This February 2014 photo released by Kristina MacKulin shows a surfing instructor giving lessons to beginners at Playa Guiones in Nosara, Costa Rica. Nosara is a scenic coastal region with a variety of outdoor recreation activities for visitors. 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 all that excited about vacationing with their parents. Being flexible about itineraries, letting teens help plan outings and including activities that they'll enjoy can make traveling with teens more fun for everyone.

NEW YORK — 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 teenage years, which can be nearly as challenging as the toddler years — because to a teenager, any place a parent wants to go is by definition uncool.

It's tempting to fantasize about leaving them home (surely they can take care of themselves!), but they might throw wild parties in your absence, so you'll have to bring them along. Here are five strategies — crowd-sourced and from personal experience — to help you survive. It may not be cool for teenagers to travel with their parents, but you can definitely make it more fun.

Teenage brains crave danger. Parental brains crave security. Fortunately, many activities are both thrilling and basically safe, like ziplining, 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 shopping's on the itinerary, don't forget thrift shops as fun, bargain alternatives to malls and brand-name stores.Let them exploreLet 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).”

I like museums, gardens and historic sites. My husband likes 6 a.m. sunrise hikes, preferably up steep mountain trails. Guess what? Our kids sometimes rebel and we sometimes compromise. Being flexible about itineraries and letting kids help plan is critical to family travel happiness.We've let a kid stay at the hotel while we've gone hiking. I've done botanical gardens alone while the others went to a zoo. We've even skipped alleged must-sees because the kids didn't want to do them.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.

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.

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.

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 all that excited about vacationing with their parents. ASSOCIATED PRESS