Advice for trip March 2014

My son has been going to Europe since he was 11, he's now 23. He's been all over Europe after 7 trips.. he's liked every place very much but his all-time favorite is Paris. So much to see and do there to keep a 15 yo boy happy. His list of Favorites: Paris, Normandy, Burgundy, Loire Valley, Swiss Alps (Murren), French Alps (Chamonix), Ibiza, Berlin, London, York, Bruges, Rome, Tuscany, Umbria, Venice, and Sorrento & Amalfi Coast

Wow Susan - your list is heaven sent. I only was able spend about 5 days in Paris back in the 90s. Its probably time I got back and spent some more time there.

I think you're really smart to take your son to Europe, just the two of you. It's really good bonding time while having tons of fun. There was no place in Europe my son didn't like. My son paraglided in the Swiss Alps, we rented a private boat in Capri (not expensive) for the day, going to the top of Aiguille-du-Midi (16,000') in Chamonix.. just three examples... I could give you a long list! What does your son like? I don't know any boy that doesn't like castles...

Well it will be his first trip abroad (not counting Canada and Mexico!)... so it will be his first time seeing places like this. Antiquity sites, castles, etc. are definitely high on my list of things to see. Which is why I originally had Rome at the top of my list.

Instead of trying to cater to a teenager's needs, try involving your son directly in the trip planning. Give him a task to search out interesting places for himself in whatever country (not sure why you wrote off Italy so quickly, there are plenty of interesting sites for people of all ages) and help him where needed. With 10 days (excluding travel to and from), you should stick to one country to maximize time on the ground. Alternatively, pick cities that are close together (within 1-3 hours by train)

..... taking my son somewhere in Europe in late March 2014 for his spring break....... Who is the trip for??? You ? or Your son? If it is your son, then ASK HIM what he would like to see and do. He might surprise. Put him in charge of planning 30, 40, 50 or 60% of the trip. If he plans it, he cannot criticize your planning. I think London, Paris, Venice, Rome is far too much geography to cover in ten days. I look at something more focus - London, Paris, Amsterdam. Or Rome, Florence, Venice. Three locations in ten days is about it.

Hello Chris, I have 3 kids about 2 years apart between them. We have had 2 of them go on a spring break trip on their 13th year...we figured it was some quality time before they hate us. First kid we did Paris for 4 or so days and England village for about a week. Our daughter was a great travel partner, not a great planner, so rolled with us and had a great time in both places. The weather was great. This year we took our son to Germany and a different more rural English village. We thought we would do outdoorsy stuff, just like 2 years ago. Of course this was the coldest winter in XX years with snow on the ground the entire visit. Going to a soccer game was a little chilly, as was hiking to a rock in the middle of a field. Just like size, weather matters. The weather may dampen some plans. Were I to do our trip again, I may have picked an urban destination instead of a remote English village. Like London. But irregardless...isn't a word I know, my kids liked being an American in Europe, talking with people, eating in pubs, watching dad drink beer in pubs...maybe that was me.

Trox - your experience sounds like what I will probably run into. I am thinking England, northern France and Paris, and maybe the Netherlands is probably the best idea. I will take a closer look at this. I definitely do need to see London.

I'd probably skip Amsterdam with a 15 year old boy. Out of your choices, I think I would stick to London.

Well maybe just the Netherlands outside of Amsterdam... I've heard it both ways. Guess I will have to do some research.

Please do not wright off Rome!!! Have you heard of Ostia Antica? It a ruined city outside of Rome where you can wander the ruins and its outside so no stuffy museums. Its a good day or half day trip outside of Rome and does not take long to get there. There is a lot to see and do; where you can sit, climb or touch some of the ruins so its not just standing and looking around. When I was in Rome I saw lots of families. I would recommend splitting your time between two cities so you can have lots of different things to do.
My 2 cents

Thanks. Rome was my first choice as well... I was just afraid he would get bored with Museums and churches.

London is a GREAT place to take teens. Ours loved it! You have enough museums of different types to please anyone's interests (ours like spending a brief time in the British Museum), history they can relate to (the Tower is marvelous!!!), the theatre and a variety of concerts (classical to rock)for evenings, markets (our kid's favorite thing!!!), a couple of famous churches with interesting things to see, and places like Kew Gardens, Greenwich, etc. and plenty of day trip destinations you can easily reach by train. Windsor is an easy day trip and our kids absolutely LOVED Windsor Castle and the town, too. York is also fun, and Cardiff Wales is nice (it has a cool, funky vibe and if he's into it , son can tour the top notch, world class soccer stadium). Bath is easy, so is Stratford-upon-Avon, Winchester, Canterbury, Dover, Oxford, Cambridge, and many other places. All are reachable by train in 1-2 or 3 hours. In 10 days you could plan on doing a day trip every 3rd day to break things up.

London was the first European destination we took our sons to... and they always want to "pass through" whenever we go to Europe! There really is plenty there to keep a young teen interested! I agree with other posters - give your son some guidebooks and let him decide what he'd like to see. For whatever it's worth, I think there is a greater variety of things to see in London and Paris over Rome - especially if weather is an issue. Other sites in London my boys enjoyed: Imperial War Museum London Walks Tower of London Tour of Parliament
Cabinet War Rooms As for time, with 10 days I think 2 major cities like London and Paris with a day trip or two from each would make a great first trip to Europe for a teen!

Sounds like a great trip. I just returned from taking my 16 year old son on a 16 day blitz of Europe earlier this summer and highly recommend you get him involved in the planning. I would bounce ideas around with him for the entire year before we left. This is what he liked the most in Italy: Hiking in the Cinque Terre, Tower of Pisa, Roman Coleseum "underground tour", Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, Milan's Duomo rooftop tour, Pizza and Gellato. What he did not like too much: Walking tours in the RS guidebooks, Rick Steves audio tours, and the Palentine hill in Rome. I hope that helps give you a starting point. Have a great trip!!

I'd also suggest London for a teen male. I think Rome has the most thrills per square mile, but if he's not into art and churches it might be a bit much. Amsterdam is also cool, but at 15 he's a little young.

Hi, Great that you are exposing this high schooler, your son, to Europe. The way I would plan it is to see two cities at length...London (to be sure) and then give him a choice of either Berlin or Paris. As a second place to be visited, both have their advantages and are very doable. If you're flying to LHR, good...a good and easy start for you both. Then after 4-5 days either fly to Berlin or take the EuroStar to Paris (incl. a day trip r/t from Paris.

We just returned 2 weeks ago from taking our two granddaughters to Europe - they are 16 and 14, and this was their first trip. The main objective was to go to Sweden for a family reunion which they wanted to do. But, they also asked if we could go to London. I tried to get them involved in what we would see but was never able to - they kept saying whatever we thought would be good. They LOVED London, and I know could have spent more time there; they really liked the family reunion in Sweden, but Sweden turned our to involve too much time in the car and not enough activity going on for them; they also liked Copenhagen. So, if we were to do it over (and the family reunion was not involved) I would spend more time in London and not as much time in transportation from one place to another. All in all though it was a wonderful trip, and they were happy.

"Rome was my first choice as well... I was just afraid he would get bored with Museums and churches." 1. Rome has much more than museums and churches. For me, it's the ambiance of the city, more than than any of its designated "attractions," that is so memorable and enjoyable. And, stereotypically, the Colosseum alone should be enough reason for a 15 year old boy to want to go to Rome.
2. What your son will be interested in and bored with, as everyone else has said, depends on him. So, where does HE want to go? If he has no ideas, start with travel videos; Rick's are on Hulu and YouTube.

Chris, With a 10-day time frame, you should be able to cover "the big three" - London, Paris and Rome. You won't have a lot of time in each one, but it will be a good exposure to three different cultures for your Son. Using open-jaw flights will of course be the best idea. Is there any way you could get an extra day or two? That would help. Also, have you included your two flight days in your plans? You'll generally arrive in Europe the day after you depart. With those three cities, I'd use the following for transportation: > London to Paris - EuroStar (book WELL in advance for the cheapest prices - check the website seat61.com for all the details) > Paris to Rome - budget flight, Paris / ORY to Rome / FCO. For example, current prices with EasyJet are about €45 PP, but you'll need to book well ahead to get the best prices. flight time 1H:55M. Be sure to read their Terms and Conditions carefully, especially related to luggage allowances. EasyJet only allows ONE carry-on item per passenger, of the approved size (and they WILL check). Good luck with your planning!

As the saying goes, first thought, best thought. Italy is a great pick any time but especially that time of year. Your idea of Italy as a dusty old museum would astonish Italians. 10 days is about right. Check out classical Rome, Tuscan hill towns, Cinque Terra, and Venice.

One point no one has brough up: is he studying a language in school? If so that might be your starting point. If not you could both take a class on nights or weekends. Sometimes these are taught a a local high school. Definitely try to involve him in the planning. You may find yourself at a tank museum (Bovington Camp is a long day trip from London but do-able) or spending three or four days seeing everything D-day related in Normandy (can my tell my sons are into military history?). He can start by looking at the highest-rated sights on Trip Advisor or doing an internet search on Best Science Museums in Europe or whatever he's interested in. We went to the Computer Games Museum in Berlin. Not a reason to choose that city, but it was a fun couple of hours on a rainy day. It's easy to take a winter coat if you're heading to colder climes - just wear it onto the plane and stuff it in the overhead bin. In March you might need it, and gloves too. My family likes slower-paced trips with a minimum of three nights per location. We called our arrival day "zombie day" and wandered around in a sleep-deprived jet-lagged fog, getting to know the neighborhood and buying phones. We didn't have the energy for much else. You might be perkier but it's best not to plan too much that day just in case. Have a great time!

So much great information. Thanks to everyone. More planning to be done ! :)

I vote for Ken's plan. London, Paris, Rome. European 'Highlights' It might be fast paced but, over only 10 days, that should not be a problem.

Hi, Both the tank museum at Bovington and the RAF Museum at Duxford can be done as day trips from London by using public transportation, "long but doable" as pointed out. Both are fascinating to be sure. The problem lies in choosing which to see.