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Holidays

Use our Travel forum for recommendations on everything from day trips to the best family-friendly holiday destinations.

hopeful plea...

56 replies

NappiesGalore · 24/02/2007 16:53

ok, what i want is this:

-house or villa or aptmt or something.
-3 or 4 bedrooms
-1 week in april
-actually small child friendly (ie fenced pool, enclosed gardens, roman steps in the pool)
-somewhere warm
-somewhere easy to fly scheduled flights to. (ideally from southampton! or LHR)
-not too long a flight (canaries too far apparently)
-easy walking distance to shops, restaurants etc. beach can be driving distance.

any ideas???

(dp is the fussy bugger who wont stay in a hotel, nor fly budget airlines w small kids. budget v flexible)

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MrsSpoon · 24/02/2007 17:00

How about mainland Spain? Which week in April?

NappiesGalore · 24/02/2007 17:08

not fussed so far which week.

mainland spain ok, i guess would have to be south enough to be warmish.

or Balearics. or Sardinia, Italy, anywhere Meditteranean i guess...

its the child friendliness and ability to walk to places im after, and the luxury-ness dp's after...

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NotQuiteCockney · 24/02/2007 17:12

Hmm, Cap Esterel, Pierre et Vacances, in the south of France could be ok. It's reasonably warm, not very far away at all, very child friendly. Walk to shops in the holiday village bit, and a longer walk to the proper village. Nice train service to Cannes etc.

MrsSpoon · 24/02/2007 17:13

Hmmm, just realised you are looking for 3/4 bedrooms, the place I am thinking of only has two but sleeps 6 as it has a sofabed in the livingroom.

NappiesGalore · 24/02/2007 17:25

been looking at that cap esterel place NQC... website a bit hard to work out but have asked for the brochure.

thinking more of an independent house or villa in or v close to a village or small town, rather than a resort as such...

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NappiesGalore · 24/02/2007 17:26

sorry mrsspoon, dp will never go for the bed in living room idea

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aDad · 24/02/2007 17:28

I think you need to go to southern med at that time of year. Weather even in south of France can be pretty cool in April.

nobody said mousses in lefkas yet? Not that i've been there or anything.

MrsSpoon · 24/02/2007 17:35

No prob, hope you get something.

NotQuiteCockney · 24/02/2007 17:48

Ah, fair enough. Cap Esterel is pretty nice, and it's not an all-inclusive sort of place (unless you want it to be). It has childcare on-site, in half-day chunks, and lots of interesting kid activities for the bigger ones.

The weather is unreliable at that time of year, though - we spent two weeks of Easter there, last year, and it was ok, but did mist a bit, and was never out and out hot.

NappiesGalore · 24/02/2007 19:25

dont want out and out hot anyway - must be getting old!!

not ruling cap esterel out... v much like the idea of childcare on site! and have been researching that mousses place aDad mentions... looks verrrry interesting, but dp saying hes not into Greece... not that we wont end up there in the end, fickle sod....

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NotanOtter · 24/02/2007 19:28

nappies love the pic

NappiesGalore · 24/02/2007 19:43

hehe. cheers Otter. hey, did you have another baby recently? or am i imagining things (vaguely imagine ive noticed a birth announcement thread with Otter in the title...)
if so, congrats!

(if not, congrats on that too )

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NappiesGalore · 24/02/2007 19:53

F* ME! has anyone seen how much info there is on this 'planning' page on babygoes2? it'd be easier to plan a full scale invasion of a small country in the far east than go for a 'relaxing' week in the med with sprogs!!

oh i give up!

babygoes2 site

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aznerak · 24/02/2007 23:11

Message deleted by Mumsnet

NappiesGalore · 25/02/2007 13:26

hi aznerak - that sounds absolutely wonderful! have forwarded the details to his royal fussyfickleness; dp, and await his verdict. i would imagine the only thing against it would be the weather in april pos not being up to much... but im keen to book for sept hopefully! hell, i'd happily take a long lease for all winter

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aDad · 25/02/2007 13:28

have also bookmarked it for later use. Love that area!

aznerak · 25/02/2007 13:50

We spent Christmas and New Year over there and we had amazing weather. On New year's Eve, we took the children to a ski resort in the Pyrenees and they (and us of course!) spent the day messing about in the snow, with the most amazing, cloudless blue skies. Then, the following day, New Year's Day, we were on the beach, in short sleeves, gathering shells and playing in the sand for several hours, eating mussels on the terrace and it was 22c! I was also over there at the end of March last year with my youngest and ended up having to go and buy thin t-shirts, sunglasses and suncream as I had assumed it wouldn't be up to much. We ate outside every lunchtime in glorious sunshine!

Personally, September is my preferred time of year, but unfortunately, we are now tied to the dreaded school holidays. We've spent the past few Septembers there though - gorgeous weather, vines all turning amber, schools are back so nothing is manic, yet there is still a real buzz about the place.....looking out of my SW London window at the drizzle, wish I was there now though!

Thanks for bookmarking it too aDad - it is an absolutely fantastic area with so much to do and see - we've been tons of times yet still haven't even touched the surface of all the things to do and see.

Would completely recommend the villa too if you fancy Christmas away - as I said, we had a brilliant time. The only reason we are not going again this year is we need to spend it with the in-laws. Roll on Xmas 08!

Hope to hear from you soon Nappiesgalore!

aDad · 25/02/2007 13:54

Love that area - tarn, cevennes, ardeche, have spent many months in those areas swimming in the rivers etc. Who needs to get to the beach?

NappiesGalore · 25/02/2007 14:25

oh christmas over there sounds loooovely. and sept. and april come to think of it - thanks for the info on weather... the fortnight of 14th april onwards would be most likely candidate - just gotta check dates n stuff with dp's xw, and how that affects us with regard to my stepson...

looks like ill hav eto be quick to get a booking in before aDad nicks it!

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aDad · 25/02/2007 14:27

don't worry! It's Corsica for us this year I think.

aznerak · 25/02/2007 14:32

absolutely. Though I invariably end up taking the DC to Valras as they love the wooden playground on the beach, and I love a big bowl of mussels, overlooking the sea with a nice pitcher of chilled local white wine!

aznerak · 25/02/2007 14:34

Obviously the weather in September is considerably more reliable than in April, plus the pool will definitely be in action later in the year. Although the pool will officially be open in April, cool nights may rule it out for swimming. Mind you, with the weather how its been in recent times, who knows what it'll be like!

NappiesGalore · 25/02/2007 14:37

its not heatable then? happy to pay extra for that...

and that Valras place sounds like heaven on earth!

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aznerak · 25/02/2007 14:49

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NappiesGalore · 25/02/2007 15:12

its prob on the website... but where is walkable to from the house itself? i live out in the countryside now, but am from London originally. although the last place i want to live full time is a city, i do yearn for a place where i can just get dressed and go out for a walk without having to hike anywhere or load everyone into the car first. with 3 under 4, its such a palaver!

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