Travelling together is something that many families enjoy doing, but as kids get older and hit their teenage years, it can become more stressful. Often, teens want more independence when travelling, and finding a suitable destination to visit together as a family involves much more than simply making sure that there is a good play area. Many teenagers will need their privacy while travelling, which can leave you in need of changing the usual type of accommodation that you may have stayed in when they were younger. If you’re planning a family holiday with teens, keep these tips in mind to keep the peace and make sure that everybody has an enjoyable and memorable time.
Planning Your Family Holiday With Teens:
Planning a family holiday with teens may often be a little more complicated compared to planning a holiday with younger kids. If you’re going to be travelling with teenagers, you might need to make sure that the holiday you book can easily be fitted around their studies, other commitments, and perhaps even a part-time job. Keep the following tips in mind:
1. Work Around Their Schedule:
Just like you probably wouldn’t be very happy if somebody booked a holiday with you during the time that you are set to be busiest at work, your teen might not be thrilled if you book a family holiday right in the middle of a period where they are swamped with exam revision or GCSE coursework. Taking your teenager’s commitments seriously and only booking holidays together when they are free to travel without the stress of school, college or work to worry them might mean that you get to go away together as a family a little less compared to when they were younger, but it will ensure a peaceful and stress-free trip for you all.
2. Get Their Input:
Where to go on a family holiday is always an important question. But when you are travelling with teens, you might find that the destinations you used to love going to when they were younger are no longer as suitable. Teens often want to go somewhere more adventurous and they are always more likely to enjoy the family holiday if you pick a destination that has a lot of different activities and attractions that they are interested in. It’s a good idea to spend some time talking to them about different destinations that they’d like to visit before you make a final decision – getting their input and including them as a key decision maker in where to go lets them know that you value their opinion, and the holiday is for them just as much as everybody else in the family.
3. Prepare Spending Money and Budgets:
Most teens want their independence and freedom, and one of the best ways to do this is by providing them with some spending money for the trip. If your teen works, the upcoming holiday could also be a great incentive for them to save up some extra spending money for themselves. Having some money set aside and a budget that everybody is agreed on before you set off will help you avoid any misunderstandings about money during the trip while giving teens that little bit of freedom to go and shop if they want to or get tickets to the attractions that they want to see.
4. Consider Taking a Friend:
Although your teen might love spending time with you together as a family, if they do not have any siblings that are close to their age, a family holiday might be a rather boring experience for them after a while. As much as your teen might enjoy a family holiday, being able to bring a friend or an extended relative who is the same age of them can make it even more fun and enjoyable.
5. Stay Connected:
Understanding your teen’s need to stay connected to their friends back home and update their Instagram story with all the cool things that you’re enjoying together on holiday will always go a long way when it comes to keeping the peace and enjoying your family trip together. Of course, it’s always good to encourage your teen to put their phone down and enjoy the experience but enforcing it and cutting them off from the rest of the world for the duration of the trip could end up doing more harm than good.
6. Plan Plenty of Downtime:
Did you know that teenagers need more sleep than people in any other age group? This time of their lives is absolutely key in their development into an adult, and as their bodies and minds go through such huge changes, it’s no surprise that teens like to spend a lot of time in bed. Don’t be surprised if your teen is wiped out and cranky after a full day of exploring. Plan at least a couple of days for relaxing and downtime, whether that’s chilling around the pool with mocktails or visiting the local beach to take a relaxing dip in the sea.
7. Keep Them Informed:
Just like adults, many teens don’t like having surprises sprung on them every day. When it comes to planning your itinerary, it is a good idea to keep your teen in the loop and get together with them so that you can plan what you’d like to do as a team. This gives them the chance to do some independent research on the destination and find out what’s available in the area that they might be interested in the most. It also gives you as a parent the chance to learn more about what your teen is really interested in, and perhaps even try some new things out with them.
Family Holidays With Teenagers – What to Look for In Accommodation:
Choosing accommodation for your family holiday is always a big decision, and wherever you choose needs to be suitable and comfortable for all of you. If you’re planning a family holiday with teenagers, your choice of accommodation can make all the difference to the mood on the trip. After all, no teen will want to spend a fortnight sharing a hotel room with their mum and dad.
1. Consider a Villa:
A family villa is a fantastic idea for those who are travelling with teens since it provides a huge amount of space and privacy that isn’t always available in a hotel. Your teen will definitely be able to have their own room to enjoy when you stay in a luxury villa, and with a dining and living area for everybody to share, you will often get a lot more space and facilities for your money compared to a hotel. Many villas are large enough for the whole family to stay in, making it the perfect choice if you want a massive family holiday with several generations. And many will have a private pool that will be difficult for your teen not to love.
2. Go All-Inclusive:
Going all-inclusive can often work out cheaper than self-catering over a couple of weeks when you consider how much it would cost to feed the whole family at a restaurant every mealtime, not to mention the price of buying every single drink. And, going all-inclusive means that you and your teen can simply roll out of bed in the morning and enjoy the breakfast provided at the accommodation, helping you avoid any cranky, hungry teens in the morning while you’re looking for somewhere to eat. In addition, being all-inclusive means that food and treats at your hotel or villa don’t have to eat into your teen’s spending budget – and since they can go and get whatever they want by showing their wristband, they’ll enjoy a level of independence too.
3. Check Internet Facilities:
Today, most teens live their lives online and many will want to be able to stay in touch with friends and update their social media feeds throughout the holiday. To avoid having your teen racking up a massive phone bill uploading their beach shots to Instagram every day, it’s a good idea to choose accommodation that offers good Wi-Fi facilities. Not only will this come in handy for keeping phone bills down, but you’ll also be able to access services like Netflix easily on those chilled evenings in.
4. Check the Local Area:
Finally, it’s a good idea to choose accommodation that is located in an area that has plenty of great things for your teen to do nearby. Naturally, most parents won’t want their teen to wander too far from the family base in a foreign country, so choosing somewhere to stay that is within walking distance of shops, attractions, and the beach is a great way to ensure that your teen gets to enjoy their freedom while on holiday without too much stress and worry.
Family holidays with teens can be much different to family holidays with younger children. If you want to create memories on a trip with your teenager, keep these tips in mind for keeping the peace and making sure everybody enjoys the experience.