If you took the whole summer holidays off with kids, what would you do and where would you go?

[Summerplans7]

Planning for next summer (with travel insurance!).

We’re both going to take the 6 weeks school holiday off (unpaid leave for DH, I’m self employed so can make that work). We have some savings, and want to have a really fun summer because it’s been such a shit couple of years.

Obviously we know Covid can screw everything up.

But if it didn’t, what would you do with the whole six weeks?

We are considering a campervan trip around Europe, but don’t know if that would quickly get cramped / hot / exhausting!

Any ideas welcome!! We’re open to anything!

Children will be 6 and 8.

Oooh. Watching...

Hire a house/ apartment in The French Alps. They are cheap as chips in the summer. Take a slow drive down through France. A drive down to Italy for a week, drive back home through Switzerland and Germany, maybe to The Netherlands. When there, swim in lakes, walk, learn to sail. Eat cheese. Bliss.

I think it depends on your budget and what countries you have already visited, etc.

I would love to travel around europe but not sure I like the campervan idea, personal choice but I feel it would get a bit cramped at times. I think I would travel to different cities mostly by train and stay in cheap hotels / AirBNB's .

Other option would be a USA roadtrip. We have spent 3 weeks in Florida and loved it, could have extended that or I've always fancied California. DH would opt for Route 66.

Maybe go for a larger motorhome, or a caravan? Then you can leave the caravan en situ and take the car out on daytrips.

My dh used to go to Cornwall every summer, and stay in a caravan. You can always tour the Uk if Europe becomes out of bounds.

I would probably travel then stay at one place for a few days, explore that area, then move on. I would also plan a mixture of visiting attractions - castles, tourist towns etc, and activities - theme parks, cycle rides etc. Also plan some down time.

The children have hardly been anywhere, DH and I are relatively well-travelled, but we don’t mind revisiting countries, as it’ll be so different with the DC and there’s always so much to see.

We’re also all fairly active and prefer adventures rather over poolside relaxing (although that’s always nice for little bit!).

Love the suggestions so far!

Budget can be healthy, as we’ll also Airbnb our place out when we go (we’ve done this before and it gets a decent amount - pays the mortgage and more) and our savings are good.

We are considering doing the same thing. We would do 7 weeks, unpaid.

Having only recently started researching.. considering SE Asia as the cost of living is pretty low over there and plenty to see and do. Beaches, jungle, city etc.

The weather is not bad but not high season over the summer, with monsoon but it doesn't rain for long.

We actually already do this as I don't work in the holidays and dh can work from home but mainly works in term time. We generally have a few weeks by the sea, 2 weeks walking in the Alps or Dolomites and then visiting relatives or swapping houses. (We are not based in the UK). We also have a short break planned (just me and dh) when the kids are at scout camp - if it happens. 🤞🤞 Where we live is too hot in the summer from July onwards and we don't have a garden so we need to escape! If we lived in the UK and had a garden I wouldn't mind pottering at home for longer.

We're also planning to do this and looking at south east Asia- with 6 weeks off I figure we have time to go longhaul and let the kids experience somewhere completely different to the uk - culture, geography, climate, food, religion etc.

Even though the flights might be expensive we can backpack around and live quite cheaply.

Not quite the whole summer but my DS15 and I had planned a 4 week "European Tour" for this summer. It started as something to plan and look forward to throughout locked down last year. We were going to travel by coach, train, ferry and eventually fly home from our last destination. Starting in London, coach to Amsterdam, 8 more countries and flying back from Croatia. To say we were excited was an understatement. We were going to be proper tourists and visit all the usual hot spots. Obviously we realised really early on this year that this wasn't happening. We are hoping to do the same next year instead but who knows what will happen.

We took a sabbatical a few years ago and did a camping trip along the Rhine from sea to source. It was an amazing holiday.
If we had the same opportunity again I would be tempted to do another European river exploratory trip with the tent.

I have this every year as I'm a teacher! First week and a bit we spend in Cornwall at our friend's house. Lots of visits to the beach. Then on the way home this year we are spending a couple of nights in a hotel by a theme park. Once home, lots of day trips but also days chilling in the garden. Day trips are things like castles, parks with big playgrounds, a steam train ride, museums, farms, zoos. If its a rainy day then cinema, soft play, bowling. Visiting family. We try to keep a bit of routine and structure to the day when not away, but basically lots of fun outdoors.

The Caribbean

possibly back to Mexico.
we went there for our honeymoon and it was brilliant.
we bought suffered from the heat but still.
it was such a beautiful place and we had a lot of day trips and had so much fun!

and now that I'm learning Spanish it'd be so cool to practice it!

we are actually planning to go, but not sure for how long.

I have five weeks, so almost all the holidays with my six year old.

We have a week in the forest of dean booked, we’re staying in a lovely cottage that has a private pool. My husband has that week off so he is going to join us.

Following that we’re spending two nights in the new forest in our camper. Then my son is stayong with Grandma for a long weekend so I can have a few days with my husband.

I have a few days out booked for me and my son, legoland, london zoo, seaside (got my 2ps ready!). I can’t wait.

I work term time only as a TA, this year we're doing two weeks camping on an archaeological dig.
We do go each year (Covid permitting!) but I haven't done a two stretch since I was 20 well before DC.
Rest of the holidays will be days out, and really I'm place marking for ideas .

Usually we'd have a week in a holiday cottage but they were all pretty booked up or extra expensive this year.

I have a 4.5 wks off anyway & normally go to France as my parents have a house there. Tend to do a bit of travelling whilst there.

This yr staying in the UK, going glamping for a wk & cornwall for a wk. Plus a theme park trip, not sure what else as day trips aren't quite the same.

I did something similar when my DC were 4 & 9.
I had 2 weeks camping in France- Atlantic Coast and 3 weeks camping close to my family in Central Europe.

Honestly, it was a moment of madness when I decided this was a good idea!
But the kids loved it and in hindsight I am glad I did it. (Even if it is a never again on my own from me!!)
Camping gave them a lot of freedom and they made some lovely friends.

I would always calculate an extra week at home to wind down from all the adventures and freedom.

I'd get a campervan and do the length and breadth of the UK and plot it out on a map. I'd buy a scratch map of the UK and visit every town on there that I could.

I'm a supply teacher so I'm off work during the holidays anyway but we generally only do 1 daytrip a week plus either a week's holiday in the middle or a couple of longer weekends, usually in a caravan somewhere near the British coast. The rest of the time we just stay home and the dc play out with friends.