Short UK break with teenagers (no car)

[losenotloose]

I could really use some help! I'd like to take 14 year old ds on a short UK break but I don't drive! So I'd like somewhere that I can easily get around that is going to be entertaining to a teenager. We do enjoy countryside walks but obviously needs to be somewhere with public transport. Any ideas? We are in London but happy to travel a bit.

Thanks

Dartmouth - combination of trains, walks, nice shops, good places to eat a seaside.
Bath - nice shops, lots to see.
York - lots to see, Harry Potter film sites, reasonably easy to get to sales or moors.
Edinburgh- loads to do, can get to coast easily on train.

Get the train to York. It's a bit over 2 hours from London and there is loads to do in the city.

Brighton us fun - seaside and loads of quirky shops in the Lanes and you can visit the Pavilion.

My teen has enjoyed city breaks to Manchester and York lately. We're heading to Liverpool shortly as well. (We don't drive either)

York is appealing! Any specific recommendations of things to do there? I've got a history of bad holidays so I'm worried about getting it wrong....

No country walks but Liverpool is ace, other suggestions include Sheffield or maybe Manchester. If you want more of a holiday vibe what about Rye, Whitstable or Margate ?

I'm in a similar situation OP and am thinking Brighton.

We did York a few years ago, it's lovely and I would recommend it. I still regret not queueing at York Ghost Merchants 😆

Bristol. Get a train to Temple Meads Station and then as you leave the building at the exit turnstiles go out the side entrance rather than the front entrance. Walk across to the river and pick up the ferry (get a hop on hop off ticket). It takes you the full length of the harbour. There's several hotels and a youth hostel within easy reach.

I was going to suggest London but as you live there I will add another vote for York. Great city to walk around and plenty to do.

York or Edingburgh if you want a busy place. Otherwise the New Forest is great. You can get a train there and then rent bikes and cycle around.

This isn’t a cheap suggestion but how about taking the west coast sleeper up to Glasgow? You could just take the train but it burns a good half of a day or fly but it burns the trees or something. Jumping city, lots to see and do, good food, great museums and a bit less “the beaten path”. A car is just a hindrance. If you want to do some proper walking you can use public transport to get out to Loch Lomond.

Get the train to penzance and then you can either walk locally or get the bus round the coast. If you live in London then you have the best of the galleries and museums in one place so cornwall could be a refreshing break. Depending on what child is interested in there's the telegraph museum about comms at porthcurno, a "secret" IGammable beach, tin mines, art galleries and more all accessible from the coaster bus. Plus geothermal pool at Penzance if they like swimming. And st Michael's mount walkable the other way. And you can rent e-bikes in Penzance which make it easy to get to other places like Mousehole etc. you could even get the sleeper train overnight up and down which is quite cool.

Lots of great suggestions here. We've enjoyed train holidays to the Peak District - use one of the branch lines (eg Hope valley) and there are also decent bus services. Wonderful walking and if you pick your place carefully you could do an activity. You could take in Manchester or Sheffield on the way back. Problem with booking stuff is the train strikes.....

Isle of Wight
You can be in Portsmouth in a couple of hours from London.
Spend a day in Portsmouth - Spinnaker Tower, Dockyards
Ferry from Portsmouth Harbour takes 10 minutes, tons to do and public transport great to get around
I don't drive and have had great holidays the last two summers with my now 18 year old

Another vote for York, various museums, roman walls to walk round, narrow streets to explore.

What sort of things do you both enjoy?

York great, Bournemouth as a change from Brighton?, my dc less keen on Brighton...and there's a coast bus that goes the whole way alkng to Weymouth i think
sleeper great done scotland twice...and penzance on the bucket list...... Swsnsea/Gower? small city direct train, buses to amazing beaches / surfing /walking or use taxis its not far. great ice-cream:)

Railway museum
Castle museum
Wizard Walk
Ghost walk
Chocolate experience tour
Art gallery
River boat trip - you can also hire boats to drive yourself
York Minster worth a look, at least from the outside
Street entertainers
Wizard mini golf @ "A Hole in Wand".
Clifford's Tower
Bus tour
York Dungeon (sister site to London dungeon)
Van Gogh experience
Walk the Walls
Cat Trail
Eat @ Spark on Piccadilly - it's a wee shipping container village with central tables. You can order from all the different food places to your table, everyone can have something different.
Places to eat that my dc like, also include Panda Mami - all you can eat world fusion food. Sweet little bakeries @ Copmanthoroe too.
Jorvik centre - pricey, so so, probs too young for teens.

We live an hour away, but had a mini break there last summer. We stayed at the Novotel because it has a pool! We booked most things in advance. Van Gogh and chocolate tour get busy in holiday time.

Lots of little shops for pottering (including Harry Potter shop on The Shambles). You should go into Dutton's for Buttons just to go to the top floor at marvel at how old the building is!

Copmanthoroe = Copmanthorpe

Isle of Wight.

1 hour 20 mins approx from waterloo to Southampton then the fast ferry which takes about 30 mins.

Or you can get a train direct into Portsmouth harbour and the hydrofoil.

Bus services are pretty good between the main cities I believe.

Isle of Wight. Easy train to Portsmouth. Cat to Island is in the same station. Straight over to a huge sandy beach. Lovely.
Ryde is quirky and little bit grotty but in a harmless way. Lots of places to eat. Bus service is very good although Island roads are interesting. Lots of nice walks inland and by the sea, boat stuff and places to visit.

I had a great time in York with two teens recently. Good shopping, lots of cake, dungeons, history, the uni, walks around the walls. The station is well located for walking in to the city.

It's got to be Brighton. City break and seaside break rolled into one.

York definitely. So much to do/see

You can't beat Liverpool, plenty of popular history/music attractions but also other museums plus live music everywhere. East by train or coach

This has been really helpful, thanks all!