It’s definitely not one of the most ideal situation to be in if you’re trying to escape from the routine and boredom of corporate life. They seem to be the opposite when it came to Santorini in Greece. We were able to get separate tours tours tours thanks to the great plan made by the travel agency on this magnificent island. That way the kids were able to enjoy the more vivid parts of the island while we were on our wine tour learning more about the history of vines and the volcano as well.
I would love to know where you folks have traveled with older children so I can get advice! We tend towards nature vacations with moderate hiking, animals, biking, water/swim/boat. Here are the bigger trips we’ve done with our teens-college age:
- Costa Rica (near Manuel Antonio Park)
- South Africa (all over but Garden Route and Kruger were highlights)
- Maui
- Scotland
- Hong Kong (city life, shopping, food, architecture)
- France (Paris, Avignon, Nice and prefer Province)
- Jamaica (Negril on cliffs)
- Tokyo and Kyoto (prefer the latter)
- Mexico (Puerto Vallarta really liked, Riviera Maya less so)
- Venice (loved but crowded with tourists)
- Bali (beautiful countryside with outdoor activities)
- Switzerland (Oberland great hiking)
I’m wanting to do a Canada trip maybe to Banff in summer or Quebec, a Pacific Coast drive, and the Florida Keys. I’m thinking the last option this summer bc we can drive to FL and not bother with flying. Maybe get a boat rental for keys to explore in our own.
What are you all doing this summer, if anything.
Add Iceland to your list. It will check all your boxes! This was the one vacation that far exceeded our expectations for adventuring. Superb hiking in canyons, extinct volcanoes, in caves, behind waterfalls, etc… we also went snorkeling in a tectonic fissure, white water rafting, horseback riding, whale watching etc… food was amazing too!
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We’ve been traveling with the kiddos since they were in elementary school (now 15/17). We’ve done a few European trips (France, London, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Ireland) – of those they enjoyed Italy (been there twice) , Ireland (hit Dublin and also drove around the country) and Spain the most. We also did Yosemite National Park during April vacation 2 years ago and they liked that a lot - tagged on Monterey & Carmel at the end. My kids also really like cities - we’ve done NYC lots of times as well as San Francisco, DC and Chicago. We are going to San Diego & LA this summer both to enjoy the weather and, also, to check out a few CA schools with my older son. Unfortunately, I don’t think a trip abroad is in the cards this summer with the covid situation still unsettled.
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@momofboiler1 I just saw that Iceland is allowing visitors if vaccinated. And it’s indeed somewhere I’ve wanted to go. We have a younger child who won’t be able to get a vaccine for a couple more months. Hoping that Pfizer 12-15 trial finishes soon! If not this summer, then next for Iceland. All those activities do sound exactly like the vacay we like. Did you figure it all out yourself or did you do it on an organized tour? I’m usually a DIYer with trips but it does take a lot of research. Where in Iceland did you stay and could you do everything from that location?
@Thorsmom66 We were supposed to do that CA trip to see schools last summer but had to cancel. Did it with older son a few years back. Would love to hit some of the big state parks like Yosemite one day.
I highly recommend Yosemite- beautiful (although going off peak is preferable as I understand the summer crowds are nuts). Since we’re in New England we’ve also done Acadia national park and that is really beautiful as well.
We planned the trip ourselves. Our home base was Reykjavik and we rented a car. We definitely had days where we were in the car a lot but it was worth it. The scenery is breathtaking and there were plenty of places to park and explore.
I recommend looking at Arctic Adventure’s website to get ideas of what to do and see but I’m not a fan of organized tours.
Let me know if you want more information. I can PM you our entire itinerary.
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