Krakow, Berlin, Stockholm or Rome in October ?

[littlestmunchkin]

I know it's ages ago but our next holiday will be October 2022. It will be me and dd who will be 14. We're interested in all these places as city breaks , assuming there are no longer covid restrictions / or by then dd is double vaccinated . She's really interested in history.

Which one would you pick? Rome is probably last because I'm worried about hassle / pickpockets and being out of practice of travelling - but want to go one day.

Rome is lovely, so many interesting places even if you avoid the tourist traps. I’ve never been hassled or pickpocketed, and the weather will be much better.

Berlin - WW2 and the Wall / East Germany, Stasi etc. And Germany should be on her radar.

Yes she's into Ancient Greece and Rome (so I guess also Athens is on our list but I'd like to go when it's warmer and squirrel a few days on an island at the end), and in oct will be at the start of her GCSE history and I think she said they're starting some history about the Nazis in y9 as well. So all options are good ! And Stockholm looks fun too.

I've been to Berlin before and really liked it. Not been to any of the others .

I'd like nice food and a decent hotel - that's it for me really .

Stockholm maybe a bit pricey

I went to Rome in August three years ago... No issues with pickpockets etc.. Stayed here. Very nice and near the main bus station

I went to Berlin with my then 15 yr old and she loved it. I highly recommend a trip to Sachsenhausen Camp, it brings the history of the holocaust to the fore. It’s easy to get to, great transport around the city, can’t wait to return.

Out of those three, I agree with @21budgies -Berlin all the way.
We visited Berlin for a few days (summer prior to pandemic) and then took the train to Prague and spent a few more days there.
Both of these beautiful cities have numerous history walking tours, which are really interesting especially if your daughter likes history.

I really loved Stockholm and found Rome underwhelming. If you do Rome then the Castel Sant'Angelo is great, lovely cafe halfway up with fab views and the baths of caracalla have a great electronic guide that you hire. Food, ambience, people, not great in rome. Major sights not as good as I was expecting.

If you go to Stockholm go to meatballs for the people

Stockholm.

Krakow is lovely and relatively small so walkable. It's very pretty. If you want to visit Auschwitz it's a day trip but honestly and rightly harrowing so up to to you to judge if ok for your dd. Rome is my favourite city in the world. Never had any hassle although did get overcharged by airport taxis. It's bigger but more to see than Krakow. Not done the other two. How long are you going for?

Ok this is great I think we are leaning towards Berlin already. Rome perhaps for the next trip when I'm a bit more bolstered by having resumed travelling (I haven't travelled alone with dd outside the UK yet and I'm a worry wart!)
I remember Berlin had excellent cakes too!

I really like Tallinn too but whereas I like a bit of a mooch and soak up the atmosphere dd likes a proper plan and I'm not sure there's enough there .

We went to Krakow for October half term. It was cold like you need to bring gloves and woolly scarf. But having mulled wine outside suitably warmed you up. And it wasn't rainy iirc. I prefer to be sightseeing in the cold than the wet personally

Recommend the museum under the square and the salt mines. Auchwitz is a must. The cold made it even bleaker somehow.

@StormyCornishSeas now you've got me
On the mulled wine! We don't mind cold. DD hates heat and beaches - sadly !

I haven’t been to Stockholm but out of the other 3 Krakow was my favourite. Not sure whether you would consider visiting the concentration camps with a 14yo. They were pretty harrowing but worth visiting. Krakow itself is full of beautiful old buildings

Krakow is awesome.

Auchwitz is grim but so important. Krakow itself you cant move without falling over something historic. The town museums are awesome and surprisingly accessible, not just the one under the marketplace but if you can spare a morning get the tram to some of the more spread out ones.

For all the heavy history some of my enduring memories were of the more lighthearted bits; zakopane and the thermal baths, the awesome meal at communist style community canteen we walked a little out of the centre too (and where google translate was immensely necessary!!!) And periogi and pudding at the same restaurant in the square we kept going back too.

Rome for sure. October is the absolute best month for Rome. Post pics if you go please!

We'd go for 5 days I think.

I think she would be ok with concentration camp as she's very mature but I also feel that given the past 18 months, perhaps it might be a bit much for our first holiday abroad.

@littlestmunchkin

We'd go for 5 days I think.

I think she would be ok with concentration camp as she's very mature but I also feel that given the past 18 months, perhaps it might be a bit much for our first holiday abroad.

Think we went to Krakow for 4 nights maybe 5. It was longer than the average city mini break. And we crammed a lot in

I did Berlin with my DD at about the same age, we did a long weekend and it wasn’t enough, we were going to go back then the pandemic happened. Food was a bit hit and miss, we’re veggie so sometimes it was a challenge eating local but fine if you ate Asian or Mediterranean.

Rome is amazing, I’m there frequently for work and when my DD was in her last year of primary (and studying Romans) I took her with me and stayed over a weekend. There was an innovative night tour on at the time at the imperial fora which was done really well and very atmospheric for history buffs. So much to see as well, we’ve been back since but there is always something new. Food is always sublime but I know my way around, have local friends and colleagues and generally avoid tourist traps. No pickpockets either in all my times there.

My DM did Krakow for a long weekend a few years ago, loved it and was pleasantly surprised at how beautiful it was, but found the food a bit monotonous (not much veggie choice). I had booked myself for a weekend with friends in a ridiculously cheap Airbnb but again, lockdown happened.

Ha yes, the museums. And there’s me talking about food. In Berlin there is a museum for everything. There are even Trabant tours. Sadly I couldn’t get a slot in one so we did a bike tour instead, which was also great, our guide was a history buff and lived through the wall coming down.

Ok brilliant thank you I think Berlin is no 1 choice followed by Stockholm - then Rome and Krakow in the future . Good to have plans isn't it !

I’ve just come back from Stockholm and whilst we were very lucky and had fabulous weather it can be quite cold and damp in October and the sun sets early too. Our trip was originally supposed to have been in June 2020 and we moved it twice. Most of the outdoor museums and activities shut at the end of September and the seasonal boat trips into the archipelago don’t run. There is still plenty to do but if it’s not somewhere you intend to return to I would try and visit in the summer when it’s easier to visit the islands and all the Viking historical sites are open.

@SarahMused thank you that's really helpful info. Stockholm for an august holiday then.

@littlestmunchkin

We'd go for 5 days I think.

I think she would be ok with concentration camp as she's very mature but I also feel that given the past 18 months, perhaps it might be a bit much for our first holiday abroad.

Personally I wouldn't take a 14 year old to an extermination camp. I've been to Auschwitz, and it is of course very grim.

Yes , agreed, it was her expression of interest but I think until you've studied it you can't prepare yourself .