Holidays with teenagers: The 10 best holiday ideas for teens
From wakeboarding and windsurfing to holiday parks with great games rooms and free internet access, there's no chance of boredom for the teens on these holidays.
Holidays with teenagers can be a challenge but we've found ten great holiday ideas for family holidays with teenagers.
Holidays with teenagers might seem like a tricky thing to plan but we're here to help if you're struggling for ideas! From wake-boarding and windsurfing to holiday parks with great games rooms and free internet access, there's no chance of boredom for the teens on these holidays. It's important to fit in some good quality family time and as your children get older it can be more fun as your relationship with them matures and grows as they do.
Top 10 ideas for holidays with teenagers
Quicksilver Surf School at The Esplanade Hotel
Based in Newquay, Cornwall, The Esplanade Hotel is right next to the famous surfing spot Fistral Beach. Not only does the hotel itself make for a lovely getaway, it plays host to the Quicksilver Surf School! The kids will love taking on the waves and learning a new skill. You can book lessons as a family for some fun bonding time, or get two minutes to yourselves and send them on their way whilst you put your feet up or take a dip in the heated indoor pool. Visit: www.esplanadehotelnewquay.co.uk or call 01637 873 333
Devon adventures
Woodovis Park is a five-star holiday park with accommodation in tents, caravans, motorhomes, caravans, luxury holiday homes, cottages and even glamping pods - pets welcome too. Facilities include a pool, games room with pool table, table football, air hockey and pinball. There's also giant Connect 4, outdoor table tennis and a Pétanque court. Wifi is chargeable (after the first half-hour) so great if you want to limit internet time on holiday. In high season, there's weekly archery and water-walking sessions plus a twice-weekly hog roast. Best of all, it's ideally located for activities such as wild swimming, tree surfing, kitesurfing and abseiling - and guests at Woodovis Park can get discounts. You can also canoe along the River Tamar or learn to surf on Cornwall's famous North Coast. Teens will especially enjoy the buzz of zip wiring along one of Europe's longest, highest and fastest aerial runways at Go Ape in nearby Haldon.
Visit: www.woodovis.com or call 01822 832 968
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Stay at Alton Towers
One of the best theme parks for teenagers in the UK is Alton Towers and their on-site adventure-themed Alton Towers Hotel and Caribbean-themed Splash Landings Hotel make it easy to turn a theme park trip into a fun weekend or short break with teenagers – plus you get an extra hour at the park before it opens to everyone else. In addition to the adrenaline-fulled rides like The Smiler, the world's first 14 loop coaster, Nemesis, Oblivion and Th13teen (the world's first free-fall drop coaster), there is also a water park with everything from lazy rivers to the Rush 'n' Rampage high speed water slide and the Master Blaster water rollercoaster. Visit: www.altontowers.com or call 0871 222 1100
Go active with Hoseasons
Hoseasons has been running its Go Active family holidays for several years with 660 locations across the UK and Europe where professionally trained activity leaders organise activity programmes. These include 'Go Wild' with white water rafting and rock climbing, 'Go Pro' which offers professional coaching in archery and fencing and 'Go Discover' for horse-riding and mountain biking. One of the flagship parks is Finlake Lodges on the edge of Dartmoor in Devon which offers high ropes, abseiling, caving, surfing and Sea Scooters. Visit: www.hoseasons.co.uk or call 0844 847 1100
Back-to-nature camping
For a cheap holiday and a real countryside adventure, Cornish Tipi Holidays offers just that, from wild camping in their meadows and swimming in a secluded lake to cooking dinner over an open fire – something of a rarity at many other campsites. The campsite has flushing toilets and hot showers with accommodation in rainproof tipis and bell tents, fitted with groundsheets, warm rugs, camp stove, kitchen essentials and cool box. Swimming, fishing and boating are the most popular activities and there are hammocks by the stream for lazy days. If you don't want to cook, the Yurt Café in the meadow is very handy. The campsite is off the National Grid though so you can't use or recharge any electrical appliances - perfect for encouraging your kids to leave the Play Stations at home and get back to nature.
Visit: www.cornishtipiholidays.co.uk or call 01208 880 781
Freestyling teens at Parkdean
https://www.facebook.com/ParkdeanResorts/photos/a.1755633414703899/2259608310973071/?type=3&theater
Parkdean have 67 holiday parks across England, Scotland and Wales and operate as the UK’s largest holiday park operator. Accommodation ranges from comfortable caravans, luxurious lodges and limited selection of cottages, apartments, to chalets and even some houses. For teenagers, Parkdean's Freestyle Club for 10-15-year-olds offers activities like Create your own celebrity magazine cover, Shoot a holiday ad for Parkdean, sports activities and talent shows. There are also surf schools at Ruda Holiday Park at Croyde, North Devon and at Holywell Bay Holiday Park near Newquay, Cornwall, dive schools at Sea Acres Holiday Park on Cornwall's Lizard Peninsula and even a ski slope at Warmwell Holiday Park near Weymouth, Dorset.
Visit: www.parkdeanholidays.co.uk or call 0844 335 3450
Paris for teens
Booking the Eurostar train to Paris is a great way to persuade your teenagers to come away with you. For you, it might be about seeing famous sights like the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, Arc de Triomphe and Sacre Coeur or the Mona Lisa inside the Louvre art gallery. Some teens will love this too but other activities include riding the Paris metro, Sunday markets along the Seine River, taking a Batobus boat trip or renting bikes. Interesting sights include the legendary catacombs in Place Denfert-Rochereau, a tour of the football stadium Stade de France for any football fans and the surreal Salvador Dali Museum in Montmartre.
Visit: www.eurostar.com for regular deals and check websites like www.trivago.co.uk, www.hostelbookers.com and www.paris35.com for cheap Paris hotels.
Water fun in the Cotswolds
https://www.facebook.com/DeVereHotels/videos/vl.187472588682158/1580921131963300/?type=1
With over 140 lakes at the De Vere Cotswold Water Park, teenagers who love watersports will thank you for booking a stay at the nearby Four Pillars Hotel. Watersports on offer near the hotel include kayaking, canoeing, wakeboarding (pictured), waterskiing and windsurfing while the Cotswold Country Park and Beach has everything from bike hire and barbecues to high ropes adventure. As well as bed and breakfast, the hotel offers self catering apartments for easier family holidays.
Visit: www.cotswoldwaterparkhotel.co.uk or call 01285 864000
La Manga, Spain
A popular choice for families with teenagers is La Manga Club on Spain's eastern coast. This brilliantly designed resort is an activity hub with a on-site tennis, football, rugby and cricket academies plus three championship golf courses and a new Leadbetter Golf Academy which is the only one of its kind in mainland Spain. The resort also has a games zone with Xboxes, pinball, table football and PS2 games while evening entertainment includes karaoke and discos. Nearby attractions include the Torrevieja Water Park and the River Safari Park. With cheap flights to Murcia and Alicante, it's worth checking La Manga Club's special offers which include full-board accommodation, daily activities for kids and adults, spa access, resort credit and free shuttle bus.
Visit: www.lamangaclub.com or call 020 3301 3810
All aboard
Canal boat holidays are different enough to engage even the surliest of teens. They can get really involved in opening locks, steering the boat and planning routes, plus there are lots of opportunities to sunbathe, mess about on a laptop or play games as a family. You can mix up self-catering with pub lunches and many routes often pass interesting sights and fun attractions. You can moor up in Birmingham's city centre, stop at Warwick Castle or visit Old Trafford. Tuition, parking and linen are included in the basic price for most boat hire packages.
Visit sites such as www.discountboathire.com, www.latelink.com and www.waterwaysholidays.com for boat hire deals.
All-inclusive Neilson
Neilson Holidays are one of the best for teenagers due to the number of activities on offer. Explore lots of locations across the UK and beyond with options like skiing, cycling, water sports and tennis on offer. There is sure to be something for everyone and if you need a little more inspiration you can take the online quiz to help refine your choices.
Visit: www.neilson.co.uk or call 0333 014 3351.
Found a fab place for holidaying with teenagers? Let us know in the comments or head over to our Facebook page to join the conversation - we'd love to hear your suggestions.
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