Milestone birthday at the end of October - where can I go on holiday?

[NigellaWannabe1]

I just want to daydream for now - I have no plans to book anything until the pandemic is more clearly under control. But I want to start thinking about it in case we can indeed go.

Please help. These are my requirements:

• Somewhere in Europe, no necessarily a warm country. In fact, I quite like the idea of going somewhere on central and northern Europe.
• I quite fancy an urban holiday somewhere with plenty of history. From the southern destinations, I would consider Rome perhaps. From central Europe, Budapest or somewhere like that.
• I have three kids who will be 9 to 14 at that time. If I want to enjoy my holiday, realistically I need to find a place that offers something to them.
• Budget: £2,000 absolutely tops for a week. It doesn't go that far as it will be 5 of us.

Thanks!!!!!

Central Europe - Budapest, Berlin, Warsaw, Vienna - all are full of history and in a week you could either combine two of them or just have 5-6 days in one and do the city and surroundings properly. You could do Berlin and Prague (4h train in between) or Budapest and Vienna (similar I think?). Your children are the perfect ages for this kind of trip. I don’t know Budapest and Vienna as well as Berlin and Prague, I was doing that combo last August, but Covid...

Berlin is full of WW2 history while Prague is more medieval so each city has a different focus and feel. Do you also have a partner coming? £400 per person for 5-6 days is doable if Ryanair/easyJet reinstate their routes to the above cities. £500 even better if only you and kids. I’d budget £500 max for flights, £750 for accommodation (although you could easily do Airbnb for £500 max for the week) and the rest is trains, food, attractions.

I’m jealous now, Central Europe is amazing

Just re-read your post and saw there’s 5 of you going! You’ll have to stick to low cost carriers and avoid weekend flights in that budget (unless it doesn’t include spending money?). What’s your departure airport/s? This will make a difference on what you can plan.

Yes, it'll be two adults and three children. I'm based near Manchester, so there're quite a few airports we could depart from. Do you think £2,000 is realistically not a high enough budget? Argh. I might have to save for an extra £500 then, as I want to make the trip really memorable.

What about Rome-Pompeii? The kids should love that, I think.

I haven’t done Rome but Pompeii is gorgeous. I highly recommend it too (and the weather in October will be gorgeous).

£2000 is definitely doable, it depends on how much luxury you want or not. I’ve just priced it for Rome during October half term and flights are £625, hand luggage only which for a week will suffice. Berlin/Prague for example is only £300. This is from MAN, Liverpool and others might have cheaper options.

You can do cheap Airbnb and supermarket shops with one meal out every couple of days, or you might want breakfast included at the hotel and eating out every day. Free sights and cheap attractions, with 2-3 important splash outs would fit into that budget nicely, going into 5 museums each day at a charge of €10 pp, not doable.

Keep in mind that Italy, Austria, Germany have €. They’ll be much more expensive than Budapest, Prague etc, with cheaper currencies.

£2000 is definitely enough, but I do holidays on the cheap! I’m happy to fly at 6am, stay in an aparthotel, and eat cheap pizza and ice cream most days.

Thanks! So much information. I really need to think of all the variables around cost. I think I might just try and save that extra £500 a it's a one-in-a-decade trip for me.

We stayed in Sorrento for a few days. We had an apartment with a pool, did a day to Pompeii and a day to Capri.
Was lovely to return to the pool after a hot day sightseeing. Then we got the train to Naples and stayed there for 2 days. Went with 2 teenagers an a 10 year old. Flew easyJet/ Ryanair.
Last year we went to Rome. Flew Ryanair. Stayed in camping roma.
Lovely site with caravan type accommodation.
Lovely big pool.
Great to go for days into Rome sightseeing.(bus stop right outside camp but taxi wasn’t too expensive)
We went with our children and their partners. They got the train to Pompeii one day.
We had been here about 7 years ago, found it great value for money so went again.