So we will be visitng family for 2.5 wks in central Poland (Torun area) in July. We go every couple of years but this time we are going for long enough time that we think we can carve out a week and go somewhere.
We are planning to rent a car.
So my 14 yo girls are not too much into sigh seeing (yeah.. I know ... They want to see Europe though but still are drawn to beaches, seeing famous stuff and anything active/ exciting etc.

So I was thinking of maybe DRIVING to Venice are? I know it would take us 2 days each way more or less but we could see Austria and Czech Republic that way as well. That would leave us 3 days in Venice/ area. What do you think? I read mixed messages about that area baaches.. But I think Venice is so cool (I've been) and unique that it's hard not to enjoy its beauty.
I haven't researched the area yet.

Then I thought we could ditch the rental ($500 for the trip) and use that money towards flying somewhere for a week... That opens different possibilities of course... But I like the flexibility of having a car and being able to just pick up and go when you like and seeing the beauty of the countries.
So my question is two fold: what do you think generally? And what beaches or 'exciting' teen-worthy activities are in those areas mentioned...
Thanks,

Ela

I think combining “teenagers” and “sigh seeing” is brilliant writing.

Just leaving the three teenager years. I would fly.

Where would you fly with teens without breaking a bank? (Not Majorca or Ibiza LOL) Croatia, Greece, Italy? They want to do Greece and it was our original option to go to one of the islands where a family friend is but the island is fairly remote and it takes 7 hrs on a ferry to get there..

One option - Direct flight from Warsaw to Athens on Ryanair. Then bus to Nafplio. We did it in August. Cute beaches.

Driving straight thru can be fatiguing but yeh stop in say Vienna for two nights and down to Venice - ditch car when reaching Venice. And how about Rome - 3.5 hrs via hi-speed trains (cars not needed whilst in Venice and not even allowed into much of central Rome so train is best for that option and I think Rome and its history, Colosseum, Roman Forum and Vatican could be great for a teen who will have studied ancient Rome or will in school. Book trains tickets online early to get limited in number discounted tickets - book at Acquista il biglietto con le nostre offerte - Trenitalia or www.italotreno.com - www.seat61.com has erudite info on booking your own discounted tickets online - general info trains and where to go also - BETS-European Rail Experts and www.ricksteves.com.

Where in Poland will you be starting from?

Lufthansa flies out of Gdansk to Munich, and from Munich you can fly just about anywhere, including seaside locations all around the Mediterranean. In July, I think the beach is a great idea. In many parts of coastal southern Europe you can combine it with interesting history lessons, although the summer heat means everybody needs to be careful about not trying to do too much in the blazing sun of midday.

But if the kids want to go to Greece, I would build on their enthusiasm. They might even like a long ferry ride for the adventure.

Torun to Venice, nearly 14 hours of drive time, 7 hours each day in the car. That leaves little time for any sightseeing on the way. Absolutely no way I would do that with two 14 year old girls!
Then, as I read your post, you plan to return to Torun by car. If that is so, you have four 7 hour drives in 7 days. That is a very disproportionate amount of travel to sightseeing. Even stronger, No way!

Pick one or two places with lots of things of interest. Fly there. Enjoy day trips by public transportation, or pick an area that has lots to explore with very short day trips by car.

In a week, you can't do everything everybody wants. Do you not have beaches at home? You don't have Rome, Paris, Venice, London, etc. anywhere else.
There are some beaches near Rome, so you could do Rome and still have a beach day.
Same for Venice, though Beach is OK, certainly not like the Caribbean.
Any places besides Greece in which they have an interest?

Transportation tip: Use a multi-destination search function so you can fly into one city and home from another, saving the time and cost of returning to your arrival city.

Family tip: The teenagers may be far more interested if they do the research themselves and have a practical say in where you are going.

<<Torun to Venice, nearly 14 hours of drive time, 7 hours each day in the car. That leaves little time for any sightseeing on the way. Absolutely no way I would do that with two 14 year old girls!>>

Agreed, Sassafrass. fly to Greece/Croatia, let them sit on a beach for a week, fly back. anything else will be hell, especially if you've spent 2 weeks with family which IME does not cause the heart of the average 14 year old girl to leap with joy.

Couldn't you fly to Athens, ferry to an island, come back to Athens a day or two early and see a few sights? Throw in a little shopping and they should have some great pics to share on their Instagram accounts.

I would fly to Greece.. never minding if it wasnt the remote island your friend lives on.. he can meet you where you go perhaps. teenagers will love the beautiful beaches and cute towns.. You can fly easily to Athens and grab a flight to Naxos or even Mykonos.. ( which isnt my fave as its pricey.. Naxos is much better pricing and its lovely ) .
I havent done Croatia yet.. but its on my list..that would be another choice.

I would not rent a car to drive two days with teens.

Yup if gals want to do Greece the consensus seems to be Greece - what remote island does friend live on? Boat is only way - no nearby islands with air service? Greece also cheaper than many other countries.