restriction: 5+ because of hotel age restriction, minimum age restriction to ride own bike: 6+, minimum age restriction for kayaking: 5+.

San Juan Islands Multisport, Casual Inns
San Juan Islands Multisport, Camping
Recommended minimum age for trip: 3+, minimum age restriction to ride own bike: 9+, minimum age restriction for kayaking: 6+.

Yellowstone/Tetons Multisport, Casual Inns
Yellowstone/Tetons Multisport, Camping
Recommended minimum age for trip: 6+, minimum age restriction to ride own bike: 7+, minimum age restriction for kayaking: 6+, minimum age restriction for rafting: 6+ (Casual Inn trip only).

Yosemite Multisport, Premiere Inns
Yosemite Multisport, Casual Inns
Yosemite Multisport, Camping
Recommended minimum age for trip: 3+; minimum age restriction to ride own bike: 7+, minimum age restriction for canyoneering: 6+.

CANADA FAMILY TRIPS:

Canadian Rockies Multisport, Premiere Inns
Canadian Rockies Multisport, Casual Inns
Canadian Rockies Multisport, Camping
Recommended minimum age for trip: 6+, minimum age restriction to ride own bike: 9+, minimum age restriction for rafting, climbing, icewalk: 6+.

Canadian Rockies Heli-Hiking & Biking, Premiere Inns
Recommended minimum age for trip: 6+, minimum age restriction to ride own bike: 9+.

Canadian Rockies Insider, Premiere Inns
Recommended minimum age for trip: 6+.

Québec Multisport, Premiere Inns
Recommended minimum age for trip: 6+, minimum age restriction to ride own bike: 9+, minimum age restriction for kayaking and whale watching: 6+.

Prince Edward Island Multisport, Casual Inns
Recommended minimum age for trip: 3+, minimum age restriction to ride own bike: 6+, minimum age restriction for kayaking: 5+.

For 2008 we've added more trips during the summer and winter months, as well as Insider Trips for families looking for all of the culture but without any cardio. Look for new adventures like a California Redwood Empire Multisport Tour, Czech Republic & Austria Family Insider and Sarajevo & Dalmatian Coast Insider.

And how about a hiking and biking multisport extravaganza in Utah and Arizona for a family pleaser? Even our prices are family-friendly.