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Original poster

City break destination with teens

37 replies

Multipleexclamationmarks · 07/01/2023 22:13

Dc's (14+15) have said they'd like to go on a city break holiday instead of a beach holiday that we usually do.

I'm looking for inspiration please.
Not Barcelona or Paris.

Needs to somewhere with a mix of culture, history and fun.

I initially thought Lisbon but not sure there's enough there to interest them?
Amsterdam seemed good but seems to be expensive flights and accommodation.

Any suggestions please?

OP posts:
OxanaVorontsova · 07/01/2023 22:15

Mine have enjoyed Malaga, Valencia, Berlin

partystress · 07/01/2023 22:30

Berlin. So much to do. Fascinating history, but also contemporary and cool. Do a guided tour - the Stasi stuff is mind-blowing.

Tallguy101 · 07/01/2023 22:33

Berlin. Lisbon is also good.

WinterFoxes · 07/01/2023 22:36

Budapest. It's really beautiful and so interesting and varied. There's the secret cave war hospital, cave labyrinth and cave church in the hill. Loads of amazing indoor and outdoor spas, from genuine Roman baths to 1920s Art Nouveau. River trip down the Danube, bike rides around Margret island with its japanese garden and musical fountains, amazing food markets and covered markets, the ruin bars, the House of Terror museum about the history of the Communist regime there, the sculpture park of communist statues. Lovely cafes with cakes if it's chilly or squares with fountains and walk through misting gates to cool you on hot days. Loads of local history like the quay of shoes which is very moving. Beautiful buildings everywhere. We also got a taxi out to an animal sanctuary and hand fed honey to bears which teens loved.

DaleTremont · 07/01/2023 22:41

Munich
Vienna
Stockholm

MiniDinosaur · 07/01/2023 23:03

Berlin, Lisbon (food market and endless pastel de nata), Rio de Janeiro, Singapore, all great for teens.

WarningToTheCurious · 07/01/2023 23:05

Seconding Berlin.

If only for the chocolate cake.

PAFMO · 07/01/2023 23:08

With dd I've done: Madrid, Brussels (surprisingly interesting) Toledo, Lisbon, Salamanca in recent years.
This year doing Vienna, Munich, Innsbruck and Salzburg.

Everydaywheniwakeup · 07/01/2023 23:08

DD 17 has really enjoyed the 2 you don't want to go to, plus Rome, Venice, Bordeaux. She also loved Salzburg because she grew up loving The Sound of Music, but that's probably a bit niche!

maddy68 · 07/01/2023 23:08

Rome
Budapest
Prague

Polkadotties · 07/01/2023 23:14

Rome

BlueBlueBlueWinter · 07/01/2023 23:15

I would highly recommend Lisbon. Great history, food and shopping but also easy to go elsewhere - Sintra and the coastal resort of Caiscais (should a day at the beach appeal) are only about 30mins away on the train. I would also hire a car/go on a tour and head to Obidos for the day which is about an hour away.

WarningToTheCurious · 07/01/2023 23:16

I’m going to take DS to Salzburg one day.

He told his dad that he liked this movie,
he couldn’t remember what it was called but it involved nuns and nazis. I’m quite amazed that DH (who hates musicals) knew instantly that it was The Sound of Music.

sunseaandme · 07/01/2023 23:17

Krakow is great, and Bruges

WanttoFindWorkLifeBalance · 07/01/2023 23:20

My 14 and 15 yr olds loved Athens. Really good food, lots of outdoors eating, rooftop bars etc. Lots of v interesting history with pathenon, big stadium, temples etc., also some great graffiti art. We spent a great 4 days there. If we had been there longer we would have got the bus out to the beach too for a day.

WarningToTheCurious · 07/01/2023 23:20

If you do go to Bordeaux, go to La Base Sous-Marine for an amazing digital art experience, and take the train out to Arcachon for oysters and giant sand dunes.

MilkshakesBringAllTheCoosToTheYard · 07/01/2023 23:26

Loads to do in Lisbon and you can get the train to Cascais for beach days.

DS loved Munich but he loves cars - I did not love the day at the BMW museum but he still talks about it. Berlin also good for teens those ages though I just wanted to go out clubbing when I was there with DS! Germany is underrated I think.

Amsterdam is brilliant but if its coming out expensive, remember the trains in the Netherlands are brilliant and cheap. You could stay somewhere like Delft (gorgeous) or Rotterdam/The Hague (there's threads going about them just now) and train into Amsterdam in under an hour.

midsomermurderess · 07/01/2023 23:28

The thing with Lisbon is you could mix it up with a day or two at the beach, maybe Cascais. And a trip to Sintra.

Original poster
Multipleexclamationmarks · 07/01/2023 23:39

Thanks. Having a look at all the suggestions. Berlin is looking interesting and will have a look at what's around the Lisbon area.

OP posts:
notrodstewartsmaggimae · 07/01/2023 23:43

Munich

EmmaC78 · 07/01/2023 23:45

I really liked Copenhagen. It is expensive when you get there but we managed to get flights and accommodation very cheaply so it balanced it out a bit.

monkeysmum21 · 13/01/2023 16:19

Granada in Spain. Beautiful city and close to both beach or snowy mountains.

LlynTegid · 13/01/2023 17:37

You can stay in Haarlem or Leiden near Amsterdam and still get to see the museums and other interesting things there.

Agree about Berlin.

WhatHaveIFound · 13/01/2023 17:39

Berlin is great though I haven't been with teens.

DD and I went to Malaga recently and we did gallery or museum each morning, then afternoons by the pool. We both loved it.

Princessdebthe1st · 13/01/2023 17:50

My DD is now 16 and we have loved Lisbon, Copenhagen and Stockholm. I want to take her to Rome but wouldn’t go in the summer as it would be blistering hot.