Europe trip-where to take “meh” college age DD?

[EMom]

Before work schedules make it impossible, we want to take our college age DD to Europe with us. She’s been as a child, but has little memory of it. Unlike a lot of people her age, she is meh about the trip because her happy place is a beach, where she can just lay there an de-stress. (Hard major exhausts her) We are not beach people, but we’ve done that many times for her sake. She’s fine with going, just offers no suggestions.

I think she’d have a good time once she’s there. We parents have been many times, so there is no need to check a bucket list item for us. We will love any place we go. But we are trying to figure out what would most appeal to her, and she’s not full of ideas.

If you had to pick a destination for a 7-10 day trip for someone who does not have wanderlust, but would enjoy some sightseeing, shopping, nice dinners, and cafe culture, where would you suggest?

 

[Wayland10]

French Mediterranean- the city of Nice especially. There’s even a beach, but not a lounge-on-the-sand type. Or Capri.

 

[Moliphino]

The Andalucia region in Spain. Seville and Granada are my favorites, you could hit some beaches around Malaga/on the Costa del Sol.

 

[martikus]

Greece! Beaches for her, good food and things to see for you.

 

[DaisyDuck001]

Greece! Beaches for her, good food and things to see for you.

I was also going to say Greece.

 

[Buzz Rules]

The Andalucia region in Spain. Seville and Granada are my favorites, you could hit some beaches around Malaga/on the Costa del Sol.

I think Spain would be a great option. Porto, Portugal is also a cool place for college aged people/families. Ireland is also a great idea.

 

[trvlgirlmq]

Another vote for Greece based on your description.

 

[Frwinkley]

I know you said Europe, but would you consider any of the Hawaiian Islands? My DD and her hubby (late 20s) hate the beach and have been there twice in the last 7 years. They really believe it is the best of everything--lots of varied topography, sites to see, etc.

My DH and I hate the beach as well and have been there 3 times.

 

[Mrs. Ciz]

We took our college kids on a combined trip to London (3 days) and South Africa (9 days). They weren’t psyched about it at first, but they ended up LOVING the whole experience! We only spent time in Johannesburg and the Greater Kruger area, but you could add Cape Town for some beach time too.

 

[jdb in AZ]

Does your DD have any foreign language training? She might enjoy practicing the other language around people who actually use it.

Santorini (Greek Island) is a fun place to visit.

Otherwise I'd vote for Hawaii.

 

[TLSnell1981]

Have you decided when y'all will travel? What type of sightseeing does your daughter enjoy? Any particular cuisine she prefers?

 

[EMom]

Some answers:
Hawaii is a later trip. This one is Europe.
No particular cuisine is a big favorite.
Travel will likely be Spring 2023.

 

[Moliphino]

From my own experience, Seville is absolutely amazing. It hadn't even been on our radar, but my sister and I were looking for another city to visit when going to meet our cousin in Madrid. Madrid wad meh, I want to live in Seville. It's beautiful, lots of sites to see, lots of tapas bars to eat at.
We went back again last fall and fell on love with Granada, too. The Alhambra is incredible. Granada is also super cheap and has the tradition of free tapas. Sit pretty much anywhere, order a drink and you get free food.

 

[VandVsmama]

Portugal

 

[Skippy918]

Would a European cruise be an option? You can see various ports and then there’s swimming pools on the ship.

 

[mikalkwin]

Greece, Spain incl. Canary Islands, Italy, Croatia, south of France esp. Corsica fit your description, just take your pick

 

[BadPinkTink]

As a European, I suggest one of the Canary Islands, Tenerife, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote or La Palma which are Spanish archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, about 100 kilometres (62 miles) west of Morocco. They are very popular family tourist destinations, you will have the beaches, the nightlife as well as the local history, culture and places to see.

Another popular European tourist destination is the Balearic Islands, Mallorca, Menorca or Ibiza, which are an archipelago in the Balearic Sea, on the eastern coast of Spain, near Valencia. Again very similar to the Canary Islands, family tourist destinations with beaches , nightlife and local history, culture and places to see.

 

[TLSnell1981]

We don't visit the beaches in Europe. We normally travel in May or December so I'm not much help. Although Santorini and Positano come very highly recommended from family and friends!

 

[cedricandsophie]

Greece or Med cruise. Other young people to meet. Good pool days. For excursions you can do beaches, boat rides, cooking classes etc.

 

[EMom]

More answers:
Cruises are not an option.

DD is indifferent to pools. It’s the beach she loves. She’s very clear on that.

We have actually considered Portugal, as someone suggested. Greece is definitely an option, but we have concerns about mobility issues. (Uneven terrain, hills)