Traveling with Teens- Ages 13 and 18

TEENS
Is that 13-14, or 18-19.?

A 13 year old and a 19 year old have much different likes.

Well why not ask them ?!! I’ve taken teens ( actually my youngest was 11 and my oldest was 14 and one in between ) and we believe teens and older children are perfectly capable of co reuniting to the great feee holidays we provide them but doing some research!!! It’s dead easy if even a 11 yr old can google “ sights near —-“ .

My then 13 ur old son “ discovered the Catacombs “ in Paris and it was a hit with my boys .

Also look at bike tours - Fat Tire does a great one out to Giverny ( in country ) and the night bike tour is a hoot ( they are fun tours not althetic ones ) and includes a boat cruise .

For London the things that immediately come to mind are Tower of London (maybe skip the Jewel House but be sure to do the Yeoman Warder free tour) and the British Museum ( mummies and other very cool stuff). The Museum of London seems to be very popular with school groups - I'm not sure I've ever visited when I didn't see groups of kids there including kids who appeared to be middle and high school ages.

Sorry this is a gender-related remark but I'm not sure how much Bath would appeal to boys. If they are interested in Roman ruins, then yes. Otherwise to me it's heavy on Jane Austen which I love but others, not so much. There are wonderful examples of Georgian architecture and there is the Herschel Museum of Astronomy if they are interested in star stuff. Herschel was the observer who discovered Uranus (which in and of itself should get some mileage, lol).

https://herschelmuseum.org.uk/

Paris - The Army Museum I find really interesting. They may enjoy the Rodin Museum as the big sculptures are out in the big garden and it's just so cool to step thru a gap in the hedge and see The Thinker. I'm guessing the Eiffel Tower as well.

Have a great time! It's so fun to introduce kids to travel!

I would definitely sit them down and ask them. Most teens, when asked, will have very specific items they want to cover. I still remember when I was 11 years old and my sister was 16 and we spent a summer in Italy, we both had a group of things we wanted to do that were the same (beaches, shopping, Vatican, Trevi fountain), but we each had things that were high on our individual bucket lists. Among mine: go to the Capuchin Crypt in Rome to see skeletons, see giant foot and hand statues at the Capitoline Museum in Rome, see the Bridge of Sighs in Venice and walk across it, see the 2 bronze Moors statues striking the bell in St. Mark's Square, go to a special exhibit on Leonardo Da Vinci. If I could come up with that list at Age 11, well before the internet was available, your boys have a similar list in their heads but probably aren't voicing it because they assume you are doing all the planning.

Make them an active part of the planning process. My mom made us see so many cathedrals and historical sites they all started looking the same and you can see in the photos we looked a little tired and bored after awhile - but looking at photos of us doing the things on our bucket lists you see we were way more engaged. Get them thinking about places outside of the normal big ticket guidebook type of sightseeing they might want to visit - there's entire websites devoted to that stuff, like Atlas Obscura. Let them mix things up a little bit each day based on some of their interests. Or let them go off on their own in a certain area for an hour or two - you can keep in touch with them via texting or FaceTime. Maybe they'd like to do something like rent bikes or scooters for a few hours and go ride them in a large park. Let them think outside the box and come up with ideas to share with you.

Don't just ask them, suggest that they do the Internet research on possibilities. Then take their advice on a few sites. If the older is above 14 or 15, they can go off on their own when they get tired of the old folks' cathedrals, and report on their adventures at supper. They will make it their vacation trip too.

I traveled with my kids all over Europe from ages 5 up through teenage years.

In my opinion, once they are teens, treat them like adults. Take them to all the historic places, museums, etc. that you would normally go. Have them read books in advance about where you are going. Understanding the history will add to the enjoyment.

I do remember so things that my kids enjoyed doing in particular. In Paris, they loved going up the Eiffel Tower and taking a Seine River cruise.

The Roman Bath Museum is a must see, you can even see some of the original plumbing put there by the Romans that is still working.

My kids liked the Tower of London as well.

Be advised that your 18-year-old will probably be considered an adult for most things. The 13-year-old will probably be considered a child.

That could affect costs a bit, especially when it comes to lodgings. You will likely need to find a place for however many adults you are including the 18-year-old and 1 child. That will be different from your previous trips to Europe. Booking.com can help with identifying lodgings for the group.

It's no doubt blasphemy, but I never drank the Harry Potter Kool-Aid. However, if anyone in the group is interested, there are many Harry Potter tour options including the Warner Brothers studio tour which my 40+ daughter-in-law loved.

We also live in central IL like the OP. Can US students apply for a NUS (National Union of Students) card or is it only for UK residents? My 18yo granddaughter is planning on getting an ISIC (International Student Identity Card) from UIS before our trip to London in June. Will the ISIC card get her similar discounts?

We traveled all over Europe and elsewhere with kids ranging from 5-17. We lived in Germany for four years and the Middle East for 5 years.

I believe that kids in there teens should visit adult places and be exposed to history, art and culture. Still, the things that my kids loved were:

Eiffel Tower and Seine River cruise in Paris. Climbing to the top of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome as well as the Tower in Venice and Doumo in Florence. Also, they loved the Sistine Chapel and didn't want to leave until I explained all the frescoes.

They loved the Eagles Nest and top of the Zugspitze in Germany.

I suggest that you ask them to read books or internet sites about where you are going. Ask them what they want to see. Just type in Things to Do in TripAdvisor for the city you are visiting. Get their feedback.

Bath is great. We took a Free Walking Tour then did the Cathedral and Roman Bath Museum on our own. The Museum is great, you can see some of the original plumbing the Romans installed that is still working.

Versaillies is an amazing palace. Have them read the history of the palace and grounds, including that the Treaty ending WWI was signed there.

For London, the Tower of London was fascinating to my kids. Westminister Abbey is amazing. The people buried there, like Sir Isaac Newton. If they are interested in WWII history, the Churchill War Rooms is an option.

London:
Westminister Abbey ( consider The London Walks tour)
Tower of London
Tower Bridge Exhibition
Royal Naval Academy and Royal Observatory in Greenwich
Natural History Museum
Imperial War Museum
Jack the Ripper Walk through www.walks.com
Theatre ( see what’s on via https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/whats-on )
Brick Lane
Portobello Road Market
Using the Underground
Windsor Castle
Petrie Museum
Ceremony of the Keys ( the nightly locking up of the Tower of London.) MUST BOOK WELL IN ADVANCE.
Visiting a Pub
See what’s scheduled at Wilton’s Music Hall

Loads to do and see in London. Save Paris for another trip.