Where would you take (your own, not a random) teen on holiday?

Posted by Even_Passenger_3685@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 53 comments

I’d welcome all advice from days out, UK holidays, to travelling abroad for short or longer breaks. It was a lot easier when he was small as you can get away with lots of sea, walking, beach and pottering about. Now he’s a moody 14 year old he’s not so easy to persuade away from the life blood of the Xbox / YouTube. I don’t think a week of beach is going to cut it anymore, so we did a few years of UK weeks away as he got a bit older. We (I) like random offbeat things, for example love weird little museums, unusual buildings, places with history or a story. Not so keen on the mainstream stuff like Warwick Castle or anywhere too “sanitised”. We both have Asperger’s, so hugely packed places like Alton Towers and Harry Potter world were A Disaster. Hit me with your best offbeat UK and worldwide suggestions please, I’m racking my brains, and the only place he’s shown any interest in is Japan which will have to be a Big Save Up project that will have to wait until we can go out of school holidays times (and could possibly be a bit of an Exam Incentive).

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RiyadMehrez@reddit

If you can fly, im stereotyping aspergers people, but [https://www.minieurope.com/en/](https://www.minieurope.com/en/) might be interesting though you then need to supplement the rest of your trip with things in brussels

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Even_Passenger_3685@reddit (OP)

Yes, flying is no problem, mainly because it’s Very Organised and I took him from a baby to get him used to it. We also use the airport schemes for assistance which are really good.

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RiyadMehrez@reddit

i hope you enjoy ive not been myself but plan to go soon!

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811545b2-4ff7-4041@reddit

If that's your thing, there's a version closer to home - [https://www.bekonscot.co.uk/](https://www.bekonscot.co.uk/) ..and as far as I'm aware, aspergers has a stereotype but it's not always right. Plenty of people with autism LOVE theme parks, They can get a Ride Ride Access Pass ([https://www.altontowers.com/plan-your-visit/before-you-visit/accessibility/accessibility-theme-park/ride-access-pass/](https://www.altontowers.com/plan-your-visit/before-you-visit/accessibility/accessibility-theme-park/ride-access-pass/)) to make it a more tolerable experience. If Alton Towers is too packed, I'm not sure Japan will be much better. Q: Other than the Xbox and YouTube - does your teen have any interests?

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Even_Passenger_3685@reddit (OP)

Anime ++ hence the Japan trip. I have to say I do have The Anxiety about it because it looks very hectic there, and the language thing is quite daunting. But it is literally the only thing he wants to do.

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811545b2-4ff7-4041@reddit

Couple of related things to do in London... [https://www.vam.ac.uk/exhibitions/japan-myths-to-manga](https://www.vam.ac.uk/exhibitions/japan-myths-to-manga) [https://www.cartoonmuseum.org/](https://www.cartoonmuseum.org/) tbh my apsie teen just loves to travel and see cities and landmarks. We go on lots of cruises and see half a dozen cities when we go on them. He's a big theme park fan too.

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Even_Passenger_3685@reddit (OP)

These are GENIUS level suggestions, I am totally booking these, thank you. We’ve visited some well offbeat places over the years thanks to Atlas Obscura and my love of weird museums (cannot recommend the Langham Dome and Hack Green enough). When he was little it was easy just to do a week in the sun as just the two of us, we’d be in and out of the sea, searching for shells, stones etc. Now we need something to do or see, otherwise he’d just want to YouTube the whole time which we can do at home! I think I shall have to put my Brave Pants on and start planning a trip.

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811545b2-4ff7-4041@reddit

Also take a trip to the Kyoto gardens .. [https://secretldn.com/kyoto-garden-tranquil-japanese-london/](https://secretldn.com/kyoto-garden-tranquil-japanese-london/) Other ideas, including a Japanese arcade in Soho .. [https://www.japan.travel/en/uk/inspiration/japanese-day-out-london/](https://www.japan.travel/en/uk/inspiration/japanese-day-out-london/) \- I think this is the best list imo More.. [https://www.theclermont.co.uk/out-about/the-best-ways-to-experience-japan-in-london](https://www.theclermont.co.uk/out-about/the-best-ways-to-experience-japan-in-london) More.. [https://www.timeout.com/london/travel/check-out-the-best-japanese-culture-in-london](https://www.timeout.com/london/travel/check-out-the-best-japanese-culture-in-london) and.. [https://www.japanhouselondon.uk/](https://www.japanhouselondon.uk/) So you could plan an entire Japanese themed trip to London. Throw in some other places like Postman's Park ([https://secretldn.com/postmans-park-memorial-heroic-self-sacrifice/](https://secretldn.com/postmans-park-memorial-heroic-self-sacrifice/)) maybe a boat ride down the Thames to the O2, the Microsoft Experience Centre on Oxford Street is good.. And maybe try to get tickets to see Back to the Future at the West End? You can get them for £25 often ([https://www.todaytix.com/london/shows/22396-back-to-the-future-the-musical](https://www.todaytix.com/london/shows/22396-back-to-the-future-the-musical)). I could also recommend the Choir of Man ([https://www.todaytix.com/london/shows/23760-the-choir-of-man](https://www.todaytix.com/london/shows/23760-the-choir-of-man)) . Of course, a trip to Camden Market too.

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Even_Passenger_3685@reddit (OP)

I can’t tell you how much I appreciate all these suggestions and completely with links. This is really helpful and useful, thank you so much.

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PriorDust5393@reddit

I'll also throw in Madurodam in Amsterdam. We went in for a couple of hours in the morning, before going to the beach, except we wound up accidentally staying all day until closing time!

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Even_Passenger_3685@reddit (OP)

Ever thought of it, will investigate

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RaymondBumcheese@reddit

Wherever you go, look into disability assistance. My daughter is autistic and Disney do disability assistance services that let you 'skip' the queue. Like at Disney World, if the queue for a ride is an hour long, you can book you slot, turn up in an hour and get seated immediately. Its genuinely a game changer. I think DLP do it, too.

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DameKumquat@reddit

Any town or city when it's not high tourist season, and lots of the lesser-known sights. Athens (great botanical garden with turtles) Oslo (Heyerdahl museum, Vigelandpark) Istanbul (Tiled mosque, shopping, palace gardens) Amsterdam (maybe a midweek break to avoid most stag parties) Smaller German cities - outskirts of Munich or Berlin, Nuremberg, Augsburg, Landsberg, Trier...

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Even_Passenger_3685@reddit (OP)

Istanbul sounds very cool.

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Goblindeez_@reddit

I recently took my daughter to one of the Capfun locations in France, the indoor and outdoor swimming pools are open til late, there’s a basket ball court and there tons of teens playing football It was close to the train station and Paris, and there’s a supermarket and a few bakeries not too far away, we lived in Brie and baguettes for a whole week and the location was beautiful Only downside is it took a long time to get to

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Even_Passenger_3685@reddit (OP)

We used to do France every year, middle of nowhere in a gite just chilling and wandering the countryside. Like I say, when they’re smaller they go along, but 14 is a difficult age it appears…l

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iolaus79@reddit

What my 13 year old randomly loved (and wasn't expecting to) was a cruise to Norway with the fjords, stopping different places each day He wants to do another but doesn't care where to it's the different place every day that he loved, It wasn't as expensive as I thought it would be (we went May half term)

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Even_Passenger_3685@reddit (OP)

Thanks, will check it out. I think he would be fine, but I’m not the world’s best on boats….

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Accomplished-Art7737@reddit

Maybe Wales? I’m thinking Brecon Beacons area. There are some lovely walks of course (and for all abilities, not just big hills and mountains if that’s not your bag.) You also have Hay on Wye in close proximity- I’m sure the many bookshops the torn is famous for will have some really cool rare books on your niche interests and the castle is really interesting to look around with an amazing back story. And there are a good few museums/visitor centres with interesting exhibitions throughout the area. Brecon is a nice little town as well with quirky shops and eateries. I am neurodivergent and this in area I love to visit as it is so beautiful and not to busy, very good for the soul!

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Even_Passenger_3685@reddit (OP)

We’re very lucky and live on the Welsh border so have v thoroughly done a lot of Wales. I had a knackered old static on the coast for a while when I lived further inland and we used to do a lot of walking and pottering about. Nature is such a relief.

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scifisam2020@reddit

Copenhagen, and potentially a trip out to Legoland. I also found Stockholm a fantastic city to visit with an ASD teenager. There's tons to do and see, but it's rarely crowded. It's an interesting way to organise a city - if he likes Minecraft that might appeal. Cost-wise, I was shocked by how reasonable it was. We stayed in a hotel in Stockholm that's in a former prison. The rooms are the old cells with the old bunks. It has a museum that you can visit late at night if you're a hotel guest, and it seems to be honest about what prison is like. For a parent and child, it works out well for sharing a room as long as one of you can get to the top bunk (it's an awkward ladder). It also - weirdly - has access to a beach where, if you go in July or August, you can swim in the Baltic in a normal swimming costume. Some prisoners were allowed to do that too, so you're literally bathing in history. We only stayed there for two nights because it gets booked up quickly, but the other hotel we stayed in felt reasonably central and had easy access to everything else. Public transport in Stockholm is slightly complicated as a tourist, but everyone is very helpful, and taking boats to just commute a short distance feels foreign in the best way.

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Even_Passenger_3685@reddit (OP)

This is really helpful, thank you

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According-Let3541@reddit

Is he interested in things like history/world wars? Belgium - places like Ypres in particular. Pretty quiet overall as well, so might suit you both. Also, I’m not a parent but I have had several moody nieces and nephews who I’ve taken on UK staycations. One was particularly console system obsessed - we booked apartments with TV and let him take his X Box/PlayStation to use on evenings or when there was an activity planned that he didn’t want to participate in. It gave us a little bit of negotiating power (spend three hours doing this and you can play on the X Box when we come back) and also meant that when he was being a bit annoying, we could have a time out and send him to do something he wanted. I don’t know if that would work for you but I found it was a Godsend!

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DoIKnowYouHuman@reddit

Once did a long weekend in Gibraltar in the spring, not too busy but all the main places were open, so much history, and monkeys, and still able to get baked beans. Definitely recommend

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Even_Passenger_3685@reddit (OP)

History, monkeys AND baked beans? Sounds ace, I’m in!

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DoIKnowYouHuman@reddit

Do it…there were also dolphin spotting boats but pre book, I left it to the last day and walked up to be told I was the only one so not worth them taking just my cash. Oh oh oh, and I got to walk across the runway!!!!

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Even_Passenger_3685@reddit (OP)

Like a rock star! We flew out of Gatwick during tremendous storms once probably 2015? (last plane out before they shut the airport down) Anyway, as we know, no one is allowed in the cockpit anymore, except when we landed I think the pilots were so glad to be down they let him have a mooch round the cockpit!

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DoIKnowYouHuman@reddit

Ooooo…that beats any other holiday experience, I’m still jealous of my brother for getting to visit the cockpit on a Concorde!

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A_Wee_Talisker@reddit

Normandy. Always Normandy.

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HisDudeness316@reddit

I know you list the Xbox and YouTube as his interests, but what does he play/watch? Is there not a way to link that to a trip? If he's obsessed with football, have a trip to Munich, Madrid or similar. See a new city, go to a game. Movies? Go find somewhere a film was set etc etc. Try using his interests to build your trip.

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Even_Passenger_3685@reddit (OP)

Minecraft. Minecraft and more Minecraft. Scooby Doo. Harry Potter. Anime. Watches endless videos of gamers and crap pranks.

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HisDudeness316@reddit

Minecraft is made by a Stockholm-based company. Start there.

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Even_Passenger_3685@reddit (OP)

Stockholm. Interesting, never considered this. Loads of people suggesting Scandinavian places I’d never even thought of this. Been wandering down the Berlin / Grande route as being more familiar I guess. Thanks!

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HisDudeness316@reddit

Stockholm is a marvellous place. Good luck!

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SickPuppy01@reddit

I tend to take my moody teen to London for week long breaks. It sounds expensive but it doesn't have to be. Hotels around the Excel, O2 or Wembley are cheap when there are no events on. We normally manage to find free-ish things to do while exploring while avoiding the main the tourist traps. Googling unusual things to do in London normally brings up a load of ideas. There are even video game related things to do and visit.

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Even_Passenger_3685@reddit (OP)

Yeah, I might give this a go again. I took him (pre covid I think? So would have been about 10ish), and with it being school hols it was mega busy. Having said that, we went to the NHM which was probably a rookie error, as it was packed, and the bus tour was a nightmare due to roadworks and diversions. Not my best planned excursion tbh, left me a bit wary of going again.

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SickPuppy01@reddit

Yeah my moody teen wasn't taken by the NHM. He did enjoy the zoo though. Instead of taken the bus tour we just went as back and fore as we could on the Uber Boat. It's cheap (it's a part of London Transport) and it goes past most major landmarks and you can get on and off at most of them. It was probably the best value thing we did all week. Watching the acts at Covent Garden was also a good free thing to do. The food around there is a bit pricey though. A few of the taller buildings have free viewing platforms as well. A quick Google should bring them up. Camden Market was great for food and is probably now a bit of an attraction for Dr Who fans.

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BibbleBeans@reddit

TYF in St David’s for some costal activities, not exactly off beat but small, and there’s plenty of places to stay in Pembrokeshire and the castle in Pembroke is a good visit complete with weird mannequins Is there any game series he likes that have had real world locations in games? Like Assassins Creed do because you can visit the touristy hellholes and them be pretty quiet if you go ~March as it’s usually shit/unreliable weather in Europe then but the Christmas nightmare has gone. Lofoten in Norway has a whole little collection of [museums](https://www.museumnord.no/en/our-venues/) covering various things so a little road trip around those would be gorgeous.

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Even_Passenger_3685@reddit (OP)

You know I’ve never even considered these places, I don’t know why? I shall check them out, thanks!

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BibbleBeans@reddit

It’s always the way, Strasbourg isn’t somewhere I’d would have ever picked but went when on a school exchange (was 14 at the time) and enjoyed it. We went on a boat tour, again something I wouldn’t have thought to do, which was so interesting and I’m actually really impressed with what the teachers had planned for us.

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jj198hands@reddit

He would probably enjoy Budapest, lots of escape rooms, arcades, console bars, and its cheap!

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Even_Passenger_3685@reddit (OP)

Budapest! That sounds very cool and again not even considered. To Google with me!

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jj198hands@reddit

If you end up choosing it have a look at AirBnBs, they are better value than the hotels, especially with two of you.

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Even_Passenger_3685@reddit (OP)

Yeah, I’ve used these a lot as it is helpful to have eg a washing machine, WiFi (for evening wind down), can self cater a bit etc. And it’s nice to have a sofa to chill on in the evenings.

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Jonography@reddit

Thanks for clarifying

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Even_Passenger_3685@reddit (OP)

Well I did start with where would you take a teen on holiday, and thought it looked a bit….Epsteiny.

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Harrry-Otter@reddit

A city break to Barcelona, Amsterdam or Milan. Plenty of museums and galleries if that kind of thing appeals, if he’s into football then a trip to the stadium of one of Europe’s most successful teams, lots of good places to eat, lots of shopping if he wants to buy anything. There’s a few more quirky things like that giant swing in Amsterdam or the vertical forest in Milan.

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Even_Passenger_3685@reddit (OP)

Sadly not a football fan, but I’ll look into the stuff that’s on

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RichardTauber@reddit

Whitby. Quirky seaside town with Dracula history as well as Captain Cook museum and Beagle (ship) replica. "Heritage" steam railway not far away.

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Even_Passenger_3685@reddit (OP)

Excellent call, yes!

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zoobatron__@reddit

It’s a bit expensive but something like centre parcs where you can get a load of activities booked that don’t involve devices? Or you can take it at your own pace

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Even_Passenger_3685@reddit (OP)

It’s a good shout, but like you say, bit spendy sadly

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Johnny-Alucard@reddit

I noticed there are some actually quite good prices to Tokyo on air China in feb at the moment. When's half term? ;)

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