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Travel / Travel Gear
By Holly Johnson, CNN Underscored
Updated 9:11 AM EDT, Mon May 22, 2023
Traveling with teenagers can be especially rewarding since — like it or not — you may only have a few more years where they’ll willingly come along on your vacation. The travel memories you make with young adults will become priceless, even if your teenagers are fickle about what they eat, what they wear (or what you wear) or where they go. As such, you’ll want to do some careful planning to ensure your family vacation with teenagers has some of their needs — and their wants — in mind.
Beyond picking a teen-friendly travel destination where your children have some interest or where they can find activities tailored to them, you’ll also want to make sure your teen has everything they need for a satisfying and stress-free trip. This means packing items like portable chargers, TSA-approved toiletries, tech organization kits, travel-friendly hair styling tools and more.
As the mother of two teenage girls who I have brought along on trips to more than 30 countries, I know a thing or two about traveling with teenagers. We’ve also talked with some family travel experts to offer you advice on everything you should consider buying and packing for your next trip with teenagers, whether you plan to take a cruise, relax at an all-inclusive resort or take your children on a sightseeing vacation through Asia or Europe.
Colleen Kelly, host of the PBS series "Family Travel with Colleen Kelly," is a parent of two teens who have traveled with her for her work and leisure since they were small children. When it comes to packing for her girls, Kelly always packs granola bars and other easy travel snacks for her bag since some flights don't offer much in terms of food, and some only offer cookies or pretzels her teens don't necessarily want.
"Also, even if you feed the teens at the airport prior to the flight, which we do, they always seem to be hungry a couple of hours later," Kelly says.
Looking for a healthy travel snack? Consider dehydrated fruit snacks from Rind, which are offered on Amazon and easy to throw in a backpack or purse before a flight.
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Kelly says she also brings travel water bottles on trips in order to be as eco-friendly as possible while they're on the road. Plus, it saves money since bottled water in the airport is so expensive. If you need a travel water bottle that will hold up and keep your drinks cold, consider the 26-ounce Yeti Rambler, which comes with a chug cap and is our pick for the best overall water bottle.
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"Nothing is worse than when you get to a destination and your shampoo has leaked all over and the bag is filled with soap," Kelly says. These three refillable silicone travel bottles are leak-free and come in a TSA-friendly size so you'll make it through airport security without being stopped. Check out our full review of the Humangear GoToob+ bottles here.
Teen travel influencer Réka Kaponay of Dreamtime Traveler, who has visited 52 countries on six continents, says some of her favorite travel items include a good book and a travel journal where she can write down her thoughts.One of our favorite travel journals is the Leather-Bound World Travel Journal from Mark & Graham. Not only is this travel journal sturdy and well-made, but it can also be customized so you can give it as a gift.
Since Kelly has daughters, she also suggests considering the Apreuty Clear Makeup Bags for teens. These bags are not only affordable — $16 for a set of six — but they're also clear so you can easily see what's inside each of the containers. Teenage girls not only have hair products but also makeup, toiletries, shampoo and more, and this set keeps it all organized, Kelly says.
Kaponay swears by her favorite packing cubes, which are "popular for a reason." She adds that keeping her clothes and shoes separated into multiple cubes with different shapes and sizes has been a huge time-saver.There are numerous packing cube sets you can buy, but we recommend the six-pack of packing cubes from Bagail since they're affordable, durable and washable.
Some of my family's teen travel must-haves include Harry Josh cordless pro styling tools — specifically the cordless ceramic curling wand and straightener. They're some of the only — and, in our experience, the best — cordless hair tools on the market today.Not having a cord to deal with means my daughters only need a mirror to style their hair, and this helps prevent arguments and timing issues when we're traveling in small spaces. This is especially true in cruise cabins where space and outlets are at a minimum.
The Pop-Up Water Flosser from Smile Direct Club is another must-pack item since one of our daughters has braces. This flosser is 50% more effective than regular floss, and it's collapsible and easy to throw in a carry-on bag.
Another must-pack item we've grown to love is the Capa Hybrid Insulated Hooded Jacket from Cotopaxi. This jacket is insulated but light, making it ideal for the types of trips when there are crisp mornings, mild afternoons and chilly evenings when you're out and about.
It's also a good idea to bring a handful of small and compact travel games along on every trip with teens — it gives you something to do together when there's downtime. Our three favorite games for travel include Bananagrams Duel, Five Crowns and Uno.
My girls swear by Ponyback Hats that feature a hidden space for their ponytails to push through. These hats keep their faces out of the sun while helping them create a stylish and cute look at the beach or when we're out sightseeing.
Kaponay recommends bringing a digital travel scale along on trips so you know how much your bags weigh. If you want something basic, consider the digital luggage scale from Freetoo that's less than $15. "You have no idea how many times having a mini, portable, digital, travel scale has saved me from having to pay exorbitant extra fees on plane trips around the world," Kaponay says.
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Teen traveler Josh Band of A Backpacker's World says portable chargers are a must for all travelers of all ages, including teenagers. "Keeping your devices charged is not only important for taking photos and keeping your socials up to date on your travels, but it's important for navigation, communication and personal safety, too," he says.The Belkin Boost 5K is ideal for teens since it has enough power to charge multiple devices more than once before it needs to be recharged.
Band adds that having a tripod is crucial when it comes to getting photos for Instagram and other social media. Not only does a tripod help you get the best photos on your trip, but you don't have to ask strangers to help, either.The Sensyne 62-inch Phone Tripod and Selfie Stick from Amazon is a good option since it can work as a regular selfie stick, but it also has a tripod handle that lets you use it for longer-distance photos. The handle is adjustable so you can move your camera to get the height, angle and lighting just right.
A crossbody belt bag is a must for teens who want a way to carry their phone, cash and cards hands-free for the day. This particular bag from Monos features an adjustable crossbody strap that lets it be worn as a crossbody bag or as a sling. A secure zipper enclosure keeps all your personal items safe, and this bag is offered in nine different colors. Overall, the crossbody belt bag is ideal for hiking trips, sightseeing trips and even cruises or resort stays where your teen will want to have their phone with them at all times.
Having teens on vacation means you'll have an array of cords, charging blocks and devices to keep track of. The Peak Design Tech Pouch lets you store and organize all these items in a single place, and it has space for cords, small tablets, phones, sunglasses and more. There are several side compartments for storage, and an inside zipper pouch provides another place to store important items. This travel tech organizer even offers a pass-through cord feature that lets you charge devices without taking your cords out.
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The AirFly Bluetooth transmitter can make plane travel with teens considerably better, especially if your kids are averse to headphones that plug in. Essentially, this adapter makes it possible to wirelessly transmit audio from in-flight entertainment, gym equipment, gaming devices and more directly to your favorite Bluetooth headphones or earbuds. Read our full review of the AirFly here.
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Speaking of earbuds, make sure your teen has a pair for your trip. They don't have to be name-brand, but you'll want earphones for everyone in your crew so they can listen to their devices in peace (and without disrupting others nearby). This pair from EarFun is affordable at $60 and is our pick for the best budget true-wireless earbuds, offering AirPods Pro-quality sound.
If your teen has their own laptop they want to bring on vacation, a laptop sleeve from Harbor London lets them do exactly that but with protection and in style. This laptop sleeve is offered in several different sizes, but the Slim Leather MacBook Sleeve Case from Harbor London is ideal for the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro 13-Inch, MacBook Pro 14-Inch and MacBook Pro 16-Inch. The leather sleeve ensures a laptop can be safely kept in a carry-on bag or a briefcase without scratches or other damage. At the same time, its sleek construction keeps the bulk to a minimum.
A hanging toiletry bag is a must for teens who want to bring makeup and other small toiletries while keeping organized before and during a trip. The hanging toiletry bag and makeup organizer from Arlo Skye does exactly that. Offered in black or mint green, this toiletry bag has several zippered compartments for small items like lipstick, eyeliner and tweezers, as well as a mesh interior pocket. The bag zips up so it can be easily kept in a carry-on bag or checked luggage, and its built-in hook means you can hang it from a door or wall when you arrive on vacation.
Having a travel jewelry case is nice for teens on vacation who might want to bring different sets of earrings, bracelets, necklaces and other accessories along. We like the Benevolence LA travel jewelry case, which also made Oprah's list of favorite things in 2022. This particular velvet jewelry case zips up on all sides to keep your jewelry safe and secure, and it holds rings, earrings and more in several unique compartments to avoid tangles.
Want to make sure your teens and tweens have something to keep them busy during your longest travel days? Pick up a Nintendo Switch Lite, which is a portable game console with built-in controllers. The console itself comes with a 5.5-inch LCD touchscreen, and it has enough battery power for three to seven hours of play. You can even link up to eight Nintendo Switch Lite consoles so kids can get involved in games together during your trip.
Help your teens have more fun on vacation by giving them a new way to capture memories. The Fujifilm Instax Mini 11 is ideal for this purpose since it instantly prints pictures on the spot. Use it over and over again for vacations to come with refillable film.
Looking for a travel credit card? Find out which cards CNN Underscored chose as ourbest travel credit cardscurrently available.
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