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Original poster

A bit stuck! Please suggest a lovely holiday destination for our family

43 replies

WaggyTailsWetNoses · 05/02/2023 08:17

We are thinking about booking a family summer holiday and are a bit stuck for ideas. Or have loads of ideas but don’t know where is right. We love our holidays and really don’t want to get it wrong this year. Here’s us:

Me, DH, DD14, DS12.
Budget up to 5/6k for 10 days.
We’ve never booked a package, just book independently. Don’t mind SC or hotels. Like a lake or pool to swim in, not bothered about things being luxurious.
We can drive or fly.
DC consider organised fun for kids abhorrent, so AI resorts probably pointless.
We normally do a busy cultural holiday at Easter so something a bit more relaxing, but still with interesting stuff to do.
This Easter we are driving around Andalucía. So maybe not Spain in summer too.
Favourite summer holidays have included the Dordogne, Amalfi coast, Cape Cod and The Alps. Loved Languedoc last year, but really, really struggled in the heat.
Open to anywhere we can afford, even if it’s a bit leftfield!

Any ideas would be amazing 🙂

OP posts:
CoachCarter · 05/02/2023 08:50

The Tirol region of Austria is one of my favourite places in the world. You can walk, bike or stay around the alpine villages.

Weesiewoo · 05/02/2023 08:54

Rhodes.
Book a nice hotel for yourself, doesn't have to be AI and hire a car. Lots to see and do. Beautiful place to stop for a swim along the coast, fantastic old fortified City and you could take a few day trips to other islands for a swim and lunch. Heaven.

gogohmm · 05/02/2023 08:55

I drove to north of Venice with mine, via europa parc and Bavaria stops in Germany on the way then Munich and Bonn on the way back. Near Venice we stayed in a mobile home on a site with lots of pools and it's own beach. You can combine cultural, fun and relaxing

Interested in this thread?

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Holidays
JennyDarlingRIP · 05/02/2023 08:58

Greek islands, Crete or Rhodes, plenty to see/do but beautiful beaches to swim/snorkel we've stayed in some lovely smallish boutique hotels in both. We're going to Rhodes this summer, it'll be first time with DS

JennyDarlingRIP · 05/02/2023 08:59

Oh and yes definitely hire a car, cheap, very quiet roads, easy to drive. No awful coach based excursions

Ellmau · 05/02/2023 09:01

Croatia

One of the big Swiss lakes

42isthemeaning · 05/02/2023 09:04

West coast of France. Lots to see and do and beautiful scenery / beaches.

BarrelOfOtters · 05/02/2023 09:07

Slovenia, lake bohinj and bled. Great food, hiking, stuff to see. V chilled and easy.

usernotfound0000 · 05/02/2023 09:08

Lake Garda. There are lots of holiday sites situated by the lake. We've been to Bella Italia which is handy for trains to Venice and also near Garda land. Not luxurious as it's a euro camp type thing but lots to do on-site and nearby. And the food of course!

Caspianberg · 05/02/2023 09:10

Austrian lakes.
You can easily get a 2 bedroom self catering apartment or house for around €1500 for a week.
So flights and car hire ontop

Then cable cars and short hike, swim lakes, tree tops adventure climbing, outdoor pools with slides.

Most areas have a card you can buy for about €70 a week per adult that allows unlimited use of cable cars, local transport, pools, zoos, caves, and loads of random other places. Really good value.

Southlandssue · 05/02/2023 09:12

I would stick with France, that budget can get you a great gite with a pool and you can drive down or fly and hire a car and visit places or stay in and swim, last year’s heat was exceptional. Although having been to slightly different areas of France for the last nine years we are looking for a change so following this thread with interest.

Hoppinggreen · 05/02/2023 09:14

Bavaria, Munich or Nuremberg regions.
My teens absolutely love it

Maraudingmarauders · 05/02/2023 09:25

Big vote for Croatia- if you stay near the coast the heat isn't too bad, plus easy access to the water. Perhaps book a couple of different places - we have done Istria (rural, but easy access to pula), on the coast near Trogir (amazing water, though limited or no beaches)and a few nights in Zagreb (easy city to wander). We loved all of it- incredibly friendly people, stunning food, child friendly
Plus the most incredible scenery.
We are also very anti AI and children's activities.

Finesterre · 05/02/2023 09:30

Another big vote for Slovenia, some lovely hotels, camping and self catering options. Wonderful clean lakes, fabulous food, mountains.

Original poster
WaggyTailsWetNoses · 05/02/2023 09:32

Thanks so much for these ideas.
I adore Bavaria, so that’s a great thought. Maybe Berchtesgaden. We’ve also considered Austrian and Italian lakes so will look into that.
Slovenia and Croatia are both on the list.
I think we will save Crete/ Rhodes until
next Year as DD starts her classics course then. Crete was our cancelled lockdown holiday!

OP posts:
DottyDry · 05/02/2023 09:33

We went to Croatia last year and went to a few resorts. We really enjoyed Bol on Brac island. We had an early morning walk to Zlatni Rat and it was so quiet, totally different story to the day, it was rammed!

Lots of boats/ferries to explore the islands.
We spent 2 nights in Trogir near Split, it's beautiful there for a day trip, even better if you can stay and explore in the early morning before the crowds hit (we just left the teenagers in bed)

LadyEloise1 · 05/02/2023 09:33

Croatia is lovely.
2 centre - Dubrovnik and Hvar.

Pushkinia · 05/02/2023 09:36

Austrian Lakes! St Gilgen is small, relaxing, beautiful and the other lakeside villages are easily accessible by regular ferry.

Zwoelferhorn (I think it’s called) by cable car is terrifying for a wimp like me, but has amazing views if you can bear to keep your eyes open!

Bad Ischl and Berchtesgaden are both accessible by public transport for somewhere different - and Salzburg!

ZenNudist · 05/02/2023 09:41

Italian lakes all the way. Lake como is very chilled out. Stay in the centre of the lake. Menaggio is good. The heat is not bad. Its cool in the morning and overnight. The pool is so refreshing. The views are amazing.

I love love Lake garda too but it is more touristy and bigger so you can't do the whole Lake. Pick an end or a corner and do that well. So relaxing lying by a pool looking down at the lake. Food is amazing

JaninaDuszejko · 05/02/2023 09:42

I was going to suggest Malaga because we had a fab holiday with our teens there last year but I see you've got that covered! In the summer I'd think about northern Europe, e.g. in Sweden you could spend some time getting in some culture in Stockholm then have a few days chilling somewhere like Gotland.

ebonylion · 05/02/2023 09:43

Switzerland

maddiemookins16mum · 05/02/2023 10:03

Cavtat in Croatia.

grayhairdontcare · 05/02/2023 10:39

Get to Albania . Very reasonable, lots to do, friendly people.

Illhaveadonut · 05/02/2023 10:43

LadyEloise1 · 05/02/2023 09:33

Croatia is lovely.
2 centre - Dubrovnik and Hvar.

Have done Zadar Hvar and Dubrovnik. The boat trips in between were lovely. I imagine I would have loved that trip as a teen.

ichundich · 05/02/2023 10:47

gogohmm · 05/02/2023 08:55

I drove to north of Venice with mine, via europa parc and Bavaria stops in Germany on the way then Munich and Bonn on the way back. Near Venice we stayed in a mobile home on a site with lots of pools and it's own beach. You can combine cultural, fun and relaxing

We did something similar last summer and absolutely loved it. The hotel was just outside Verona and had its own pool as well as self-catering facilities. Agriturismo Buon Martino San Albergo.