Science trip destinations in UK or at least Europe

[yeOldeTrout]

School proposed a science trip to JFK Space Centre in Florida for yr9-11s.
I know it's a great place, went there 20 yrs ago, but so expensive, high carbon emissions to get there, am not keen.

Can anyone suggest anywhere in UK or at least Europe that would be equally cool and genuinely educational to this age group?

I wondered about CERN or Leicester space centre, others? TIA.

[TeenAndTween]

A friend's DS went to CERN y9.

[R0nJ0n]

Futurescope in France? Could easily be done via ferry or channel tunnel and coach.

[Daffydil]

www.eurospacecenter.be/esc/index.php/en/

I went here with school.

[VulcanWoman]

The Science Museum London.

[LineyReborn]

Jodrell Bank? Got a proper discovery centre now.

[marmaladegranny]

DD had a great trip to CERN….

[Ohthepressure]

We took DS (12) here on a trip to Paris. It was really good, lots of information on the exhibits n in English as well and very hands on. www.cite-sciences.fr/en/home/

[Ethelswith]

Are you tied in to dates?

The Goodwood Festival of Speed is good for budding engineers (they have the odd seminar to ensure it's not only a jolly, but it's early summer).

Otherwise, keep an eye on the UK Space Agency website as they have loads going around the time of Tim Peake's launch.

[TalkinPeece]

CERN is the one that is common
or Diamond Light Source
or the Darwin Centre at the Science Museum
if Europe, the Canaries telescope complex

Florida sounds like a jolly, not a science trip
most interesting fact about JFK / Canaveral is that sea level rise will turn it into a paddling lake within 15 years
carbon emissions of flying there will hasten it

[yeOldeTrout]

Oh that's fantastic set of replies so far, thanks so much. I think the Euro Space Centre looks really good, especially.

[TalkinPeece]

Oh, please, not the Euro Space Centre in Belgium : it was beyond parody
Leicester is better
as the Belgians pretended that every team was led by a Belgian
at least Leicester admits that the US and USSR had some input

[yeOldeTrout]

It doesn't have to be space oriented, either. I have reservations about going for a space centre with a kind of engineering-physics emphasis, can't chemistry or biology be sexy, too?

[LIZS]

Greenwich Observatory?

[R0nJ0n]

Who came up with the idea of Kennedy? I've been there a few times because my inlaws live about twenty minutes from there, but I can't imagine making the primary destination of a school party from the UK. It's a fantastic day out, maybe two if you do and read absolutely everything, but not worth the airfare to Florida alone.

[Daffydil]

I'll admit it's been a loooong time (20+ years) since I went to the euro space centre, but we did have an excellent week there.

And it wasn't all physics and engineering either - we covered loads of human biology, Astrobiology, chemistry etc too. You need all if that covered to get in to space, and then most of the experiments done in space aren't physics/engineering at all.

[Daffydil]

How about the centre for alternative technology in wales?

[yeOldeTrout]

I think I will go to them with the full list from this thread & explain all the reasons why I'd prefer not Florida (£500 for flight alone?).

Loving all the input so keep it up :).

[bruffin]

Ds had a good trip to JET also both DC enjoyed their trip to CERN but dds trip this summer was over £400, but that also included a trip to the UN, Geneva is not cheap.

MAGNA in Rotherham seems to do presentations for 14 yrs and up

[TalkinPeece]

the CAT is good : I'll second that
and they could visit the Borth sunken forest if the tide is right

[Needmoresleep]

Have a look to see what Smallpeice can offer. Lots of schools use them. They are very good.

[7to25]

CosmoCaixa in Barcelona. This is brilliant and you can usually get reasonable flights to Barcelona. The city itself has so much to offer.

[Kez100]

Space Mountain Disneyworld ;)

[HeighHoghItsBacktoWorkIGo]

JFK is a terrible idea. Nasa has shut down there pretty much completely. There isn't much to see, and it is run like an historic theme park. It's really only a short day out.

You'd be better off going to the Maritime Museum at Greenwich and considering how the need for safe navigation because Britain was a trading nation spurred advances in Astronomy and Physics.

[TalkinPeece]

TBH for an all round day :

Oxford !
Pitt Rivers
Natural History
History of Science
Botanic Garden
or make a long weekend of it and arrange "behind the scenes" tours

or Edinburgh
Science Centre
Camera Obscura
and then a few little bits of geology

If they are going to go to the US, do DC and hit all of the Smithsonians I'll volunteer to chaperone

[yeOldeTrout]

JET / CCFE is already booked up for entire 2015-16 school year, guess that means they must be good (lol).

Apparently school did a trip to CERN last school yr hence why that's probably out in 2016. This cohort went to London Science museum a yr ago.

Smallpeice website quite a bit is out of date. :(