Travel with teens: Europe or the Caribbean?
Where to go and what to do with teenagers on vacation
Full disclosure: I’m a teen who used to live in cold Canada, and now lives on the island of Providenciales in the Turks and Caicos. I know, lucky right?!
My new home is obviously a sweet deal, but last fall I was fortunate to also be introduced to another part of the world. My parents took me to Europe. I’m writing this for my family’s blog, because I figure there must be parents out there wondering if they should take their teens to the beach, or the old continent.
I had never been overseas, so I was curious. I knew it was popular and had read about it enough in school, but wasn’t sure what our days would be like and if I would like it. To be honest, I wasn’t excited about sitting on a plane for so long, especially having to wear a mask.
We spent months planning this vacation and visited Spain, Portugal, France and Monaco. When we first got there, we went all out. We explored using every type of transportation imaginable: cars, trains, Tuk Tuks, electric bikes and scooters. We also ate in some great local restaurants. That was really cool.
Coming from a small, tropical island, I’m used to being outside and on the water. In Europe, I was really surprised by ALL the people. Despite the fact that we were in October, thousands of people were surrounding buildings and walking down the streets. Traffic was crazy and when I saw loads of people walking in cold, damp weather, suddenly visiting cities didn’t seem as fun to me.
I know what you’re thinking: It’s Europe and there’s culture and history and so much to see and learn. This is true. And if you have teens that are less physically active or enjoy these things, I’m sure they’d love to see Europe.
For me and my friends though, fun is about adventure and activities. We prefer having things to do, instead of things to see.
You may say I’m preaching for my own choir. And you’d be right. But as a teen of parents who host families all year round, I can tell you that most teenagers agree with me. Heading to the Caribbean where you can play in crystal clear, warm waters, jump from an old shipwreck, swim with dolphins, kitesurf (this is my sport and you can learn easily while on the island), hang out, relax and just have fun sounds really good to most. Plus, teens won’t tell you this, but it’s pretty cool getting to spend time with their parents, in a relaxed, vacation setting. We’re usually all so busy in our everyday lives.
We’ve hosted a lot of people over the past few years. I say ‘we’ because even I have gotten involved. I love shooting vacation videos for our guests. My parents have written about it a lot on our blog. There are loads of articles with family reviews and information on activities that you can show your teens. For example, we recently went whale and stingray watching in Grand Turk. That was fun!
Turks and Caicos all inclusive villas are the perfect way to relax and enjoy all the beauty of this tropical paradise. With White Villas, you can choose from a variety of luxurious villas, all of which include all meals, drinks, and activities. Soak up the sun on your private beach, go snorkeling or scuba diving in the crystal-clear waters, or explore the lush rainforest. With White Villas, you’ll have everything you need for an unforgettable vacation.
Hope to see here some day and if you have any teen-related questions, don’t hesitate to ask and visit my Instagram page.
Max
PS: My parents may or may not have edited this article to correct a spelling mistake or two. 😉
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