City break with teens in February

[pantalo]

Any recommendations for where teens would enjoy (food, culture and fun/quirky stuff, no interest in shopping) and where might get a bit of sunshine in February half term? Not Athens, as already been.

May go to Rome (we've been but they haven't) but also exploring other options. Maybe Seville or nearby? We'd like enough to do to keep us busy for three or four nights. Where's really good for teen boys (16 and 13)?

I'd recommend Rome with teens. I think they'd love it!

Lisbon
Malaga

Ours loved Rome, especially the 'food walking tour'...we are going to Athens next year so any advice v welcome!!!

Istanbul

Gdańsk

Barcelona - my DC loved it as teens

Krakow

I’m taking DD to Berlin… although will be freezing 🥶

Not sunny but Berlin is very cool, and Copenhagen also good for quirky stuff

Lisbon is lovely. Dd 17 just back from Valencia and really loved it.

Thanks all, I'll look at those. Forgot to say that one DS has recently been to Berlin, otherwise that would be top of the list.

@samlovesdilys a food walking tour sounds just their sort of thing. Do you know who you arranged it with? Sadly not many Athens suggestions, as we went years ago (but other DS went on a school trip). The acropolis really is stunning. We also really liked the Byzantine museum, but that was as adults.

I'd love to go to Copenhagen, but perhaps a bit chilly for February. Ive been to Gdansk, which i loved, but not sure it would keep us occupied for 4 nights. Maybe im misremembering though. Will definitely look at Valencia and Istanbul.

Oh, and Barcelona. Not sure why we've never been.

Id second Barcelona
Lots to do, easy to get around
Beach too if you want it

Thanks! Food walking tour was booked through trip advisor. Enjoy!!

We love a winter city break! In Feb half-term we've done Valencia, Rome and Malaga and we did Lisbon for new year and our DC enjoyed them all. We did a very nice guided walk with a foodie focus in Malaga last Feb (which I found on TripAdvisor). Rome was a big hit because there is so much to do, lots of famous sights they recognised and, of course, delicious Italian food, which always goes down well. Valencia was lovely and not busy. It has a beachfront with some nice restaurants and bars, La Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias, which is a Santiago Calatrava designed collection of museums, concert halls, reflecting pools and a great aquarium, which we all loved. You can't go wrong with any of those four, IMO. So much to see and do and eat!

Budapest. Can't move for amazing quirky things to do: The secret WW2 hospital hidden in a warren of caves, the old apothecary's shop, a boat ride to the island where the water fountains play rock music and you can hire tandem bikes or cycle chariots. There are numerous gorgeous outdoor hot spas, from Roman to art deco to swim and lounge in, the House of Terror Stasi history museum housedin the old Stasi interrogation unit; the ruin bars of graffiti and sculptures of found objects: the stunning, ornate cafes and beautiful cakes.

A tiny way out, take a trip to the bear sanctuary where you can hand feed them honey on long wooden spoons, visit the sculpture park of Communist propaganda or travel on the children's railway, designed to train communist kids how to enter the world of work, which is still operated by children (teenagers)today on a voluntary basis. It takes you up to the Buda hills, where you can get a ski-lift back down the hill.

There's also parliament, (you need to prebook tickets to visit inside) galleries and opera if they like those.

It's the most beautiful, magical city. Perfect for a winter break.

Such good ideas, thank you. Banking them for the future regardless of where we end up going this time. Budapest sounds amazing!

Lots of towns in Italy are good “ centres” for train day trips eg Pisa to
florence or Lucca, Verona to mantua or Padua etc. So you could have one base but see a couple of cities

Day trips by train, I meant!

Iceland!

Barcelona definitely

We did Seville with 3 x 15-16 yr olds in Feb was wonderful. The mushrooms (Setas) at sunset on Valentines Day esp brill, plus Alcazar Palace gardens. T shirt weather. We had an Airbnb, was v central. Oranges on all the trees etc.