Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Teenagers

Parenting teenagers has its ups and downs. Get advice from Mumsnetters here.

Original poster

as a last family holiday before they prefer going with their pals, where would be great to go?

36 replies

ssd · 17/05/2014 11:43

an strictly dreaming here mind, but with one foot in reality

ds nearly at the age he wants pals, not us

last summer family holiday, where would you take 2 teen boys?

2 weeks, not massive budget but dreaming of California..

OP posts:
Original poster
ssd · 17/05/2014 11:50

ok, next question, would you borrow money from the bank to fund it?

we have low wages and no back up eg, inheritance, etc etc

but would love something extra special before the kids get too old to want us

OP posts:
bruffin · 17/05/2014 12:00

There is another thread on this at the moment.
Although from friends with older dc the dcs go on their own holidays but still go with parents as well.

My dc are 16 and 18 and finish school in June. DS is off to Iceland with his gf in June then we are going for a big holiday in July. Nothing is booked yet and our ideal is California but i cant see much change from 8K.

bruffin · 17/05/2014 12:05

other thread
I would say most of my friends are well off and they have really good holidays every year

Nocomet · 17/05/2014 12:37

DD2(13) is dreaming of California too. Too many YouTube blogs.

I think it will be a while before DD1(16) only wants to holiday with her DFs. DD2 will probably desert us ASAP.

Original poster
ssd · 17/05/2014 12:38

seen the other thread, this one is about more of a one off thingy...

OP posts:
magimedi · 17/05/2014 12:44

Last holiday we had like that, some 17 years ago we went on a Sunsail Holiday to Kefalonia. It was fab - lots of people his own age for DS & loads to do.

Now he is so much older he likes coming on holiday with us again Grin

bigTillyMint · 17/05/2014 14:00

I would LOVE to do the California trip!

Best1sWest · 17/05/2014 14:03

When ours were 14 and 19 we did Florida and New York. Great holiday. We did some of the theme parks - Epcot with teenagers was hilarious. California sounds great. DS who is now 16 is hoping for Canada.

juneau · 17/05/2014 14:21

The last family holiday I went on (aged 17) was to California and a few other western US states. The place was amazing, but holidaying there with my family was a bit of a trial TBH. The things I wanted to do were rarely the things they wanted to do, and we spent an awful lot of time cooped up in the car together, the teens with headphones on, the parents lumbered with lots and lots of driving (the distances are HUGE).

So, failing that (because its bloody expensive and no, I wouldn't go into debt for a holiday), I'd suggest somewhere 'cool' in Europe. For instance, villa with pool near nice Spanish beach resort with water parks/other teen stuff, but close to a city like Barcelona, or perhaps the south of France? I'd have liked that as a teen, I think.

chocoluvva · 17/05/2014 16:10

Or Cyprus - amazing water parks, beaches etc

WynkenBlynkenandNod · 17/05/2014 16:24

We're in discussions about this as can see the time approaching when DD won't be interested in going with us and we'd like to get out of Europe once in our lives. Would like to go after GCSE's next year so watching with interest. There's a 5 year gap between our two which doesn't help.

juneau · 17/05/2014 17:53

The Caribbean is also pretty cool and is much cheaper in the summer than in the high season around Christmas/New Year. It can be humid and a bit rainy, but if you do your research and you could have a great time and not get too hot and sweaty.

Bowlersarm · 17/05/2014 18:00

We're planning a last family holiday with our teens next year to California. It looks amazing. I'm loosely planning it-getting travel brochures and books on California out of the library. We're looking at about £10000ish I think.

I'm hoping that if they get the chance to come with us in the future that they will do as well, forever really, but the chances of everyone being available at the same time gets slimmer, I suppose.

Travelledtheworld · 17/05/2014 18:18

I would recommend a Flotilla sailing holiday. Plenty for teenagers to do and it is very sociable for adults and teenagers. Like camping but a bit saltier. Neilsons do a good package in Greece or you can go to the Caribbean if you have more money to spend. Flights are a lot more expensive.

Travelledtheworld · 17/05/2014 18:19

If you do decide to go to the USA look at AirBnB for good value accommodation. They deal with private rented houses which are often people's homes and you will end up feeling like you live ther "

SteadyEddie · 17/05/2014 18:25

We are planning to do Egypt when DS is 16, our other DC's will be 10 and 8.

dementedma · 17/05/2014 18:29

Hate to tell you this but the dds are 23 and 21 and still want a family holiday with us. Only now, assorted boyfriends,friends and nephews/nieces come too!!! Can't get rid of the buggers.
They do have holidays with friends too but still love a family on.

webwiz · 17/05/2014 18:34

We did the last big family holiday last year to California, DD1 was 22, DD2 20 and DS 16. This year we are in a caravan in France and they still want to come with us.

Mrsjayy · 18/05/2014 10:59

We went to florida when dd was 17 it was great although she has been on 2 other holidays with us since last one she paid herself and brought her bf but the last big holiday was fab

Mrsjayy · 18/05/2014 11:00

Tbh dd was never interested In pal holidays

cathyandclaire · 18/05/2014 11:09

We did an RV trip with teen DDs, for the same reason as you, we could see our holiday time with them ebbing away :( We did Vegas, Grand Canyon,across to LA and up the Pacific Coast Highway to San Francisco. It was AMAZING, but even in an RV it ended up being pretty expensive ( though cheaper than hotels I think)
Anyway roll on two years and we're doing a similar thing on the East Coast and they're both coming!

Bowlersarm · 18/05/2014 11:17

Cathy-we are keen to do part of our trip next year in an rv, including incorporating the Grand Canyon. Any tips? I heard that you have to book up the rv sites up to a year in advance, is that true in your experience?

cathyandclaire · 18/05/2014 12:07

We didn't book a year in advance-but didn't go to Yosemite which is the trickiest to book and you have to do it on the day they're released, I think. We stayed at a hotel in Vegas, then this the only RV campsite in the Grand Canyon National Park and were woken up by an Elk polishing its antlers on our vehicle Grin all the other RV parks were commercial enterprises and v easy to book, . In LA we stayed in an RV park in Malibu (beautiful) hired a car and drove back and for, which worked well, although a hotel would obviously be an option.
How exciting, planning everything :)

Bowlersarm · 18/05/2014 12:20

Thanks for that! We aren't particularly well travelled, but Yosemite and San Francisco are places which we have actually been to (camped in Yosemite - bear prints all over our car in the morning...eek), so would be keeping south this time..thinking LA, Las Vegas, Grand Canyon. Want to do some of it in an rv and some in hotels, it's just a bit confusing working out which is best to do where. Unfortunately for me my DC are obsessed with theme parks so the LA bit might have to be a hotel near Universal Studios. But yes, the planning bit is sooo exciting.

MarmiteMania · 18/05/2014 14:35

The best thing you can do with teenagers is a cruise. Not expensive anymore. We did celebrity last year. Everyone gets the holiday they want, eat what they want when they want, all the teens on ship get together for stuff such as Battle of the Sexes, Parties under the stars, all sorts of sports tournaments etc..We had dinner as a family, then they were off till they'd had enough and crashed out. It's the only solution for teens...

Swipe left for the next trending thread