It’s a holidays one - ideas of alternatives please!

[LittleRedRidingBoots]

We are currently on our last day of a 5 day all inclusive break in Tunisia. We’ve always done similar holidays (hot countries, all inclusive usually, chilling by the pool type places).

For the last few years though, we have realised that we actually don’t enjoy this type of holiday as much as when our DD’s were young. Our 18 year old hasn’t come with us this year so DD15 has brought a friend which has worked well as she’s been occupied/off doing her own thing to some extent within the confines of the hotel. However me and DH have been a bit bored and feel like we’d like to see more of the world.

We’d love some ideas/suggestions/places for next years holiday for us and DD15 (and possibly DD18) that are something a little different.

Thank you ☺️

My favourite holidays over the last few years.
We had a week in an apartment in Nerja. A bit of beach time, trip along the coast to other small towns, inland to Frigiliana and Competa. Breakfast in the apt, eating out the rest of the time. Then local bus to Malaga and another out to Mijas for a couple of nights in a small hotel in the centre. Finished off with a few nights in a HB hotel on yhe coast, but close to Malaga for days out in the city by local train.
A road trip round parts of France. Last one, started in Limoges, Poitiers, Saumur, La Rochelle and Ile de Re. This year, next month we are going to Bergerac, driving to Bordeaux, Arcachon then back to Eymet.
We had a week on a hotel in Cascais thus year, in a hotel built into an old fortress. Picked it as we could hop into Lisbon in half an hour on the train. So more to it than the standard AI hotel.

We loved Madeira. Took our, then, 18 and 15 year olds. We stayed 10 nights and had loads to do. We tend to do a trip, plan some sort of a day out, then have a rest day by the pool/at the beach on the days in-between.

Depends what you’re into, of course. We’ve never done that sort of ‘chill by the pool’ type of thing because it’d bore us rigid. With our daughter when she was a teenager, summer holidays would usually include a fortnight at a Neilsen type place doing watersports. In other holidays we’d do sightseeing such as Paris, Rome, Sorrento etc - much better at cooler less crowded times of year. Or holidays in the UK such as Mull for the wildlife, walking in our various national parks etc. So many possibilities!

We did a wonderful small group family adventure week in the Azores a few years ago. The local tourism company, Futurismo, supplied the guide, and he was excellent.

Tunisia is a fantastic place to actually explore.. from Tunis in the north to the Kerkennah islands in the south.

Depending on budgets, a safari is amazing. Just got into them recently and totally addicted. 🤫

Look up Nielsen beach clubs. The best holidays for teenagers and adults if you like to do sports as well as relax.

We have similar age children (19 & 15) and have in recent years transitioned from an AI, which had been brilliant when the kids were younger, to a slightly longer hybrid model where we do a few days in a city like Athens or Naples and then go off for the rest of the time to a beach / pool hotel. Everyone gets a bit of what they like and the 19 year old definitely still keen to come. Food also plays a big part now, nicer restaurants, trying new stuff.

We had a fantastic time in Texas staying for the first week in bed and breakfasts and the second on a ranch in bandera.
We flew into Austin and hired a dodge ram at the airport , stayed in Austin for a couple of nights before driving to Dallas , Fort Worth, San Antonio, Fredericksburg booking b&b’s as we went .
I’ d love to go back but for longer next time .

Do the DC enjoy hiking? I’ve been to the Austrian alps in summer and it was wonderful. Fabulous walking trails/views/mountain restaurants and there was also white water rafting/biking available

We also did Greek island hopping when ours were teens and we all enjoyed that. Flew into Athens to see the sights for a couple of days then went from there.

we have been to lots of different countries we don’t actually get to see much of them!
Is that because it's AI and you want to maximise the value of it? Surely you could take trips out - organized excursions or DIY with a bit of prep! Otherwise you could be anywhere hot lying by a pool.
Find a country you like the sound of, go self catering/B&B/HB instead, do some research into what you can do there and get adventurous! What about Turkey?

Will your dd 15 be doing gcse next year? Can you book to go at the end of exams but before term ends so it’s ch paper?

a cruise might be a bridge between AI and more adventurous holidays

i liked Cunard and you can get some good deals

others have mentioned Italy, just be aware July and August can be too hot and crowded in some touristic places

france has some great places to visit and you could do a road trip

so you like historic places? Nature? Wine?

A cruise! It’s like an AI hotel but you visit a new place every day. Loads of activities for teens / whole family

Slovenia is brilliant. We had a super time last year with DD 20 and DS 18. We did 3 locations: Llubjana for the city stuff, then Lake Bled for active things (zip lining, paddle boarding, canyoning ) the Piran for a bit of beach.

Austrian alps in summer

My kids are similar ages to yours and have enjoyed us booking flights and independent accommodation/travel in-

Greek islands
Thailand
Malaysia and Borneo
Algarve
Sicily
Malaga and surrounding area

Borneo
Sri Lanka
Costa Rica
Australia - Great Barrier Reef and wildlife

I’d look at the weather quite carefully before you go to some of these locations OP

I totally agree that they're good for families with adult children (we've seen multi-generational families having loads of fun) but OP's child will be under 18 still next year.

Yes, totally. It's the age to mix things up a bit. And to get them involved in the planning. Get them researching activities, restaurants etc on Tripadvisor and half the battle is won because they're more invested in it.

Use an app like Tripit or something if you're staying in multiple different hotels or have different activities booked, it's really useful. I think generally they become bored stiff on a standard AI by late teens, just staying in one spot, unless they're going on their first one on their own with mates of course (which is a different experience for them altogether 😆)

After GCSEs and A-levels we pushed the boat out and went on a road trip round California. It was amazing. By far our best family holiday ever. We''d never been out of Europe before. So many great memories. Not cheap though. But if you can afford it I'd definitely recommend it for that age group, OP.

There is a fantastic FB group called California Dreamers and West Coast Wanderers to help with ideas and planning if you don't know where to start. Someone on here recommended it to me and it really was invaluable.