Absolute must-do holidays for kids

[MrsDePoint]

DC1 is 10 now and we figure we've got five more years of holidays with him while he still wants to be with us. We're trying to figure out what holidays will have the biggest impact or will create life-long memories. I'm thinking (in no particular order):

• Paris / Eurodisney
• Grand Canyon / Mount Rushmore
• Disney World / Cape Canaveral
• Disney Land / LA
• Australia
• New York / Washington DC
• Rome
• Edinburgh / the Highlands
• Japan / Hong Kong

Are there any holidays you had as a kid that really stand out or any other ideas?

New York maybe....

ALL of the holidays I go on are of interest to me. I wouldn't go any where I found boring! Generally the children have a great time as well.

My DS is now 19 and DD is 23.

They both say the best, most memorable holidays are Eurocamp in Northern Spain, with the drive down there through France.

2nd - Disneyland Florida

3rd - Pyramids of Giza

4th - Israel (we have Jewish ancestery)

Funny how the cheapest holiday holds the best memories for them. They both get quite tearful remembering it.

Ourgate

My happiest childhood memories of holidays are of familiarity, relaxed time, bucket and spade...doing the things that are magical for children and can't be so easily reproduced as adults - building a campfire, rowing across a lake, making dens, etc etc.

I wanted to do adventurous travel without my parents as soon as I was old enough.

I think he might be a bit too old for Eurodisney at 10?

I've done a lot of those things with my DCs (now aged 12 and 8) - Japan (they were born there and we visit a lot), Hong Kong, New York plus some other parts of the US and Canada; Paris; Edinburgh and some other parts of Scotland, though not the highlands yet; Australia (several times, so quite a few different parts), and Disneyland/DisneySea in Japan (many times) though no other Disneys - they'd like to go, I'm less keen.... Haven't taken them to Rome, but we have done Florence and some other bits of Italy.

They were all great holidays, and the children do talk about them a lot, but in most of those places we were visiting friends rather than just doing the tourist sights, and I agree with others that the people you meet or visit are just as important as the places you go to. They have also enjoyed our more laid-back countryside and beach holidays in Cornwall or France just as much.

Rather than having a list of things you must do, I'd follow your and your DC's interests, and maybe do a few more quirky, off the beaten track type things rather than top-ten type places. You need to leave them some things to do on their own travels later.

I'm currently contemplating Switzerland next year (a friend has recommended the scheme where you stay in farmers' hay lofts) and possibly a short trip to Beirut (we have people to visit there).

exexpat - can you tell me more about the Switzerland Loft holiday? Sounds interesting.

Goa, India.

I can't wait until my DC's are old enough to go - it has everything:

Completely different culture
Great Food
Amazing Beaches / Churches / Temples
Wildlife tours with stays in mud huts, elephant rides and swimming with elephants
Waterfalls that are 1000's of metres high where you can swim in the pool and monkeys to feed
The chance to go on 8 hour train journeys across the plains (an experience in itself if you are brave enough not to book first class) to 400 year old cities with the most fantastic temples and statues ever (both ruins and working temples)
Brilliant markets

and of course while you are enjoying all of that, exposure to very real and horrific poverty which makes you realise just how lucky you are to be a family and to be able to afford such great holidays.

An amazing all round experience.

I also like to take the DC's to central / north india on the golden triangle tour, but can't speak to what is actually like as I haven't done it myself yet.

Belgo - it's the Schlaf im Stroh scheme - a friend of mine has done it several times and it sounds like fun.

Only problem I have is that my DCs are not great cyclists, and most people do it by bike - I'll have to see if I can get them up to scratch on the cycling by next year, or see if we can do it by car for a couple of days, combined with various other things around Switzerland.

A pretty astonishing list for a 10 year old.

I dont think its about the place particularly, just about having a wonderful time together. And that can be done without travelling to most of the places on your list.

If you asked our three, I think they would tell you about the places they had most fun and probably wouldnt remember where they were - not even whether it was the UK or abroad. So playing on a beach, building dens, having lilo battles in a pool, those are the kind of things that stick with them.

We have taken ours to Switzerland (to a friends house) several times, and their favourite bits would probably be 1. the paprika crisps (yes really) 2. trying whisky for the first time 3. fondue 4. cable cars and chair lifts 5. Most of all: us sitting around in the evening having a laugh together and playing cards.

If you think that travelling to all those places will have a big impact/create life long memories, well, I think you would be surprised at the things children do actually remember.

Ooh yes, Lenak - I've never been to India and would love to go with DCs - several friends have done it with children, one lot did part of it as a Wwoof thing (volunteering on an organic farm). But I need to work on DD's fussy eating first....

Belgo - I just found an English-language site for the Swiss haylofts, in case that is more useful: hayloft holidays.

We gave our DCs (age 11, 10, and 8) the choice of where to go/what to do on holiday this year (within reason!).

Their choice?

We have booked a PGL family activity week in Devon. Lots of outdoor/fun/muddy activities, loads of other families - they can't wait. It probably won't be my ideal break, but it's their choice. It was pretty cheap, too.

CointreauVersial my inner child is extremely jealous! I so wanted to go on a PGL holiday when I was young, but never managed to find a way to convince the adults it was a good idea. What a brilliant mum your DCs have!

We went to (yawn) beautiful villas in Europe and did cultural stuff. (Of course that's what I want to do now. What an ungrateful child I was )

Brittany beach holiday
Rome/pompeii
Safari

We have just spent the past 8 months travelling as a family. We went to Goa, Florida and very very briefly New York. All totally different.

Ds loved the Natural History Museum in new york.

My family are in florida so I go there regularly and have done for years. I think it's got alot going for it, things for all age groups to keep everyone happy -Disney, beaches (swimming, watersports, dolphin watching), Space centre, everglades (they are amazing and as far from the disney image of florida you can get).

I would like to take ds on an african safari but he's too young to have the patience for it!!

Also I went (pre ds) to morrocco. Beaches, amazing old cities, mountains, camel rides in the desert. We slept overnight under the stars in the desert, we went out on camels, ate around a fire, and came back the next morning. It was amazing (just me, dh and a guide) and sooo cheap. We went by land and boat instead of flying there. For flying you can get cheap package deals to agadir and then not bother staying all the time in the hotel there and instead travel around.

Nepal was my 'wow' holiday when I was 15. Incredible place, mountains, jungle safari, white water rafting, treking, the culture, the people. Seriously WOW.

We walked the length of the Thames when youngest DS was 7..took us 15 days to do 184 miles. We stopped at every pub along the river and talked to every dog, friendly boat owner and lock-keeper. It was a magical holiday for having time to see the life span of a river and the English countryside as well as giving us the best opportunity ever to chat in different combinations - it was me and 3 of my DSs and we all still remember it as the best holiday ever.

My strongest holiday memory is going to America with a school friend at 14 (boarding school, her family lived there) and lying in shallow water in a swimming pool and staring at the blue blue sky and being overwhelmed that I was in a pool in Florida, I was 14 at the time and I can still remember how amazing it felt. Did many many other things over the course of three weeks but that has stuck with me for well over 20 years.

We are driving to Italy from Wales this year via the Tour de France in the Alps at DS1's request and I hope more than anything that it is a lifetime memory for our boys, as even camping our way there is blowing every penny we have!

Exexpat - thank you! Looks great.

Lostinwales - My parents and I used to go on coach tours to Italy - sounds awful but we loved it, it gave me a chance to see a lot of Europe.

Children like going to sites of historical interest that they can get a grasp on - Pompei, Delphi, Epidavros, Egyptian pyramids, Mexican pyramids are all excellent for children.

My DS's (10) ideal holiday is PGL or similar without us - as an only child he loves being with other kids rather than being with his parents ! We did think of Florida this year but he was not at all enthusiastic (thank goodness).

"Oh yes - and the canal boat holiday is a great idea. We did one through the Camargue. Lots of beach resorts and no locks. One of my favourite holidays ever."

That sounds fabulous. Were they lots of mosquitos?

DD is ten and her wish list includes a USA Disney, France, Italy and a canal boat holiday. We would also all like to go somewhere hot with a good swimming pool. It doesn't matter where as long as it isn't too touristy.

This was the canal trip we did. Lots of wine, flamingos, white horses, oysters and trips to the beach. You could moor up in the middle of nowhere for lunch/breakfast. I don't remember mosquitos being a problem.

It is also possible to do a detour up the River Les to the Marina at Lattes and cycle/get the bus into Montpellier. The lack of locks makes it really easy cruising. We've also done the Canal du Midi in the other direction - from Carcassone.