Thinking about 1 or 2 weeks mid July next year or one week May half term.
Either a couple of hours drive from London or a shorthaul flight from Gatwick or through euro tunnel and not more than an hour or so drive the other side. Possibly consider eurostar and TGV.
Have 1 DD who will be 4 then. We've been with her to Suffolk, Isle of Wight, and Cornwall. Never abroad.
I'm imagining self catering and somewhere untouristy unspoilt to stay (although could be close to tourist areas). Somewhere on the beach or lakeside. Love mountainous areas (have been to Switzerland, Austria, and French Alps pre DD) so wondering about flying back to one of these places. DD would love paddling in the lakes there and throwing stones in the water and would like the cable cars. She's not much of a walker though so not sure if we'd just find it a nightmare with not enough for her to do.
I also love Provence but have discounted it because the journey to where we stay there (and if I go there I can't not stay there as I love it so much) is long and stressful, especially with a preschooler (train to Lille, hand around waiting for connection, 4 hour train journey to Avignon, wait to collect hire car (which takes ages), an an hour and a half drive). I wouldn't mind a longer journey if it was for 2 weeks but if we went there it would be May and July would be too hot.
Also love Devon and Cornwall, but we tend to go there at Easter if we go when it's lovely and quiet, and this year my holiday dates I just found out are limited at Easter so we can't go :( and the drive is too long I think.
Nowhere too hot either! I went to Capri in Italy as a teenager and have fond memories of the Amalfi coast, but I'm thinking it would be too hot and I don't know what it's like now and I'm not sure how I would cope with driving with the Italians! (driving is a must, I get very travel sick in buses and like the reliance on our own car. I possibly could be persuaded on trains but only somewhere like Switzerland where they are very reliable or as a means to get to destination like TGV).
Actual places to stay would be fab but even just names of destinations you have been to that fit the bill for me to look up would be excellent, I've been looking online but I don't know where to start tbh.
Sorry for epic post and 