Suggestions for Euro citybreak in August

ToneControl

hmm a few days or a week, with my 13 and 15 year old daughters
Ideally somewhere that has cheap flights, and has affordable nice airbnbs
They moan a bit about heat, like when I took them to Barcelona 2 years ago in August

I thought maybe Norwegian airlines, Amsterdam or Oslo
then I remembered Paris is good 

Any advice please?

Jalapeno

Berlin, Madrid, Rome

TTony

ToneControl said:

then I remembered Paris is good 

That's probably the best version of Paris - in your memories.

Today it's very visible armed police, and even more visible "temporary residents" (hopefully that's PC).


If it's for a few days, I'd want to minimise the travel time.  So direct flights from your local airport, or Eurotunnel (lot less hassle with check-in, etc).  Depends what you/they want to do with the time.  Scottish islands for some beautiful scenery (when the clouds lift).  Channel islands - Guernsey - for some peace.  Switzerland?  Krakow's supposed to be interesting?  Or Berlin?

octatonic

I'd do Berlin as it is too cold in the winter.
Rome is quiet too as all the Italians are on holidays.

Clarky

Vienna

HAL9000

Clarky said:

Vienna

Means nothing to me...

HAL9000

Mrs9000 and I have done a few city breaks. My favourites have been...

Verona

Split (we went before Croatia became popular and it was ridiculously cheap, probably a bit more pricey now. Plenty of great excursions available too)

Rome

Barcelona

Copenhagen

St Petersburg (but sorting Russian visas is punishing)

Dominic

Surely kids want swimming pools and beaches not boring North European cities but not too hot.............ok
Dona San Sebastien
Biarritz
Avignon
Lake Como or Maggiore
Lake Constance /Black Forest
Lake Geneva
Lake Balaton
Carinthia ,Austria Villach /Faak am see
Slovenia 
Venice
Porec or Rovinj ( Istria doesn't get that hot unlike Dalmatia)
Plitovice national Park ( fly to Zagreb and get the train ......superb camping )

Fretwired

Copenhagen ..

Budgie

Huddersfield?

littlegreenman

Depends on what the teenagers are into probably, and what they've done before.

Paris is an obvious one. Versailles, a river cruise, the usual tourist stuff. Great for a first trip out of UK as everyone speaks English but likes it if you at least try French. Kids do often like the Catacombs tour though, underground and with real life skeletal remains!

Madrid in August will make Barcelona feel like an igloo. @mags will agree I think?

A lot of the European capitals are good for a quick break (2 days) but no longer for youngsters, as there's not that much for them if they don't dig historical shizz and spending time walking around a lot.

I went to Sweden as a 13 year old (many years ago) and had a fantastic time. Amazing scenery everywhere, friendly locals, quirky small towns with glassblowing centres, stuff like that. If it were me planning this trip, I'd be looking at Scandinavia somewhere probably, but definitely away from the major cities.

Whitecat

Nothing wrong with Dublin. Different enough from the UK but nicely familiar with great food, nice people and a climate you'll love. 

ToneControl

They like shopping a lot, will tolerate some museums
Not sure they'd appreciate lakes as much at present
I think it has to be in a big city

Last few hols they wouldn't go in the pool, even when I paid extra to get a private one
they went in the sea once in a week in Barcelona, even though we were very close to it near the zoo

They are both learning Spanish, eldest is top of the class, but said little in Lanzarote in the spring
too young to appreciate San Sebastian?
I assume it's expensive there? we already did a pricey hol this year, so I am trying to not splash out

I only did Berlin just after the wall came down, I assume it's more developed now, it felt like a small town then

no way taking them to Russia for now, too much hassle, and I was not that impressed

I assume Rome is very hot. I think 30C is their absolute max at present

We thought Amsterdam might be nice, and make them worry less about being very tall. I only did 2 days at work there and a boozy evening with colleagues, I assume there is a lot more to see

I can remember liking Oslo

I think 3 days is enough in any normal city,
I think London, Paris, Rome, Barcelona can sustain interest for longer, not sure if any other European cities can

Switzerland was completely boring when I was there in 1990, not sure if it's livelier now, 
 

ToneControl

Whitecat said:

Nothing wrong with Dublin. Different enough from the UK but nicely familiar with great food, nice people and a climate you'll love. 

they just turned down a trip there
my Mrs booked a ferry, and a house for 3 nights for her to go and see U2 this weekend , and they said they weren't interested

Sorry to disagree, but personally I agree with the kids, I think Dublin is pretty dull, Manchester has at least twice as much to do. I'd go to Galway any time though (I did months working in Dublin, as well as hols)

btw, I like it around 30C

HAL9000

ToneControl said:

Switzerland was completely boring when I was there in 1990...
 

I was in Saas Fee last year. 'Boring' doesn't even begin to describe it.

duotone

Not a fan of Dublin myself either, went once about 7 years ago and wouldn't be in a rush to go back.

Stockholm is good & I enjoyed Munich, been to Amsterdam twice & would recommend it.  

stimpsonslostson

If you can find accommodation, Edinburgh is brilliant in august. The fringe is on so you can the your pick of THOUSANDS of shows etc. 
I doubt the heat will be an issue. 

Dominic

HAL9000 said:

ToneControl said:

Switzerland was completely boring when I was there in 1990...
 

I was in Saas Fee last year. 'Boring' doesn't even begin to describe it.

my friend has a chalet in Saas Fee .....Have been to ski many times ....I would agree that it is very boring even in Winter.

ThePrettyDamned

I adored zagreb - cheap as chips and beautiful, good food, good beers (if you know where to look), the stunning Museum of Broken Relationships, markets, interesting buildings. 

I don't know how easy it would be to get from there to the coast though. Also, I vaguely remember thinking there are no direct flights there... But this was some years back. 

Otherwise, Munich and Berlin are brilliant places. 

EricTheWeary

I've never been to Dublin but I've been slightly put off by a) the high crime rate and b) people saying a lot of the tourist parts can be dominated by stag and hen parties.

We have still to get to Amsterdam, I've got a Discussion on here on what to do there with teenagers I'll try to dig up. There's a Dutch exchange student at my son's college and she says Delft is the place to go. Not sure there's loads to do, more sight seeing and art. 

Nantes seems to come out well on places to go with teenagers, very cyclist friendly with a Boris bikes type scheme and a tram system, the steampunk park thing is quite famous and it has wacky modern architecture alongside the old chateaus,etc. Would be quite hot I guess but you'd have a sea breeze. 

http://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/89483/family-friendly-amsterdam#latest

Dominic

This is a hard one ..............glad I'm not your travel agent !
Madrid / Toledo won't be very hot but it's not as exciting as Barcelona
If you did Lake Como both Milan and Verona are within 40 minutes drive and there is lots to do around the Lake -little towns,numerous boat rides/water Taxis to Cernobbio,Menaggio and Tremetto and Lecco.
You will be bored in Amsterdam after a day - it's very small and samey.
Paris I always find very Meh
Avignon is very easy by fast train ,superbly beautiful and close to Pont du Garde,Nimes,Arles and the Camargue although 3 days is enough. Palais de Papes and easy to jump on a boat for a day going up or down the Rhone.
Bizarrely.......if they like shops you will find that New York is as cheap as Europe in the height of summer and it really isn't such a long flight .