I have mastered using points and miles that has allowed us some amazing trips that we otherwise couldn't take. Just today I booked our flights and pre-cruise hotel for an Alaskan cruise next summer with DS who will be 11. Total for all of us was $174 for flights (taxes) and $0 for hotel with points I had. This has been on our bucket list for a long time and I hope to take DS to all 50 states by the time he goes to college. We are at 23 so far. For international travel we've done 2 Europe trips and now I start saving for another big one summer 2025. DS really wants to go to Greece - sounds good to me!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Boundary Waters, MN. And the Badlands. I like to camp with my kids and we don’t have the budget for big international trips but I’ve always wanted to go to these two places.

Add nearby Custer State Park to your Badlands adventure. This is a gorgeous area.

+1. South Dakota, save Mount Rushmore, is so underrated. Custer, Badlands and Black Hills are amazing.

Anonymous wrote:For those of us with more limited means (or not as well off as this thread assumes)-what would you prioritize with teens? If you could only do one Europe and one Caribbean trip-what would you pick?

If your kids are taking Spanish go to Spain after their sophomore year. Puerto Rico or St Maartin for your Carib trip.

Anonymous wrote:Wow, I wish we could afford to take these kinds of trips.

I get it. I can't afford 1/4 of the trips mentioned on this forum. You can take your kids to beautiful places in this country. And cool cities.

For those of us with more limited means (or not as well off as this thread assumes)-what would you prioritize with teens? If you could only do one Europe and one Caribbean trip-what would you pick?

Anonymous wrote:Wow, I wish we could afford to take these kinds of trips.

We could afford interesting travel until recently. Not safaris. But we would get $400 flights to Europe or free flights with miles to Asia and then stay in cheap accommodations. It’s all become a lot more expensive.
(And I get that some people really cannot afford any kind of trip, but I know a lot of people with million dollar houses and kids in travel sports or sleepover camps, who act like they are too poor to travel)

I will say that the safaris sound amazing!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I love this thread and agree with so much of the sentiment.

Given we have the means, we try to rent a large vacation villa/home for 7-10 nights at winter break and 1 Europe/Med trip a summer.

Whoever can come great. We have extra bedrooms for friends. Kids love it and we meet their college/life friends.

Twice a year???

You can get a huge villa for 1000-1500 a night in most places. Way cheaper than hotel rooms.

Anonymous wrote:Wow, I wish we could afford to take these kinds of trips.

I'm 16:09 - We couldn't until we moved out of the DC area.

Wow, I wish we could afford to take these kinds of trips.

We're also planning the safari summer before college! When she turns 16 I think we're gonna try to hit Australia and NZ. We're fortunate that DD's school has a 2 week spring break (not in DC). Bucket list wise she currently wants to see a whale in the wild. We're giving it a go in San Diego in a few weeks. If that's a no go we'll be planning a spring trip for 2025 to San Juan islands (or possibly Iceland).

Your trip sounds incredible! I totally get the "once in a lifetime" vibe. I took my teens on a road trip to national parks last summer, and it was unforgettable. Budget-wise, we saved up, and it was worth every penny. Keep those bucket list dreams alive, and you can also add to your bucket list these points. Who knows where your next adventure will take you!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Tanzania travelers…how did you get there and where do you stay? Need more info because I would love to go! Thank you!

+1. Would love specific tour company and travel agent recommendations.

DP. Used Safari Infinity a few years ago. Kids were HS and MS. Most memorable trip of my lifetime. Tour operators were great and the wonder of the place held us all captive. I am still shocked at what we spent on a vacation but it will sustain us for our whole lives. My oldest just started college and that was one of the cornerstone trips of their childhood.

Oh yay. Doing similar trip soon - beyond expensive - but have a senior and younger HS/MS aged kids….but excited to share a brand new wild experience together

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Tanzania travelers…how did you get there and where do you stay? Need more info because I would love to go! Thank you!

+1. Would love specific tour company and travel agent recommendations.

DP. Used Safari Infinity a few years ago. Kids were HS and MS. Most memorable trip of my lifetime. Tour operators were great and the wonder of the place held us all captive. I am still shocked at what we spent on a vacation but it will sustain us for our whole lives. My oldest just started college and that was one of the cornerstone trips of their childhood.

Anonymous wrote:I love this thread and agree with so much of the sentiment.

Given we have the means, we try to rent a large vacation villa/home for 7-10 nights at winter break and 1 Europe/Med trip a summer.

Whoever can come great. We have extra bedrooms for friends. Kids love it and we meet their college/life friends.

Twice a year???

Thank you so much for the Tanzania itinerary. Off to replicate somehow…and sometime!