Mums do travel

Travel with and without teens

  • Home
  • Destination
    • UK
      • London
      • Kent
      • Northern Ireland
      • Wales
      • Elsewhere
    • Europe
      • Austria
      • Croatia
      • France
      • Gibraltar
      • Greece
      • Hungary
      • Italy
      • Netherlands
      • Norway
      • Portugal
      • Russia
      • Spain
      • Turkey
    • North America
      • USA
      • Canada
      • Carribean
      • Costa Rica
    • Africa
      • South Africa
      • Tunisia
    • Asia
      • Thailand
      • Bali
      • Singapore
    • Australia
  • Inspiration
    • Things to do in…
    • Things to do in London…
    • Where to stay
    • Language learning
    • Family travel interviews
    • The journey
    • Recipes
  • Published in
  • About
  • Contact
  • Travel shop
Home / Home Featured / How family travel changes as your kids grow up

How family travel changes as your kids grow up

August 7, 2019 by Gretta Schifano 19 Comments

Ad: Bathing Solutions have commissioned me to write this article.*

This is the first year in our kids’ lives that we’re not having a family summer holiday. I’ve always wanted to keep having family holidays for as long as possible, and previously I’ve written about what to do when your teenager doesn’t want to go on your family holiday. But, for various reasons which I can’t go into here, neither my husband or our 16 year-old son are up for family trips this year. Which means that our daughter (21) and I, who both love travelling more than anything else, have had to work out some different ways of getting away.

How family travel changes as your kids grow up

Budapest with my grown-up daughter

I went on a four-night trip to Budapest with my daughter. When our kids were 11 and seven, my husband was based in Budapest for work, and we spent every school holidays there as a family. Exploring the city with my adult daughter was a very different experience to being there with two young children.

Last time my daughter and I were in Budapest together our cultural activities were limited by what she and her brother could endure – their main focus was on what they were going to eat (hotel brunch being a highlight). This time my daughter and I explored the city on foot, walking for miles, and I loved that she wanted to see the sights and learn about the city as much as I did.

Sometimes she researched where to go and then led the way, sometimes I did. Travelling with a grown-up child meant that we could relax over cocktails together in a ruin bar, we could try innovative vegan food in quirky places and both enjoy it, and we could spend hours in the grim and definitely not child-friendly House of Terror museum (formerly the Hungarian Nazi HQ) without either of us feeling bored or scared. You can read more about our trip in these posts:

4-night Budapest city break itinerary

Best places for vegan food in Budapest

Latitude with a friend

I’ve been keen to go to Suffolk’s annual Latitude festival for the last few years, but none of my family have ever been interested in coming with me. Latitude is primarily a music festival, but it also features comedy, theatre, dance, poetry, cabaret and much more.

As Latitude takes place towards the end of the school year, when there are always lots of things happening at home and many lifts are needed, it’s a tricky time for me to go away without the kids. But this year my son finished school in mid-June after his GCSEs, waaaay before Latitude (and my daughter’s old enough to look after herself), so I was free to go along. An old friend also wanted to go, so we booked our tickets and a tent to share and drove there together.

There were more than 500 different acts at the festival and it was impossible to see everything. I enjoyed all of the acts that we saw, but some of the highlights for me were watching George Ezra, Stereophonics, and The Kingdom Choir perform in the Obelisk Arena, Nish Kumar, Katherine Ryan, Mawaan Rizwaan and Maisie Adam holding forth in the Comedy Arena, and the Suffolk Smart Sinfonia orchestra playing music from the Harry Potter films on the Waterfront Stage. I’m really pleased to have made it to Latitude at last. It’s a wonderful festival and it was great to experience it with my friend.

Driving to Cornwall

I went to visit some friends who’ve moved to Cornwall. The easiest way to travel there from where we live is by car, but it’s around a 300-mile journey, which is further than I’d ever driven before by myself. In the past I’ve always found long drives to be exhausting.

I warned my friends that I’d have to stay with them for a few nights, as it would take me a day to drive there and then I’d need another day to recover from the drive. (They very kindly said that this would be OK – phew!) Surprisingly, I actually enjoyed the drive and I wasn’t exhausted at the end of it. Thinking about why this could be, I had a revelation. I wasn’t exhausted because I wasn’t parenting at the same time as driving.

So I could listen to whatever podcast, Radio 4 programme or music that I fancied, without anyone complaining about it or switching it off. I stopped when I felt like it, for precisely as long as I wanted to, and bought whatever food and drink I chose, without worrying about what anyone else needed. Nobody in the car was feeling sick, arguing, asking questions or complaining – apart from when I was shouting at the radio (it was the day that Boris Johnson became Tory leader – what else could I do?). I’m looking forward to many more road trips in the future, now that I know that driving can be enjoyable.

How does travel change for you as a parent as your kids grow up? In a year when we're not having a family holiday, I share how I'm changing the way that I travel and how I'm looking forward to travelling in future. Click through for the full post.

What next?

Our daughter’s going to Greece with some friends. Our son’s happy to stay at home and has no desire to travel anywhere at the moment. My husband and I are planning a few days in Italy, and have been talking about where in the world (basically everywhere) we’d like to explore when the kids are independent, hopefully in a few years’ time. We’ve managed a few short breaks as a couple over the last few years, and it’s reminded me of how much we used to enjoy travelling on our own together, pre-children. Our family’s travel pattern is evolving as we age – and it’s exciting.

Over to you

How have your travels changed over the years? If you’re a parent, what are your travel plans for when your kids grow up?

*Disclosure: This post was commissioned by Bathing Solutions. All words, images, opinions and driving revelations are my own.

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)

Related

Categories: Parenting teens, Teens, Trips without kids
Tags: child-free travel, travel with grow-up children

About Gretta Schifano

I'm a freelance journalist and blogger specialising in family travel with teenagers, trips when parents manage to travel without their kids, and 50+ travel. I also write about vegetarian travel, parenting teenagers, adoption, SEN, ADHD and anxiety. My work's been published by the Financial Times, Guardian, Independent, National Geographic Traveller, Lonely Planet and others. I've lived and worked in Italy and Spain and am now based in rural south-east England with my husband, adoptive and birth kids and our dog. I previously worked as a social action radio producer for the BBC.

Facebook - Twitter - Google+

Subscribe to posts by email?

Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy

Comments

  1. Coralie says

    October 24, 2019 at 12:35 am

    This post really resonated with me, as a single mum to a 16-year old boy, rapidly stretching his wings and preparing to fly off to Uni. We did have a family (me and him) holiday this year and have made plans for next summer, but I feel I’m on borrowed time, so I’m making the most of these precious moments.
    Loving the thoughtful posts in your blog about the challenges and delights of parenting teens – you make me feel that I might just be doing OK!
    Coralie recently posted…A Weekend in York. What to Do + Where to Eat & StayMy Profile

    Reply
    • Gretta Schifano says

      October 24, 2019 at 11:06 am

      Thanks Coralie, it’s good of you to say that. I hope that you manage to have a few more holidays with your son before he flies the nest.

      Reply
  2. visit to world says

    October 14, 2019 at 1:19 pm

    Very nice post really interesting. Thank you for sharing

    Reply
    • Gretta Schifano says

      October 16, 2019 at 7:32 am

      You’re welcome!

      Reply
  3. Sarah says

    October 6, 2019 at 5:23 pm

    I really love this thoughtful post. Travel definitely changes as the kids grow (and you grow!) and everyone gets more opinionated. We are finding it a bit easier right now as the kids are no longer small, and it’s more of a pleasure to be with them in some ways (a bit like you and your daughter in Budapest), but I don’t know how much longer they will want to travel with us, and I’d love to be able to holiday with just my husband sometime too……(that may come all too quickly!)

    Reply
    • Gretta Schifano says

      October 7, 2019 at 10:14 pm

      Thanks Sarah! I know, it’s changing every year for us now. I hope that you have a few more years when you can all enjoy traveling together.

      Reply
  4. Meryl Robinson says

    September 23, 2019 at 2:23 pm

    Our teen graduated from high school last year, but we couldn’t lure her to join us on a family trip for the past two or three years. She preferred summer camps with her peers. It’s not easy for my husband to let her go, but we realize we can’t make her do what we want. We still hope to travel together again later, maybe even with a greater company, I mean son-in-law or grandkids.

    Reply
    • Gretta Schifano says

      September 26, 2019 at 2:48 pm

      It’s true, we can’t always persuade teenagers do what we want them to do. Summer camps sound like a good option. We don’t have them very much in the UK, although here are some companies which provide them

      Reply
  5. Mary Brice says

    September 8, 2019 at 6:54 am

    This was a really good and informative post. It’s always important to be prepared when you travel. Thanks for sharing your tips!

    Reply
    • Gretta Schifano says

      September 9, 2019 at 3:31 pm

      You’re welcome – thanks Mary.

      Reply
  6. Visit To World says

    September 6, 2019 at 4:29 pm

    Nice article. yeah its true that travel is for inspiration and information. thank you for sharing this article.

    Reply
    • Gretta Schifano says

      September 9, 2019 at 3:34 pm

      You’re welcome!

      Reply
  7. Alison Wareham says

    August 29, 2019 at 9:30 am

    Your post really resonated although we are only just at the beginning of our teen holiday journey. We still go on holiday together but I am learning to accept we need to do things separately as you can’t please everyone all of the time! Our two also go on camps independently which is giving us some space and freedom to re-discover short trips as a couple. Parenting is constantly evolving and I suppose family holidays are just one aspect of that.

    Reply
    • Gretta Schifano says

      August 29, 2019 at 2:43 pm

      You’re absolutely right! It’s great that your kids go on camps independently – mine have never wanted to do that, although my daughter now goes on trips with her friends.

      Reply
  8. amara_brown says

    August 21, 2019 at 8:33 am

    Thanks for writing such a wonderful post.

    Reply
    • Gretta Schifano says

      August 22, 2019 at 8:04 am

      You’re welcome, thank you for commenting!

      Reply
  9. Maria says

    August 14, 2019 at 6:26 am

    i Totally agree with your opinion

    Reply
  10. Jenny Young says

    August 7, 2019 at 7:24 pm

    You should enjoy trips together whilst you are young enough and fit enough to enjoy it. You will have some wonderful memories to look back on in years to come. Now it is difficult for us to have trips abroad, I am so glad we had all those exciting adventures to so many places. ie China, Cuba and many more

    Reply
    • Gretta Schifano says

      August 9, 2019 at 9:30 am

      That is very true x

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




CommentLuv badgeShow more posts

Search site

Follow me!

Email: gretta at mumsdotravel dot com
Follow me on FacebookFollow me on Google+Follow me on TwitterFollow me on InstagramFollow me on YouTubeFollow me on PinterestFollow me on Bloglovin

You'd like posts by email?

Booking.com

Most popular posts:

  • Where to find Mary Poppins film locations in London
    Where to find Mary Poppins film locations in London
  • What to do when your teenager doesn't want to go on your family holiday
    What to do when your teenager doesn't want to go on your family holiday
  • 5 of the best: UK castles for family stays
    5 of the best: UK castles for family stays
  • How to pack for an 8 kg luggage allowance
    How to pack for an 8 kg luggage allowance
  • 11 great things to do in Bath with kids
    11 great things to do in Bath with kids
  • Family volunteering holidays
    Family volunteering holidays
  • Exploring Puzzlewood, Forest of Dean
    Exploring Puzzlewood, Forest of Dean
  • Port Lympne Camping Pods
    Port Lympne Camping Pods
  • 60 free things to do in London with a teenager
    60 free things to do in London with a teenager
  • Climbing in London: Up at The O2
    Climbing in London: Up at The O2

Recent Posts

  • How to apply for Italian citizenship: everything we’ve done so far
  • How to explore London’s top attractions from home
  • Amsterdam virtual museum & gallery tours
  • Introducing Armchair Travels
  • How to explore Florence, Italy, from home

About

  • About
  • Published in
  • Contact

Disclosure

This is a personal blog written and edited by me, Gretta Schifano. Sometimes I’m given products or sent on trips to review, but I always make this clear and give my honest opinion. See my About page for full details.

Copyright © Mums do travel 2019
Header by Suzanne Barton
Website by
Callia Web

Sign up for my free newsletter:
Subscribe to the Mums do travel mailing list... it's FREE!
You'll receive family travel news, offers and competitions. Once you sign up you can download my tips for saving money on family travel.
Your information will *never* be shared or sold to a 3rd party.
Sign up for my free newsletter:
loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.