Ideas for the Best Vacations for Teens

Family travel with toddlers and babies is so much different than family travel with teens. It’s definitely easier, because you don’t have to worry about packing strollers and other gear, and teens are so much more independent. But in some ways, it can still be complicated.

Teens generally don’t have as much time to travel, between school schedules and extracurricular activities. Planning around these things can be challenging, and can often result in the necessity to travel during busy times. Add in your teen’s own desire to spend time with friends at home, and you’ve got a limited window to vacation.

In addition, teens have their own interests and need activities and amenities that they will enjoy. A small park with a playground may be the perfect vacation pit stop with a toddler but won’t work with a teen.

Wondering where to go on vacation with teenagers? Here are some ideas for the best vacations for teens – so that you can have fun and create fantastic memories.

Disclosure: We’ve visited some of these vacations with teenagers as part of press trips with complimentary/discounted stays. All opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links and we may benefit financially if you click through/purchase through one of these links.

The Best Vacations for Teens For Memory-Making and Fun

If you are traveling with teens, I highly recommend getting them involved in the planning process. Not only is it a great way to teach them, but it also makes them part of the experience all the way through. Have them help choose destinations, activities, lodging, timing, and food.

Road Trip Vacations With Teenagers

One of the best family vacations with teens is the quintessential family road trip. There are so many fantastic road trip itineraries that you can take with teens – whether you decide to rent a family RV, or use your own car and stay in hotels each night. Consider a trip through California, starting or ending in San Diego, and stopping in Los Angeles and San Francisco.

Or, make it your mission to stop at several national parks or state parks. If you have special interests, like baseball, you could even plan a trip to see several ballparks.

Depending on your time, you may consider a cross-country vacation. Just be sure to do plenty of advance planning, because some places will require reservations, and some don’t allow large RVs. When you have plenty of time to travel, you’ll want to plan this well in advance.

Family Cruises with Teens

While I often see many families with young kids on cruises (especially the Disney Cruise Line), I think the teen and preteen ages are perfect for a family cruise.

At that age, kids can take advantage of the teen clubs, and many make their own friends when they are cruising, leaving you with some free time on your own.

Many cruise lines have teen clubs for ages 13 to 17, with teen-friendly amenities, including private pools, kids’ spas, video games, DJs, special parties, and more. On the Disney Cruise Line, for instance, there are several clubs – a tween club for kids aged 11-14, and a teen club for kids aged 14-17.

Another benefit of cruising with teens is their autonomy. They’ll have their own key cards and can walk around the ship independently.

Now that my kids are older, my husband and I can go to the adult-only restaurant and hang out at the adult-only pool while the kids go to the shows, visit the tween/teen clubs, and explore the ship.

Before booking a family cruise with teens, you’ll want to research the ship to make sure there are plenty of activities that your teenager will enjoy. With teens, I would focus more on the actual ship and a little less on the itinerary.

International Adventures With Teens

I’ve always loved traveling internationally, so I was thrilled when my kids were older and ready to be on a flight for long periods (although I know many people who fly long distances with much younger kids). An international adventure is one of the best vacations for teens.

We started with an easy trip to Canada, where we visited Quebec City. This beautiful city has a European feel and is the perfect first international trip for kids. The local culture here is similar to that of a European country, and it’s accessible for US travelers whether you are flying or driving. Because of that, it’s also more affordable.

Over the past few years, we’ve traveled on family adventures to Portugal, Italy, London, Paris, Greece, Costa Rica, and Switzerland, all fabulous destinations for teens.

Because we were unfamiliar with Italy and Greece, we decided to take an Adventures by Disney trip. The kids loved making friends with other travelers. These are definitely fantastic trips for those with teenage family members in the group.

When planning an international vacation with teens, I would ask what interests them. My two kids unanimously voted on England and France for one of our family vacations because they both wanted to see Big Ben, the Eiffel Tower, the Mona Lisa, and the other iconic landmarks/attractions in the area. When they choose their vacation destination, they feel ownership over the vacation.

Caribbean Vacations With Teenagers

The Caribbean has beautiful resorts and gorgeous islands that are perfect teen vacations. Whether your teens enjoy lounging on the beach, exploring the ocean, participating in water sports, or learning about sea animals, you can find the perfect destination in the Caribbean.

Some of the most popular activities for teens in the Caribbean include stand-up paddle boarding, parasailing, rescuing and tagging sea turtles, snorkeling, scuba diving, and jet skiing.

One of the most popular all-inclusive resorts in the Caribbean is Beaches Resort, located in Jamaica and Turks and Caicos. I had the opportunity to visit the Turks and Caicos location as part of a complimentary press trip, and I was so impressed with all of the activities for kids of all ages. For teens especially, they offer a teen club, and Xbox area, and a water park.

Because of that, we have returned to Beaches Turks and Caicos at our own expense three times. Rarely do we go back to the same place year after year, but this is a special vacation destination.

Theme Parks With Teens

My kids have always enjoyed theme parks, but as they’ve gotten older, they have enjoyed them even more. Instead of chasing characters around the parks, they are running to the thrill rides.

Our experience has changed – now they can spend later nights at the parks and aren’t as interested in getting there first thing in the morning (I still try to get us there at the park opening, though).

During our trip to SeaWorld San Antonio, my husband and I relaxed on a bench while the kids ran from ride to ride. Thankfully, they didn’t need us to go with them because I just can’t do that many thrill rides in a row anymore.

If you are considering visiting a theme park with teens, consider pairing it with another family-friendly attraction or destination. One idea is a Disney Land and Sea vacation, where you go on a Disney Cruise after visiting Walt Disney World.

Ski Vacations

I’ve only been skiing a few times, but I envy those visiting beautiful ski towns and resorts. If your teens enjoy skiing and/or snowboarding (and other outdoor activities in the snow), a ski vacation is a great idea.

Depending on where you live, you can even plan ski trips for long weekends without spending a whole school vacation week there. Even if you aren’t an avid skier, most ski mountains have camp and/or lesson programs where kids (and adults) can learn how to ski regardless of their experience level.

If you aren’t as into skiing as your kids, find a resort with a nice lodge and perhaps a spa you can enjoy while they are on the slopes.

History Vacations With Teenagers

Kids who have already learned about various historical events may find vacationing in a historical place fascinating. My kids especially loved visiting Greece after learning about it in their Ancient Civilization class (get an idea of what your trip to Greece will cost). Washington, DC, is another fabulous family travel destination, and the teen years are perfect for a family vacation.

If you are planning a history vacation with your teens, I’d recommend including them in the planning process. Make sure you are visiting a place they will enjoy so they aren’t bored. Mix in some fun with education and history so they still have a great time while learning.

Adventure/Action Vacations

If your kids are daredevils, consider adding at least some adventure or active component to your family vacation. Some ideas of adventure travel include outdoor adventures such as rock climbing, ziplining, and whitewater rafting.

If you aren’t sure how much adventure your family will enjoy, plan a small adventure activity during your regular family vacation to see how much you enjoy it. Start with something small, like horseback riding or whale watching, as part of a trip.

This past year, we went to Costa Rica, which included white water rafting and ziplining. The kids loved it, and it was one of our favorite vacations.

City Vacations with Teens

My kids love visiting cities. There are many things to do, including museums, parks, landmarks, and other attractions. You’ll never get bored during a city vacation.

Our favorite city to visit is New York City. It’s about 3 1/2 hours from our home outside of Boston and includes more activities than you can do in three or four trips. This is another destination where I let my kids decide much of our itinerary. Even if it rains, New York City still has so much to do.

Have you vacationed with teens? What types of things have you done, and what have you enjoyed the most?