Hello -
I am taking my 18 year old daughter and friend on their first European adventure for spring break - the second half of March. We will mostly be in Paris, but I was thinking it'd be cool to fly into either London or AMS for a few days first and then train to Paris. I've been to Paris and spent one day in London. Which would you recommend in this scenario? Thanks!
Both are nice cities to visit and from SEA you have non-stop flights to both.
If you choose London, it has more to offer to the traveler, so if you can spare at least 4-5 nights, it would be nice.
In that scenario I believe I'd get daughter and friend very involved in the decision of AMS vs London. In addition, get them really involved in the planning regardless of the destination. They can make or break a trip. To paraphrase an old saying, "If teenage girls aren't happy....".
You can't go wrong. London is more expensive and bigger and a shorter train ride to Paris (about 2 1/2 hours vs 3 1/2 hours). Depending on what you mean by "a few days," it might be easier to do justice to Amsterdam. What would your daughter and her friend prefer? Check out some guidebooks and see which one appeals to you more. You could just flip a coin if you can't decide based on what you want to see.
At that age ( 18) i would have the girls pick. They should invest a bit of research equity into this trip! At 19 my daughter and her two friends planned and did 11 weeks in eurooe on their iwn ( and their own dime too)
Make the girls decide , set a budget and let them get to work.
Thanks all. We've decided to go with Amsterdam this time, and just booked a very cute apartment. The girls are excited!
Since you're going to Amsterdam with 18-year-olds, you might consider taking them to an English language improv theaer called Boom Chicago. Some of the skits may be off color, but I'd betting your teenagers would enjoy it.
Thanks for the suggestion. I was also thinking they might enjoy the Friday night thing at the Van Gogh.
