Page 3 | What European city with teenagers

KingCatMeowInSpace · 2023-12-01T19:59:44+00:00

It's my DH's 50th next year and he'd like a family holiday- 2 teenagers of 15 and 17. He's said somewhere in Europe. We dont want high end shops or beaches but we do like lots of small independent type stores and some nice sights to see and lots of coffee shops n cafes. I've no idea where to start. Any suggestions?

CaveMum · 01/12/2023 22:02

Venice is magical, we spent a week there and there was plenty to see/do. Also Prague is lovely.

DH rates Helsinki, but as a Cabin Pressure fan I’m afraid I can only think of “Hell’s Sink” 😜

Ebokebok · 01/12/2023 22:21

KingCatMeowInSpace · 01/12/2023 21:56

That all sounds great - you think 5 days would be too long?

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Well, there's different ways of doing a city. You could buy a day rover ticket and rush round all the sights and have it all sewn up in a weekend. Or you could soak it all in at a more leisurely pace. There's certainly plenty to do. I lived there for a while and didn't run out of things to do. The list is endless really. Versailles, the Catacombs, Notre Dam, bike rides up the River Seine, rooftop bars looking out over the Arc de Triomphe, day trip to Eurodisney if that's your thing.

StiffyByngsDogBartholomew · 01/12/2023 22:31

@KingCatMeowInSpace you'll just skim the surface of Paris in 5 nights. Paris is a city for a lifetime of discovery.
all cities have enough to keep you busy for weeks if you value taking your time

CuttingAllTheFlowersStill · 01/12/2023 22:32

Rome! (but will be busy)
Also loved Granada at Easter.
Istanbul or Athens would be amazing.
Not been but Berlin is very popular with teens.

Sumerian · 01/12/2023 22:37

Another vote for Athens. My teen grudging stomped around the parthenon but absolutely love the food and was massively impressed by all the political graffiti.

Original poster

KingCatMeowInSpace · 01/12/2023 22:39

Thanks everyone - everywhere sounds great but so think based on DH 'must have' of well know sights I'll go with Paris or Rome. It will be next Easter and I'm thinking 5 or 7 days. Now to find out about best areas to stay in - there'll be 4 (2 teens) of us if anyone has any thoughts.

OP posts:

YourDiscoNeedsYou · 01/12/2023 22:40

ForbiddenColour · 01/12/2023 21:16

Different option and most love it or hate it! Naples this summer was a real hit with our teens, a bit gritty but they loved the party atmosphere of the evenings. Day trip to Capri with an all an all day boat tour, Pompeii and Versuvius.

I agree. We took our teens to Naples earlier this year and it was a massive hit! Plenty of stuff to do for a week m - trip to Vesuvius and Pompeii, one of the islands, sorrento. It’s so easy to get around the area.

idontknow54789 · 01/12/2023 22:41

Lisbon is a fab city but maybe better in the summer. I'd say Rome for the sights and food or Budapest is great if your teens would enjoy the spas - they're great and not like you get in the uk!

Ellmau · 01/12/2023 22:44

I think Rome would be perfect. Might be busy at the Vatican at Easter though.

Oriunda · 01/12/2023 22:49

I live just outside Paris. You could stay anywhere there, in theory, as there’s a metro station around every corner and the sights are spread out all over the place. Opéra is very central. The Marais is cool, but expensive. Canal Saint Martin slightly edgier but cheaper. The metro is very quick and easy to get around.

You will need to book the Eiffel Tower way in advance (personally I prefer the view from Tour Montparnasse). Make sure you take metro line 6 from Etoile (Arc de Triomphe) and enjoy the best view of the Tour Eiffel as the metro crosses the Seine.

If you’re there over the first Sunday of the month, a lot of the museums will be free, including Versailles. Your teens will love La Félicita (a very trendy food court eating area, with super Instagramable loos).

Paddleboarder · 01/12/2023 22:49

I love Rome, plenty to see and places to wander around. Stay in the historical part.

curchy · 01/12/2023 22:50

Going against the grain, but my teens were underwhelmed by Paris (much to my disgust!). They're totally disinterested in shops, so the wandering around the lovely neighbourhoods left them cold. The Eiffel tower and the Arc de Triomphe look great from a distance, but close up they're not particularly nice neighbourhoods. Montmartre is really touristy, and was actually quite an unpleasant experience, and again, not much to actually do. They loved the food, but other than they certainly didn't fall in love with the city. If your teens aren't keen on art or shopping, then I think the appeal is a bit limited.

Personally, I would recommend Rome, Athens or Berlin. For mine, the sites were much more interesting than Paris - a bit of art, but lots of history too (they'd far rather see the Colosseum or the Acropolis than the Louvre). If I had to pick one, I'd go for Berlin with teens. The historic museums are absolutely stunning, but you've also got all the 20th century history, which is very relatable for any teenager who's studied WW2 at school. The architecture's cool, the transport is easy, there's zero hassle, and there are great places to eat.

Stopsnowing · 01/12/2023 23:10

Wbeezer · 01/12/2023 21:04

My teens really liked Berlin and Copenhagen, not quite so keen on Amsterdam but loved Leiden.

leiden also unexpected hit with teen dd

Morewineplease10 · 01/12/2023 23:13

Budapest. Amazing place.

Original poster

KingCatMeowInSpace · 01/12/2023 23:19

Oriunda · 01/12/2023 22:49

I live just outside Paris. You could stay anywhere there, in theory, as there’s a metro station around every corner and the sights are spread out all over the place. Opéra is very central. The Marais is cool, but expensive. Canal Saint Martin slightly edgier but cheaper. The metro is very quick and easy to get around.

You will need to book the Eiffel Tower way in advance (personally I prefer the view from Tour Montparnasse). Make sure you take metro line 6 from Etoile (Arc de Triomphe) and enjoy the best view of the Tour Eiffel as the metro crosses the Seine.

If you’re there over the first Sunday of the month, a lot of the museums will be free, including Versailles. Your teens will love La Félicita (a very trendy food court eating area, with super Instagramable loos).

Thanks sooo much - great info - love insider info on places to go.

OP posts:

Original poster

KingCatMeowInSpace · 01/12/2023 23:20

curchy · 01/12/2023 22:50

Going against the grain, but my teens were underwhelmed by Paris (much to my disgust!). They're totally disinterested in shops, so the wandering around the lovely neighbourhoods left them cold. The Eiffel tower and the Arc de Triomphe look great from a distance, but close up they're not particularly nice neighbourhoods. Montmartre is really touristy, and was actually quite an unpleasant experience, and again, not much to actually do. They loved the food, but other than they certainly didn't fall in love with the city. If your teens aren't keen on art or shopping, then I think the appeal is a bit limited.

Personally, I would recommend Rome, Athens or Berlin. For mine, the sites were much more interesting than Paris - a bit of art, but lots of history too (they'd far rather see the Colosseum or the Acropolis than the Louvre). If I had to pick one, I'd go for Berlin with teens. The historic museums are absolutely stunning, but you've also got all the 20th century history, which is very relatable for any teenager who's studied WW2 at school. The architecture's cool, the transport is easy, there's zero hassle, and there are great places to eat.

Berlin sounds great and my teenagers would love it but think will save it for another trip rather than DH birthday trip. Thanks for the info though.

OP posts:

TheClitterati · 01/12/2023 23:24

Rome. My teens and I had a fab time there earlier this year.

MMAMPWGHAP · 01/12/2023 23:27

Personally I would avoid the free slots at Paris museums due to long queues.

tobee · 01/12/2023 23:43

I was going to say Berlin as it's such a walkable interesting city but you just said not yet.

So how about Nice - Antibes - Juan Les Pins?

gettingolderbutcooler · 01/12/2023 23:51

We're going to Pompei!

Oriunda · 02/12/2023 05:38

We never need to queue for museums really … a lot of them require you to book a timed slot (Versailles, Orsay etc). Some do free evenings on an obscure basis eg 2nd Tuesday of the month. We visit one then go for dinner.

My favourite museums are the Jacquemart-Andre, and the Petit Palais. The latter is free, superbly located half way down the Champs Elysees, and has a lovely courtyard and café. Great for that pit stop for loo/drink if you’re doing the Arc de T - Place de la Concorde walk.

Montmartre is very touristy if you simply walk up from Anvers metro like 99% of tourists do. The trick is to walk up the back way starting at Abbesses and the Mur d’Amour (now rammed thanks to Emily in Paris), go via Bateau Lavoir and la Maison Dalida, pass the windmill and then come up the prettiest street to the back of Montmartre. So pretty and loads of great photo ops.

wellingtonsandwaffles · 02/12/2023 05:53

We loved Madrid for coffee, eating in squares, markets, wandering beautiful gardens etc

i also went to Berlin as an older teen while at University and loved that - did the walking tour and a bunch of the sites, as well as a lot of the more “hidden” side that’s fun - secret jazz clubs, metro ice cream stops, Turkish quarter. Then of course the holocaust memorials, Jewish museum and also found ddr museum interesting

MinnieMountain · 02/12/2023 07:14

Monti in Rome. It’s close to some main sites. Has a nice feel to it too.

THisbackwithavengeance · 02/12/2023 07:40

PaintBySticker · 01/12/2023 21:00

What about Munich? A lovely city

I came in to say Munich but was beaten to it. Lovely place.

Or even Berlin if you want something a bit more atmospheric and 'darker'.

I thing Germany is very underrated.

Ebokebok · 02/12/2023 08:02

curchy · 01/12/2023 22:50

Going against the grain, but my teens were underwhelmed by Paris (much to my disgust!). They're totally disinterested in shops, so the wandering around the lovely neighbourhoods left them cold. The Eiffel tower and the Arc de Triomphe look great from a distance, but close up they're not particularly nice neighbourhoods. Montmartre is really touristy, and was actually quite an unpleasant experience, and again, not much to actually do. They loved the food, but other than they certainly didn't fall in love with the city. If your teens aren't keen on art or shopping, then I think the appeal is a bit limited.

Personally, I would recommend Rome, Athens or Berlin. For mine, the sites were much more interesting than Paris - a bit of art, but lots of history too (they'd far rather see the Colosseum or the Acropolis than the Louvre). If I had to pick one, I'd go for Berlin with teens. The historic museums are absolutely stunning, but you've also got all the 20th century history, which is very relatable for any teenager who's studied WW2 at school. The architecture's cool, the transport is easy, there's zero hassle, and there are great places to eat.

I lived right near the Arc de Triomphe. I can assure you that the area around it is absolutely lovely. I used to cycle to and around the Eifffle Tower every week. Again, it was perfectly lovely. Monmatre is very touristy but so what. Once you step back from the Moulin Rouge and go up the hill away from the Irish bars and sex shops, it's great. The walking tour around that area takes you to all the best foodie places. An unpleasant experience? In what way? I honestly don't understand how it could have been..