Published 28th Jun. 2021
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Time to take a deep breath, bite your tongue and get ready for battle. Or - just as likely- get ready to enjoy some really quality time with your pubescent progent and discuss things in a mature manner. Ha, who are we trying to kid? Joking aside, these years can deliver some genuinely fruitful, fulsome family travel. Your children are now of an age when they may start going on holiday with their friends' families, but while they're on your watch, here's a few ground rules so you don't have to ground them...
Teenagers come in all shapes, sizes, temperaments (the full garment from surly to stroppy) and ages. After all, a 19-year-old and a 13-year-old only really have the suffix '-teen' in common, so while we've lumped them all in together for the purposes of this blog post, a holiday with multiple teenagers really needs to be a lot more nuanced, with the elders enjoying a modicum more freedom, particularly of an evening.
*Adopts hushed David Attenborough tones* As instinctive pack animals, teens gravitate to others of their own species. The ideal teen holiday would allow them to meet and interact with other adolescents, including ones of the opposite sex.
Set your camera to the highest possible shutter speed if you want to capture the exact millisecond your teenager smiles in the family group shot. However amazing the trip (and it most certainly will be if you book through us), no self-respecting teen could possibly look like they're having a nice time.
If you're going on a 'fly and flop' holiday and there's even a whiff of them being sent to a kid's club you may find your teens in open rebellion. That said, some clever places have excellent teen-friendly facilities (Exhibit A, Verdura Resort in Sicily with its mocktail making and teen hang out area) that don't feel too contrived.
Older teens might consider being seen on holiday with their parents akin to instant social suicide, but take them to a seriously cool destination and they may, just may, see that parents have some benefits. Besides, they can always edit you out of the photos on their Instabrag feed.
Practical advice and inspiration for your next trip
This blog is a love letter to a type of holiday I can't recommend enough – the Bonding Holiday. At its heart is a simple belief: shared experiences strengthen relationships. These are trips where just two family members travel together – parent and child, grandparent and grandchild, godparent and godchild. The best ones revolve around a shared interest – art, music, wildlife, food, history – and the aim is beautifully straightforward:
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Sometimes, all we want is to go on holiday with the sole purpose of lying on the beach and reading a good book. There’s nothing wrong with that – holidays are for rest and relaxation after all – but they’re also a great chance to dive into the culture of a new country and try something completely different to what you’re used to at home. When you’re travelling with children you’ll want to soak up every minute with them, so why not embrace a busier schedule and experience new things along the way?
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Travel has many benefits, from immersing yourself in another culture to escaping the burdens of daily life, all while allowing you to learn and evolve. Many travellers are now looking to extend these positive impacts to their entire clan, with multi-generational travel emerging as an increasingly popular way to see the world. This takes the concept of a traditional holiday and broadens horizons so that every generation of your family is included.
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We work with you to build an ultra-personalised holiday itinerary with your choice of accommodation, experiences and activities
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