Top 10 Tips on Family Travel with Teenagers

6) Space for Everyone

Cramming the family into one hotel room isn’t fun for anyone. Teenagers value their privacy and need their own space. And remember, it’s your vacation, too. If your budget allows, book two hotel rooms. And two separate hotel rooms are preferable to a two-room suite because you won’t have to share bathrooms! Hank Shaw, a California father of two teens, recommends that families create a “special family knock” so that kids know when it’s safe to open the hotel room door.

7) Allow for Some First Experiences

Teens mostly like to do “cool things”—swimming with dolphins, getting a mani-pedi or hiking across a glacier. Vacation is a great time to indulge your teen with new experiences, and parents should be willing to go out of their comfort zone as well. I rode my first horse, took my first golf lesson and soared on a zip line through the forest because of my teens. It has all been a blast!

8) Put Technology in its Place

It’s reasonable to set limits on your children’s screen time during meals and activities when you’re on vacation. But teens need their downtime, and they love their cell phones, iPods and e-mail. Stateside, have your teens bring their cell phone. They can text message and call their friends. But most importantly, you can reach your teen. Overseas, pay for Internet access every few days. When we travel abroad, my kids stay in touch with their friends via e-mail. And if it’s summer, my boys always check Redsox.com for the standings!

• Even when on a family vacation, teens will want to keep in touch with friends via text messaging.
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9) Parents Are Not a Piggybank

Teens love to spend money, and shopping may well be the highlight of the vacation for them. Give each child a spending allowance to pay for souvenirs and extras. When it is “their money” they’ll think twice before making a purchase.

10) Establish Rules, but Cut Teens Some Slack

Safety rules such as using the buddy system when venturing out are important. You should expect your teen (for the most part) not to fight with their siblings. Help your kids pack light so you don’t incur those onerous new luggage fees, but insist that they carry their own luggage. 

But what if your teen keeps a messy hotel room or wants to sleep in late? You may want to look the other way. Dr. Vicki Panaccione, a psychologist specializing in parenting, says the real key to vacationing with teens is—you guessed it—lots of compromise.