City break with dcs - which city out of Copenhagen, Berlin or Amsterdam

[susannahmoodie]

Have 2 boys aged 7 and 4 (will be v nearly 5 by the time we go)

They haven't ever been on a plane yet and they really want to go. Thinking of doing a city break in late August for 3 nights. Which city would you choose? Would prefer Northern Europe as cant cope with Very hot weather.

Amsterdam. We took our DCs for their first trip on a plane 18 months ago and they are still talking about it. It is a small city and there is lots to do and look at.

I would say Copenhagen, lots to do with children. And it is not usually hot even in summer.

Amsterdam has a fabulous childrens science museum

Copenhagen - TiVoli gardens. There is also a lido if it's warm

We went to Copenhagen last year with the dc, age 5 and 8. We had a brilliant 4 days. Loads to do. Can recommend excellent central, family friendly friendly hotel.

Oh what was the hotel @BikeRunSki?

Berlin is great. Lots of museums, parks, the zoo, good public transport.

We went to Amsterdam and although the DCs enjoyed it, I wasn’t as keen. We got lost in the red light district and couldn’t escape, each street we turned down it got more seedy. Beforehand I read that the red light district is easy to avoid so I’m not sure how we managed it.

Now that's a tough choice. I was blown away by Berlin - went out of duty (family member working there) and just loved it. Great atmosphere, lovely people.

Hotel Ansgar @susannahmoodie
We had a massive family and there is a huge buffet breakfast. It is about 5 mins walk from the station and Tivoli Gardens, a few more mins walk into the rest of the city centre.

Having been to all three, I would say Copenhagen. Great gardens and historic buildings, easy to navigate, friendly, child amusement. We stayed at the First Hotel Twenty Seven and it was really good access to everything on foot.

Just so you know we had 39 degrees in Berlin a couple of Augusts ago. But, it is a great city and there is lots to do with children and cheap to visit.

We had a fab break in Copenhagen. As well as what pp suggested, the aquarium is amazing (short bus ride from the centre) and Louisiana is a modern art gallery with gardens to explore and a children's wing where they can do painting and craft. (Half hour train journey). We also hired bikes with a bike trailer for the kids which was fun although yours might be a bit big to fit in? Zoo is good too esp the polar bears. Nice botanic gardens. Design museum is good too.

Am sure they’d all be great!

We have been to all 3 also and for small children I would choose Copenhagen. It's very child friendly and easy to navigate. We went in late July and weather was mixed - couple of very wet days but otherwise pleasant.
Berlin in August was boiling - lots of thunderstorms as well.

We've done Berlin in summer a couple of times - the first time it was boiling; the second pleasantly warm but not too hot (still shorts and t-shirts weather though). Highly recommend it for families - loads to do.

Definitely Amsterdam. I'm an Amsterdam (Family) blogger - lots of helpful tips about what makes it great for kids of that age here (I have two boys of a very similar age):

amsterdamwonderland.com/category/kids/

Copenhagen is amazing - you have to go Tivoli Gardens. My are still talking about it over a year later. We stayed in a great Airbnb - transport is really great.

I haven't been to Berlin or Amsterdam recently but went to Copenhagen last year and thought it would be brilliant for children. Mine would have loved the swimming pool areas that were cordoned off in the harbour/dock areas and the beaches close to the airport were fantastic and drew lots of families from the city. They were a really unexpected bonus and the water was surprisingly warm.

I’ve not been to Berlin so can’t comment on there, but out of the other two I’d say definitely Copenhagen! We spent a week there and found loads to do. My DCs were 4 and 6 at the time.
Last year we were in the Netherlands, which was great, however we had a day in Amsterdam and it was awful! Loads of big groups staggering about, dirty, and far too easy to end up in dodgy bits. I’d been before as a student in the winter and really liked it so I was pretty disappointed. I know others have had better experiences so perhaps we we just unlucky.