To find holidays with teenagers hardgoing?

[isittooearlyforgin]

I’m thinking of not going away with family this year as the cost of holidays seem exorbitant while not fulfilling the remit of offering activities. Until last year we’ve gone camping in France but it seems they’ve outgrown it. What do you guys do that combines value with fun?

This is such a good thread, I have some great ideas now for future holidays 😊

We're going to Vietnam and Cambodia this year with 3 teenagers and I'm a bit worried, lots of temples and a fair bit of travelling around.

Skiing is by far the best holiday with them though, we all love it.

It's difficult - we've had the odd day or two ruined by a mardy teen who'd rather be at home than on a family holiday. I had words (massive understatement) with our ingrate when he stated that he would rather be going to Cineworld with his mates than trudging through a rainforest, looking at sloths through binoculars. We were in Costa Rica at the time. If I'm honest, we can wait until the time comes that DH & I can please ourselves without any stroppy teens.

Can't wait that is!

It can work if they have a shared hobby...mine a re doing up an old sailing boat (bought for cheap as chips) with their dad- lots of polishing, painting and going out in it as a result! So that is their summer project. They also like collecting stuff at boot fairs and stuff as well. We usually go to France and then they like climbing in the gorges, swimming and those tree top climbing things. Or skiing also good. Activity can work well. But saying that I am not really into much of these things (except swimming)

We used to go to a big Canping site in south France. Totally geared up for teens, great pools and disco each evening where there was always some sort of drama going on ( which they loved and totally made the holiday fir them!)
They each took a friend, I mostly lay by the pool reading and vaguely supervising. They had a fabulous time and I had a lovely holiday knowing they were enjoying it. They stopped wanting these holidays at around age 16.

We do all inclusive. Ours are still small (8 and 1) but if you go to one with a waterpark then that's great fun for any age, lots of excursions directly from the hotel, enough to do so that they can have some independence without going off the resort. Good luck!

3 x Dsons now 21, 22 & 23 loved taking them away always AI (as already said stops the can I have!) all came till the eldest was 17, then just two the following year - now none and I miss them terribly! We always try and do a long weekend each year when they bring a friend or girl friend and have a great time... They were always very quick to make friends but always joined us for breakfast (ish) and dinner and checked in during the day.

Mine is 15 and declared herself well bored of Eurocamp/villa type holidays in France. Last year she sat inside loads of the time on her phone - despite the lovely pool and wealth of activities on offer. This year we are going inter-railing in Eastern Europe instead. She wants to look at lots of things to do with communism and the holocaust etc. I might need another holiday when we get back but at least I am hoping for no moaning.

What do teens get to do on cruises?

I've never been on a cruise so have no idea what we or they would do.

I've been to Spain with my teenager a couple of times. Rented a house with a pool NEAR THE MED.
I also have a younger son. We hired a car and did some day trips and the other days just chilled out by the pool or the sea. He hired a push bike and disappeared a few times.

And he made me mojitos.

This year we are travelling overland to Croatia where we have an AirBnB for a week, so this will more of a city break. I'm just happy he wants to come away with me.

MoobaaMoobaa

I’m hoping you get some responses to your cruise question, as I’ve just booked a cruise this very morning with our teenager.
She’s only 13 though, so maybe a bit more amenable than an older teenager.

Our teen loves coming away with us and never gets bored. Last year we did a road trip of California which she loved as did we all, the year before was a villa holiday which she is equally as happy just hanging around with us and chilling etc. I doubt many teens would find camping in France over thrilling!
We are off to Miami this year with a few days north Florida before.

Mine are 16 and 18 and still love lazing on the beach, going for hikes, some culture and history, things like kayaking and SUP interspersed with just vegging out. But then we have been through major tough times and appreciate each other more as a result.

Neilson holidays all the way for us. They spend as much or as little time with us as they like. Perfect!

I remember two forced family fun time holidays with my parents as a teen. One they dragged me round the south island of NZ, and the other, the north island. I was miserable. They were miserable. I spent the time listening to my music with headphones, plotting their untimely demise. . . I suspect they were doing the same concerning me in the front seats, lol.

I love it with my kids. The main thing is to ensure that we don't overdo it if sightseeing, that both are kept well fed and watered, and pray that no one is on their period.

This year we're doing 9 days in a villa with a pool in Spain. We are universal in our requirements - to do as much as possible of absolutely NOTHING.

Oh no mbosnnz now you've got me worried if DS genuinely enjoyed our NZ trip. I think he did - DS and DH did a number of high octane sporty things together including black water rafting and DS absolutely loved that.

I also planned it so we spent a few nights in each location so it wouldn't feel so rushed. I'm not sure Mount Cook Village was DS's favourite, but we didn't drag him on too many walks. DS definitely loved the day in Sydney on Bondi beach - that was his favourite part although Bondi beach didn't look awfully dissimilar to Newquay beach to me.

Well DH and I enjoyed the holiday anyway and I'm glad I've had the chance to take DS to NZ as an experience.

Sailing is such a good holiday for teenagers - one of the flotilla things around the med. Mine love it - bit of sailing, lots of swimming/diving/messing on SUP boards and hopefully meeting other teens too. They also managed (my girls) to do a fair amount of sunbathing/instagram-posing!

oh yes and skiing also. Mine absolutely love that. My 11 yo has declared it his favourite holiday ever.

My way of doing it was:

1. Ask for input on the type of holiday they fancied.
2. Ensure (as far as cost effective) they had their own space (even though he had to share with his younger brother in some places, I made sure that he had time and space on his own)
3. Don't be offended/don't nag if they don't fancy one of the day's activities. If they want to sit in their darkened room on their phone, let them. I found ds1 was far more likely to want to join in and enjoy himself if he had time to recharge.

We have two 17 yo DS and thankfully they still seem to love holidays with us. Recently we did 3 weeks in Thailand - ethical elephant camp, jungle trip and loads of snorkelling. Japan and Vietnam were also favourites. This year they are away for 4 weeks without us so i am hoping we all enjoy skiing at Xmas which is new for us.

We’ve done Neilson resort holidays a couple of times and that was fab with our teenager, he really got involved with all the activities but that wouldn’t suit a shy or reserved teenager. This year we aren’t having a family Summer holiday, he’s going with his mates on a post A level holiday & then a family ski trip a Christmas.

Actually I find being with my DH harder than being with a teenager . I love a beach type holiday but he wants to be super active!

Moobaamoobaa and Lycanthropology - pretty much whatever they want to.

My DD's are quite arty, last year they spend quite a lot of time with the other teens making film cells, or short videos, then had a premier night - because that's what the group wanted to do. There's sports, cinemas, gaming, cooking, language lessons and of course swimming and dun bathing... whatever they choose. Food whenever they want it, we have to insist they meet us for dinner otherwise we'd not see them!

Meanwhile, DH does his sporty stuff himself or goes to the sports bar, whilst I find a comfy spot with a drink and a good book. Bliss!

Road trips
Neilsons
Skiing
Cornwall surfing
Biking holidays in Europe (different hotel every night)
Villa with pool and invite a friend (bearish to a town).
Cool city like NY.

Do whatever you fancy and let the little darlings sleep all day and look grumpy in between.

Would a road trip somewhere exciting be in budget?
We did Washington/ Virginia/ Colonial Williamsburg; Arizona- Phoenix/ Grand Canyon/ Desert/ Tucson; Florida Drive to Keys and New York/ Boston/ Cape Cod back in the day when I was a sulky only child teenager and had amazing holidays. We all remember them fondly, even my DP!