The six week summer holidays seem like a perfect time to get the whole family together for a break. However, when you have teenagers, they’ll often want to stay at home near their friends and their WiFi connection! So, how do you come to a compromise, and get a holiday that you all agree on? Well, why not try a city break? City breaks mean that your teenager does not have to be bored lying around the pool all day and will get to see a bit of culture to take back to school with them! Here’s how to make a city break work for your family.
Choose the destination together
When shopping for your holiday destination, get your teenagers involved! Have a look at what’s on offer i.e. day trips, events and shops. This way, you’ll book a destination knowing that there are aspects of it that all of you will enjoy.
Give them an individual budget
If your teenager is older, they may be able to gather their own spend. If not, you should give your teenager their own personal allowance to spend whilst on holiday and allow them to keep anything they have left at the end. Doing this gives them the feeling of independence that they want!
Choose WiFi
It is unrealistic to expect a teenager to go a whole week without the internet. Choosing a hotel with wifi, even if it’s just in public areas rather than in your room, will keep them happy!
Allow some downtime
It’s great to plan an active holiday where you’ll visit museums one day and go hiking the next, but it’s very important to plan for some relaxation time. Choosing a hotel with some leisure facilities or planning a day where you just take it easy will do the trick!
Teenager friendly activities
Look for engaging activities in your destination such as paintballing or sports activities that your teenager wouldn’t normally do at home.
Holidaying with teenagers can be difficult when they’re too old for kids clubs but not old enough to go off alone. Using the tips above can help!
Top teenager friendly city break destinations:
New York
Admittedly, quite far away & expensive, but by far the most exciting city-based destination. Teenagers can go shopping, catch a basketball/Yankees game or visit the Central Park Zoo.
Paris
Soak up the culture in Paris with visits to the Louvre and the Sacre Couer and take the kids to Disneyland Paris for a fun family day out.
Gothenburg
Gothenburg, Sweden is host to a major amusement park and a waterpark. Perfect for all ages!
Dublin
Hop on, hop off bus tours allow you to explore this Irish gem, with the National Leprechaun Museum for kids and the Guiness Storehouse for adults!
