Please help me with holiday ideas - July 2016, Europe

[LifeOfBriony]

This year's summer holiday is likely to be just DH and I so we have the opportunity to go a little further afield. As a family we usually holiday in the UK; caravan, camping, or cottages and have always gone in school holidays.

We will probably take a couple of weeks annual leave in July, and the budget will be around £1000 for the two of us, plus spending money, and I accept that this might mean that we can only go away for a week. I fancy Italy (because I have never been there), but now I've started browsing holiday websites I am not sure where in Italy I want to go.

We have been abroad a few times - once with the DCs to Brittany and Normandy, when we stayed in a caravan on a Keycamp site. We took the car - DH was happy to drive. We had a couple of beach days but also visited interesting towns, the Bayeux Tapestry and World War II sites and a museum. Before DCs, DH and I went to Austria by coach; we walked, did a couple of organised trips, and took a train to a nearby town. Another year DH and I went to Spain and stayed in a house owned by a former colleague; again, we had a beach day but spent time walking in the countryside and visiting towns. Two years ago DH and I went to Jersey and spent our time visiting various places on the island - I love Jersey and would happily go again but this year I want to go somewhere new.

I'm giving you all this detail to give an idea of what we like to do on holiday. We like to relax a bit but neither of us is good at doing nothing. Unfortunately DH can't do long walks now due to a foot injury. He is open to the idea of hiring a car but we would also consider not having one if we stay somewhere with lots to do and see nearby and good public transport to other places.

So... any ideas? I feel quite new to this. I am open to ideas other than Italy.

Greece! Nice and cheap - you want sc in Greece so you can enjoy lovely meals in local tavernas. If you choose your destination carefully you can visit lots of historic places and swim in amazing waters. If you really fancy Italy what about Rome, Venice or Sorrento areas in a cheap room only place just outside main tourist areas then sort out your own food and eat as the locals do?

Thanks Makemine, I had wondered about Greece. Can you recommend anywhere?

Thassos. Hotel Socrates it's lovely :)

What time in July. The early party will be considerably cheaper than the second half when the schools break up.

Have you thought about Sardinia? Some lovely walking and eating there. Sicily is interesting too. But one of my favourite parts of Italy is the lakes - Garda is beautiful but the lesser-known Lago d'Idro and Lago d'Iseo are also gorgeous. Some lovely quiet campsites round there and beautiful, almost alpine scenery.

The problem with flying is that it could eat up a huge portion of your budget. Would you be going before schools break up for the summer, or after? If its the former than you could possibly pick up some cheap flights. Our kids break up before the bulk of schools do and we're going to northern Spain (flying to Bilbao with Easyjet) for a week, hiring a car and have found an apartment through AirBnB and we're doing it for £2k for the four of us (not including spending money), so it should be possible to find something for two of you in July for £1k.

Tbh I'd take a look at where you can fly to cheaply from your nearest airport and take it from there. If you can be a bit flexible on your travel days (midweek is always cheaper than Fri/Sat, for example), and if you're happy to camp or SC I'm sure you can find something a bit interesting that will work.

Thanks all. Likely to be part of 2nd and 3rd weeks of July due to work commitments at the beginning of the month. Quite happy to fly midweek.

Lake Garda is a possibility, as we liked Austria. Hadn't considered northern Spain or Sardinia. Would prefer not to self cater if possible as I do that the rest of the year, but won't rule it out.

It might also be worth popping into a travel agent and seeing what packages they can find that might suit you. If you don't want to SC that can be the most cost-effective way to get a flight/hotel package for one all-in, up-front cost.

Dont leave it any later than third week of July as the prices will increase so much with the school summer holidays starting.

I have just booked to go to Pertisau in Achensee, in Austria. We are going the last week of July (taking DD, now confined to school holidays). I have gone over your budget, but the total cost (flights, car hire, and half board hotel) for the 3 of us is £1500. Booked hotel via booking.com, flights with Lufthansa (cheaper than Ryan Air etc). Have done similar in the past and found booking each component individually is generally cheaper than a package if you want Lakes and Mountains, rather than a beach holiday. You could certainly do something similar for your budget if you are travelling in term time.

Venice. You can get cheap Ryanair flights and air bnbs. There are beaches at the Lido if you want some sea and sand days, but the city itself is stunning with loads of galleries, markets, mask makers and historical sites to visit if you want. Trips out to the islands to see the lacemakers and glass blowers are fun too, and if it's the Biennale the world art exhibitions are amazing.

Thanks all - I think I will pop in to a travel agent and see if I can get some Lakes and Mountains brochures - this might be what we want. Venice is also a possibility.

I'm keen to get something sorted fairly soon.

Hello again - I have some brochures and have looked online but no decision yet. Italy looks relatively expensive. YorkshireTeaDrinker we have used booking.com for UK trips so I will look at that and and at booking flights separately. Stupid question - how do you get from the airport to the hotel/resort if you don't hire a car? Taxi? Are taxis expensive?

Have you thought about Budapest? Loads and loads to do - lots if history from communism, ww2 and the moors. Lots of stunning spas which may be good for your husbands foot injury.

You don't have to walk lots if you don't want to. You can get public transport, taxis even the boat.

It's very cheap too. And I've had some wonderful meals there.

Or Barcelona? We've just got back from there. I must have been 20 times and still not seen everything I want to see. You can get flights and accommodation cheaply enough but it does seem to get more and more expensive every time!

Thanks MrsGrady, will look at Budapest. We have been to Catalonia and I fancy going to a country I haven't visited before; I won't rule it out though 😀

Can you go Ryanair to Verona? If so I can recommend Peschiera on Lake Garda, affordable taxi transfer or direct train link. We stayed in the San Marco Hotel which was good value b&b and has amazing views over the lake. We had a family room but there are big doubles too.