What's best European MH trip for 14 and 16 year olds (1 Viewer)

Jun 10, 2011
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I have two kids - 14 and 16 - and I want to give them a MH trip to remember.

The problem is, what my wife and I would class as a great trip isn't what they'd class as a great trip.

We get lots of short trips in the UK, so I wanted to go much further afield. Last year I dragged them off to Western France, but it rained so much we ended up catching a ferry back to Devon, where we had a wonderful time.

So, this time I can't afford to get my European adventure wrong or they'll never want to come again.

I know the 16 year old probably won't want to be tagging along much longer so I want this to be the MH holiday of a lifetime.

Any suggestions?
 

WynandJean

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Not been myself (yet) but from what I have seen of other funsters experiences this would have interested me as a 16yr old (as if I can remember!)

http://www.puydufou.com/en/

Wyn

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scotjimland

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Morocco...

they will never forget it... the dessert, mountains, forests, the amazing people and culture .. motorhome trip of a lifetime. Five years on our son Paul who was 16 at the time still goes on about how great it was ... he's now married with a baby boy and says that is where he will take him when he grows up ...

On the way, stop at Mimizan and get them surfing ..
 

haganap

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Well having a 13 and 15 year old (boys), I sympathise with you.

But when do you want to go?

If they like clubs bars and Boys or girls, then I can recommend a great lively expensive holiday village right down on the western coast of France, 30 miles short of Biarritz.

If they want adventure, then may be Kyacking down the Tarn Gorges? Rock climbing etc.

This year will be the last MH Holiday that I take the kids on. They hate it, in the summer, Its way too busy everywhere, we get peed off with their insistent whining all the time and feigning sickness to get in the front seat.

We used to love it when they came with us, been all over Europe and really enjoyed it with them, but alas, they now have their own minds and know that Motorhoming is gay because their friends told them so.......

Unless.............


of course...........

we are......


going..........



SKIING----

Now all of a sudden their interested, they ski great having been going for many years, love being couped up in a camper with mum and dad watching DVD's or going to the health spa and being treated like adults. All of a sudden they love motorhoming and think we are so lucky to have one....


This summer will be the last in the van for them..

Next summer I have promised to take them to the USA on a grand tour for a few weeks, taking in New York, Boston ( I have family there) up to Canada via 6 flags theme park, then on to Niagra falls before a journey back in to the US.

They are so lucky but of course, don't realise it, because Johnny at School has an appartment in X y and even Z.

But, im sure they will remember it come when there 30 :Smile:
 

vwalan

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i agree with jim. took my son twice . he learnt the language far easier than an adult .went off with the younger marocs had a great time. plus they see a totally different way of life and culture. infact it can be the biggest shock in anyones life .but get over it and its fantastic. its twelve years since his last trip and he still keeps in contact with a few of the lads he met.

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lorger

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Hi we have a 14 year old Daughter and we have been all over France with her but her best holiday in the MH so far has been Lake Garda and she wants to go back there again next year. We drove down through Germany and Austria and had a great time if this idea interest you and you would like more info just ask.
 

Langtoftlad

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I have two kids - 14 and 16 - and I want to give them a MH trip to remember.

The problem is, what my wife and I would class as a great trip isn't what they'd class as a great trip.

Any suggestions?
:RollEyes: :RollEyes: :RollEyes: Ask them ??? :RollEyes: :RollEyes: :RollEyes:
You might be surprised, do them the courtesy of having a proper discussion & allowing them a real choice.
 

hilldweller

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I have two kids - 14 and 16 - and I want to give them a MH trip to remember.
Any suggestions?

Speaking from experience. They WILL remember. They may moan now. But 20 years on they'll look back favourably.

OK - The most dramatic sight in Europe. Aiguile du Midi. See France, Italy and Switzerland from one spot.

The shrinking glacia in Chamonix. A sign that the climate is changing even if we do not know why.

Chamonix is a great tourist trap. A great campsite near the hospital within an easy walk to town.

Ski museum.

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motorvating

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I have two kids - 14 and 16 - and I want to give them a MH trip to remember.

The problem is, what my wife and I would class as a great trip isn't what they'd class as a great trip.

We get lots of short trips in the UK, so I wanted to go much further afield. Last year I dragged them off to Western France, but it rained so much we ended up catching a ferry back to Devon, where we had a wonderful time.

So, this time I can't afford to get my European adventure wrong or they'll never want to come again.

I know the 16 year old probably won't want to be tagging along much longer so I want this to be the MH holiday of a lifetime.

Any suggestions?

Last year was weird, southern EU either suffered from torrential rain of excessive heat waves.
Bon repos north of Barcelona is good family site, and as long as you don't go at the end of July/August you can easily park adjacent to the beech with full electric, waste water hook up.
Outside the camp are plenty of bars, clubs and restaurants, and the train station is a few minutes walk away, so can get out to Barcelona easily.

http://www.campingbonrepos.com/en/
 

Geo

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Jul 29, 2007
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Im sure they will Paul:thumb:
But when their 30 will you remember them:ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO:
G
 

magicsurfbus

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Kids vary - our eldest stopped holidaying with us at 16, our youngest is 20 and still likes to join us on European trips.

Places depend on their interests - if they're into surf culture I'd say the Biarritz-Anglet-La Barre area, or Lacanau-Ocean during the summer WQS Surf championships. If they're into sail sports and/or cycle tracks I'd say go to La Palmyre.

If it's theme parks, there's Disney/MGM tacked onto Disneyland Paris, Parc Puy du Fou at Les Eppesses, and Parc Futuroscope at Jaunay-Clan, and they're all very different in style and content. In NE Spain you've got Port Aventura, on the Franco-German border there's Europa Park, and around Lake Garda there's Gardaland, and Aqua Paradise which is the most mental waterpark I've ever been to, not least as it's full of Italians. Expect bruises there.

In Switzerland you could take a train up to the top of the Jungfrau (not cheap) and go out onto the glacier for some summertime sledging and snowballing at 3500 metres. It might be their last chance to see a glacier with all the global warming that's going on.

If they can tolerate history and culture, or were into photography I'd say Venice is a must. You could also consider Carcassonne, Pont du Gard, Lascaux, and so on.

On the last weekend of July, Bayonne hosts a huge Basque cultural festival (Fetes de Bayonne) which basically consists of large numbers of people in red and white clothes drinking all weekend, playing music, and being chased by bulls in the Place Paul Bert. It's a bit mad, but it's different. That could fit in nicely with a Biarritz trip.

We've done all of the above, mostly with the youngest in tow, and there's been no complaints.

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yorkieman
Jun 10, 2011
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Morocco...

they will never forget it... the dessert, mountains, forests, the amazing people and culture .. motorhome trip of a lifetime. Five years on our son Paul who was 16 at the time still goes on about how great it was ... he's now married with a baby boy and says that is where he will take him when he grows up ...

On the way, stop at Mimizan and get them surfing ..

Sounds great, but would it not take a long time to get to Morocco from Leeds?
 
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yorkieman
Jun 10, 2011
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Kids vary - our eldest stopped holidaying with us at 16, our youngest is 20 and still likes to join us on European trips.

Places depend on their interests - if they're into surf culture I'd say the Biarritz-Anglet-La Barre area, or Lacanau-Ocean during the summer WQS Surf championships. If they're into sail sports and/or cycle tracks I'd say go to La Palmyre.

If it's theme parks, there's Disney/MGM tacked onto Disneyland Paris, Parc Puy du Fou at Les Eppesses, and Parc Futuroscope at Jaunay-Clan, and they're all very different in style and content. In NE Spain you've got Port Aventura, on the Franco-German border there's Europa Park, and around Lake Garda there's Gardaland, and Aqua Paradise which is the most mental waterpark I've ever been to, not least as it's full of Italians. Expect bruises there.

In Switzerland you could take a train up to the top of the Jungfrau (not cheap) and go out onto the glacier for some summertime sledging and snowballing at 3500 metres. It might be their last chance to see a glacier with all the global warming that's going on.

If they can tolerate history and culture, or were into photography I'd say Venice is a must. You could also consider Carcassonne, Pont du Gard, Lascaux, and so on.

On the last weekend of July, Bayonne hosts a huge Basque cultural festival (Fetes de Bayonne) which basically consists of large numbers of people in red and white clothes drinking all weekend, playing music, and being chased by bulls in the Place Paul Bert. It's a bit mad, but it's different. That could fit in nicely with a Biarritz trip.

We've done all of the above, mostly with the youngest in tow, and there's been no complaints.

Wow! That's a great list to get them well and truly tempted :D

Wyn also suggested Parc Puy du Fou so I took at their web site. It looks like great fun.

Hopefully, armed with the list and all the other great suggestions, I should be able to plan a route that has something that they love.

Alas, unlike me, they prefer to settle in one place for quite a while before moving on, which is understandable. Whereas I'm happy to travel pretty much every day which means we could get to anywhere, whereas if we have to stay put for six days at a time there's only so much we can get in during three weeks.
 
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If my dad asked me when i was 16 - what and where i would want to do- --

Take me to where there are big beer glasses and big women---
thanks dad :thumb:

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scotjimland

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Sounds great, but would it not take a long time to get to Morocco from Leeds?

yes, about 5 or 6 days , so not worth it if you only have 3 weeks... you would need at least a month or 6 weeks to make it worth while and cost effective ..

when we only had three weeks the furthest we went was Spain .,.. and that was a push..
 

scousebird

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When our kids were 14 & 16 we took them to El Delphin Verde near on the coast near just over the Spanish border on the med. It's a huge, not cheap site but the pool is great, the entertainment is great, it had a lovely restaurant (it was 9 years ago) and bar, and the site supermarket was huge and about the same prices as the closest town supermarket. You really don't have to move off the site if you don't want to.
 

vwalan

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hi. how about the west coast of france including brittany. or dependant on what route ferry you take get off ferry turn right stay on the closest road to the sea . always did and still does for us.

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Jaws

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head for Lake Garda and on the way stop of at Phantasia Land ( it is near Cologne in the town of Bruhle ).. We took our 16 and 14year old grandchildren and they are still speaking of it 3 years on :thumb: A great day for all the family

Do one of the high, small Austrian Alp passes on the way to Italy.. Stop off near the top and look DOWN on the clouds below you... maybe walk on the remains of one of the glaciers too

Get to Garda ( or indeed any of the other lakes in the area ) and google austro-italian forts left over from the 1st world war.. bloody amazing places !!!!

On the way back call in to the Knaus camp site at Bad Dirkheim .. It is located beside a tiny private aerodrome and has a great lake to fish in ( even a numpty fisherman like me managed to pull out an 8lb carp ) It is a short bike ride to the town which has some amazing and weird things in it such as a beer barrel that stands about 30 feet high.. It was originally the real deal as all the area used it for a sort of co-op beer brewing thing
There is also a very odd 60ft high wall of brush sticks they run ionised water over to purify the air for the town ( !!?? )
 
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When mine were that age they were in the Explorer Scouts and went away with them.
 

Landy lover

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Depends so much on what their interests are - sea sun sand - history etc etc - grandson is very interested in history and the army - took him to Belgium - Ypres etc and all the battle fields - 7 days and he was facinated - still tells people about it - if we had longer would have gone to Germany and some of the museum there.

When daughter was younger we always had caravan holidays - did not venture that far back then but now she is 40 she refers back to those holidays and how much she enjoyed them and all the wonderful things we did together ( at the time they were the most uncool things you could ever invent :ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO:)

You would be surprised - give them a list of ideas and let them choose - they may like the thought of traveling the Rhine and Mosel and all the history and old castles and villages and vineyards - trips on the water taxis - cable cars etc maybe head for Colditz Auswitz etc

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I can recommend Switzerland in summer!

We took our kids camping every year from 8-15.

if you go somewhere like Zermatt - have to park the motorhome outside the town, or Interlaken , then you have walking, mountain biking, train travel, some sking, sailing, nightlife (within reason).

Not so good though if they are not adventure lovers.

Every two years we all (including their husbands and wives) go on a family holiday.

Switzerland was first choice and we did all the things they did when they were young - so they must have had a good time!!
 
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yorkieman
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Thank you to everyone for your help with this.

You've come up with some terrific suggestions. I want to do them all :D

I'm going to print the thread out and go through it with my offspring and see what tickles their fancy.

I've already got some ideas forming from the suggestions you've come up with so I'll keep you posted on what route we settle on. Should be :D

And any other suggestions will be greatly appreciated!
 

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