This is first trip to Europe with 2 sons (ages 21 & 23), (we've been to Italy, Ireland, Turkey & England), they enjoy outdoor activities (shopping doesn't count!), but would like to show them some European culture also. Any suggestions, Fodorites? We're flying into Gatwick on FF miles for 8 days in Mid-May.
Thanks!

Paris or Prague.

I don't know how well outdoor activities mix with big cities.
Since you will go to London anyway, what about 2 days in London (allright, as if that was not a BIG city), and the rest of the time in Scotland? Maybe include the railway museum in York (and York) on your way north..

8 days is somewhat short in time to lose additional days for individual travel from Gatwick to some other country in Europe.

Paris for two or three days then the Loire Valley for a bike tour. There are companies that offer short trips and all supplies.

Or how about London for two or three days then a walking tour the type that go pub to pub and you walk they transport your bags in a follow van, you sleep each night in a little inn and spend the days walking through pretty fields. I am sure there are companies that can arrange any length of walk , 2 days to 10.. .

I had thought about Prague, but concerned about language difficulties.
Would southern Germany (Bavaria), plus Bruges and Amsterdam be too much for 8 nights?

If the only reason you have thrown out Prague is language difficulties, forget that reason. There will be no more problem there than in Germany. English is widely spoken in tourist areas of Prague.

I like the 8-day pub crawl. Actually I would take them to Paris for a few days then try to get out in the country somewhere.

You might like a trip that's a bit more geographically focused: Mosel Valley (Germany) - Bruges - A'dam would work quite nicely in 8 days. See one of Europe's prettiest river valleys and one of Europe's best castles - Burg Eltz - www.burg-eltz.de . Outdoor activities abound - great hiking, biking; in fact, one of the world's great family biking events takes place along the Mosel between Cochem and Trier on May 18 - "Happy Mosel" shuts down the main river road and draws 150,000 visitors for a day of car-free freewheeling. Reserve a bike if you're there then.

Paris is great for everyone then how about Normandy for a tour of the D Day invasion sites? My sons were a little younger when we went but they loved Paris and found Normandy very interesting. In Paris my sons loved the Latin Quarter, the Catacombs, Les Invalides (Napolean's tomb and the military museum), the Louvre, the Shakespeare and Company Bookshop and then all the eating and drinking! In Normandy, we toured Juno Beach and the Juno Centre (we're Canadian), landing sites and the cemetaries. Also the museum in Caen was very interesting for them.

Thanks for all the ideas! I am throwing around this: London for a couple of days, then out to the Cotswolds, eurostar train to Brussels, with 4 days doing Brugge and A'dam...
but Paris and Loire valley does sound good too. My kids aren't big party people, but is there anything going on in the small towns at night, at least coffee shops?