Second Trip with teens

Have you considered the Netherlands and Belgium? There are beaches, though the water is cold. I think the main draw for your teens would be that there are so many outdoor activities and sights that are very different from the typical art museums. If this idea seems interesting to you, I can provide more specific suggestions, and I am sure that others on the Forum could do so as well.

How about Denmark, Sweden and / or Norway? The capital cities allow a lot to explore and youth activities, the rural areas offer fascinating outdoor experiences. A round trip in south Norway combined with city visits of Stockholm and Copenhagen is a real good option in summer.

What about Iceland? There are so many fun things to do there and the scenery is breathtaking. Planning for next year would be ideal because most places in Iceland tend to book about a year in advance. We fly from SEA as well as Iceland Air has nonstop flights. Our kids are adults now (30), but their first trips to Iceland were when they were in college and shortly after, and then again in 2021 we did a family trip there for 12 days. We have our 5th trip coming up next month. Fun things to do include guided kayak fishing trip, zodiac boat tour on Jokulsarlon, glacier hike, ice cave, many lagoons/pools, hiking, etc. Reykjavik itself is a fun city and a great place for the first night to get over jet lag and take in what the city has to offer. The Phallological Museum is always a hit with teens, and adults too;)

Perhaps you might consider getting the kids involved with the planning and selection of sites.

~Darrel

They love beaches but also enjoy sightseeing in cities and playing outdoors - so basically anywhere! We do love being by the water.

Right in between the major destinations of Salzburg and Munich is the "Bavarian Ocean" - otherwise known as the "Chiemsee" or Lake Chiem.

Map of Chiemgau region with the Chiemsee

It's dotted with small towns and swimming areas and offers sailing, windsurfing, bike paths around the lake, boat tours, etc. Immediately to the south are the German Alps (mountain lift with hiking options in nearby Aschau) and the popular destinations of Berchtesgaden, the Jennerbahn mountain lift, and the Koenigssee . On an island in the middle of the lake Chiem is Herrenchiemsee Palace (ferry across lake for tours.)

You'd be one hour from Munich and one hour from Salzburg, roughly, for outings into the big city. The town of Prien is located on the main railway between Munich and Salzburg. Other towns are on the same line as well or have connections to the railway.

Wow, thank you for these great ideas! We’ve got some researching to do! I appreciate it. :)

Why not split up the distance to Croatia by doing a layover for a few days on the way? For instance, you could change planes in Frankfurt, but use it to spend a few days in Mainz (doing a 1/2 day cruise down the Rhine to see castles). We did this, and then took the train the next day to a couple of the places we had cruised by. Amsterdam might be another good option.

On the way back, maybe go through Ireland. (Croatia Airlines flies to Dublin.) We spent a week in Ireland on our way home from Croatia.

Some other possible itineraries:

Frankfurt (Mainz), Budapest, Vienna, Prague, Czesky Krumlov, Salzburg, Munich. Fly home from Munich. (We did this on our second trip to Europe, and we loved it. It's not really a beach holiday, but there are lovely baths (hot springs) in Budapest, and Czesky Krumlov has tubing on the river that almost encircles the town. (We hired a private shuttle and stopped at two amazing castles on the way from Prague to Czesky Krumlov.)

Lisbon, Madrid, Barcelona, Nice. Lisbon is one of my absolute favourite cities, and there are beaches a 30-min train ride away (in Cascais), or you can visit some other, coastal areas of Portugal. There are beaches ini Barcelona, and, of course, Nice, too. From Nice, it is a very easy day trip to Ville Franche sur Mer (lovely beach), Monaco, or Cannes, among other towns. (This itinerary would likely be very hot in summer, though.)

Frankfurt (Mainz), Namibia (our summer, their winter, is an excellent time to travel there), Amsterdam. (i.e. spending 2-3 days in Mainz and Amsterdam on the way there/back.) No beaches, per se, but many of the lodges in Namibia have pools. (If this interests you, I can give you the name of the company we used. They will provide a private safari for you, and it won't cost the moon.)

The suggestion of Scandinavia is a good one, although it is very, very expensive to travel there. It is also very worth it, IMO.

How exciting for you and your kids! Happy planning!

Beaches in the USA are better than what I found after living in Europe for four years.
There are many great places to visit other than laying around at the beach.

For scenic places, Switzerland and Austria are great. Go to Interlaken, Switzerland and take in some Alpine scenic places. You can see glaciers in the Summer. Venice is a special city and you could take in Croatia (Dubrovnik and Split for sure).

I wasn't wild about Costa Del Sol. Instead, visit Seville, Cordoba and Granada.

Another scenic place to see is Norway and it amazing fjords. Take a cruise up to the north cape.

I'd suggest -
Venice,
Lake Como,
Tirano Italy to the Bernini Express route to Pontressina, Switzerland ( Alps, mountain biking to glaciers)
Berner Oberland ( gondolas, funiculars, parasailing in Murren, gorgeous hikes in the Alps)
Lucerne
Fly out of Zurich.

So happy that you have these wonderful family adventures.
Safe travels!

We spent a week in Nice, France last July with our teen and she loved it (we did too). Nice has plenty of “big city” activities such as museums, shopping malls, walking tours, markets, restaurants, and so on plus there is beach and promenade. Also, there are many other places you could explore as easy day trips from Nice by train/bus (Monaco, Antibes, Cannes, Eze, etc). Some folks on this forum will attempt to dissuade you from visiting Nice in the summer (the CROWDS!! The HEAT!!) It is crowded and hot, but with good planning (and lots of gelato) you’ll be fine and have a great time!