Favourite holiday with young teenagers 12 and 13

[Brighteyes27]

Looking for suggestions for a family holiday in August for 12 and 13 year old (boy and girl).
What worked for you with kids of around these ages please?
Would like somewhere that feels safe and relaxing. Thanks

The big campsites are brilliant for teenagers. Look at Eurocamp/Canvas /Siblu websites. Pool complexes, water slides, mini golf, tree top adventure and karting at some plus safe enough for them to wander off and make friends. We're going to La Carabasse this year. We went years ago but thought dd is now more of an age to appreciate it. Huge fun fair up 5 mins up road, 3 course mini golf, beach and shops and restaurants within walking distance. Plenty to do in local area. We've done villas the last few years but she has been bored. I can cope as long there is WiFi and the bed isn't too awful.

All inclusive in the Caribbean- been fab with water sports and we’ve hired a car and got out and about also.

Villa with pool

City breaks

Iceland

Villa with pool. We had a great holiday last year. I got to relax and DCs got to enjoy themselves.
There was a skatepark nearby with a nice cafe. We had a day out at Aqualand, went to the beach and generally hung out doing as much or as little as we chose.

All the campsites we have stayed on have bakery, takeaway, supermarket and restaurant. These are our 'must haves' but are pretty standard. Most are baking the bread & pastries on site.

In August sites will tend to be bustling but are family environments so entertainment is normally calmed right down before midnight. We have ever been kept awake night after night by a disco pounding away.

We have always driven as DH and I both enjoy the driving and count it as part of the holiday. I know that fly/drive is preferred by some to cut down on the drive time.

There are lots of sites to choose from. Do you want to be close to the coast or prefer to be inland? What interests you and your family? My DCs enjoyed castles and Roman ruins - both in France and Spain there are some amazing places to go and see.

There are a number of different companies to choose from:

www.eurocamp.co.uk/
www.canvasholidays.co.uk/
www.alfresco-holidays.com/
www.vacansoleil.co.uk/
www.yellohvillage.co.uk/

Thanks GnomeDePlume I would prefer the coast and visiting castles and beaches sounds fab.

Some ideas:

Carnac, Brittany: beach, seaside town and standing stones

Rousillion: more lovely places than you can shake a stick at Castles

French markets

Roman France

I have fancied camping but whenever I go onto the companies websites and start reading the reviews I always get bamboozled with all the choice. Their is too much choice and I am not sure what size or type of site we require and I don’t know the areas.
Also DH expects it should be significantly cheaper to stay in a tent or cabin thing but by the time flights factored in (without the cost of transfers or hiring a car). You can get decent sized accommodation in a hotel in the Algarve or Majorca with facilities (and importantly for me as I moan about tidying up on holiday room service).

If we've done the mobile home thing on these campsite type places it's been because of the outdoor lifestyle choice, not because it is cheaper. It really isn't but it's great fun for the kids.

I love camping with the kids in our own tent for a few days but tbh I'd not want one for my main holiday. I want my own toilet and shower hence the mobile home.

We've done all sorts of hotel, villa, mobile home type places.
Private Villas are great with a crowd of you holidaying together

I wouldn't choose to do that as a family of four. I'm not sure they are the best fun for kids as they are relying on you to entertain them and trips out are crucial.
If it is just the four of you and you want the kids to make friends I'd choose either a hotel holiday, centre parc type place in Europe or a campsite but in a mobile cottage/home/lodge. Or at least make sure the villa is on a complex with a shared pool and facilities.

I compared cost of a mobile home holiday with a colleague who goes AI to a resort. All in all the cost was pretty much the same once everything had been factored in.

Campsites/mobile homes work for us as all facilities are within walking distance. Pools are good. Kids got bedrooms rather than us all being in the same space. We prefer the ones with decks so a seating area. In addition the car is right next to the accommodation (not always possible but was something we looked for).

A mobile home is akin to having your own bungalow in a holiday resort set up for that sort of holiday.

It's not cheap but gave us what we wanted. Even now DCs have grown up and dont come on holiday with us we still prefer campsites.

We have never done hotel based holidays because being five of us we found that we never conveniently fitted in anywhere without having someone sleeping in some sort of alcove.

We have done gites in France a couple of times: didnt like having the owner on site (found them a bit too 'lord of the manor'ish). It's also difficult to complain as it's part of their home.

We had a villa in Spain once. It was lovely having our own pool so kids could have all the inflatable toys, diving masks etc and not offend anyone. It was nice but there wasnt a lot to do outside of the villa and there was no one for the DCs to play with.

The Costa Dorado area of Spain would be good as it has lovely beaches and there’s a huge theme park and water park there called Portaventura (it’s like the Spanish version of Disney world) and it’s also easy to get to Barcelona for a visit.

Menorca is a lovely island for families too. I stayed in Cala N Porter and had a great holiday. The beach is beautiful. It’s quite a quiet island unlike Majorca and Ibiza which can be rowdier.

Croatia is fabulous too and I would recommend Dubrovnik.

I've been thinking about your thread... what do you really want to do op?
At different times we have had different priorities;
Wanting a change of scene
Wanting someone else to clean up
Wanting to see a few new sights
Warm weather
Somewhere to ride bikes
Somewhere with nice restaurants
Cultural
Fishing
Comfort
Shopping
Boats
Peace and quiet

Cost( probably should be top of list)
I expect the young to 'play' together ; digging holes/ jumping into pool/ football/DVD's etc

Skiing is fail safe in my opinion for families

As I said above we have usually had a villa ( with pool once children old enough and we could afford it) driven to our destination or occasionally eg Majorca flown and hired a car and had a few days in a cultural centre eg Seville for costa del sol, Copenhagen for Denmark beaches etc.
Peace and being on our own timetable is a very high priority for us and so campsites/ AI don't appeal although I do like the idea of someone doing some of the clearing up. When we are away we tend to eat out once a day , at 'home' we eat cold stuff for lunch or DH cooks ( bbq) so it is quite a break for me( cook every night) and a change that DH enjoys.

Priorities
On down days DH and I like to relax read in the shade in a warm climate but doesn’t have to be scorching. The kids like to socialize with other kids, maybe take part in the odd activity and enjoy spending some time with us going to a beach or exploring somewhere new.
I do like a comfy bed.
We like nice meals out eating at different places (even if we are in a hotel prefer b&b).
I don’t think I mentioned fishing, riding a bike, shopping, AI or skiing? Non of us like fishing but 3 of us enjoy eating fish?
Non of us ski either?
I enjoy shopping at home but certainly don’t base my holiday on shopping facilities and no intention of dragging the family round a shopping mall in the heat of August. More shopping for bread, croissants, wine shopping if SC.
I like hotel for room service facilities if a separate bedroom is part of the deal, activities for kids but still like a stroll and a choice of restaurants on an evening but then I have camped in the UK and pre children we flew to Italy and had a fab time camping with our own tent but I think your right a lodge on a campsite or hotel would be better. We have self catered in private let’s with a small shared pool up until a couple of years ago but kids get bored in that environment.
Kids would like splash parks and fairground places but i am not keen would be my idea of hell as prefer a more natural and less busy environment.

It sounds like an aparthotel or a hotel would give you more of the comfort you are after with the freedom you desire. Perhaps in a quieter resort with places of interest to visit but with activities for the kids. It sounds as if you would dislike AI as they are a bit busy and if you are like me you want to get your money's worth so resent eating out. I've missed the fun of choosing where to eat each night when we've done those dh loves AI
The world is your oyster so they say. Keep us posted as to what you eventually go for.

Yes we stayed at a hotel like that last year in the Algarve which worked really well. The room apartment was spacious with two sofas in the living room that converted into beds and a double bedroom for us, decent sized table inside and a balcony outside.
Just fancied a change whilst keeping everyone happy. DH needs to relax more than anyone and the kids haven’t had a full on AI place since they were 5/6 so reluctant to go back to that again (unless the quality was excellent and it wasn’t miles from anywhere) as we liked a stroll on an evening as a family with the freedom to visit different restaurants and revisit any we particularly enjoyed. DS really enjoys good food as well DD happy with plain and simple food.

My 2 loved New York. We only went for 3 nights but it was fantastic. I really want to go again for longer and travel around a bit.

My 2 loved New York. We only went for 3 nights but it was fantastic. I really want to go again for longer and travel around a bit.

Thanks I am sure we would love NY for a few days like you. But for main holiday DH works long hours and has a stressful job so for our main holiday we like somewhere he can chill out and unwind.

We're doing an Alpine activity holiday in Morzine this summer with company called Simply Morzine with DS age 12 and his pal. What appealed is that they pick us up from the airport and half board is included . DH, DS and his pal can participate in a number of outdoor activities whilst I relax by the heated pool or walk into the town. We've not been yet but should work for teens and the price seemed quite reasonable.

“Dubai, New York”

In August?

I can't believe no-one has mentioned Lake Garda. You can laze by the pool, take boat trips round the lake to visit different towns, eat fabulous food, visit Verona and/or Venice. There is also a theme park, but we aren't interested in them so didn't go.

We have been twice - when DD was 11 and when she was 13. She loved it.

LoniceraJaponica - Where did you stay in Lake Garda please? I visited the Youth Hostel there whilst travelling around Italy by train many years ago and had a great time. I could believe how vast the Lake was it was more like a sea.
DS now saying he wants to go somewhere where a beach with clear sea is close by and he’s happy to visit places do things with us.
All DH wants to do is just relax and completely chill listening to audio books, sleep in, sleep in the sage at least for the few days and have nice meals out on a night.
DD wants to go to a hotel and meet holiday friends.
I want to keep everyone happy. Like DH i would like some time to read in the shade but wouldn’t mind going to the beach visiting places with DS but also nice to see DD having fun with holiday friends.
Lake Garda would suit me as long as I wasn’t Self Catering and clearing up every night.

We stayed in Garda the first time and Sirmione the second time. I would suggest Garda as you can access all areas of the lake more easily. Getting from Sirmione up to the north in a boat takes hours.

We loved both places. I forgot to mention the markets. Each town has its own market day and they are well worth going to. We did Garda and Peschiera.

For clear sea Croatia is brilliant. We stayed on the Makarska riviera when DD was 9. The sea is crystal clear there. That was also an excellent holiday.

Thanks LoniceraJaponica did you camp or what sort of accommodation did you stay in?
Accommodation/space and pleasing everybody is a bit harder with two DC rather than one. Also it’s harder to please everyone. I really fancied Croatia it looks beautiful but I couldn’t decide which area to focus on. DD would prefer hotel set up to be in with a chance of meeting/making friends but a lot of hotels are either very expensive or only seem to accommodate two adults and one child not two.
I found lots of private let’s but I couldn’t decide where to stay as a base with not knowing the area and suitability for older kids nothing worse than them moaning they are bored or them being indoors hooked up to iPads/phones.

We stayed in hotels. We don't camp, and quite frankly I wouldn't want to in Lake Garda in summer as it is too hot at night. You definitely need somewhere with aircon.

Center parcs or something similar?

We went to Snowdonia last year and my eldest was 12. Amazing holiday, Zip Wires, surf snowdonia, bounce below, lovely beaches/ National trust. Can’t wait to visit again- DS is very sporty and dare devil like so it’s right up his street