Plan for fun with teenage travelers

photo Activities like whitewater rafting, ziplining, surfing and stand-up paddleboarding often appeal to teenagers, even when they're at the age where they're not that excited about vacationing with their parents.

Family travel falls into three distinct phases. First, there's the exhausting period of travel with crying babies who need diapers, bottles, strollers, car seats and naps. Then come the golden years, when kids can handle long rides and long walks, when they actually think scavenger hunts are fun, and when they bask in their family's love and attention.

But that's followed by the challenging teenage years -- because to a teenager, any place a parent wants to go is by definition uncool.

Here are five strategies to help you survive. It may not be cool for teenagers to travel with their parents, but you can definitely make it more fun.

FIND APPEALING ACTIVITIES

Teenage brains crave danger. Parental brains crave security. Fortunately, many activities are both thrilling and basically safe, like zip-lining, whitewater rafting and roller coasters.

Teens also like trying new things. Let them try surfing, stand-up paddleboards or snorkeling. No reason mom and dad can't sit that stuff out, by the way -- the kids will surely learn faster than you, and you wouldn't want to be humiliated.

If activities involve spending money, discuss limits ahead of time. And if shopping's on the itinerary, don't forget thrift shops as fun, bargain alternatives to malls and brand-name stores. Like the song says, "Is that your grandma's coat?"

LET THEM EXPLORE

Let teens explore on their own as much as possible, whether the setting is a theme park, mall, beach, festival or neighborhood. If everyone has cellphones, it's easy to keep track of their whereabouts, but you can also plan the old-fashioned way: "See you at 4 p.m. at the fountain (or the car or the hotel room)." Casually add that you're prone to panic and will call the cops, have their names broadcast over public address systems, or write "WHERE ARE YOU?" in shouty-caps on their Facebook pages if they're late.

BE FLEXIBLE ABOUT ITINERARIES

Maybe you like museums, gardens and historic sites, but your spouse likes 6 a.m. sunrise hikes, preferably up steep mountain trails. Guess what? Your kids will sometimes rebel and you'll have to sometimes compromise. Being flexible about itineraries and letting kids help plan is critical to family travel happiness.

Let kid stay at the hotel while you've gone hiking. You do botanical gardens alone while the others goto a zoo. Skip alleged must-sees because the kids don't want to do them, and really, what's the point? It's vacation, not medicine.

There's also no harm in letting them sleep in or hang out at the pool while you visit an art show or antiques store.

Some families plan trips by letting each person pick one place for the group to visit, alternating adult choices with kid picks, and limiting museums to an hour if kids don't want to be there. Sure, you want to see the "Mona Lisa" in Paris, but you needn't spend all day at the Louvre. Another museum strategy: Let teens sit somewhere playing with their phones while you power walk through a gallery or two.

And even if you can't get teens psyched about museums, they might love street art. Many cities have neighborhoods where graffiti -- illegal or sanctioned -- is a tourist attraction, like Wynwood, Miami or Bushwick, Brooklyn. Look for walking tours; your guide might even be a cool 20-something who'll impress the heck out of your kids.

BRING A FRIEND

Friends can make trips more fun and give parents time to relax while kids hang with their buddies. But consider a trial-run sleepover at home first to get a realistic preview of your prospective guest's habits. Can you handle overly picky eaters, screen addicts and kids who either won't go to sleep or won't wake up?

If you can afford accommodations with a separate room for teens -- even if it's just a pullout sofa in a living room with a TV -- that might also make everyone happier.

Inviting another family -- parents as well as kids -- to vacation with you is another option, depending on budgets and logistics.

GIVE A TEEN A JOB

Let them drive on a road trip. Put them in charge of taking pictures. And with all their digital know-how, let them navigate when you're lost.

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