Ideas for two summer short breaks with teenage boys

[QueenieElle]

We have 2 short breaks available to us this summer - July and August for about 4/5 nights each. Kids off school, no work plans, dogs in kennels. Really want to take advantage of the chance of extra holidays but stuck as to where to go.

Looking for inspiration please...... I was thinking of a few days in Spain or Portugal, or maybe a European city break but wasn't sure which cities would possibly appeal to teenage boys? Obviously don't want long haul flights or long journeys at the other end due to the limited time, and don't really want to go somewhere where we could go if we had the dogs with us although I'm more than happy to stay in the UK.

I'm trawling the usual Jet2, booking.com etc and don't seem to be coming up with anything concrete. Would welcome any recommendations. Thanks!

Berlin? It can be hot but we found it ok in August to visit with plenty of stops for ice cream and drinks.

Stockholm or Copenhagen? Not the cheapest locations and also warm, especially Stockhom but so much to see.

Head to the lakes in Italy/ Austria/ Slovenia. Most of them are within a 1-2 hrs drive from Airport. Spend 4-5 days swimming at lakes, using beach areas, exploring, cable cars.

Lake Garda for example - you could fly in to Venice and drive up ( see Venice for a day on way back), Lake Millstatt, Wörthersee (close to Klagenfurt airport, so short drive. Ryanair goes there from standsted) , Lake Bled ( combine with Ljubljana city visit).

Copenhagen could be nice in August. Not quite as hot, city, bikes, museums.

What are they interested in?
Munich might work- cars, Olympic park, football stadium, big public park.

Fab idea thanks. We often spend time in the French Alps in summer, especially Morzine area for the mountain biking and love the lakes there.

I've been looking at Amsterdam this morning. Boat trips, biking, bit of history and plenty of good food.
Has anyone been to Alicante city rather than resorts close by? I absolutely love Malaga but Alicante seems much easier to get to from our closer airports with most doing several flights per day.

How about the Algarve, if you go far west then there's surfing. Also some great Kayaking along the coastline. Hiking. A few water parks. We stayed in Lagos which had lots of lovely restaurants and a real mixed vibe of tourists, not too Brits abroad because that's not our style but other resorts have the more typical English pub / sports bar vibe if you like that sort of thing.

For a city break we enjoyed Barcelona. Lots of sport related interest including football stadium, the old Olympic Park. Mix of beaches and city sights. Something for everyone.

@QueenieElle amsterdam is fun. You can also take the Eurostar to get there btw instead of flying if your aiming to leave from London area.

We're not anywhere near London unfortunately or that would have been great. I've just been looking at ferries from Newcastle to Amsterdam though as I really like the idea of doing something a bit different for a change. Not sure whether the men in my life will agree😄

Amsterdam is great fun

Our teens loved Iceland which is a surprisingly short flight and easy to get around in summer

Strasbourg/EuropaPark would make a wonderful short break. EuropaPark is beautiful and the water park would be great for a day in summer (you can also just do afternoon/evening in the waterpark - they have a disco/swim up bar in the evening that older teens might enjoy and then you can watch the light show at 10pm, then next day spend the day in the main park.

Rotterdam was a surprisingly great place too. We enjoyed a boat tour of the massive port - you get to see the enormous container vessels - the Cube houses, the food hall, a historic tram ride. We also did a day trip to Amsterdam by train.

Never heard of EuropaPark and it looks fantastic- thanks!

Mine are all theme park adjacent as that’s what my kids like

• copenhagen - Tivoli gardens, outdoor swimming, mooch about, train to sweden
• Barcelona - beach, gaudi, mooch about, all the food, cable car, camp nou, port aventura for rollercoasters
• duinrell Holland (ferry to hook of Holland)- small theme park, water park, loads of teens about, bike rides to towns and beach, The Hague for lots of stuff
• efteling Holland - fun theme park, nearby safari park

non theme park

• Zadar Croatia for outdoor adventure, kayaking, hiking, boat trips, massive diving board into sea, very few vegetables 🤣

I would recommend Iceland. Not cheap but so much better than a theme park! You actually know you have experienced something different! Loads of things to see and do that are impressive. You can do day trips from Reykjavik to see the Golden Ring and it’s great.

Amsterdam is a good shout but it’s very busy. My DDs liked it a lot. Other option might be Dublin. A great summer city.

Durrell in Holland.

Annecy in France - fly to Geneva then get a coach or train.

Cologne? Rhine river trip / cathedral and history then Fantasialand (massive theme park) is nearby.

Another vote for the theme parks.

Me and teen DD have done Phantasialand a couple to times. Easy flights into Cologne which is a fab city with stuff to do (Lindt choc museum and making our own chocolate bar was amazing!) then uber or tram/bus combo to Phantasialand for two days. Theme parks in Europe wipe the floor with anything uk based. For a real treat book into Charles Lindbergh hotel there.

weve also just booked Europa park for summer too. Two days in the theme park and one at the water park.

Can teens really not be interested in anything other than a theme park? It’s a very narrow holiday! The whole world awaits but teens just need a theme park? So glad mine had wider interests.

Thoroughly recommend Europapark and Rulantica. So well-run and none of the fast pass nonsense.

Just to keep the high brow ‘so glad my kids dont debase themselves with theme parks’ crew happy, you could pair it with a few days around Titisee, where there is a large and reasonably priced spa centre also with some slides etc. Colmar is very attractive. You can fly to Basel, Strasbourg or Baden Baden (but latter only from Stansted I think).

Seconding lake bled and Ljubljana

We’ve just done Vossemeren Center Parcs then drove to Cologne for 3 days and had a day in Phantasialand

Later in year we are going to Lalandia in Billund (another CP type place) with a day in Legoland and at Lego house and then to Copenhagen

Basically my kids are happy if you can have a nice walk about, eat some nice food, bit of swimming, play pool somewhere, look at something cool (Cologne cathedral
was a huge hit) but not too much sightseeing type stuff, do an escape room and have a day at a theme park. Somewhere like Rome would be a bit much at the moment as we would be route marching them about so we stick to smaller cities and combine with some organised fun.

It’s not high brow to show teens more than a water park. It’s certainly about education but it’s history, art, wildlife, geography and culture my dc liked. Longer holidays had a pool at times but exploring and seeing new things was more important. My dc went to a theme park with school and we took them for a birthday or two but they never talk about that now. They talk about all the cities and other things they did and saw. My DD1 was moved to tears in Ann Frank house. It mattered to her. Italy is always talked about too. These holidays give dc broader horizons and a better understanding of other cultures. What dc would not be impressed with Venice or Rome?

Judgy much. I'm sure there are plenty of other kids who have wider interests but also love a good theme park too. The op asked for suggestions and the thread has done that.

We love theme parks and have a great time at them, but it doesn't mean that's all we do. we've also done some incredible things including Iceland (northern lights put on a stunning show) watched whales and bears in Alaska, mushed huskies through Finland, stood on glaciers in Norway, visited titanic museum in Belfast and hell yes, love theme parks and the fun they bring too. God forbid people can actually like theme parks and other things too.

I’ll definitely make sure my kids do some suitable weeping on my next holiday. Lesson learned ;)

People like different things. Some people like theme parks AND high culture. I know. It’s a total head fuck.

Norfolk Broads or canal boats. Get them to do all the boating whilst you sit in the prow admiring the scenery. Take dogs.

My boys are a bit younger than yours but we’re just back from a week in Copenhagen and Billund. The latter is just great for Lego fans (the Lego house is totally unique) and it was an interesting contrast to Copenhagen. We also did side trips to Sweden and Roskilde for the Viking ships.

it was pretty chilly. But I’ve previously been to Denmark in August when it was pleasantly warm.

We were distinctly underwhelmed by the Norfolk broads last year. However we stayed on the north coast near Wells near the Sea, which was delightful.