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Use our Travel forum for recommendations on everything from day trips to the best family-friendly holiday destinations.

Original poster

European city with 16 year old DS

32 replies

ohfibonacci · 21/05/2023 18:55

We have a few days early July and plan a city break with our son who will be nearly 17. We’ve not really done a city break with him before. He’s very active, sporty, into football. He’s interested in history (particular war history) but not museums as such.

I was thinking Berlin (although we’ve already been without the children but it was February so I imagine July would be a very different experience!) , somewhere in Poland or Budapest. Nowhere ridiculously hot. Need to be able to fly direct from Scotland.

Any ideas would be most welcome!

OP posts:
Dortmunder · 21/05/2023 19:03

Mine loved Budapest at that age - Berlin too but I think Budapest a little more.

Foxesandsquirrels · 21/05/2023 19:04

Budapest out of those. Amazing place and cheaper. Second favourite is Madrid. Took DD 14 there in October half term and it was incredible.

Original poster
ohfibonacci · 21/05/2023 19:07

Wow thanks both. What did they particularly enjoy about Budapest? And @Foxesandsquirrels Madrid?

Personally I would prefer Budapest as I’ve not been. But trying to focus on what he would like as we’ve only got a year or so left with him coming away I think.

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Dortmunder · 21/05/2023 19:07

The views, the food, ruin bars and baths I think!

Twilightstarbright · 21/05/2023 19:08

I was going to suggest Berlin, or Munich? Tour of the stadium and can visit Dachau.

BeagleMum1 · 21/05/2023 19:10

Rome

Foxesandsquirrels · 21/05/2023 19:12

ohfibonacci · 21/05/2023 19:07

Wow thanks both. What did they particularly enjoy about Budapest? And @Foxesandsquirrels Madrid?

Personally I would prefer Budapest as I’ve not been. But trying to focus on what he would like as we’ve only got a year or so left with him coming away I think.

Madrid just blew us away. It was so cheap to eat out which I didn't expect. Such an amazing atmosphere at night. So much to see and do. We were only there 3 days and really regretted how short it was. We would've stayed longer if we hadn't booked a place in the countryside.
Budapest is so gorgeous, the Jewish quarter, the duck tour busses that drive then go into water. We found the baths yucky in the summer. Budapest is very hot in the summer, it'll be like Spain. I have a pic of DD at 10 holding the hands of a metal statue mid scream as it burnt her.
Both cities have a huge place inny heart.
We all hated, hated Berlin. Aside from seeing the obvious historical sites, it just felt like being stuck in Shoreditch with a gun to your head. Hippie land with ugly architecture and dirt everywhere. I wouldn't go back personally but I know people who loove it.

MidsummerNightsDream · 21/05/2023 19:13

Barcelona

WarningToTheCurious · 21/05/2023 19:13

Krakow.

Foxesandsquirrels · 21/05/2023 19:14

Sorry not hippie land- hipster land. Berlin was also much more expensive than Madrid or Budapest.

Foxesandsquirrels · 21/05/2023 19:17

The other suggestion i would give is fly to Krakow, 4 days there, he will love the historical aspect. There's tons of places to visit, doesn't have to be as depressing as Auschwitz.
Kraków is far better than Berlin I think for war stuff. You can take a night train from Krakow to Prague and do a couple of nights there. It's absolutely gorgeous too and he'd be able to have lots of nice cheap beers with you guys as they're lax on ID there. Prague is very very beautiful.

Maddy70 · 21/05/2023 19:19

Barcelona. Visit the football ground

mybestchildismycat · 21/05/2023 19:22

Another vote for Krakow, we had an amazing few days there. As well as the obvious WWII associations there are lots of other great things to do for teens - check out the pinball museum and Lost Souls Alley. Eating out with ravenous teens was pleasantly inexpensive.

AnyFucker · 21/05/2023 19:23

Krakow. Arrange to visit Auschwitz (very easy to do). Stay in the Jewish quarter….it is completely fascinating. Madrid will be mad hot in July.

AnyFucker · 21/05/2023 19:23

Or Prague.

MadamBuxton · 21/05/2023 19:26

If the city you end up in has electric scooter hire (I’m sure all/most do) I’d recommend it for sightseeing. It was a big hit when we did our first city break with DS of the same age. I’d worried he might find that type of holiday dull.

LadyDaffodil · 21/05/2023 19:28

We loved Rome ❤️

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ohfibonacci · 21/05/2023 19:29

Wow this is brilliant, thanks! Love the train idea too. Not sure we could handle Auschwitz. I felt bereft at the Jewish Museum in Berlin. I’ll have a think about it. Thanks so much everyone.

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Foxesandsquirrels · 21/05/2023 19:31

OP I agree re Auschwitz. It's an incredible museum but its not for the faint hearted and can leave you really traumatised. I'd think carefully before doing it. The salt mines are incredible and so is Schindlers museum and the museum of illusions.

sundaysurfer · 21/05/2023 20:07

Berlin.
Am partial as we used to live there. But perfect city break in summer if you have even a passing interest in 20 century history.
Stay in East Berlin (North Mitte / Prenzlauer Berg). Do a bike tour first day and hire bikes for the rest of the time (very easy to bike around Berlin).
See the wall memorial; the Scheunenviertel (old Jewish area); Reichstag (go up); Soviet war memorial in Treptower park; take a boat trip along river and check out the new government architecture; hang out in Templehofer Feld; visit Jewish museum (heartbreaking, beautiful architecture) etc. There's much much more, depending on your interest, including 90s rave culture history; ancient artefacts; East German (kitsch) memorabilia; Weimar Republic cabaret; openair cinema; beer gardens; terrace cafes etc.

(Of course the other places on your list are nice too ;-)

Original poster
ohfibonacci · 21/05/2023 20:10

I think we’re going to need to do a few trips! @sundaysurfer the Jewish museum is incredible isn’t it? The architecture being part of it. Amazing. The best museum I’ve ever visited.

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Lovetotravel123 · 21/05/2023 20:16

Prague, and you could add a day trip to Terezin (old concentration camp)

sundaysurfer · 21/05/2023 20:36

Yes, the Jewish museum is amazing.
I just realised that you visited Berlin in February. No-one should ever go in winter. If you liked it then - you will love it in summer ;-)

Kokopenny · 21/05/2023 20:40

Berlin or krakow

PoptartPoptart · 21/05/2023 21:57

Maddy70 · 21/05/2023 19:19

Barcelona. Visit the football ground

It’s closing shortly for complete renovation, so the stadium tour is closed all summer. You can still visit the museum and the shop but the highlight is the tour of the stadium, which won’t be possible.