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Holidays
City break with 13 year old dd
SentimentalKiller · 20/01/2020 19:03
DD has a neurodevelopmental disorder which can be challenging. Travel causes anxiety although she didn't do too badly on the London tubes
She likes ghost walks, dungeons, the Edinburgh ghost bus
I'm looking for a city break. UK or short flight. UK must be able to get there by train from Leeds. Preferably a city we can walk around
York and Edinburgh were very success. Glasgow not too bad, perhaps I didn't find activities to suit or just that her anxiety was particularly bad
Ricekrispie22 · 20/01/2020 19:24
Cadbury World is easily accessible by public transport from the city centre. There's a train from Birmingham to Cadbury World every 15 minutes. The journey takes 12 min. Alternatively, NX West Midlands operates a bus to Cadbury World every 10 minutes, and the journey is 20mins.
Drayton Manor is also a great day out. Arriva Midlands operates a bus from Birmingham Coach Station to the park every 30 minutes. Tickets cost £2 and the journey takes just under an hour. Alternatively, there's a train from Birmingham Coach Station hourly. Tickets cost £21-£35 and the journey takes 15 minutes.
Another good day trip is Warwick Castle. Trains from Birmingham Moor Street take half an hour. The castle is about a mile from the station, so well within walking distance. There are also taxis available from the station forecourt.
Birmingham also has an aquarium and you could easily spend a whole day at the amazing ThinkTank science centre. It's one of the best in the country and easy to reach by public transport.
There’s a spa right in the centre (near the aquarium) which does a range of teen spa treatments www.bannatyne.co.uk/spa/birmingham-brindleyplace/treatments2?category=8
user1497207191 · 20/01/2020 20:02
For short flights, Amsterdam may be ideal - lovely city. Anne Frank house, VanGogh museum, canal boat trips. The area around the station is busy, but you're soon into relatively quiet/peaceful/picturesque areas within a few minutes walk or tram. If you go around Easter, a trip to the tulips at Keukenhof is essential. Any time of year (except Winter) there's also the area just north of Amsterdam where there is a Windmill village, traditional village, Edam cheese and clog shops etc.
Chochito · 20/01/2020 20:02
Oxford?
Many pedestrianised and green areas that are quite soothing and not noisy (although there are church bells bonging everywhere), such as the University Parks and the Meadows, beside the river.
The Pitt Rivers and Natural History museums would probably be right up her street.
You can get excellent walking tours with brilliant guides who will tailor their tour and commentary to your tastes.
Nice cafés and places to snack at eat.
Ghost tours: www.oxfordghosttours.com/
Walking up one of the towers to get an aerial view of the city (if your DD would like this).
Punxsutawney · 20/01/2020 20:07
Ds is 15 and has autism and we went to Berlin last summer. The flight isn't too long and we gave Ds plenty of down time in the hotel. First day he was a bit stressed but did relax and cope better for the rest of the time.
We took him long haul over Christmas and although he has done it before he's not coping very well at the moment and it was tough and hard going for him. We are looking at probably a European city break in the summer as it seems much more manageable.
PTW1234 · 20/01/2020 20:12
We have some lovely places within a short commute from Leeds. Both rail and train.
You can often get really good deals via Ryan air to Italy from Leeds Bradford.
Pisa is a good place, obviously the tower etc are busy but the rest of the city is pretty quiet. I found a really cheap but great apartment in air b n b. I think most people “day trip” to Pisa from other places, so it’s very relaxed on a tourist front.
We took the train to Rome for the day and the seaside is only 15 minutes away too. 4 nights cost our family of 3 about £350, staying in an apartment inc flights (hand luggage only).
We also caught a few flights from LBA to Venice, Montpellier, Milan, Paris to name few and have never spent more than £50 return each (all long weekends). Which is cheaper than the train to London!!
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