I recommend Austria via cheap Ryanair flights

[Fionn]

Ryanair are doing very cheap flights to Klagenfurt in Austria from Stansted in June if anyone fancies a few days in lakes and mountains. We went at the beginning of May for a week with our nearly 2 and nearly 4-year olds. We flew to Trieste (2 years ago we flew to Bologna with the idea of visting some Italian towns but that was a bit ambitious with a 1 year old!), but Klagenfurt is in a lovely spot. We stayed in a hotel run by friends of my dp's family. The kids loved it, a swing, slide, roundabout, indoor pool was all they needed. Very simple stuff, simple food, good Austrian beer in the hotel bar once the kids were asleep, baby monitor on! Nearby drives to pretty lakeside towns and mountains.

Fionn - is Austria pricey though? I love ryanair and am always looking for a cheap getaway.

Tinker - We paid €40 each (around £26 each) per night for halfboard, ie dinner, bed and breakfast. That was a bedroom with living room (which had a sofabed for our 3 yr old and a cot for our youngest) That was in May, the same room in July would be €49 each. A double room with shower and WC is about €32 in May or Sept and €38 in July. Young children are free I think, then a percentage for over-6's. I got all this from the website www.drauhof.at but it's in German. There are lots of hotels in that Klagenfurt area, I presume the prices are similar. As for eating out, we had lunch out most days, pizza or sandwiches, not really expensive (cheaper than London anyway!) And of course the coffee and pastries are scrumptious!