Last Updated on 26 June 2026 by Colette
When it comes to screen time at home, we are fairly strict – we have use Google Family Link to set overall screen time limits, limits on specific apps (the real time suck ones which have the potential to be really damaging – tiktok, snapchat etc) and then we also have downtime set so that phones are turned off over night as well as rules around not having phones in bedrooms etc.
However when we are travelling, all bets are off. So how do we keep a healthy balance while on the road?
Why Screen Time Isn’t All Bad
We all know the too much screen time can be really damaging – not just for our teens but for us adults too. We’re constantly being told how much harm it does to our mental health, to our attention spans and to our communication skills but screen time isn’t all bad . . .
First up when it comes to long flights and travel days, screen time can be something of a lifesaver. The first tablet we bought for Ben was ahead of our first road trip to France – he was five and we knew that being able to watch films or play games would really make the long hours in the car much easier for him (and us) to handle. Now, a decade or so later, all three kids use tablets and their phones to keep them entertained during our long drive to the South of France. We pretty much bash the whole drive out in one go in just under 24 hours and let me tell you there’d be a whole lot more stress and bickering without TikTok, podcasts and films! The kids having their headphones on and watching what they want, means that Dave and I can listen to what we want in the front – not like when my parents drove to the South of France in the 80s with the support of a Winnie the Pooh cassette to keep their 6 and 4 year old entertained!
Education and travel-related apps or documentaries are definitely a good reason to allow your teens screentime when you are on holiday – from using Google Translate to help with menu choices or Trip Advisor to plan activities and meals out to being able to learn more about the area you are visiting in – the internet is a powerful tool for learning!
And of course, kids want to stay connected with their friends and share their adventure (though do make sure they are not sharing or tagging places in real time!)
Set Expectations Before the Trip
I think the best way to avoid screen time related conflict on holiday is to discuss screen time boundaries as a family before you set off – if everyone knows what the expectations are ahead of time then there’s less room for arguments. It’s really important to let your teens have their say – collaborative rules always work better and we often find that our kids come up with different rules and expectations to the ones we might have set ourselves.
Some of the rules we have around screen time when we are traveling are fairly similar to at home e.g. no phones during meals (though we do allow them to take photos of their meals etc), limits on set apps and downtime – however pretty much all bets are off for the long drives including lifting limits on TikTok etc (though we do still have downtime during the night to encourage the kids to at least try and sleep). Once we are actually on holiday, we do tend to let them have their phones in their rooms during the day but at night they need to be in a communal area and switched off.
We’ve never really felt the need to implement a “digital detox” day as we maintain our usual screen time limits – and the kids don’t really mind that seeing as how they’ve had unlimited time when we were travelling. Some days when we need a bit more chill time those screen time limits are extended, other days they’re far too busy in the pool or exploring to care!
Offline Fun: Planning Engaging Alternatives
To help your teens to limit their screen time on holiday, it’s important to plan alternatives for example games, books, sketchpads will give them something to do when they’re not pool side or out exploring. One of the things our kids love most on holiday is a game of cards – be it Uno or a standard pack of cards (Ben has a plastic backed set which is great for travel). We also love OK Play on holiday.
You could create a family photo challenge or scavenger hunt – though if your kids are too competitive you might have just created yourself something new to argue about!
Encourage teens to help plan parts of the itinerary so that they have ownership over what you’re dong and don’t just feel like they’re being dragged around dusty museums – they’re much more likely to put their screens down and get involved if they actually picked what you’re doing.
Using Tech in a Meaningful Way
Its way too easy to get sucked into endlessly scrolling TikTok but actually there’s plenty of really meaningful ways for your teens to use tech when you’re travelling. Obviously we’d all love it if our kids were so engaged in their surroundings that they wouldn’t even think to pick up their phones but if they’re not, perhaps their phone can actually be the gateway to engagement through creating travel vlogs, taking and editing videos and photos or keeping a digital journal or blog about the trip.
Using apps like Duolingo or Google Lens can help with learning learning languages or about the local culture: my youngest has been learning French with Duolingo for over a year; we’ve all learned to use Google Translate to help us with menus or instructions; and Google Lens is really handy for learning about your surroundings!
Alternatively, you could use screen time as a reward after a full day of exploring – a designated chance to chill out and relax with their screens rather than constantly needing to be looking at it during the day.
Real-Life Moments > Screen Time
When you’ve spent ages planning and paying for your trip, the last thing you want to do is spend your holiday with your phones glued to your hand – you want everyone to present and connected (at least most of the time!)
Of course it’s important to lead by example – and that means us parents putting our phones away too. I often leave my phone in our accommodation if we’re heading to the pool or make sure that I only use it to take photographs / video clips and don’t spend my time scrolling the ‘gram and definitely not checking my emails!
If your kids are hard to separate from their screens then it’s important to celebrate small moments of disconnection but without making so much fuss that it becomes awkward and they kick back against it – you know your kids in this situation!
Be sure to encourage mindfulness (even if you don’t call it that!): noticing surroundings, tasting new food, chatting with locals. Help your teens to make sure their trip is about making memories and not just capturing them!
What’s Worked (and What Hasn’t) for Us
As I’ve already mentioned, the long drive to the South of France tends to be a bit “all bets are off” which meant that Ben managed to spend NINE HOURS on TikTok on the drive home from France last May – goodness knows what he was watching for all those hours but I can kind of suck it up when it’s only one or two days a year!
Every trip has it’s own boundaries, it’s own adaptations or compromises – our kids are getting older and more able to manage their own screen time use and we need to be flexible around that. We won’t always get it right, the kids won’t always agree with our choices – it’s a work in progress and that’s ok!
Finding Your Family’s Balance
When it comes to managing screentime on a trip, I think it’s really important to know that it’s not about perfection but intention – you need to find what works for your family and keep the conversation open.
I’d love to know if you have any tips or screen time strategies to share?
Have a read of these posts next:
How to manage your teen’s mobile phone bill
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