Trip to take dd 16 to celebrate GCSEs

[Babyhoover]

I'd like ti treat my dd to a trip away but have no idea where. We are in London so airports and euro star on the door step. Going Paris in the October half term have been in Copenhagen, Berlin, Brussels, Stockholm and Prague (didn't like Prague tbh). How about Rome or New York or maybe a little mini holiday in Sardinia or nice civilised place in Spain? Not sure about budget at this point

Help

DD and I did a trip to Italy between the end of exams and prom day. I was rewarding effort rather than results. We used Viva Holidays and tweaked one of their multi-city packages. Flew into Rome, travelled on to Florence, then onto Venice, flew back from there. We travelled by train in between cities which was a good start to her independent foreign travel education. Prices were very reasonable and you can choose which grade of hotel you want (we chose 4* but small and traditional).
We both have fab memories of that trip together.

What would she like? One teens dream holiday is anothers nightmare.

We are complexly open @Littletreefrog at this point.
@rightoguvnor the italy trip sounds great and up our street.

I let my DD choose the location and plan the itinerary. She chose Rome and we had the most brilliant trip.

Southern Europe can be warm/hot for a city break, you should take that into account.

We did the US but that was 3 years ago and would be an absolute no from all of us today.

What is she into?History, shopping, art, culture? Krakow or Gdansk? Munich or Berlin?

This sounds interesting, would you be able to share any hotel recommendations or anything else?

What's Rome like in the first 2 weeks of July? Weather wise and in terms of how busy it is. I suppose European holidays will have long started?

It was really warm, but not oppressively so.
Quite busy, but don't think Rome is ever quiet! We prebooked "skip the line" for the Vatican and Pantheon, which is definitely worth doing.
We went to the Trevi fountain v early one morning as dd wanted photos.
We did a pizza making class, went to a massive flea market, ate lots of gelato.
We stayed in Hotel Nazionale - a small hotel with breakfast included. Quiet location, but walkable to all main attractions.

I worry that Rome will feel underwhelming as I have very high expectations. You know like some people love or hate Prague (I disliked Prague).

Is Rome walkable?

As a very different alternative, how about New York? Would that be worth to for say 6 nights? And what about the current political climate.

in rome, is everything extremely crowded? In New York, tourists are probably more spread out?

I let my DD’s pick destination & itinerary we have done Stockholm, Seville and Grand Canaria. All fab breaks and was nice to spend time one on one without their sibling. I can recommend an amazing Seville hotel.

We have always done mid/end of June though which is cheaper and quieter.

I did a post GCSE trip with my eldest a couple of years ago. We also did Rome but included Naples, Pompeii and Sorrento. It was amazing. We went at the end of June. Rome was boiling at 40 degrees and we did a lot of walking but was amazing. Pompeii was equally boiling but we went when it opened and took an umbrella for shade (top tip from a friend). Naples, Sorrento and Amalfi coast was cooler but still lovely. We did the beach, boat trip, paddle boarding.
I booked flights/hotels/trains/trips independently after a lot of research. Also pre-booked the big attractions in Rome.

This sounds brilliant @rainingagainargh
In which order did you do these places and how long did you stay in each location? What's the beach / swimming like in Amalfi coast? The beaches near Rome don't look too appealing to me.

@Babyhoover we flew into Rome on Thursday. Did Vatican, Trevi fountain, Spanish Steps, colosseum, Roman forum, Castel Sant’Angelo and lots of other palazzos and general walking around. It’s walkable between sites and you stumble across history at every turn. Ate tiramisu and gelato everywhere. Missed the Sistine chapel as it was fully booked months in advance.
Train to Sorrento on Sunday. Did beach there. Boat trip to Positano and Amalfi. Paddle boarding with GetYourGuide. Lots more food and icecream and shopping. Took the local train to Pompeii from Sorrento (circumvesuviana: very cheap and quick). Debated about doing Herculaneum but it was very hot and decided against it but heard it’s amazing.
Train back to Naples for a couple of days, we weren’t there long but had a wander and ate pizza. Flew out of Naples.
We were away Thursday to Thursday in the end.

Could you do a multi country train trip? When kids were younger we did Florence -> Vienna-> Geneva . Lots of fun things to do like outdoor food festival in Vienna, swimming in Lac Leman Bain des Paquis and listening to dawn concerts. It was a fun mix of activities and sleeper trains. If you look on seat 61 you might be able to see some suggested itineraries that would work.

I took my DS last year to Majorca. He really wanted to go to an all inclusive beach holiday as we always do self catering city break type holidays and our holidays usually end up being quite busy! He just wanted to chill and go swimming. DD is doing her GCSEs this year, and even though she's more keen on the city breaks than DS, she also wanted a fly and flop holiday after the exams and she wants to go with her friend. Considering Greece or Ibiza this time.

Not sure if / when you have been in New York before but I was there with my kids last year and it's really gone downhill. It's filthy, smells of weed, crime and homelessness everywhere. Seedy - I wouldn't take a teenage girl for sure. It's wildly madly expensive (I am also from London - everything twice the price) and super crowded, you can't get a table for food anywhere. Shame as I used to absolutely love it there.

My vote is Italy. Florence is so stunning.

Good luck to your daughter on her exams x

What a lovely idea and one I will pinch when my kids are old enough.

I've promised my son Japan for post GCSEs

We're thinking a few lazy days on Malta between end of exams and 6th form induction.

No people are not spread out in New York. It's very crowded and in the summer boiling-sticky-hot. The touristy parts are packed.

Rome a bit less crowded but Florence is lovely, there's great trains you could get about. You could go to Puglia or somewhere beachy to break it up.

Agree, dislike NYC in the heat. Puglia or Sicily a great shout

It was really fun! My DH & DC love an overnight train any time.
Japan will be excellent. DD has asked for a few nights in an all inclusive hotel between exams and prom, DS is debating between China and Japan when his turn comes but at the rate we are spending money on them it will be free camping in bothies by then!

Rome is very walkable. I stayed in the hotel Ponte sisto. It was lovely. Loads to see and fo. It felt less crowded than London. I went on my own and never felt unsafe.

What about Barcelona?

Oh Valencia is really lovely. Super easy metro from the airport to city centre, really buzzing place. Metro continues to the beach. I took kids one Easter and then fast train to Madrid. Valencia cooled by the sea but Madrid would be very hot. Again seat 61 may suggest places to travel by train from Madrid- it’s a really good website resource. Edited to say: I just quickly looked and you could catch the train to Barcelona which is a short hop. Or 11 hours to Paris?