Gauranteed sunshine - where?

[needanewname]

Hope some of you may have some suggestions.

For the last 2 years, have come to France with a group of 16 (Lot Valley and Tarn regions) and its been bloody cold for at least one week = not happy families!

So where do you recommend that we can go to? It doesn't have to be France but it can't be anywhere too pricey and preferably somewhere we can drive to.

I think the problem is both regions done so far are prone to rain, so basically where isn't?!!!!

Doesn't France have a similar climate to UK?

There was a travel agent once offering money back guaranteed sun if you had more than one day of rain per week of your hol. They offered it on Spanish coasts and islands, Balearics and Canaries, Greece, Italy, Crete etc. A leeetle bit further afield than France basically for biggest likelihood of sun.

Came on here to post Egypt, but then saw you want to drive there.

No where you can drive to where you are sure to get the heat I wouldn't have thought - we got 3 days of torrential rain in Menorca in August last year FFS!! Don't remember seeing THAT in the brochure.......

What time of year are you intending to go? I've been various places on the Mediterranian coast and it's always been baking hot during the summer months. Also been to Alps area and, again, baking hot.

Thanks guys.

Both years we've gone the 1st 2 weeks of the school hols (so for us, last week July, 1st week August).

Am sitting here now in the only spot where I can get wifi hoping the rain holds off and the battery doesn't run flat!!!

We've had a couple of good days now but the weather seems to have turned again!

We also now have new requirements - no decking - or at least properly sealed decking (We gave up counting the splinters!), must be at a lower altitude (a couple of days we have literally been in the clouds!) not too far away from major roads (very wiggly roads up here, had to stop 5 times yesterday for a car sick child!) and a heated pool, so at least if the weather isn't great we can still get in the pool without getting hyperthermia!!!

Not too much to ask is it?!

where did you end up?

We've just got back. Looking ahead to next year!

You can't drive to it, which we have always valued, but Tunisia is worth considering.

We went there this year and a 3* All Inclusive right on the beach turned out to be a lot cheaper than a mobile home park in France.

The flight was only 2.5 hours from London with a 45 minute transfer, and it was easy to take everything we needed because the only clothes we needed were beachwear and one or two going out outfits. We used about half of our baggage allowance.

TBH there is no way of guaranteeing sunshine in France in August, however some regions are better than others.

You might want to try the Vendée. It is either that or drive down to the cote d'azur (and pay the price!). The Vendée certainly isn't at altitude and the roads are good. In terms of hours of sunshine it beats anywhere else in France. But step back from the coast a little, which can be crowded with the campsites, and the villages aren't very pretty. Inland half an hour is better, particularly in the south Vendée.

I think a heated pool is essential in France TBH, and not a solar heated one.

For large groups you could try looking at www.groupaccommodation.com , they cover France.

You are so right about a heated pool - we won't make that mistake again!

Will look into the Vendee region, thanks.

There was torrential rain in Portugal last week.....

Great website thanks frenchfancy!

This summer has been highly unpredictable weather wise, it's been raining a lot in northern Italy, for instance, where it is usually sunny and very hot.

France: I suppose the safest area to get sunshine is that around Cannes, St Tropez etc.

Otherwise: Tuscany, Southern Italy, the Greek islands... but they are too far away!

We always have to go in the first two weeks of school hols, and DH doesn't like the heat, so southern Med countries are out of the question . A couple of years back we went to Austria and the climate was fantastic. Most of the time it was about 26 degrees or so, somedays much warmer. The weather is much more stable through Germany/Austria in the summer so the temperature is pretty good and reliable (although we did get a few thunderstorms at night). I would highly recommend Austria as a holiday destination as there's so much to do, and great facilities for children (really good play areas/swimming lakes/alpine slides etc).

BTW we drove there and it did take the best part of two days, but we overnighted somewhere around Strasbourg.