Traveling With Teenagers in Germany

The best family trips to Germany include something for everyone to enjoy. Museums and tours can be fun, but teens also need activities where they don't have to be watch their manners so carefully. Include some activities that allow them to just have fun and be themselves. When traveling with teenagers in Germany, include them in the planning, suggesting activities and destinations related to their interests and hobbies so they'll be as enthusiastic about the trip as the adults are.

  1. Castles

    • Germany has some many castles to tour. There's enough madness, tragedy and Gothic style to be found in the design and history of German castles to please almost any teenager. Neuschwanstein Castle, set high on the peak of a craggy hilltop in Bavaria, was the creation of King Ludwig II, who was said to be mad and removed from the throne. Also in Bavaria is the Hohenschwangau Castle, where Ludwig II spent his childhood. Richly ornate, it's like stepping into the page of a storybook. Visit these castles to see why some of the best-known fairy tales in the world come from Germany, collected and published by the Grimm brothers.

    Fast Cars

    • For teenagers with a passion for fast cars, Germany is the place to visit. Some of the world's best-known high performance vehicles are the product of German automotive engineering. Fast-car enthusiasts will enjoy Germany's automotive museums. The Porsche museum in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen has 80 Porsches from different points in the company's history, and about 200 other exhibits. In Munich, the BMW museum and plant are open for tours. The museum's permanent display includes 90 automobiles, engines and motorcycles representative of their design history. The museum also schedules special events and rotating displays.

    Festivals and Fairs

    • Festivals and fairs are major attraction to youths in Germany. Leipzig's yearly Wave-Gotik-Treffen Festival attracts fans of Gothic, medieval, deathrock and other genres of music from all over the world. It typically features about 200 bands, taking place in a kaleidoscope of Gothic-, steampunk-, and medieval-themed fairs. Berlin has an annual Festival of Cultures, attracting more than 1 million people, with an array of street fairs, parades and a children's carnival. Germany's biggest fair, the Hamburger Dom, takes place three times a year in Hamburg and dates to the 12th century.

    Amusement Parks

    • Europa-Park, in Rust, is the largest theme park in the nation. Creatively drawing on the history, myths, and culture of each nation represented, this European-themed park has about 100 rides and exhibits, including 11 roller coasters. Phantasialand is an Asian-themed park in Brühl that has plenty of rides for teens. It has themed hotels, restaurants and a range of performances in addition to the rides and exhibits. Several smaller theme parks and amusement parks are scattered throughout the nation, so an adventure park is likely within range of most German locales.

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