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!

Oh and Netherlands is just great. Take a car from Hull to Rotterdam on the overnight ferry and drive about and/or rent/take bikes. Particularly recommend Texel island

Krakow. Great city break lots of interesting things to see . Food is good and close one of the best Theme Parks in Europe Energylandia (certainly best coaster)

All of these suggestions are making me want to book a holiday. (Apart from the Norfolk canal one)

I’d second this actually. You can go up to the mountains in Zakopane really easily

Poland is great

Do they like comedy? How about the Edinburgh Fringe?

@NotAChanceIn You do know that’s not what I meant. I was talking about only doing theme park after theme park and nothing else. Some suggestions did not talk about anything else. If these posters had said Iceland, Copenhagen, Belfast etc as worthwhile, I would have accepted a theme park on the side, but they didn’t advocate that . They just mentioned theme parks as if that’s what teen boys want and nothing else. I totality agree dc can enjoy a mixture but posters didn’t suggest that, hence my comment.

Not sure any of the posts ONLY mentioned theme parks! Mine certainly didn’t. Most people said for example go to Strasbourg and the do a day at a theme park from there. We love a theme park but doesn’t mean that’s ALL we do on a holiday - we combine it with lots of other things. But also not going to apologise for incorporating something into a holiday that my kids love to do! And the European ones are always so different depending on what country you’re in that it’s a cultural experience in itself. You can’t say Tivoli gardens isn’t a huge part of what makes Copenhagen Copenhagen!

Wow thanks everyone. I’ve only just caught up with replies and there’s some fab ideas. Re the theme parks, one of mine is a massive fan, and the others like but can take or leave really. The one who loves a theme park also loves his history and facts - his eyes lit up at the talk of Anne Frank!

All are easily pleased by a good ice cream or waffle though…

@ShakySwan We will agree to disagree then. Some posts only mentioned the location and a theme park. DD went to Copenhagen and didn’t go into Tivoli. There are other things to see.

@QueenieElle The variety in Amsterdam is great. It’s got a bit of everything.

Duinrell in Holland is your friend. There’s a theme park nearby which you have unlimited access to, plus you can go to Amsterdam for the sites and culture. There’s also a lovely sandy beach nearby.

So many good ideas!
Just spent a long weekend in Krakow with DC (16). Old Town was very pretty and easy to look around, including a cool underground museum in the centre of town (Rynek) telling the history of the place. Castle on a (small) hill. Auschwitz (day trip), Schindler Factory (half day) —- booking tickets multiple weeks ahead is recommended - both sell out. Copernicus museum. Jazz bars. And apparently some beautiful Nature nearby too.

Stuttgart/Esslingen for a mix of a modern city and an old town. A couple of great car museums - Mercedes and Porsche - and loads of other things to see and do.

Rome
Mine loved it as teens.
Pizza, gelato, colloseum, just so much to see and do. I think there's a theme park not too far from Rome too, although we didn't find the time to go

Honestly, mix of activity + chill works best - think somewhere like Algarve or even a UK spot with surfing/go-karts, teens usually care more about doing stuff than sightseeing.