How To Plan Memorable Family Vacations With Teens

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Please note that a few of the links in this article are actually affiliate links. This means that if you click on them, I will get a commission, without any extra cost to you. I only recommend products or services that I personally tested and highly recommend.

Planning family vacations can be time-consuming. Trying to plan family vacations with teens can be even trickier, with schedules and personal opinions. Either you love travel planning or you dread it. Fortunately, I love it.

I’ve been planning all the details of our family vacations for nearly 20 years, and it got harder when our teens came into the mix. Between school and activities, not to mention the time they want to spend with friends or part-time jobs, our schedules became nearly insane.

I’ve outlined your ultimate guide on how to plan memorable family vacations, with your teenagers below. Pick and choose your topics in the outline below, but all of my tips offer some form of saving time when planning your travel.

I knew that when we traveled together, we became closer. Without all of the distractions above, travel provided the downtime we and our teens needed.

My number one tip would be to sit down with your family and block your schedule for travel. Which, fortunately, is item number one on the list!

Jump To:

Select Travel Dates

The best way to plan family vacations with teens is to start by selecting your dates. Often, I see advice that says you should pick your destination first, but with busy teen activities, the first thing you need to know is when you can go before you decide where.

We use a family calendar that everyone has access to in Google. You could do a written planner, or even a wall calendar. Just make sure you’ve sat down and added in everyone’s obligations.

This way, you’ll know if it’s the best time to visit a destination. For example, I would not recommend Orlando during Spring Break because of the immense amount of families that have the same time off.

Alternatively, if you want to visit a destination during Mardi Gras, you have a longer window. (Many Mardi Gras celebrations take place from January to February.)

Knowing your dates first can also help you select the best deals or a destination that might be in low season during that time of year. Peak season is always going to result in higher rates. At the same time, you may score good deals if you select a destination during the off or shoulder season.

It’s how we went camping in Crystal River during a three-day weekend when we were all off. It was January and we were excited to see the manatees.

Remember, too, when you plan family vacations, it does not have to be a full week or a 2-week excursion. It can be a long weekend. Often with older kids and school obligations, a long weekend may be a good idea to get some much-needed downtime in.

How to Select Your Vacation Destination

Now that you know how much time you have to plan the family vacations, it’s time to have some fun! This is part of the planning process where you can get the whole family involved.

In the past, we’ve done this or that lists, secret ballot, and finding places that are on someone’s bucket list.

For example, with this or that, you can map a beach or mountain, city or nature, camping or luxury. A secret ballot means throwing everything into a hat and finding which has the most votes. Finally, if someone has a bucket list destination, we try to do that too.

While we’re focused on family vacations with teenagers, if you have young kids too, consider their activity level when choosing destinations, hotels, etc.

Use Pinterest

The first place I always turn to make travel plans is Pinterest. Whether I’m searching for something new or planning a full destination itinerary, Pinterest is still chock full of ideas.

Pro tip – Create a family board with your spouse and teens. This gets everyone involved gives you a better idea of what everyone likes to do.

Family Travel Bloggers

Pinterest articles will probably lead you to some travel bloggers.

Travel Bloggers do what they do because they have a love of travel and seek unique travel experiences. Poke around their site. Likely, there is more than one article about the destination you’re planning your trip.

Hit up the travel blogger on email, Facebook, or Instagram (they should have their channels linked) and ask what they recommend. It’s a great way to get an experienced viewpoint.

While travel bloggers are sometimes compensated or gifted with experiences, it is still required that they give honest reviews. Find more than one for a complete opinion. While sites like TripAdvisor and Yelp also provide reviews, I have noted that companies sometimes pay people to write reviews as well. While these companies are cracking down on fake reviews, it’s still taking these with a grain of salt.

Use Visitor’s Bureaus

If you’re not using Visitor’s Bureaus to plan your trip, you’re missing out. Start with your state or destination country’s visitors bureau by searching on Google. Then drill down to the city you want to visit.

Follow them on Instagram, sign up for their mailing list, and request brochures to be mailed to you. These can also give you valuable savings and ideas to add to your travel itinerary.

Working with visitors bureaus have led us to food tours in Sarasota, unique stays in Savannah, and things to do in Kansas.

Guide Books

Both as inspiration and in planning your trip, guidebooks still come in handy in the internet age.

For inspiration, I turn to guidebooks such as 500 Places to Take Your Kids Before They Grow Up, or 1000 Places to see in the United States and Canada. If you have an area you’re already planning, these books may give you some ideas you hadn’t thought of. It’s how Noah and I decided to visit the USS Constitution in Boston.

If you know where you’re going, get a travel guide specific to that area. It’s nice to have on hand to bookmark, jot notes in, and take with you on the road.

Travel Memoirs

Have you ever read a book, like Eat, Pray, Love, for example, and known you had to visit a place? Travel memoirs give us a descriptive feel for a place that a guidebook can’t always do.

If you haven’t read travel memoirs before, check out a few of my favorites here. These can lead to great inspiration for both where to travel and what to do when you get there.

Use Facebook – Looking for Recommendations

Have you used Looking for Recommendations on Facebook before? If you have a destination in mind, you can ask your friends and family for suggestions on what to do or where to eat. Last year, when we traveled to Savannah, I did this. I would not have known about Mrs. Wilkes’ Dining Room if I hadn’t, and it was one of the best pieces of advice we received.

How to Set a Family Vacation Budget

Now that you have some ideas and dates, it’s a good time to figure out your vacation budget.

You may know what you want to spend, and can base your hotel room, flights, car rentals, and activities on what you allow.

Or you may look at family vacation packages or the things you want to do and set your budget around how much it’s going to cost.

Either way works, and I’ve done it both ways to plan our family vacations with teens. It may depend on how long you have to save versus what you want to save for.

My Travel Planner has worksheets included that help you research the cost of accommodations, activities, etc so that you can build the perfect vacation budget for your family. You can use the code WELCOME for 25% off.

For an in-depth step-by-step guide to setting up your family vacation budget, read here. I also included this in the travel planner, among many other ways to plan your vacation.

Set a personal budget for your teens

I also recommend helping your teens set a personal budget for what they want to do or spend their money on vacation. This can be a spending limit, setting them up with their own line of credit on a prepaid credit card, or setting a spending limit on the hotel room or cruise ship.

Having a budget on what he could spend, my son purchased artwork in Times Square. He still has it up in his room today.

Buy an Entertainment Guide

Are you familiar with Entertainment Guides? It used to be that you paid $20 for a physical book and you had access to hundreds of coupons. Did you know you can buy an entertainment guide outside of your city? You can download their app and use it that way. It’s only a few dollars a month, so no need to purchase the full $20 book. We used this to get discounts on dining when we visited Philadelphia and discovered the oldest pub in the city!

✨ Ready to Make Family Vacation Planning Easier?

Feeling overwhelmed with where to start or how to keep all your ideas in one place?

🎯 My Family Vacation Travel Planner was created for busy parents just like you — who want to plan meaningful, low-stress trips without losing hours to spreadsheets and second-guessing.

✅ Includes budgeting worksheets, date blockers, destination brainstorm tools, activity planning pages, and more.

💡 BONUS: It’s packed with teen-specific planning tips so your whole crew is on board (and maybe even excited)!

🔽 Download your copy today and start turning “We should take a trip…” into real memories.
👉 Grab the Family Travel Planner – 25% Off with Code WELCOME

Choose Your Flights

Next up, choose and book your flights.

I recommend Skyscanner to start with your price checks and set up alerts for the best prices.

Usually, if you can fly mid-week, like a Tuesday or Wednesday, you’re likely to get a better fare.

Something to consider, if you’re choosing low-fare airfare, be sure to check for things such as add-ons like luggage, checked or carry-on, seat assignments, and more. These low-fare flights can be worth it, but the add-ons can add up fast too.

If you’re traveling for a long weekend, international travel may not be the best bet. You’ll spend too much time on long flights. The same goes if you have layovers. You want to have more quality time with your family than shuttling them around.

If you have more time and want to travel internationally, make sure you’re also checking if everyone’s passport is up to date, as well as visa requirements, so that you can budget accordingly.

Consider a Road Trip

I often opt for a road trip to save money. Even if we don’t drive to our destinations, I use Roadtrippers Map & Route Planning.

I use this site to plan our routes and to find interesting things along the way. It’s not just for a road trip. You have to get around when you get there. Get the premium subscription with $5 off with my code BTR5QTP

Regardless of how you get there, make sure you include gas and/or car rental expenses in your budget.

Choose a hotel or home rental

Choosing where to stay could be one of the most important things to plan your family vacations.

Deciding between family-friendly hotels, or having the entire palace to yourself affects not just your accommodation part of your travel budget, but your dining and activities as well.

Consider things such as an included breakfast or a kitchen to make most of your meals. Do your teens need their own space, so a place with more than one bedroom is important? Should it be within walking distance of your activities or will you have a car available?

Choosing where to stay can also depend on your destination. If you’re heading to the beach, you may choose between a beach resort or a home rental with steps to the ocean. If you’re choosing a major theme park or one of the amusement parks, staying on the property with a meal plan and shuttle transportation makes it more convenient.

My go-to sites to plan our family vacations with teens are:

VRBO – for pricing out home rentals
Hotels.com – & Booking.com & for pricing out and comparing hotel rates.

Book with one brand of hotel

If you want to simplify your travel plans, pick one hotel brand and stick with it. This can simplify your travel planning and save you time. Plus, if you have hotel rewards, you’ll be on your way to earning more! Check out the Best Hotel Rewards Here.

Right now, we’re choosing Hilton as our go-to hotel brand. I selected them because of previous stays and accumulated points. But also because I can check in from their app, and have a digital key card. No need for me to even visit the front desk, especially when I’m road-tripping and only staying one night.

Choose your Activities and Downtime

Likely, when you were choosing your destination, you had some activities in mind. Whether you’re visiting historical sites, local culture, or Walt Disney World, choose activities that match your family’s personal travel style.

If you need ideas, you can see 21 family vacations with teens here where I break down vacations by adventure, downtime, culture, food, and more.

Speaking of downtime, make sure you plan in free time when choosing your activities. Your teens do not want to be on the go the entire time. They will want, and need, ample time to decompress, relax, and of course, catch up with friends. While it might be our version of a perfect family vacation, spending every minute together is not ideal in their minds.

My go-to site for choosing activities is Viator. You can book now and pay later, and they offer free cancellation.

I’d also recommend buying an activity pass. An activity pass is a bundle pass that offers the top attractions in a destination at a discount. You can check out my list of attraction passes here. Ofte,n these save you a lot of money.

Give the Teens Things to Do

Keeping your teens occupied during the actual travel portion of your vacation is important. Some of the leading ideas include crossword options, video games, books, magazines, and more.

It’s okay if you don’t get it perfect. We’ve had trips where it all fell apart… and still made great memories.

Get Travel Insurance

One of the most important things you can do for your family members is to get travel insurance. You do NOT need to buy the insurance with your flight or cruise reservation. You can, of course, but there are other options

Axa Travel Insurance protects your entire trip, not just flights. Protections include trip cancellation, delays, lost luggage, and canceled accommodations. More importantly, even if you’re traveling domestically, travel insurance provides added medical coverage and evacuation.

Personal note. We had to use the medical portion of travel insurance a few years ago when my husband ended up in the hospital. The travel insurance took care of necessary things like canceling and rebooking flights, and covering medical expenses that the insurance didn’t cover. Having this peace of mind with the support of the travel insurance company made an extremely stressful situation just a little easier.

Make sure if you run into problems, you keep all your important documents and statements together. Travel insurance does not pay these things up front, but reimburses you for the cost of what you may have to pay.

Use a Packing List

Finally, when it’s time to head out on your amazing family vacation, give everyone a packing list. While it might be easier in your travel planning brain to pack everyone’s things, your teens can and will want to pack their own items. By giving them a packing list, they are responsible and accountable for remembering things like headphones and chargers.

It also ensures that all items are easily accessible and easy to locate when needed. Save time by avoiding having to go back and forth to repack things or buy new items. Finally, it can provide peace of mind that everyone in the family will have what they need to enjoy their vacation with no unexpected surprises!

How can I involve my teenagers in the family vacation planning process?

Involving your teenagers in the planning process can make them feel more invested in the trip. Consider creating a family Pinterest board where everyone can pin their ideas and preferences. You can also delegate specific tasks to each teenager, such as researching activities or restaurants at the destination.

What are some tips for managing conflicting schedules and preferences with teenagers?

It’s common for teenagers to have busy schedules and varying interests. To manage this, try to find a balance between accommodating their preferences and prioritizing family time. Consider scheduling some activities that appeal to everyone and allowing individual free time for each teenager to pursue their interests.

How can I ensure that my teenagers stay entertained and engaged during the vacation?

Keep your teenagers engaged by choosing activities that cater to their interests and energy levels. Look for destinations with a variety of attractions, such as outdoor adventures, cultural experiences, or theme parks. Encourage your teenagers to research and plan some activities themselves to increase their excitement and involvement.

Final Thoughts on How to Plan Family Vacations with Teens

Planning a family vacation with teenagers may present its challenges, but it also offers the opportunity for unforgettable experiences and bonding moments.

Involving your teenagers in the planning process, setting a budget, and choosing accommodations and activities that cater to their interests, you can create a trip that everyone will enjoy.

Remember to be flexible, prioritize family time, and allow for some individual downtime to ensure a well-rounded and stress-free vacation.

With careful planning and consideration, you can create cherished memories that will last a lifetime for you and your teenagers. Happy travels!

🎒 Ready to turn these tips into a real trip? Grab my Family Travel Planner — and start planning with ease. Use code WELCOME for 25% off!

How to Plan Memorable Family Vacations with Teens – Ultimate Gude!

Select Travel Dates