The best Family holiday you have been on & where you stayed?

[MorningCoffee]

Looking for our summer 2013 holiday, What is the best Family friendly holiday you have been on & the nicest hotel/apartment you have stayed in?

If a hotel is what you're looking for though, the Maritim Jolie Ville in Sharm el Sheikh is great - very good with the children, great at helping with food and baby things and perfect for relaxing.

Holidays in the alps in the summer is amazing. It's warm, fresh air, healthy, stunning and there is something for everyone.

Alptitude is a great company specialising in self catering properties in Morzine

They are great!

Flojobunny... we stayed in a fab B&B near Loch Ness last year. Its called Great Glen Bed and Breakfast and it is in Drumnadorchit. It is set up for families as the rooms have 2 sleeping areas. They have loads of grounds, trampoline, swings etc, and loads of walking. The views are great.

They can provide dinner as well as breakfast. Also, a lovely restaurant in Drumnadrochit that will pick u up for dinner and take you home (free!!!).

It is fab.

I will have a look ruthie how long did you stay for?

We only stayed for 2 nights but could have stayed longer!! It was great to find a B&B where the kids have their own bedroom!! One of the rooms has its own hot tub!!

Posters who asked about Pine Cliffs. We stayed at the Sheraton part of the resort this year and really disliked it.

A handful of friendly staff but the majority surly and unhelpful. Our duplex suite was spartan with hideously uncomfortable beds. Most certainly not anywhere near value for money. The food was patchy - the piri piri restaurant served us one of the worst meals we've ever had in Portugal.

This year, we will return to Vila Vita Parc, also Algarve. Been there twice previously and loved it unreservedly. Gorgeous.

Almyra in Paphos is nice and the shaded pool is fantastic. It is achingly chic though. They sell themselves as being the ultimate baby friendly hotel and I'm not so sure that's quite the case. Yes, you can have a potty and a steriliser in your room and a variety of baby mashes are on offer but children's dinner sitting was twice cancelled with no notice. So, not faultless. As a plus, Notio's restaurant on the beachfront was superb. If you can get that included in a half board option, rather than the hotel buffet,then it is really well worth taking it. Superb food, quite made our holiday.

Sorry, meant to come back about pine cliffs
We stayed in beautiful 2 bed apt, v new, spacious, lovely kitchen and utilty room
It was a bit of a hike to the beach, but DS loved that little train
So we mainly did self catering, the restaurant on the beach was nice
We did have a car, went out one night for dinner at nearby Marina, can't for the life of me remember what the town was, will check.
It was very much a resort holiday, and I guess if you are let down by the food, then it's very disappointing.
But the self catering really suited us at the time

We are thinking of Alps this summer- how easy is it to organise the out door activities if you go self catering?
Do you have facilities ie., supermarket etc., nearby or do you have to have a car?

Most "skischools" become outdoor centres in Summer with guides and instructors. If you look on a resort's homepage it will have links to the activities, who runs them and any other facilities like public pool, high ropes courses, summer toboggan etc . Some will do a wider range than others but the larger one shave plenty going on . Even small communities have a Spar , Co-op or equivalent chemist and farm shops, perfectly doable without a car and the postbus service or local train will cover most of the local attractions.

has anyone been to the costa del sol area? whats it like? Am i likely to be mugged or overun with discos and people drinking lager and being sick?

Accommodation looks very good value, and there's loads of flights from our local airport.

there must be a catch though?

We stayed at the Pine Cliffs in the hotel too and were fairly underwhelmed. The beach is nice and the resort itself is attractive but unless you hire a car there's very little to do and the walk to the nearby town is grim to say the least. We were stalked by a rabid looking dog on one occasion and had to be rescued by an intrepid local wielding a spade. All very odd!

The pools were too cold to swim in and we only found the one heated pool on the last day. We were also given the hard sell to buy timeshare which was unexpected.

PINKTEDDY yes please, as we are getting no where, thank you. x

triplets I will inbox you a web link as its a very small charity I don't want to out myself. Feel free to inbox me any queries - will try help if poss. x

Hi..........tried three of the comps you suggested, all said no. Insurewith the one we have been dealing with phoned back to say they have decided they will offer him cover for a one off three week trip to Florida, it comes with an excess of £1000 and no cover for cancellation!

Try nerja on the costa del sol. No drunken englishmen or discos. Holiday lettings have plenty of nice looking apartments/villas

I have been to Nerja with the kids too. Smallish resort, popular with Spaniards and plenty of restaurants.

Actually, not so small, but not overwhelming.

I got married in Nerja

Sorry to hear that triplets. The chances are you won't have to claim. But I suppose you have to weigh up whether or not you could afford the £1,000 if necessary. There are about 12 companies on there so I guess you have a few more to try? I would have thought they will all want a fairly high excess though.

Any ideas for Feb half term - we would like somewhere warm to take the 50 layers off we are wearing at the mo - my girls are 9 and 5 so nice if other kids around - swimming a fav with them - relax for me and hubby! about to have second round of brain surgery so nothing far away or stressful!!

Not too far and warm in Feb? Canaries, Morocco, Egypt, Tunisia, Dubai? Depends what you're into really. The south of Spain (Marbella area) would be milder than here, but you need to go pretty far south at that time of year to get warmth.

Our best have been: Atlantis Dubai. Just amazing but hubby not keen on Dubai. Weston Dubai. The best hotel we have stayed in, lots for kids to do. Hilton dalaman is fab. We very reluctantly tried the holiday village in Egypt one year and loathed it. Full of tattooed Brits drinking beer from 10 am. I know some people love it but we hated it. Luxor in Egypt is a great place too. Very cultural.

Sorry that should say westin Dubai. Kids love Dubai as the holiday starts from the flight. Emirates have brilliant in flight entertainment and games. For me, if the kids are happy I'm happy and relaxed. And if I'm happy then Dh is happy. My worst nightmare is going somewhere unclean!

For those of you who can't fly Ireland is beautiful. Ferry from Dublin to Holly head. Best place to stay with kids Slieve Russell hotel for Spa, kids club and good food. Have family rooms and adjoining room for up to 6. Nicest place in Ireland is little Island called Achill Island not sure where to stay but beautiful.

In France Chateau des Ormes in Brittany for active kids and Chateau des Marais in Loire only place we ever went back too!!

For somewhere different Seattle is fantastic you can ski right up to April and drive up to Vancouver BC too!!

In Cornwall I would really recommend a place called 'the bay talland'... Beautiful holiday houses overlooking the sea, hot tubs, treatments and lovely indoor pool. Stayed there 3 times and loved it. Also Court Farm Holidays near Bude is fab especially for pre schoolers... I think it is in the 'mums net top 10'.... Great at any time of the year without having to do the whole 'holiday park' thing....

Am watching this thread with interest as have spent weeks trying to decide on somewhere further afield which offers plenty for our 4 year old to do.... Anyone know of somewhere warm ish in March/April but with kids clubs/activities that are actually open at that time? Spain/Greece/Cyprus/Balearics or maybe canaries...