Long city break (not UK) with 3 older teens - ideas please!

[Snooks1971]

So this is something we’ve never done as a family.
Me and DH plus 3 teens - 19/18/16
Yes they all want to come with us 😅

Time is straight after GCSEs and A levels so around end June.

10 days maybe? We aren’t hugely cultural but some architectural sights would be good. Art galleries etc a definite yes. Bars/food yes.

i was thinking Barcelona but where else please? Budget around 3-4k for all, is this doable?

Paris, Berlin, Prague, Venice would be my top European picks.

With 10 days I'd fly to Venice, then take the train to Verona for a couple of days, then the train into Milan and fly home from there.

Maybe Genoa too if you wanted to do another city.

Last year we went to Budapest then caught a train to Vienna - both great cities with loads to do. You can also easily add in Bratislava if you want three cities.

Barcelona great choice plus you have the beach
amsterdam
Verona and Venice
Catania and Siracusa, Taormina - you will have great weather, fantastic food, culture, bars, a vulcano and beaches
tour around Tuscany: Pisa, Florence, Siena, - you can stay in one city and take trains to the other places

Sounds like a fun trip!

Berlin. Did 5 nights there with teens this summer. Could have done a fortnight easily without being bored, especially as it's so easy to travel further afield - Potsdam, Leipzig etc.

Barcelona is fab. My favourite place. Rome is also an option. Lots to do and pizza and ice cream!

I've just done Berlin with teens for 6 days and ran out of time to do everything. Easy to get around too. Could easily take the train to a different city / country if fancied.

Would agree with Barcelona, Rome or Berlin.

Copenhagen

Oh wow thank you everyone! Wasn’t expecting many replies. Several to investigate!

I inter railed whist at Uni back in hmm 91 and did whistle stops at Rome, Pisa such a flurry then. Thank you lovely people.

Latvia, Estonia and Finland, maybe Lithuania as well. Ridiculously cheap and easy, with amazing sights and food. We loved it.

We did Copenhagen, Oslo and Stockholm over 10 days when our were similar ages. Flew between each. A great holiday. If you did Airbnb you prob could do it in your budget

Could I highjack and ask for more detail of your trip. Transport/ accommodation? Many thanks

Athens. Trip up the Peloponnese and then boat from Piraeus to one of the islands.

Barcelona

Budapest is ideal and super cheap

if I had 10 days I’d go to Malaga and combine with a few days in Seville or Cordoba or Cadiz. All more traditional Spanish than Barcelona imo although Barcelona is lovely too

Valencia!! There’s tons to do, city break/beach - the food and bars are brilliant.. better than Barca imo

Lisbon then down to the coast

Another vote for Berlin or Copenhagen, though Berlin was easier on the wallet.

I’m interested inOslo and Stockholm tips.

City break? 10 days?

You definitely want to do a multi city break or you will be bored stupid by the end of 10 days.

The further east you go, the better your budget lasts.
I would highly recommend Budapest as your main destination, if thats the way you want to go. Trains are cheap - if you want to go adventurous consider Belgrade as a stop (over night train) and from there if you can stand it Saravejo is an AMAZING city.

If you have more in your budget/ less adventurous, head from Bupapest to Bratislava and then to Vienna.

Other options (considering cheap flight destinations here) Somewhere in Poland (Wroclaw is lovely and has cheap flights) then onto Berlin.

Last year we flew into Bordeaux spent a day there and then went down to the South West coast of France to the Basque area and loved it - beaches, mountains, (including sports that go with both mountains and beaches) and THE food. Its less well known to Brits than Spanish Basque. We REALLY wanted to go over the border to Bilbao and San Sebastian but just didn't have the time (we were on a VERY short break). Trains again great.

Italy is a good option, but if you want to do Florence and art galleries be ready to queue LOTS. Pisa is good for no more than a day.

Island hoping in Croatia??? Make your way down the coast, Pula, Zadar, Split, Dubrovnik?

Helsinki, ferry to Talinn, then on to Riga?

Valencia - so much to do and very cool blend of new and old

oslo etc would be expensive?

Barcelona is amazing that time of year, especially if you can go during Sant Joan- there are street parties everywhere, people dancing (young and old), etc. It's on the 23rd of June.

Oslo is extortionate. Ten days for five of you in Norway? Under £4k? Hard to do.

There's a very good trip on viva holidays at the moment, DD and I did it a few years ago after her GCSEs.
Fly to Rome, 2 nights then train to
Florence 2 nights then train to
Venice 2 nights, fly home from Marco Polo
It's very reasonable priced too. I think they can customise it to extend it etc.
It's a great post-exam trip, probably better for post GCSE as it gives a bit of an intro to independent travel, with a dash of 'now get out of that one' thrown in.