Looking for vacation areas in France or Germany/Switzerland that would be fun with a 13 year old boy.We like to combine a city (museum etc) with some relaxing time in areas with more 'touristy'stuff -beach, amusement parks, alpine slides etc. Any suggestions? thanks
Posted by
San Francisco/Marin County
9436 posts
Hi Diane, My son and I have been going to Europe since he was 11 yrs old and he loves Paris more than anywhere and all that there is to do there. He also loves/loved Normandy: D Day history and sites, Mont St. Michel, town of Bayeux, the Loire Valley and all the chateaux, the Berner Oberland: staying in Murren, paragliding, cable cars, hiking, bike riding, Chamonix: going to the top of Mont Blanc, the summer luge, bike riding. He also loves Italy and the UK, but you didn't ask about that :) We, sadly, haven't been to the south of France yet...it's still on our list!
We always have a GREAT time together in Europe and I'm sure you will too!
Posted by
victoria, Canada
11507 posts
A few things my kids( 2 sons, on seperate trips, 14 yrs old, when they went, and my dd who was 11)
In Paris the boys loved the Catacombs. Loved it. It wasn't a museum or church , so that right there put it ahead of many sites,, LOL
One son LOVED the Louvre, the other did not even visit there, but Loved the Invalids Armee Musee.( weapons and such,, I didn't go he was with dad) .
Rented bikes at Versailles and let son go for a long bike ride around the canal,, without me,,, we had alot of togetherness ( 3 weeks of it) and 45 minutes apart was nice for both of us. Could also suggest taking a bike tour with Fat Tire Bike Tour, that was alot of fun.
My dd really looks back on two things we did in Switzeraland as highlights of her trip. One was a day hiking above Wengen,, it was such a "Heidi" experience, super gorgeous mountains , cow bells echoing up from pastures,etc.. She also loved when we went on the alpine slides. That trip was on a RS Family tour, and the slides seemed to be sort of in the middle of nowhere , so can't help much here. I bet you could google and find some too. My dd and her friend actually went OFF the track,, seriously,, they weren't hurt, but laughing as they carried the slide back down the hill, but freaky.. LOL
In Rome ,, well, every kid I know ,, knows a bit about gladiators and lions etc.. so the Coloseum is always a hit.
I really think kids enjoys seeing or visiting sites when they have either seen it on tv.. or heard about it , or read about it,, and have some background info. My oldest son noted at Versailles that he had just taken a section on the French Revolution in grade 8, so knew a bit about the slaughter of the Swiss Guards at Versailles. Bits like that make a place more intersting. I find kids don't care much for places that are simply " beautiful" ,, they want some info and history.
Posted by
Utah
455 posts
depending on where you go of course:
near stuttgart is the amazing mercedes benz museum.
south of the famous castles in bavaria in imst austria is a great alpine coaster. better than a luge.
tram ride up the zugspitze or other peaks. salt mine tours with wooden slides.
our sons love clambering over castle ruins, etc wherever we go.