Need to change flights - where should we go?

[zafferana]

We were going to go to Italy next week, but with the quarantine being announced we can change our flights for free to a later date. The options which cost about the same as our original tickets are:

Amsterdam
Belfast
Berlin
Geneva
Krakow
Nantes

Which would you go for and why? It would be for a few weeks to a week in May half-term and it would me, DH and two DC aged 13 and 10 who are easily bored and hate museums!

*few DAYS

You've have to quarantine coming back from Amsterdam, not sure about the others though Germany is ok for now and Berlin is great. I was there in the Summer and we did a day bike tour which took in a lot of the wall sights.

Loads more to do in Berlin. They might like the funky vibe and street art.

Crete? Poland is also still on the quarantine list.

Belfast is basically closed on a 4 week circuit breaker so don’t go there.

I loved Amsterdam for an Oct half term break

Sorry I didn’t RTFT very well and see you’re talking May. Amsterdam is brilliant but so is Belfast

I'm talking about next May, so I don't expect places that are currently on the quarantine list to still be on it - for sure much will have changed by then.

Either Berlin or Amsterdam. My favourite two cities. Loads to do with kids in either place.

I'd personally stick with Italy, but book it for next October rather than May

I've been to Amsterdam, Berlin and Belfast from your list. I'd vote for Belfast.

Me and my 19 year old went to Belfast in September. Fascinating - my 19 yr old DS loved the black cab mural tour we did in Belfast - which described the 'troubles' through the vast array of street art they have. Clearly my DS wasn't even born during those times and found it really interesting.

There is the Titanic exhibition but you say they don't like museums (there was a cool ride included in this though).

I think they love the Giants Causeway (about 1 hour north) - (don't use the NT carpark - too expensive for what it offers - park in the village / station and walk). The Causeway is like an adventure playground which your boys will love. With this trip you can also combine with beaches (cold beaches in May, but beaches).

Amsterdam - they may enjoy the canal boats / cycling.

Not sure about Berlin - I didn't rate it but other people do.

Sorry, I didn't read your post properly about it being next May.

Amsterdam - great if you like cycling, boat trips & art galleries
Belfast - Probably enough to do in the city and there's the option of a trip to Giant's Causeway too.
Berlin - Love it!
Geneva is lovely but very expensive for accomodation & food.
Krakow - too many old buildings for my DC's liking
Never been to Nantes so can't advise on that one.

If you go to Berlin look out for a deal at the Radisson blu. I’m sure your kids will love the ‘Fish tank’ in the reception area

I have to be honest, I’m not sure I’d pick any of these for an entire week let alone a couple of weeks, especially if your DC are easily bored and hate museums. Perhaps one as a base for a couple of days and then hire a car or do a mini train trip? This is just personal opinion but I found Geneva pretty dull, I like Amsterdam as an adult but visited it a couple of times as a child and found it boring. Berlin I don’t know but might be better when they are older? Same for Krakow and then take them to Auschwitz?

Sorry, this isn’t particularly helpful but if it was me, I think I’d look at other towns/cities I could get to within an hour or two and move on every couple days. Or stick with Italy and move the dates to the summer.

It would've been for a few DAYS, not weeks (corrected below the OP). However, having called Easyjet I can tell you all that if you have flights booked with them that you need to change, don't for a second believe their promise to only charge you the difference between your old tickets and the new ones.

You can look on their website and find tickets the same price as your old ones, but when you call up and ask to swap from old destination to new destination they tell you that the price to do that isn't what you can see on their website - in my case it was £230 more. I told them to stick it. The original flights were £40 each and if they think I'm giving them any more money right now they're having a laugh.

But thank you for your help!

🙂 @zafferana my apologies, read it all too quickly with half a brain. Big sympathies - we had to rejig EasyJet flights for half term as well and despite the no charges for changes promise, there was a charge. Does this mean you’ve lost the money?

@SJaneS48 yes, sadly we have, but we decided to do that rather than give them any more money for another trip that probably won't happen either!

True, there’s so much uncertainty. Personally I feel we’ve probably been a bit idiotic booking anything in advance! But sorry you’ve lost the holiday and money. What a year!

Thank you! And yes, what a year