Which trip would be best for family with early teens?

[Anonymous]

First time to Europe. Planning on using public transport.

Option 1: Spain - Seville, Cordoba, Granada, Malaga and Gibraltar

Option 2: Italy - Rome, Florence, Pisa, Cinque Terre, Venice, Milan

Option 3: Switzerland - Zurich, Interlaken, Lucerne, Bernina Express to Tirano Italy, Venice

Option 4: Amsterdam, Bruges, Gent, Paris

[Anonymous]

Italy

[Anonymous]

Time of year matters.

For first trip, I’d go with option 3 or 4.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Time of year matters.

For first trip, I’d go with option 3 or 4.

May

[Anonymous]

Too many stops/cities! All sound exhausting. We did a great Spain trip with tweens/teens. A few days in a city, a longer stretch in a beach town. Plenty of time to go to the beach, amusement park, markets, bakeries. Great trip.

[Anonymous]

In May, #4 or the Italy itinerary minus Cinque Terre. Switzerland is amazing, but will your teens hike? #3 is too many stops. Stay in Switzerland only.

[Anonymous]

Italy for sure

[Anonymous]

Your family will love Rome, but I would tweak your itinerary:

Rome, Florence, NOT Pisa, Cinque Terre, Venice, NOT Milan

See some smaller cities/villages instead of Pisa and Milan—both of which are boring.

And hit the coast. Sorrento, Positano, etc.

[Anonymous]

I would do all of them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Too many stops/cities! All sound exhausting. We did a great Spain trip with tweens/teens. A few days in a city, a longer stretch in a beach town. Plenty of time to go to the beach, amusement park, markets, bakeries. Great trip.

Exactly my thoughts. We have found 4 days in a big city is good, our kids want to do more outside stuff after that. For smaller cities, 3 days. Don't do 2 cities in a row.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Too many stops/cities! All sound exhausting. We did a great Spain trip with tweens/teens. A few days in a city, a longer stretch in a beach town. Plenty of time to go to the beach, amusement park, markets, bakeries. Great trip.

But OP doesn't state how long this trip is. Not everyone wants to loaf around one city for 3 weeks. How boring. A few days in each place is enough. I don't need to see every residential street and eat at every last cafe to say I've been there.

[Anonymous]

I loved Switzerland but May is not a great time to go. Lots of the gondolas/lifts close down for maintenance in the mountain towns during this time, and hence, lots of restaurants/shops/hotels also use this time for a break. You'll want to research what's actually open during the time you'd be there so you're not disappointed.

Plus if you're hiking, going in May isn't a great time as many of the trails either aren't open or are really muddy / snowy.

We did a trip like this in July last year and it was amazing

[Anonymous]

Rome, Florence, Venice is a better Italy itinerary.