Can anyone give me some holiday inspiration please? One DS 10. Don’t want another week sitting by a pool!

[retainertrainer]

Just after some ideas please. We’ve done a few all inclusive type holidays which we’ve all enjoyed but I always feel a pressure for DS to make friends and it doesn’t come easily to him. We do always get stuck in and play with him but now he’s 10 I think we’re starting to cramp his style. Last summer we stayed in this country and loved it. We had 2 weeks in Cornwall-lots of activities the whole time. It wasn’t relaxing but DS was entertained and it was proper quality time just the 3 of us.

I’d like something like that again but in Europe. Maybe a city, Lakes, mountains type thing. Just not another sitting around a pool!

Budgets about £3k for 2 adults 1 child. DH fancies skiing but I think it’s out of our budget.

I always say this but Lake Garda is amazing- day trips to Venice, Verona and Milan are really easy, there's watersports at the north end of the lake. It is touristy but in a really pleasant way- very family orientated.

That sounds wonderful-it’s on the list, thanks you!

Cruise somewhere? Loads to do and you can pick & choose your activities. Lots of family friendly ones.

I'd do a city somewhere - ideally stay in a nice hotel/apartment with a pool/at beach so you get some lying around time, but then spend the rest of your time doing fun sight seeing/ activities. I'm keen to take the DC to Athens or Barcelona this year if I can. I quite like the idea of Berlin or Madrid too.

We've also had great holidays in places like Austria and Switzerland. We usually land up staying in a village or small town outside bigger cities.Austria is better for outdoor activities and lots of running around (although that's probably not true if you go to Vienna). Switzerland is just so lovely and we landed up doing loads of kids activities like swimming and the like as well as amazing children's museum, walks along lakes etc. We landed up at a glass making factory once and DS loved it.

Lake Annecy? Lake Geneva but french side? Our summer holidays are usually Switzerland (family reasons but it’s £££), and there’s tonnes to do - hiking, rope stuff, via ferrata, rafting, kayaking etc. We tend to rent an apartment and have family time, not sure that would appeal to you?

These ideas are all fantastic thank you! Intrigued by a cruise, my parents have just come back off one and said there were lots of children on board.

I would have thought a cruise would be great in this situation. You'd have day trips out when you could be together and there would be things going on, on board, for the children.

What about a Mark Warner type holiday where he could do activities with or without you?

Lake Bodensee in Germany (also borders Switzerland and Austria) is fab. Ferries go to destinations all over the lake, loads of water sport stuff to do. We camp by the lake.

Alps? lots of ski resorts have an activity programme un summer and inclusive lift passes. also outdoor pools and lakes to swim in.

Have you ever tired Eurocamp. Not for everyone, but I've found it a lot of fun.
They have a large tent set up for your arrival. The camps have lots of facilities and are by the beach. Sort of like easy camping in a nice environment.
I love eating outdoors, BBQ, fire pits etc..
Opportunity to make friends If DS wants to. Pool, but lots of other things to do too. A bit magical getting all that out-doors time.
Have been to them in Spain, S.France and Italy.

Lots of great ideas to research. Just had a very quick look at a Mediterranean cruise and it looks great. We’re not very travel savvy so it’d take the stress out of sight seeing but with plenty to keep us going. We all love a bit of pool time but when it’s all day every day it gets a bit much!

We’ve done camping in this county and I hated it. Everyone was in big family groups, staying up late, having a wonderful time and I just felt a bit sad that it was just the 3 of us and we weren’t having big games of rounders etc like everyone else (obviously I didn’t say anything at the time and we did enjoy it).

We did a family cycling holiday in Catalonia when DS was a similar age to yours. We cycled about 10-15 miles per day between destinations and the holiday company transported our luggage. We stayed in guesthouses which had pools for relaxing in the evening. It was great fun and quality family time. We travelled there by train which added to the sense of adventure.

Does he like cycling? Austria is great for that - such as Seefeld

Or Lake Garda

This was the holiday if your interested:

www.inntravel.co.uk/families/spain/catalonia-bikes-back-roads-beaches

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We went to Amsterdam and our DS who is 10 said he preferred it to our sun holiday.

Wow those self guided cycling holidays look great! I’ll definitely keep that in mind for a couple of years time.

Try Morzine or Les Gets - august is kind of their down season so lots of accommodation for not too much (a few years ago anyway) and you can get a pass that lets you go on all the ski lifts and buses, you can walk down the mountains, lots of mountain biking, there are outdoor pools and you can swim in lifeguarded Lakes.

i was also going to suggest euro camp, but not the tents the caravans. then you have a kitchen and a loo!! they have clubs for the teens if they want ti make friends or if not there are lots of activities you can do with him like watersports etc. as well as a fab pool with slides and bits and bobs.

Have you thought of taking one of his friends with you?

I was about to suggest taking a friend along, as Hollow Talk suggested.

It worked for us, many times.

I don’t think they’re quite old enough for taking a friend yet, hopefully in a couple of years that will solve it for us.

How about Sweden? You could do loads of different things - combine Stockholm with a visit to Dalarna for example. We rented a cabin at Orsa Camping last summer and it was wonderful, lake swimming, pool swimming, generally just relaxing. From Stockholm you could even do any number of short cruises eg to Helsinki or Talinn etc.