Fun for Teens in Europe: 2006
Summer is for hometown parties and hanging out with friends - payback for a year of hard study in school. But Mom and Dad want to go to Europe! How can a teen stuck in Europe with his family have fun? Try screaming on the "white knuckle rides" of Blackpool, England; mountain biking in the Alps, playing pool and darts in Irish pubs where minors are welcome to be part of the scene, etc. Share your favorite teen activities and sights in Europe.
Slide -WOW is this fun
Tate modern has performance art slides 5 -4 -3 stories Free and great fun not rpoblem at 1030 on weekday but can imagine getting crowded -until April
John Brangwin
USA Sat 11/25/2006
Going to Vienna, Salzburg and Ceske Budejovice
This summer, my high school choir has been invited to preform at a music festival in Salzburg. We will also be traveling to Vienna and Ceske Budejovice (in the Czech Republic). Any suggestions, hints or warnings to help me in my first trip out of the country?
A. Howe
Canada Sun 11/19/2006
Hi, me and two of my friends (17 year old girls) have been planning on going to Europe, Paris, London, Northern Italy, and maybe amsterdam. I have a home in Paris so we arent worried about that. But I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions for places that are fun in northern italy for young people like us.
Also if anyone had an suggestions on hostels in these places, that would be so wonderful!
Thank you!
Alex
USA Sat 11/18/2006
My Trip to Europe
I am only 14 and this past March I had the chance to go to Europe with my dad and a group of his students from school(he is a world history teacher at a high school) and my best friend went as well and it was amazing. My advice to adults taking teens is to let them have time to do what they want. It's a great experience and it's nice to be able to do what you want for awhile instead of just taking a bunch of guided tours.
JR
Kansas City , MO USA Fri 10/20/2006
Solo Travel in Europe
So I posted on this a little over a year ago about how I was going to solo travel for a month in Europe at 17. I got a few emails dissauding me from going but I went anyway and had the time of my life. I went to Amsterdam, Noordwijk (netherlands), Wuerzburg, Nuernberg, and Dublin. It was incredible and I think the solo aspect of it made it even better. I'm going back in 3 months for 31 days (Xmas, New Years, etc) and I am so excited. I suggest any teen who wants to go should just do it, it's a life changing experience.
Logan
atlanta, ga USA Thu 09/21/2006
Museum Pass
Several years ago we got the 5 day Museum Pass in Paris. Our girls were 13 and 9. Having the longer pass meant that we were able to visit the Louvre in 3 separate visits, seeing the entire place in smaller time periods without exhausting ourselves. My kids NEVER got bored with any of the museums. In fact, I hadn't scheduled the Pompidou or Cluny Museums, thinking they'd be museumed-out by that time. I was so wrong! They begged to see each of them. We returned to Paris 6 months later, got another 5 day pass and returned to most of the museums again, plus picked up others we hadn't seen the first time. All kids are different. I never would have guessed that mine would have been so impressed with the culture of Paris. The museum pass is a great tool to allow you to come and go freely, seeing so many places for both long and short visits. Sometimes we stopped back at places just to use the free restrooms. It was nice to be able to come and go so freely, especially with kids.
TM
OR USA Fri 09/15/2006
Museum pass with teen
I took my 14 year old daughter to Paris for a week this summer. She loves art and enjoys museums to a certain extent but I wouldn't recommend getting more than the two day pass. We busted our behinds in those two days and more than paid for my pass (she was free almost everywhere, just like Rick Steves said!) and felt very satisfied and exhausted. Any more days and we wouldn't have appreciated it as much. And, there is more to see on another trip!
Marcia
CT USA Sat 08/26/2006
Teens in Europe
We took a Trafalgar Cost Saver tour and it was the best thing to do with 2 parents in their 50s and a 14 year old daughter. She made lots of friends on the tour. When she wanted to do a gondola ride and I wanted to skip it, the tour director said it was fine to send her along without a parent ( bus takes them to the boat and everyone stays together as a group ). She announced to the group that my daughter was solo for the night and immediately two sisters traveling together announced that she could share their gondola and one of the dads bought her a rose when he bought one for his daughter. Afterwards we compared notes on what we had done for the evening. On our trip of 47 there were 2 kids under 10, other kids were 11, 13, 14, 16, 4 - 18 year olds, 26 and 34. ( the 26 and 34 and 3 of the 18 year olds went exploring as a group in the evenings that nothing was planned ). We asked our daughter what she most wanted to do and she said have free time to wander and go in places that looked interesting and to skip educational stuff. We agreed on doing the parent stuff first in the day and then having free time. Knowing the location of Internet cafes to stay in touch with friends ( or bring a laptop ) and finding some shopping places and having enough batteries for her camera and MP3 player made her a happy person. We skipped a lot of museums that we had already seen or stayed for shorter times than we would have without our daughter and instead took in the culture trying new foods, using the subways and buses and doing things with the group so she could be with us or chatting with someone else.
Anna
Marlboro, MA USA Thu 07/27/2006
Love Europe for Spring Break!
We go to Europe for Spring Break almost every year. The sites are less crowded (if your spring break does not fall over Easter). Last year we were in France for spring break, which also happened to be when Pope John Paul II died, and suddenly everyone was on a pilgrimage to Rome and we had the sites in France to ourselves!
We've always told our kids that they are welcome to go to Europe, but they WON'T be going to Daytona/Mexico/name your scary spring break location even when they are in college.
USA Thu 06/08/2006
Spring Break With Teens
Teens may be more enthusiastic about traveling in Europe over spring break, since many of their friends also are away from home then. Winter airfares and off-season hotel rates can keep your average daily costs at least as low as they would be for a longer trip in the summer.
Where to go? Our spring break trip to south-central Italy included Rome, Pompeii, Naples and the Amalfi coast. We've also heard positive reactions from families with teens who visited Rome-Florence-Venice or London-Paris.
For the same price as a week on a stateside beach, you and your teens can experience spring break in Europe TTBD. Their memories -- and yours -- will last a lot longer than a tan.
K. & P.
Chicago, IL USA Thu 05/25/2006
Italy
I'm taking my 16 year old niece to Italy. Any good tips for what I should plan that would be special for her.
Lisa
Boston, MA USA Mon 05/15/2006
European Travel
HI! Just by chance I started reading this page, and I like to give you some advices for travelling in Europe. I'm a 18-year-old swiss girl, and I've been to many places you're asking questions about.
First about seasons: For norhtern Europe( every country above the Alps) I would recommand summer (June, July, August) because the wheater then is sunny and you can have a bath in lakes, rivers,etc.. if you like.
Everything what's in the south of the Alps you should try to plan your trip in autum..Especially in Italy, France and Spain I love the wheater in September... It's sunny, there are wonderful atmospheres and you can easily take a bath in the sea, but you don't have to share the beaches wiht thousands of other tourists..When you plan to visit cities, also in late summer or september it can be really hot, but above all Rome (one of the most attractive cities I've ever been to), Paris and Barcelona and Madrid is worth it.
For Italy I would recomend also Cinque Terre, a beautiful region on the coast. Also the south of France (Provence, Cote-d'Azur), is a dream. I've been there for many years, and the poeple, the landscape and espacially the food!!!!! is really good.
What else? When you like to have Europe in one country, come to Switzerland. There are four official languages(German, French, Italian, Romontsch) and with the language also the culture changes..In the south(Tessin, Italian) you can enjoy great lakes( Lago Maggiore, Lago di Lugano) and you feel like you were in Italy. In the western part the most spoken language is French, German in the East. Also for a tight budget there are possibilities to travel and to see a lot. Try www.youthhostels.ch, or just take a tent with you. there are alsmost everywhere possibilities for camping.
Further, you have to plan very well what you would like to visit. There are so many museums, cities, castels and different regions here. Try to figure out first what you want to see, then you wont have problems of time later. Take also good shoes (hiking) wiht you, some of the most interesting regions you can discover by walking trough them.
IN cities, espacially european women are very fashionable. Take something nice (skirt) when you plan to go out at evening for dinner or for dancing, etc...
And another tip: try to visit a festival in summer: there are a lot of music festivals in summer, we call them "openair's".
Enjoy!
cORINNE
switzerland Fri 05/12/2006
RE: Europe feedback
I have spent time in both Germany and Italy and have suggestions as far as they go considering my interests. It of course really dpends on your interests. In Germany, the attraction that draws the most tourists, is in my opinion the least exciting one to visit, that is Neuschwanstein. You don't spend ore than 20 minutes in the castle because you must go with a tour,a dnthe 45 minute hike to get up there isn't worth the trip. If you would like to go to a castle in Bavaria I would suggest another castle built by the same king, Ludwig II, called Linderhof, it is relatively near to the other castle but it is actually finished and is just more fabulous in every aspect. Berlin is one of the most amazing cities I have evr been to. There is just this incredible atmosphere there and the majority of the very interesting attractions are within walking distance of the main street that leads up to the Bradenburg Gate (the street is Unter den Liden). Hamburg is more beautiful in the typical beautiful sense but not half as interesting as Berlin. In Italy Rome is the place to go. There are so many big and famous sites to see that you can be occupied there for weeks but Florence is also a must and feels a lot more "homey" than Rome because it doesn't have the magnitude of Rome.
Heather
PG, BC Canada Sat 05/06/2006
Europe feedback
Hey, I am looking to travel to Europe in winter, specifically Germany, Italy, and France - with around 2 weeks in each country, and London for three days on the way home. I am 16, and I would appreiciate any tips and hints that may be useful. I wouldn't mind to hear your best/worst parts of your trips to either of these countries either.
Nic
AK USA Tue 05/02/2006
america elders are substantial
i had to go to a elder home with my mom for the hole entire day that really sucks try having a 74 year old man hitting on you wiggling his tonue with no teeth!!!!!!!!!! (now i'm embarrased)
naomi
portland, oragon USA Thu 04/27/2006
Towns for Teens in Ireland
We traveled in 2004 with our 17 & 14 year old. We listened to traditional music in Kenmare, but I think we had the most fun in Dingle and in the Burren region. Dingle was great because it was not like the rest of our trip - no great sites to see, just the cute town, good restaurants and lots of "down time". We spent 3 nights there and didn't regret it - my husband and daughter actually went scuba diving one day while my son and I took a grocery store picnic out to the beach area. The town was filled with families from all over - the whole feeling was very different from Dublin, Cashel, etc. We also met up with English friends in the Burren (we stayed in Corofin) who have two teen boys. We enjoyed hiking the moon-scape like terrain and the kids enjoyed going to the pubs. We ate lobster and heard traditional mustic at night. Again, no great sites -except the landscape, which is fabulous. Even though we are not really a very outdoorsy family, I think they enjoyed the bit of trail hiking we did all over Southern Ireland.
Karen
Atlanta, GA USA Tue 04/11/2006
GERMANY!!!!
I have spent the last month in Germany adn have a few things to say about the tourist attractions that I have seen so far. Neuschwantstein: hardly worth the trip and wait to get in, only quick, guided tour through the 16 finished rooms isn't asspectacular as thecrowds it draws would seem to imply.
Linderhof: a smaller summer house built by King Ludwig as well(same king as Neuschwantstein), and way better than Neuschwanstein in my opinion more ornate and actually finished. Heidelberg Castle: very interesting if you get a guide but if you go it alone there is a big grafittied barrel to see and that's about it but Heidelberg itself is very nice. Hambach Castle (Neustadt an der Weinstrasse) very interesting if you are very into the developement of Germany as a democratic state but it offers an amazing view of the surrounding area.
Wieskirche: amazing, the ceiling out does anything I have ever seen and I have seen the Sistine Chapel just the magnitude of it is just overwhelming( I love the Sistine Chapel too) but just astonishing when you see it you can't look anywhere but up.
Next week I am off to Berlin and Hamburg any must sees there? My knowledge of both is very very minimal and I can only think of the obvious (Brandenburg Gate, etc.) so any suggestions would be mightily welcomed.
Heather
Ludwigshafen, Rheinland-Pfalz(temporary), Germany Mon 04/03/2006
Book summer travel now
Liz-my best advice is forgo the "free & easy no-reservations necessary" trip you might want to have and book some hostels. My daughter and friends went to Europe last year and booked their trip 100% ahead of time. There are some great hostel review boards out there and they used these to find some really good places to stay. These were inexpensive, but safe, and some even provided tours for the hostel goers. They were surprised to find that some of the places they wanted to stay were actually booked when they contacted them. The target market for hostels are young people and young people are very wired so it only makes sense to use the Internet now even at the expense of flexibility.
USA Thu 03/30/2006
backpacking in high season- advice?
I am bit concerned about my summer travels and would love any advice. I am in my late 20's and taking my younger sister (17) backpacking through France, Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, and Italy in June and July. It's the high season but we had no other option for time. I enjoy travelling-- but without the crowds and I'm not a big fan of the "touristy" effects and crowds. We still want to be able to get a good taste (albeit a fast one) of the best stuff. I also know I need to do a bit more planning rather than stay open in regards to reserving hostels and such (looking out for the safety of my youn sis).
What advice, tips, secrets could be shared that would make this go smoothly in a time of crowds? Our budget is also fairly tight.
liz
asheville, nc USA Wed 03/29/2006
DISCO!
When I was 16 I went on a student exchange to Switzerland. We took a three day trip to Florence, Italy with the school and we went to a discoteca!! It was really fun and there were lots of other Canadians and Americans there. The cover charge was about 10 Euros and it includes one drink. You could also get non-alcoholic drinks like juices and iced tea! They had dancing and karaoke and tables for people who just wanted to sit and have a snack. I would highly recommend a disco to any teenager in europe!
Jade
Kenora, , Ontario Canada Mon 03/13/2006
Salzburg!
me and my cousin went to salzburg, austria last summer, and i had my 13th birthday there. Me and her loved shopping at the getreidegasse, and going to mirabell gardens. I had made friends with a few locals, and they showed me around the city. this is risky to do, because you dont know everyones intentions. but if you do meet some nice locals, it can make your trip a lot funner, safer and relaxing! im going again this summer, also to paris/london/ and venice. anyone have any tips for teens?
Kitty
USA Tue 02/21/2006
Backpacking when 18
Josh,
plan, plan, plan. Planning is very good. Have a set routine on what to do so that there aren't any arguments while your over there. My school was there for two weeks and by the third day everybody was arguing. Sit down and decide where you want to go and look into hostiles. They can be hard to find as it gets later at night. Have fun!
Jarrod
USA Fri 02/17/2006
Hard Rock Cafe Shirts
We started buying HRC shirts for our kids on our first trip to Italy in 1999 (we ended up there when my husband was tired of eating pasta!) Ever since then, whether we are traveling together or not, that is the one souvenir we make an effort to find and they love it. They have everything from Rome, London, and Paris to a bunch of US cities. The older kids can still wear their very first shirts, but the "baby" who is now 11 can't quite fit into that child's size small! They never go out of style and the adult smalls we got our middle schoolers back then still work for college and high school girls.
USA Wed 02/08/2006
Fun in Europe
My boys like to collect T-shirts with names of the cities they visit. We also made a tradition of eating, if available, at Hard Rock cafes (London, Paris, Amsterdam, and Berlin so far). They have fun by wondering around and finding great memorabilia of music stars.
Dorota
Winnipeg, MB Canada Sun 01/29/2006
re:status on solo trip
logan, i too will be travelling to europe solo, march and april. write to me and let me get some feedback, let me know where you going and where you staying. im backingpacking throughout france, italy and spain.
Dav
USA Sun 01/29/2006
Teens in London
My 2 teenage boys, 14 at the time, did not want to go to "The Lion King" musical in London, as they expected it to be for little children, but after about 5 min of the show, and for the remaining time, they just sat completly mesmerized, as they both loved the spectacle.
Dorota
Winnipeg, MB Canada Sun 01/29/2006
Status on my Solo trip
I posted earlier that I was going solo to europe for a month and a half. Well, two weeks I'm on an exchange program but I'm doing the next part, backpacking around some other countries alone. I'm really excited and not at all worried. So, I supposed I'll update when I get back to reassure all you 'mommas' out there how great it was.
And yes I'm aware of the costs and have no problem with that or being alone!
Logan
Atlanta, GA USA Sun 01/29/2006
Fun in Paris - Bike Tours
Neolle - This is a must - FATTIRE BIKE TOURS! One of the best ways to see Paris! Try to schedule in the bike tour to Versailles which includes a picnic on the grounds of the chateau.
http://www.fattirebiketoursparis.com/
Juliet
Germany Wed 01/25/2006
Alps
When we were staying in Reutte, at Gutshof Zum Schluxen, my brother and I hiked through the Alps to Neuschwanstien. If your under 40, and still have good legs, do this. Its a BEAUTIFUL, and pretty flat and easy, hike. Definately an out of the way thing for teens to do.
Brooklin
Simi Valley, CA USA Fri 01/06/2006