Travelling with teenagers
Teenagers can make excellent travel companions for adults. They are able to tackle mental and physical challenges in the same way as adults and in many cases are fitter than adults. They also can be flexible with meals and do not need babysitters. They can however also struggle with too much attention and time with mum and dad and do like their personal space.
The key to travelling with teenagers is to take into account that teenagers like to spend time with other teenagers and so this should be part of the planning process. One of the best things about travelling with teenagers as they can also fully participate in the planning process and you should give your teenagers some responsibility for choosing an activity or restaurant on a particular date.
A family holiday that is full of variety, freedom and a high degree of activity with the chance to meet other teenagers will be ideal. Getting up early is not however top of the agenda for teenagers and you will need to bear this in mind if there are early starts on the agenda. In many cases teenagers are studying geography, history and literature and trips can be both educational and have great cultural benefits. They also love retail therapy and adrenalin sports and these can be great options for adults and teenagers alike.
If you are flying, on-board entertainment is important for teenagers as is encouraging them to bring things to occupy themselves including books, DVDs and personal stereos.
With teenagers on holiday you should respect the fact that they are approaching adulthood and give them some responsibility. Give them local currency so that they are responsible for their spending and try to give them a break from parental concerns about laziness or food issues.
We have prepared some articles on what to pack, what to bring on a journey as well as several lists on how to entertain the children while you're travelling through the various ages and hope these are helpful.
You will find lots of family friendly travel
tips and advice in our research and advice section to help you book the
right family holiday. Check out also the experiences of other parents and
travellers in our parents
forum and add your own experiences as we are a great believer in real
parent's experiences as the best measure of whether somewhere will suit you for
your family holiday.
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