Where would you take teen for special shopping trip?

[exLtEveDallas]

In UK, I don’t care how far I have to drive.

Trying to do something nice for DD for her 16th birthday. She suggested a shopping trip and I’d like to build on that.

Ideally an overnight in a hotel on a Sat/Sun. Somewhere I could drive (trains are so bloody expensive) so would need parking. Good shopping, central so wouldn’t need to drive again. Something to do in the evening.

Thinking London (but parking ££££ and driving in centre worries me a bit), Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham. We are Midlands, so can go anywhere really.

Is there somewhere you would recommend? Even if it’s a bit ‘out there‘. DH suggested Oxford, I’m wondering about somewhere on a coast?

What a lovely idea.
Maybe Leeds? Or, if you wanted outlet stuff, Bicester Village?

Chester or Edinburgh. How about getting the train though? If you book in advance, you can get first class tickets very cheaply then relax on the journey too?

York? Lots of lovely shops and plenty of museums/touristy bits and nice cafes and bed and breakfasts too.

York? City centre and the MacArthur glen outlet?

The Trafford Centre if she has not been before, once you've been a few times it's just another shopping centre but the first time it is kind of exciting with all the huge stties etc and the massive food court and now Primark practically has its own wing.

Lovely idea! How about Bath?

I wouldn't do Bicester village personally as not much surrounding and it's still quite expensive.

Is there a mall in Leeds? I’ve been to the Metro in Newcastle and Meadowhall in Sheffield, I wonder if somewhere like that would be a good idea.

Train to London? The underground is great and I think you can still get day passes.

I'd avoid Oxford Street and places like that. Hopefully some
Londoners could tell you where there are more interesting shops.

I'd left London years ago and had forgotten quite what a variety there is compared eg to my local city, Manchester. DD loved it.

Ooh Trafford centre, that’s a good idea.
I quite like the idea of York as well.

I like Liverpool for shopping. If she likes galleries and museums as well, there's plenty to do in addition to shopping.

We used to live near Bicester Village so wouldn’t really want to go there.

Depending on what sort of clothes she's into Brighton or Portsmouth (Gun Wharf Quays) could be good.

Also nice places for a meal out and a bit of stroll.

I’ve never been to Liverpool. She does like museums, well she did when she was younger!

I would love to take her to London, we went for a weekend when she was 5/6 but I’ve checked Trainline and the tickets from us would be around £120 each on a Saturday which is just too much.

Check out the coach to London, national express. Usually some great deals if you book early.

DD likes Westfield Stratford. Personally I find it busy and devoid of all personality, but it does have a huge variety of shops, cheap parking and excellent tube connections into London.

We usually park there, have a shop, then get the tube into London for hotel and some culture.

If you're thinking London then Knightsbridge, Sloane Square and High Street Ken all have the luxe shops.

For independents Camden Lock is cool but once lockdown is over it will get crammed again. Covent Garden and Neal's Yard are also great. Lots of indys in the backstreets of Soho too.

Train ticket pricing is all over the place at the moment. It may well settle down post lockdown so I wouldn’t discount the option yet.

Do you want a city centre? In which case, Leeds or Birmingham. York is lovely, but big particularly big. Chester is similar.
Or a mall, in which case Trafford Centre if you've already done Meddowhall and Metro.

OR, if it's a weekend, what about Chester for the Sat and evening, and drop into the Teafford Centre on the Sunday?

London Westfield in white city. Parking isn't expensive and from there you can get the tube to the west end. Also lots of restaurants on site.

Liverpool is a great city with a compact city centre that's easy to shop, full of nationals and unique boutiques. You can add in some touristy stuff as well and stay at Albert Dock which has amazing independent restaurants.

Advance tickets from Brum to London are only around £20 return. I'd vote London any day for shopping

Norwich is lovely

I'd go London Westfield on a Saturday, it's a simple easy drive in (and I hate driving in London) then get a Travelodge or something on booking.com that has parking. Dinner out on Saturday night - we usually do Chinatown or Dishooms is a favourite with my two. Sunday morning Campden market then drive home after lunch.

Depends what shops/goods you are interested in? What would she want to buy?

Maybe not much to do in the evenings apart from the cinema and a meal out but what about Bluewater near Dartford? Huge shopping centre and easy parking.
Or Tunbridge Wells is a nice town to wander around with plenty of shops and hotels and some nice places to visit a short distance away like Penshurst Place or Groombridge Place.