Lisbon. The flight is so easy from IAD. Easier than flying to CA, in my opinion.
Cool city, great restaurants, nightlife. Airport is 15 min from center.

Thanks for all the great suggestions! I will ask the kids about Edinburgh, Copenhagen and Lisbon.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Amsterdam
Brussels/Bruges/Ghent
Edinburgh
Dublin/Belfast
Munich/Berlin

Thanks for this suggestion. Just wondering--wouldn't Dublin/Galway be a better combination?

I wouldn't do Ireland without a car. It just doesn't suit the kind of ease you're looking for.

Switzerland.

Anonymous wrote:Lisbon.

I think this is the right answer.

Don’t go to Nice.

Dublin

Lisbon.

I would look a Nice. Nonstop flight from iad. Stay in Nice Cannes Antibes or even Monaco. Lots of good food and nightlife. Shouldn’t be too hot (70s low 80s) Lot of fun for young adults. Checks most of your other boxes as well.

Florence and Venice

Portugal

Copenhagen will check all the boxes! Wonderful museums, architecture, food, nightlife, shopping and easy to navigate.

We did Italy many years ago at that time of year, and it was lovely. We flew into Venice then took the train to Florence, and then onto Rome. Flew back to the US from Rome. Three cities over the course of about 9-10 days. We did have to change planes in Frankfurt on the way there to Venice, but the Rome flight was nonstop. We visited many museums in each city, and the food was amazing (Grom gelato in Florence is a must, right by the Duomo). We had such a good time on that trip, I hope to try to replicate it with our son someday (he arrived years after the visit).

My H has visited Spain. He did Madrid and Barcelona in just under a week, and while he left, his friends stayed and took the ferry to Morocco for a couple of days. They took the train the whole time, except one day they rented a car in Madrid to drive to the Valley of the Fallen. My H said it was one of the most amazing things he's ever seen (and he's traveled a lot). There are many museums in Madrid and Barcelona, and I can't imagine bad food there either. We hope to do that trip too with our son, adding the Morocco visit.

Anonymous wrote:Amsterdam
Brussels/Bruges/Ghent
Edinburgh
Dublin/Belfast
Munich/Berlin

Thanks for this suggestion. Just wondering--wouldn't Dublin/Galway be a better combination?

Amsterdam
Brussels/Bruges/Ghent
Edinburgh
Dublin/Belfast
Munich/Berlin

I'm looking to take a very short trip with adult kids in early September--just 5 to 6 days, since no one has much time off.

Requirements:
No car, just trains or staying in cities/locations with public transport
Not scorching hot in summer
Interested in museums and architecture
Good food options and some night life for the young adults
Non stop flights from DC area (could be BWI)
Not Paris or London

Any suggestions? Thanks in advance.