‘By handing over some planning to the kids, I could relax’: readers’ favourite trips with teenagers in Europe | Family holidays

Slovenia’s raft of adventure activities

Slovenia! We started in Lake Bled. Teens loved the Dolinka ziplines, the summer toboggan run, hiking in Vintgar gorge and swimming in Lake Bled. You can hire paddleboards and boats. If you have the money, there is rafting and canyoning too. After seeing the incredible Postojna cave, we went up the Vogel cable by Lake Bohinj. Half-board at the Bohinj Eco hotel kept the teens amply fed and it also has an aquapark, bowling and plenty of games to boot. We finished the trip off with shopping in Ljubljana and the best ice-cream ever at Romantika. Three happy teenagers.
Sue

All aboard in the Netherlands

Our favourite family holiday was to the Netherlands: taking turns playing captain guiding electric hire boats on canals; tilting our ice-cream cones at windmills at Zaanse Schans; cycling to the broad, clean beaches for mocktails in cabanas; Amsterdam for the colourful Pride parade counterpointed by a quiet, calming visit to De Poezenboot (which teen could resist a cat sanctuary on a canal boat?). And staying in Haarlem in an apartment with speedy wifi kept the teens happy while we indulged in morning strolls through medieval cobbled streets to Grote Markt for coffee and people-watching.
Annette

An Italian castle at hostel prices

When I saw the picture of Ostello il Castello di Santa Severa in the Guardian in 2019, I thought it was too good to be true, but it’s genuine. We have been twice with our teens, and sent friends too! A mile-long beach where teenagers can roam and paddleboard, an easy train journey to explore Rome, lunchtime pizza slices with locals cheering on the footie at L’Angolo delle Crepes. Plus the opportunity to sleep in a castle at hostel prices. Fluffy white towels aplenty, but also a gleaming kitchen if you want to cook. Don’t miss the nearby necropolis for an Indiana Jones-style adventure. Fireworks over the castle and a hilarious Italian Beatles cover band were the ciliegina sulla torta!
Margaret

Dracula and bear-spotting in Romania

The best European trip with my teen (so far) has to be Romania. We stayed in Brașov, booked an apartment with a pool and had the best time. There is so much to do and lots of easy public transport. We ate outdoors at little cafes on the street, took a cable car up the mountain, went on a trip to see bears in the forest (up close and personal!), had a tree-top adventure at Adventure Park and visited Dracula’s castle. The town itself is historic and beautiful, and the people are so welcoming. It’s not your typical British tourist destination but it makes for a fabulous adventure.
Kate

When in Rome … take a Vespa tour!

Rome in October half-term. Coliseum and Forum tours gave the right balance of interesting history, fun facts and a bit of gore that most teenagers would be entranced by! Walked a lot without seeming to walk a lot. A two-hour Vespa tour was the highlight. You hang on to the drivers and they negotiate the traffic, show you a different Rome with local knowledge and attitude. To complete the adventure: guaranteed great food, gelato and, for weary parents of an evening, vino cheapo!
Ruth

Austria’s Alpine summer wonderland

Saalbach-Hinterglemm in Austria in the summer meant hiking, ebiking and waterparks. Take advantage of the Joker card for free or reduced-price access to lots of activities. Hire a car to make the most of local resorts with lakeside beach clubs, alpine zoos, glacier visits and summer toboggan runs. Plenty to keep teens entertained.
Hilary

An epic train journey across Europe

Last summer I went with my two children on a trip north through Scandinavia, then back via the Baltic countries. This turned into an epic 5,000-mile train journey, which we each took part in planning. The 10-year-old’s focus was on cycling, swimming, play parks and cat cafes. The 14-year-old took us to the KGB headquarters in Riga, a tour around Berlin, and a visit to the Deyrolle taxidermy shop in Paris. By handing over some planning and responsibility to the kids, I could relax; they were engaged in activities away from their devices and their geography knowledge improved!
Sarah Patel

Cosmopolitan and exotic Antwerp

Antwerp by Eurostar was perfect. Coffee and buns at Pakt every morning, cool galleries like MoMu and Fomu every day, kilo vintage shopping, art nouveau streets, incredible Korean, Vietnamese and Nepalese restaurants, and bikes! Perfect October break.
Georgia

Postcard from the edge of Belleville, Paris

A brief holiday for us this year with our 15-year-old son but it was plenty – five nights in a gorgeous apartment on the edge of Belleville, Paris, not far from Buttes-Chaumont. He’s the age where we can enjoy both Disneyland and then take in the Hockney retrospective at the stunning Fondation Louis Vuitton. Back at base we watched city life unfold from our French windows and then sampled Lebanese, Laos and French meals in the bustling streets around. Nearer to town, the family-run Eats Thyme is a standout.
GingerGigolo

Winning tip: Oompah and cable cars in Bavaria

A two-centre holiday to Munich and Garmisch-Partenkirchen in Bavaria, Germany, is a must with teenagers as there is so much to see and do. In Munich they loved the atmosphere in the beer halls – eating pretzels and listening to the oompah band and watching the Rathaus-Glockenspiel in the square. A visit to the Olympiapark is also recommended. In Garmisch-Partenkirchen there is a toboggan run, which is great fun, and nearby is the beautiful Zugspitze mountain and cable car, with boating on Eibsee lake. Bavaria has plenty to keep teenagers entertained and active, for a very enjoyable holiday.
Richard Watkins