Europe Ideas

[Beantown Express 2.0 6559]

So I was looking at taking the wife and 12 year old son to Europe for the first time at the end of July for about a week.  I know there are lots of threads about Europe but if you had a week to get away to Europe where would it be and why.  I have been to Rome before but nowhere else in Europe.  Wife wants to get away from the Texas heat and go to a place with lots to do and see.  Looks like I  can use my miles to get to any one of London, Paris, Amsterdam, Milan, Frankfurt, Munich, etc... 

[midtown 3348]

For a 12 year old London is probably the best bet I'd imagine.

 

[Surly Bevo 25197]

Spent two weeks in Europe last July with wife and three kids (they were 10, 10 and oldest turned 14 while there).  We did Munich a few days, met up with some friends stationed in a small town about a 40 minute train ride outside Nuremberg and tooled around the countryside while we stayed with them.  Went to Prague and then finished in Paris.  They loved each city, hard to go wrong if you stay active but if you are spending a week probably Paris or London.  

[EuroHorn 3272]

Amsterdam is great for a 12 year old. He’ll be 25 by the time you leave. 

[bluto 4943]

keep an eye out on flying into london even when using points, not sure if it's like this with all airlines but american/BA charge insane fees even when paying for the fare with points (been a few years since i experienced/researched it so could be old news)

[SquishMitten 10444]

On your list, London is the best option with the kid. All those cities have a lot to see, but the kid will have more familiarity with what you’ll see in London due to school, movies/TV, and general culture so it’ll be much more engaging/memorable. Rome would probably be second on the familiarity-scale, but I don’t particularly like it there...but that’s probably because if I’m in Italy, I’m not happy unless I’m in Florence.

Paris, maybe. I’ve never been, but I just spent a week in the South of France so I have nothing particularly great to say about them right now.

Amsterdam...don’t waste that trip by taking along a kid. Just got back from there today and I wasn’t anywhere close to ready to leave. The drugs/whore stuff is only a tiny bit of what the city has to offer, but those are things you wouldn’t want to have to pass up because you didn’t feel comfortable strolling your 12 year old through the red light district.

[SquishMitten 10444]

keep an eye out on flying into london even when using points, not sure if it's like this with all airlines but american/BA charge insane fees even when paying for the fare with points (been a few years since i experienced/researched it so could be old news)

I did not have that problem using my Chase sapphire fees.

[52-80 19270]

Alps/Dolomites

*get away from the urban heatsink

*potentially cross 3 countries and 2/3/4 languages (a bit more exotic than hearing english abroad)

*kids can check out various castles along the way

*fit a bit of hiking in

*spectacular sights

*dont have to drag the family around the city...

fly into munich, rent a car, and have a drive around at your pace

[Grippe 313]

End of July?  Normandy.  Be sure to watch Saving Private Ryan with him before going.

[Ghost of LL 15544]

I think the end of July/spousal requirement to leave the Texas heat really eliminates some choices.  Italy is miserable in the summer, and as much as I love it, I would never subject someone to an Italian summer.  The same is true of Spain (although the Basque Country stays pretty manageable).  

Paris gets uncomfortably hot in the summer, and at the end of July you're going to have a lot of the locals already leaving for vacation.  That means that the service industries are going to be performed by the people who are left behind--they're going to be pissed (on top of hot).  For me--Paris from July 1-September 15 is an absolute no-go.

London is a little bit similar--it gets surprisingly hot in London in late July.  But the point about the 12-year old's familiarity with English history and culture over that of, say, Denmark, is well made.  For that reason, London might be the best choice.

Other good choices are Munich or Berlin.  There is plenty to do in and around Berlin that will keep you happy for a week--just set up in an AirBNB and see the sights of the city.  Munich has a lot less--it's enough to keep you busy for a few days, but it can be a good base-of-operations for the rest of Bavaria.  Or, alternatively, you can spend four days in Munich and three days in Salzburg or Garmisch-Partenkirchen and explore the German/Austrian Alps.

Somewhat alternatively, you can fly in to Munich and drive or train down to Innsbruck.  Innsbruck isn't my favorite town, but it makes a great base-of-operations for exploring the Alps.  You can go up to Garmish-Partenkirchen and go up to the Zugspitze, which is the highest point in Germany.  You can go up and check out King Ludwig's castles.  You can go down to South Tyrol in Italy.  And, if you want, you can spend a day or two over in Salzburg.

 

[Beantown Express 2.0 6559]

Thanks for the responses.  I am leaning towards flying into Munich and spending a day or two there then taking the train to Saltzburg or exploring the Alps.  Is there enough to keep a family busy for a week exploring that area?  

[gecko 1104]

Just got back yesterday from Ireland flew in/out of Cork, IE via London.  We did the regular tourista stuff in the SW...

Killarny, Ring of Kerry, Dingle Peninsula, Gap of Dunloe, Killarny National Park, Cliffs of Moher, Blarney Castle, etc.

It was surprisingly affordable.  Weather was great.  We hiked, drove the countryside, saw castles, stayed in a really great country house - easily 5 stars at a 3 star price.

Our big miss was getting out to the Skelligs.  We saw them but couldn't get a spot on a boat to land.  The Skelligs are 7 miles offshore and were made famous by the most recent Star Wars (Luke's hangout).  Its a World Heritage site and I'll be going back because its now a bucket list item for me.

[Onboard 2.0 9083]

58 minutes ago, Beantown Express 2.0 said:

Thanks for the responses.  I am leaning towards flying into Munich and spending a day or two there then taking the train to Saltzburg or exploring the Alps.  Is there enough to keep a family busy for a week exploring that area?  

While in Munich hit Rothenburg. 2 hour drive. Oldest intact walled city in Europe. A 15th c. time capsule.  Uber cool, and there's a torture museum and 1 -2 walking tour of the city that will enthrall the kiddies...

[texfan11 90]

I think there is plenty to keep you busy, and exploring the Alps would probably be more relaxing than staying in a city for a full week. I went at the end of June a few years ago, and this is what we did in or near Munich/Saltzburg/the Alps, plus how long we were there - hope this is helpful:

Munich - Dachu, BMW Museum, Hofbrauhaus, and day trip to Rothenberg (there for about 2.5 days)

Saltzburg - Sound of Music Tour, Hohensalzburg Fortress, Mozart's Birthplace, and day trip to Berchtesgaden Salt Mine (there for about a 1.5 days)

Annaberg, Austria - white water rafting, hiking, and mostly relaxing (there for about 2 days) - I believe there are a lot of little ski towns that have activities similar to what you would find in Colorado in the summer. 

However, if you do decide to go to London, it is pretty easy to take a train to Scotland, which has been the favorite place I have visited.

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19159]

13 hours ago, SquishMitten said:

On your list, London is the best option with the kid. All those cities have a lot to see, but the kid will have more familiarity with what you’ll see in London due to school, movies/TV, and general culture so it’ll be much more engaging/memorable. Rome would probably be second on the familiarity-scale, but I don’t particularly like it there...but that’s probably because if I’m in Italy, I’m not happy unless I’m in Florence.

Paris, maybe. I’ve never been, but I just spent a week in the South of France so I have nothing particularly great to say about them right now.

Amsterdam...don’t waste that trip by taking along a kid. Just got back from there today and I wasn’t anywhere close to ready to leave. The drugs/whore stuff is only a tiny bit of what the city has to offer, but those are things you wouldn’t want to have to pass up because you didn’t feel comfortable strolling your 12 year old through the red light district.

What happened to you in the South of France?

[EuroHorn 3272]

Munich also has the Deutches museum with all kinds of cool science and technology stuff. The English Garden is a nice park to grab lunch, have a beer and people watch. 

[Angry Gorilla 1769]

I just got back from a week long trip, spent first half in Munich then took a bus (nice, double decker) to Prague for the second half.  Both cities were great.

[Ghost of LL 15544]

2 hours ago, Beantown Express 2.0 said:

Thanks for the responses.  I am leaning towards flying into Munich and spending a day or two there then taking the train to Saltzburg or exploring the Alps.  Is there enough to keep a family busy for a week exploring that area?  

Definitely yes.  Depending on whether you want to do Dachau, I think Munich is a 2- or 3-day city.  

In Salzburg, there's the city itself and then there's Berchtesgaden just over the border.  It's worth going there for the salt mine (the kid will love it) and the trip up to the Eagle's Nest.  

I think you also want to set aside a day or two to spend in Garmish-Partenkirchen to see King Ludwig's castles and explore the Alps in that area.

[High Plains Drifter 11052]

If you do go to London, you might also consider Edinburgh.

Nice and cool, long days in the summer. Castles, greenery, medieval looking old town, world heritage site, nearby beautiful scenery, hiking,. Can take a train from there to the far north of the island that passes through some very dramatic and beautiful scenery.

 

[52-80 19270]

3 hours ago, texfan11 said:

 

However, if you do decide to go to London, it is pretty easy to take a train to Scotland, which has been the favorite place I have visited.

That would be a long train ride, but yes Scotland is nice and weather is also agreeable.

For the Alps option, you could burn a day hiking. Another day or 2 visiting castles. Spend a day lounging by a lake.  Ski resorts will have converted into summer activities such as Alpine coasters (Bergbahn).  Or lift up and mountain bike down.  The sport hotel and resorts will have tons of activities to partake in.  You could also spend a day in Adriatic coast by visiting Trieste.  

There's a wealth of things to do.  Just rent yourself a roomy Skoda.

[EuroHorn 3272]

1 hour ago, High Plains Drifter said:

If you do go to London, you might also consider Edinburgh.

Nice and cool, long days in the summer. Castles, greenery, medieval looking old town, world heritage site, nearby beautiful scenery, hiking,. Can take a train from there to the far north of the island that passes through some very dramatic and beautiful scenery.

 

Stay off the moors. stick to the roads. 

[Surly Bevo 25197]

Maybe you are playing with fire like GLL seemed to indicate but for what it is worth this picture was taken 7/25/17.

It was not warm....

[texfan11 90]

2 hours ago, 52-80 said:

That would be a long train ride, but yes Scotland is nice and weather is also agreeable.

If I remember correctly it was around 4.5 hours from Kings Cross to Edinburgh. It was a beautiful trip, and somewhat easier than navigating Heathrow more than necessary. Either way, I think that it would be possible to hit London, Edinburgh, and some of the Highlands (depending on how many sites you want to see). 

[Onboard 2.0 9083]

1 hour ago, EuroHorn said:

Stay off the moors. stick to the roads. 

Bears repeating.

[wild_turkey 3185]

Paris gets uncomfortably hot in the summer, and at the end of July you're going to have a lot of the locals already leaving for vacation.  That means that the service industries are going to be performed by the people who are left behind--they're going to be pissed (on top of hot).  For me--Paris from July 1-September 15 is an absolute no-go.

What are you basing this on? Average highs are listed as 77F in the summer months. I was there last July and found it fairly enjoyable other than some rain showers.

I’m sure they can get heat waves, but that’s true of most places. Parts of Colorado can be hot at times in the summer.

[Ghost of LL 15544]

10 hours ago, wild_turkey said:

 

What are you basing this on? Average highs are listed as 77F in the summer months. I was there last July and found it fairly enjoyable other than some rain showers.

I’m sure they can get heat waves, but that’s true of most places. Parts of Colorado can be hot at times in the summer.

 

I'm basing it on experience.

My experience in Paris and London is that "average" temperatures are a poor indicator of what it's going to feel like in the Summer.  Obviously, 77* is an average in Paris--it can be cooler, but it can also be significantly warmer.  

But regardless, even average temperature in Paris is uncomfortable.  Humidity is high, and there is definitely an urban heat effect in Paris.  And if you're traveling by Metro, those stations gets sweltering in the heat and humidity.

I'm not saying it's unbearable.  It's not Calcutta.  But if the wife is requesting an escape from the Texas heat, I think she's going to be dissatisfied with Paris.

[Spankytoes 1743]

Paris is a no-go with kids that age. It will take you 2 days to see the main sites of Paris. Unless you’re going to Disneyland, you’re pretty much done. Normandy, Versailles, the Louvre, people watching,  etc. are all interesting to adults, not kids.

London has more than enough to spend a week on. But, it’s also the most expensive option. If they are fans, the Harry Potter Studio Tour is worth it.

I’m not a big Munich fan, outside of Oktoberfest, but honestly, it’s a great idea. Do Munich, then get a car and drive through the Alps. Most memorable thing I did last year was following my GPS up the mountain to find out that the route was faulty. Driving through the breathtaking scenery trying to get cell service to get back on course was awesome. In addition to Salzburg and Innsbruck, Hallstatt is definitely worth a look. One of the prettiest and peaceful places on Earth. The entire Lake District is pretty cool. 

I’d do 2 days in Munich, 2 in Salzburg and the rest exploring Bavaria (Neuchwanstein or the Romantic Road) then heading to the Austrian Alps. If I were that age, I’d be more impressed with the mountains and driving on the Autobahn than I would at trying to see the Mona Lisa behind glass.

Edited May 31, 2018 by Spankytoes

[DoobieWah 1467]

On 5/30/2018 at 5:48 PM, Onboard 2.0 said:

Bears repeating.

'Tweren't a bear stalking the moors.

 

Edited to add: The OP is taking a 12 Year Old son? Do him a favor a take him to some beach in the Caribbean and let him ogle bikinis for a week.

Seriously!

Edited May 31, 2018 by DoobieWah
real talk

[Ghost of LL 15544]

16 hours ago, Spankytoes said:

Paris is a no-go with kids that age. It will take you 2 days to see the main sites of Paris. Unless you’re going to Disneyland, you’re pretty much done. Normandy, Versailles, the Louvre, people watching,  etc. are all interesting to adults, not kids.

I think I strongly disagree with this.  We are taking our 9- and 7-year olds to Paris in October, and we've found plenty for them to do.  It's vastly more than a two-day affair.

A boy that age is going to be interested in the Arc de Triomphe and Napoleon's Tomb.  His inner ghoul is going to want to see where the guillotine was on the Place de la Concorde, and see where the royals were kept at the Conciergerie before their executions.  For the same reason, he may want to check out the Musee Grevin, which sets Marat in his actual bathtub with Charlotte Corday holding the actual murder weapon.  Go out to Le Bourget and see the Musee de l'air et de l'espace and see the prototype of the Concorde and a bunch of other cool stuff.

And then there's stuff that everyone likes--a river boat on the Seine, the Eiffel Tower, sitting at a cafe with a glass of wine watching the hot French girls walk by (seriously--the boy will never want to leave).

[mycox 582]

15 hours ago, DoobieWah said:

Edited to add: The OP is taking a 12 Year Old son? Do him a favor a take him to some beach in Europe and let him ogle at tits for a week.

Seriously!

More like this

Edited June 1, 2018 by mycox

[Cheeseweasel 26438]

On 5/30/2018 at 2:44 PM, High Plains Drifter said:

If you do go to London, you might also consider Edinburgh.

Nice and cool, long days in the summer. Castles, greenery, medieval looking old town, world heritage site, nearby beautiful scenery, hiking,. Can take a train from there to the far north of the island that passes through some very dramatic and beautiful scenery.

 

This. Edinburgh was shockingly fantastic for me. I could have spent a week in that city / surrounding area. 

[Onboard 2.0 9083]

41 minutes ago, Ghost of LL said:

I think I strongly disagree with this.  We are taking our 9- and 7-year olds to Paris in October, and we've found plenty for them to do.  It's vastly more than a two-day affair.

A boy that age is going to be interested in the Arc de Triomphe and Napoleon's Tomb.  His inner ghoul is going to want to see where the guillotine was on the Place de la Concorde, and see where the royals were kept at the Conciergerie before their executions.  For the same reason, he may want to check out the Musee Grevin, which sets Marat in his actual bathtub with Charlotte Corday holding the actual murder weapon.  Go out to Le Bourget and see the Musee de l'air et de l'espace and see the prototype of the Concorde and a bunch of other cool stuff.

And then there's stuff that everyone likes--a river boat on the Seine, the Eiffel Tower, sitting at a cafe with a glass of wine watching the hot French girls walk by (seriously--the boy will never want to leave).

Don't forget the catacombs..... hundreds of thousands of skulls and femurs and tibias as far as the eye can see...

[Surly Bevo 25197]

Don't forget the catacombs..... hundreds of thousands of skulls and femurs and tibias as far as the eye can see...

Yep. It’s ghoulishly entertaining.

[936horn 919]

I enjoyed Paris and Versailles when I went but also remember that Paris is largely a shit hole of a city. Seriously, outside of Versailles and some of the very upscale arrondissements it is a not a nice town.

If going for a week I'd lobby for Italy first (try to get out of Rome and go to Tuscany or other parts of the country-side - Amalfi Coast, Siena, Assisi ), or Ireland, again getting out of Dublin.

 

Edit: I should mention if she wants "away from the Texas heat" both Italy and Paris are hot as FUCK in July. Ireland would be nice temperature wise.

Edited June 1, 2018 by 936horn

[HenryJames 66189]

Just now, 936horn said:

I enjoyed Paris and Versailles when I went but also remember that Paris is largely a shit hole of a city. Seriously, outside of Versailles and some of the very upscale arrondissements it is a not a nice town.

[936horn 919]

1 minute ago, HenryJames said:

I mean there's still a lot to do within the nicer parts of the city, but I do feel like it is very romanticized when in reality it is a typical very large city. Some nice areas, and lots of really shitty ones. I'll never forget getting out of Gare Du Nord and thinking "where the fuck am I?"

[Onboard 2.0 9083]

2 minutes ago, 936horn said:

I enjoyed Paris and Versailles when I went but also remember that Paris is largely a shit hole of a city. Seriously, outside of Versailles and some of the very upscale arrondissements it is a not a nice town.

If going for a week I'd lobby for Italy first (try to get out of Rome and go to Tuscany or other parts of the country-side - Amalfi Coast, Siena, Assisi ), or Ireland, again getting out of Dublin.

[eyes incredulously] Yeah... what a shit hole...  [rolling].   Walked a great deal of Paris, and every major city has shit holes. Paris is beautiful, and I hate the French.

 

[936horn 919]

I mean I even said I enjoyed Paris. I liked it with just the wife and I for 2 or 3 days. We also did lots of walking, and once we figured out the Metro that was convenient as well. I'm not sure you could spend a week there with kids and totally avoid the shitty areas. Plus in the summer it's a crowded, hot ass city. Perhaps shit hole was too strong a phrase, but like I said, people love to forget it's a big city like NYC or something.

Edited June 1, 2018 by 936horn

[Onboard 2.0 9083]

2 minutes ago, 936horn said:

I mean I even said I enjoyed Paris. I liked it with just the wife and I for 2 or 3 days. We also did lots of walking, and once we figured out the Metro that was convenient as well. I'm not sure you could spend a week there with kids and totally avoid the shitty areas. Plus in the summer it's a crowded, hot ass city. Perhaps shit hole was too strong a phrase, but like I said, people love to forget it's a big city like NYC or something.

I heard you and get what you're saying. It's just that Paris as old as it is, and as large as it is still has a vibe that is overall beautiful.  Frenchmen have an abiding respect for beauty and style and Paris reeks of it, and urine of course in August.

A week is too long to be there considering the other parts of France that are sublime. 

[HenryJames 66189]

6 minutes ago, 936horn said:

 I'll never forget getting out of Gare Du Nord and thinking "where the fuck am I?"

My first memory of Gare Du Nord was a policeman removing a pickpocket from our train.

[HenryJames 66189]

7 minutes ago, 936horn said:

Plus in the summer it's a crowded, hot ass city. Perhaps shit hole was too strong a phrase, but like I said, people love to forget it's a big city like NYC or something.

I would never do Paris in the summer so if you did, I can understand your feelings. I like Paris best in the fall because it's fantastic when the weather is grey and it's also game season in the restaurants.

[Onboard 2.0 9083]

10 minutes ago, HenryJames said:

I would never do Paris in the summer so if you did, I can understand your feelings. I like Paris best in the fall because it's fantastic when the weather is grey and it's also game season in the restaurants.

Spring time in Paris.... make a great name for a movie....

[SquishMitten 10444]

On 5/30/2018 at 12:26 PM, PenelopeWitherspoon said:

What happened to you in the South of France?

Nothing in particular. I just found them to be an unfriendly people. Although it was my first time in France, I'm still passable with the language...not fluent enough to have any deep conversation, but it's good enough... I actually sat in a tiny pub one night where they were playing trivia. I was the only native-English speaker, but I still managed to provide my team a few correct answers without them translating. I only point that out because I've been led to believe the language barrier is their biggest point of contention with tourists (i.e., Americans just assuming everyone else speaks English). Even though I don't fall into that category of tourist, I still felt about 25% of my interactions were a pure annoyance to them. I travel to Europe quite a lot, and I've never experienced any feelings of unwelcomeness before...at least nothing memorable enough to be more than an afterthought.

I also didn't particularly enjoy Nice and the surrounding areas. There just wasn't enough to see and do, and I find sitting around "relaxing" to be extremely unpleasant.

[Larry T. Spider 1747]

1 hour ago, 936horn said:

I mean there's still a lot to do within the nicer parts of the city, but I do feel like it is very romanticized when in reality it is a typical very large city. Some nice areas, and lots of really shitty ones. I'll never forget getting out of Gare Du Nord and thinking "where the fuck am I?"

I got off the train there in the late morning and started walking south. Found a nice outdoor cafe across from an indoor market. Drank wine, ate cheese, and sat there for hours. Scenery was great. Nothing shithole about it. 

[Beantown Express 2.0 6559]

The Munich/Alps may be harder for me to get to now (because American Airlines sucks) so I am leaning towards flying into London for 4 days and then flying over to Amsterdam and spending about 2-3 days there.  Is that enough time for each location to hit some of the best places to see?  My wife's family had a foreign exchange student 25 years ago that they kept in touch with all these years  that lives about a 30 minutes train ride north of London whose house we can stay at and then commute in each day saving some hotel money.  Will it suck riding the tube each day for 30 minutes back and forth or is it worth just paying for a hotel in downtown London? I believe end of July should be decent weather in both places.  Any other recs would be appreciated.

[wild_turkey 3185]

I also didn't particularly enjoy Nice and the surrounding areas. There just wasn't enough to see and do, and I find sitting around "relaxing" to be extremely unpleasant.

I’m curious why you chose to spend a week in the South of France if you don’t like relaxing. That’s pretty much the reason to go there.

[Longhornmaniac8 255]

On 5/30/2018 at 3:24 PM, 52-80 said:

That would be a long train ride, but yes Scotland is nice and weather is also agreeable.

For the Alps option, you could burn a day hiking. Another day or 2 visiting castles. Spend a day lounging by a lake.  Ski resorts will have converted into summer activities such as Alpine coasters (Bergbahn).  Or lift up and mountain bike down.  The sport hotel and resorts will have tons of activities to partake in.  You could also spend a day in Adriatic coast by visiting Trieste.  

There's a wealth of things to do.  Just rent yourself a roomy Skoda.

There's some good advice in here. I just got back from 2 weeks spent in this area, most of it in Slovenia. It's now my favorite country in Europe. Stunning natural beauty. We drove up to Berchtesgaden/Salzburg for a couple of days, and the Sommerroldenbahn (toboggan) is fun for anyone at any age. Also, there's the Ice Cave (Eisriesenwelt, about 30 minutes south of Salzburg) and the Salt Mines (Hallein has the largest one, I think). I spent a day and Trieste and unless you were looking to eat some Italian food, it's pretty skippable, to be honest.

I cannot sing Slovenia's praises enough, though. The town of Bovec is an outdoorsy person's dream. Rafting, hiking, swimming, waterfalls, it has it all. Croatian Istria isn't far, either. Look up Predjama Castle, Skocjan Caves, Lake Bled and Lake Bohinj to see some of the things we did in Slovenia.

On 6/1/2018 at 9:35 AM, Ghost of LL said:

I think I strongly disagree with this.  We are taking our 9- and 7-year olds to Paris in October, and we've found plenty for them to do.  It's vastly more than a two-day affair.

A boy that age is going to be interested in the Arc de Triomphe and Napoleon's Tomb.  His inner ghoul is going to want to see where the guillotine was on the Place de la Concorde, and see where the royals were kept at the Conciergerie before their executions.  For the same reason, he may want to check out the Musee Grevin, which sets Marat in his actual bathtub with Charlotte Corday holding the actual murder weapon.  Go out to Le Bourget and see the Musee de l'air et de l'espace and see the prototype of the Concorde and a bunch of other cool stuff.

And then there's stuff that everyone likes--a river boat on the Seine, the Eiffel Tower, sitting at a cafe with a glass of wine watching the hot French girls walk by (seriously--the boy will never want to leave).

Eh, as someone who was taken to Paris as a 12 year old, I hated it. The Eiffel Tower was cool for 30 minutes, as was the Arc de Triomphe, and as a plane nerd I loved the museum at Le Bourget, but honestly there was nothing else I remotely liked about Paris. I'd hold off until 16+ for Paris when they have a little more appreciation for the history.

Edited June 3, 2018 by Longhornmaniac8

[Spankytoes 1743]

1 hour ago, Longhornmaniac8 said:

Eh, as someone who was taken to Paris as a 12 year old, I hated it. The Eiffel Tower was cool for 30 minutes, as was the Arc de Triomphe, and as a plane nerd I loved the museum at Le Bourget, but honestly there was nothing else I remotely liked about Paris. I'd hold off until 16+ for Paris when they have a little more appreciation for the history.

I vividly remember being bored as shit touring a submarine in Galveston with my parents at 12. But I also remember going to NASA near Houston around 8 and being fascinated. I agree, 12 - 16 is a weird age. I went to St. Petersburg, Russia at 16 and appreciated the culture much more. Seeing the Hermitage was awesome. But I was preoccupied with making out with a chick in our tour group in the garden area and trying to catch glimpses of her side boob. The history of the palace was about 25% “cool” at the time. One of the places I want to revisit someday...especially if there’s side boob. 

Back to the OP’s plan, meh, not for me. Amsterdam has pretty areas but there’s really not much to do there that’s family friendly. Your kids could not care less about the Anne Frank House or its significance. Meeting up with the exchange student is a good experience, but for you. If you’re pot smokers, and don’t mind your kids having that conversation, it’s marginally better. With regards to London, you don’t want to stay that far out. There is no “downtown” really. Most of the stuff you’ll want to do will be along the Thames and you’ll need a water taxi to do it above ground as it’s too spread out to walk with kids. There are some more budget friendly areas in Kensington and Chelsea that are only a few tube stops away. Plenty of things for the kids to do in and around London. The Oyster card has a max fare if you stick to Zone 1-2 and discounts for the kids. No matter where you stay, you’re going to use it anyway.

[52-80 19270]

On 6/2/2018 at 6:35 PM, Beantown Express 2.0 said:

The Munich/Alps may be harder for me to get to now (because American Airlines sucks) so I am leaning towards flying into London for 4 days and then flying over to Amsterdam and spending about 2-3 days there.  Is that enough time for each location to hit some of the best places to see?  My wife's family had a foreign exchange student 25 years ago that they kept in touch with all these years  that lives about a 30 minutes train ride north of London whose house we can stay at and then commute in each day saving some hotel money.  Will it suck riding the tube each day for 30 minutes back and forth or is it worth just paying for a hotel in downtown London? I believe end of July should be decent weather in both places.  Any other recs would be appreciated.

marriott is doing airbnb style rentals now, which *may* give you a fair rate to house a family 

https://www.tributeportfoliohomes.com/?referral=mtile

 

having local hosts is great, even if you dont stay with them. takes all the pressure away of building an itinerary, and they can sorta act as lynchpin of a schedule -- rather than you dragging the family around.  that is if they are committed to spending time with you, of course.  

 

if you have those social credits, i would cash them in

[Ghost of LL 15544]

I would skip Amsterdam.  There's plenty to do in and around London for a week.  And do you really want to repack and then unpack your bags for two days in Amsterdam (remembering, as always, that traveling between cities takes a day out of your schedule)?

And honestly--what is there in Amsterdam to see with a 12-year old boy?  I mean, do you need to have some father-son talks about sex and prostitution or something?  It's a marginally pretty town, but I'd rather do a couple day trips out of London than trek all the way over the Amsterdam.