Europe City Breaks

[Nov07]

Looking for recommendations for City breaks. Two adults and three teens, 12, 14 and 15. Can stay for up to four days with a minimum of two.

We are open to anywhere and will be travelling from January to June next year.

Budapest? Lots to see and do there and some nice places to eat. Appeals to all ages I think with river trips, a castle and palace and the ruin bars!
Prague is also interesting and my 14 year old really enjoyed it. There's a castle and clock tower which appeal to all ages.
Seville has a bullring and dancing lessons. Barcelona has the football stadium.
Marrakesh is great but more risky maybe now than when we took our kids 15 years ago.

Another vote for Barcelona. It’s got loads to do that would interest teens and tweens. Ditto for Amsterdam, but it’s a lot pricier.

Prague has been mentioned. Have you any recommendations on where to stay? Thank you.

Barcelona is good value in the winter. It’s insanely busy at other times. In terms of weather my guide it’s a month and a bit ahead. So Jan is more like end of Feb - not warm ( not freezing either) but nice when the suns out which it does more than here. I have been going every year since 2002 so message if you want some good hotels recommendations. Hotels are all pretty good though compared to say France that’s inclined to quirkiness. Many have pools which is a nice after walking all day and there’s the beach.
Rome is also great in the winter. Loads to see and reasonably priced flights and accommodation. It’s not massive either so your best option if you do only 2 nights. You can easily walk it.

@Nov07 We always tied in city breaks with what Dc had studied at school.Therefore art, language and history came into play.

I have been to Budapest but it’s not comparable with the best European cities. Prague is ok and of course both are quite cheap. Plenty of other cities have a deeper history and better art galleries and museums. Have you asked DC what they like?

Mine wanted to go to Rome, Venice, Amsterdam, Paris, Berlin and Florence amongst others. School trips took them to Nice and Iceland (geography). If they had done Spanish, Seville would have been on the list too and Barcelona. We also went to St Petersburg. That was fantastic.

DD2 is going to Rome with school and Sweden with her football team. DD1 is interested in Germany and Austria, not sure if they can be classed as city break though. Last year we mostly did UK city breaks, Glasgow, Edinburgh Brighton, Belfast and London. We also visited Lake Como which they loved and Milan which nobody liked.

If you want Austria, Vienna is stunning for a city break. Likewise Salzburg but that’s on a much smaller scale.

@Notsoadmirablecrichton Vienna is a great city break. Plenty of variety. Berlin and Munich too. There’s loads to see in Berlin. Salzburg has a bit less to see but you can travel out to the countryside. I’d add Copenhagen as being well worth a visit if you like Viking history. Stockholm is fantastic too. The Vasa is superb.

Vienna
Munich
Berlin
Amsterdam
Smaller Italian cities like Padua, Verona, Bologna
Nice
Copenhagen
Stockholm
Lisbon
Split
Budapest
(Moscow and St Petersburg are both fantastic but, sadly, now off limits)

Be careful going to Barcelona pick pocket capital of the world.
Beautiful place pick pockets everywhere.
Ruined our week there.
Authorities know it's going on but do nothing.
All cities have this problem and we have traveled to a lot but this was something else......

For Prague accomodation check out the two bed apartments at Mooo downtown. We stayed a few years ago, and are going back at the end of this month.
Gorgeous apartments in a beautiful old building.

Barcelona beautiful but we spent whole week trying not to be robbed!
Went in February.
If you go don't carry bag just have inside pocket on clothing.
It was shocking.

Grenada
Trieste
Haarlem
Carcassonne
Lyon
Sienna

Bit different!

I've been to Barcelona twice and never had an issue with pick pocketing, I know it's meant to be mad there, but I just had my bag with the zip facing where they couldn't get it and had a great time.

Verona was beautiful and you can do day trips to Venice/Bologna/Lake Garda and I'm sure other places!

Do they not have cities in Germany or Austria?

Are city breaks not available in Berlin or Vienna for example?

I'm kinda twitching with that comment, trying to work out what you were saying!!!

Bologna is always a good base. Trains to Ravenna, Parma, Modena, Ferrara and the Ferrari museum at Maranello. There are two Ferrari museums so if that’s of interest, check it out. We visited Bologna in April and it was lovely.

• Stay in Naples or Sorrento and get the train to Pompeii and Herculaneum. Note, that many of the frescoes and artifacts are in the museum in Naples though- not onsite in Pompeii
• We've often enjoyed a day trip from where ever we are staying. Stayed in Malaga city and caught the train to Rhonda for a day trip. Also lots to see/do in Malaga itself
• Day trip to Toledo from Madrid
• I cant recall where we stayed in Prague, but it was an apartment with basic kitchen. It meant we could eat out, but equally have snacks or breakfast in. We did a trip via train to the Sedlec ossuary. Amazing to see, but much smaller than the pics might imply. Sedlec Ossuary - Wikipedia Another place recommended was Cesky Krumlov. Possibly somewhere to go for a night, or a long day. Apparently its a stunning place to visit, but we only heard of it when back in the UK
• Berlin and Brussels have fabulous museums. Bruges is also a handy day trip from Brussels.

It's the pick pocketing that is putting me of Barcelona but it has been recommended a lot here.

If I were to travel to Germany or Austria I would prefer to visit them for longer than a weekend. I know there's Berlin and Vienna and they are cities.

We've just come back from Barcelona yesterday.

I've been four times, DH has been 6.

Be self aware and not like a bungling tourist and you'll be fine. Mainly because the pick pockets have so many targets to pick from and they'll always go for the easier targets.

I have a handbag, I put crossbody and hold as well.

Split your money/cards too just to protect yourself if you do get stung.

Honestly it's a city that's worth going to and I think the fear of pick pockets is a shame.

We had problem in Barcelona every day and we're staying in a very nice area

Reference other poster saying they never had a problem that wasn't our experience and not the experience of everyone we know who went there except one family we know.

With handbags they cut the strap so the bag falls off and drop letters on ground so you pick them up and they rob you while you try to help them.

Work in groups too to distract you.
Shame as a beautiful place.
I think other poster just got lucky I'm pleased to say.

We are very well traveled and been too a lot of cities and this was the worst for this.
We definitely aren't bungling tourists!

I'm not saying not to go as is beautiful just don't take anything out with you unless in inside pocket.

The taxi driver even tried to rob us....

At least if you do go there you are more aware so can prepare more for this.
I think there are so many other beautiful places that don't have as big of a problem. It also annoys me that the authorities are very aware it's going on but do nothing.

You can add us to your oh so small list of people who never had a problem in Barcelona. I don't know anyone who has either.

London on the other hand, loads!

@notmea I’m really sorry you had this problem.
They do have an pickpocket issue but the only time we ever saw any was on the metro. DH said someone brushed up to his bag. They didn’t get anything so was ok.
I am really lax ( getting my purse out to give money to beggars and street performers) and never had anything taken.

DH had his wallet taken this summer in France so I get it influences your feelings on a place.