Twenty-First in Europe

Jordan,

My suggestion would be to spend your birthday in the place that interests you the most. I suppose the decison will depend on what type of celebration you're planning? Prague would certainly be a good choice.

Cheers!

Jordan - For a 21st B-day a couple of suggestions - Paradise Beach on Mykonos which I can guarantee you would never forget! OR , for a more educational B-day - Barcelona, one of Europe's most exciting cities!!

Whatever you choose - An early Happy Birthday, Greg

First, it really does matter what you are into, and "Spring" can be a wide range of weather, ranging from winter activities in the Alps to beaches in Greece. Also keep in mind that "21" is a purely American concept, most Europeans will have been partying since they were 18, some 16, so they may be a bit puzzled at joining in your celebration. If this will occur later in the Spring and beach appeals, Ibiza, Corfu, and Mykonos are all good spots, however you do risk that these places may not be up and going hot yet, as they tend to peak in the Summer. If earlier and urban dance venues are appealing, Amsterdam, Prague, Berlin or most any large city will do. You might try heading over to the Lonely Planet Thorntree for advice, that would be a much younger crowd than on here, and better advice on specific cities and clubs.

That is a nasty thing to post !!!!

Actually James,, is totally incorrect anyways,, the average age on tripadvisor.com is just about the exact same age as here. I am on both, and have been for years.

Frankly,the age of the responder to this post is not important. Older posters most likely has travelled more then the average 21 yr old,, duh,, and guess what ,,we were all younger once,, and yes,, I have partied on Mykonos( as well as Amsterdam , Paris, etc etc etc) .

As noted,, 21 is not a big deal in Europe,, legal drinking age is 18 (and most have had alcohol, wine with dinner etc, well before 18),, so party away no matter what your age!

Personally, I would party where ever I am attending school as I would assume I would make a few buddies at school to go out with,, I have never gone out alone and partied solo with only strangers,, seems like going with friends is funner,, even just to the corner bar or pub.

Have a blast no matter where you are,, you will be turning 21 in Europe,, how can that be bad.

PS Lonely Planet has a forum that has a slightly younger demographic,, but not by much,, as travellers come in all ages,, and its more about travel style then age,.

Famous for its world-class night life is Berlin. And it's even cheaper to party there than in e.g. Prague.

A few questions... Where will you be studying? Will you have a few days (like a long weekend) break that you will use for your celebration? Or will you have a full week? or two? Also- what are your interests? Would you like beer (Prague, Amsterdam, Germany,Austria), Whisky (Scotland), Wine (France or Austria)or other libation? What kind of party- night life? adventure/outdoor (hiking, etc.), beach? Give us some ideas....
Finally, what is your budget? Have you saved up and want to "class it up" or will you be doing hostles and looking for free/cheaper entertainment?

And keep in mind that 21 is not a big bench mark in Europe as it is in the US. Some of the locals may wonder why you are making a big deal out of 21.

Frank is right, legal drinking age in most European countries is 16 and legal driving age is 18. From the moment you arrive at a European airport you're eligible to drink, if that's important to you...

I, too, follow both tripadvisor and this forum. IME the English language Germany forum is dominated by a few ultra-green aged hippies who only allow one answer: Don't rent a car, take the train. I find that pretty tiring...

I hang out on Trip Advisor too. Seems to be a mix of ages. I will admit to pushing riding the train thing cause that is all I know. Since I don't drive over here then I cannot give advice about renting a car, routes, times, etc. Plus, I do feel for many people, especially Americans, part of the allure and fun of Europe is riding the trains.

Well, James, shall we join the ultra-green hippie crowd?

Hm, OK, to set this straight: Just because you take the trains and don't rent a car doesn't make you an ultra-green hippie. But if you're a frequent follower of TripAdvisor you'd know that there are some people who constantly try to talk other people out of renting a car. As if they were paid for this by DB German Rail... There are some places you just can't reach by rail.Jo, try Frankfurt Dornbusch to Bad Soden am Taunus by S-Bahn. It takes one full hour. By car it's about a 15mins ride. A friend of mine lives in Kronberg/Ts. and works at Rodgau. Try S-Bahn (90 mins one-way, so he would spend 3 hours per day on a commuter train in addition to his 8 hours in the office)... On Frankfurt to Cologne/Düsseldorf/Amsterdam I, too, prefer trains simply for time reasons. Same on Frankfurt to Kassel/Hannover/Göttingen/Braunschweig area - and on Frankfurt to Stuttgart. OK, what's this all got to do with celebrating a 21st birthday in Europe ;-)?