UK or shorthaul August holiday, 2 DC

[drspouse]

I need to sell something to DH, we are moving house so feeling a bit poor. I'll tell you what we were going to do and let me know if you have any ideas! DC are 5 and soon-to-be-3. We are more into city breaks and activity holidays than either yomping up mountains in the rain or beaches. We prefer self catering so we can have a living room and flop in front of TV/Netflix while the DC sleep.

Idea 1 was St Petersburg and Moscow, this was my big birthday treat, it's not TOO hot and they are supposed to be quite good for DC, but we feel we can't afford that now.

Idea 2 was staying in our rental flat in London that was supposed to be empty but now the tenants want to stay. 2 weeks would lose us £1000 rent plus train fare (NW England), attractions, food mainly self catering and takeaways. We went there last year but not in the school holidays, and the DC had a blast.

One of my DC is mixed race and we do not want to go anywhere that we will be stared at. We felt that the Russian cities would be sufficiently cosmopolitan and London of course is great for us. But no Scottish islands I feel and I'm not sure about rural Scandinavia etc. for similar reasons.

I had been considering Nice or Paris, or looking at Air BnB in London (but the latter is really pricey), some suggestions of holiday parks have been made in the Netherlands/Germany too.

I looked at UK holiday cottages and anything nice/quirky (we've liked National Trust before) is ££££. But maybe something NE England/Yorks/Peak District (we can go to the Lakes for the day). DH does not do "roughing it"! Which as I have said doesn't go with "not spending too much" but there you are.

Quick bump, I'm totally supposed to be working but just to throw something else in the mix I'm wondering about the French Alps??

We went there skiing in Jan and DS liked it, we didn't do quite as much skiing as we'd have hoped but it looks like we might be able to do half days walking with childcare and half days with the DCs.

One of my DC is mixed race and we do not want to go anywhere that we will be stared at. We felt that the Russian cities would be sufficiently cosmopolitan and London of course is great for us. But no Scottish islands I feel and I'm not sure about rural Scandinavia etc. for similar reasons.

Wtaf?

What Iknow said. This actually made me angry to read.

Why would it make you angry? Have you or your DCs been stared at because of your ethnicity? Did you like it? If so, then that's nice for you, but I'd rather my DC didn't have to.

Because you will find the islanders welcoming and friendly and your post reads that they are in some way ignorant or backwards.

I'm not suggesting that racism doesn't exist however I think you are being very unfair to the populations mentioned to assume it will be more of an issue there.

I am also upset that you feel your mixed race child would be made to feel unwelcome on the Scottish islands - and I sincerely hope this is not something you have actually experienced on any of the islands before.

We have been stared at in remote areas in a few countries. We'd prefer not to be stared at. Those were random, but possibly badly chosen, examples. As I said I'm not into yomping up mountains and DH doesn't like roughing it so we're unlikely to want to spend a week or two somewhere remote anyway.
Does anyone have any actual suggestions or are you going to tell me "you're being too sensitive" or "you're imagining it"?

Of course I wouldn't say you imagined it, but how sad to limit yourself and kids to places where people won't look at you. I'd want to teach them they are free to travel wherever they want... and to give people/ places a try.

Looking at people and staring at them are a bit different. Adults and older children can decide where to go but I'm deciding for my DCs. So they can go to places where they are the only non white person for miles and miles when it's their decision.

If I say no remote rural areas for another reason will you get back to the topic at hand? Do you have any suggestions?

Strange post.

Russia has a reputation for being one of the most racist places to visit in the world.

I have trouble making suggestions because the situation you're describing is alien to me, sorry. We've made trips to Egypt and Morocco where DC received attention for being blonde. I just feel like people will always stare -be arseholes- wherever you go, and if you look different/ behave differently/ have special needs/ use a wheelchair/ speak another language.. whatever. Why not learn it early and have confidence in yourself.

I did ask a few other families when we were thinking about Russia and the consensus was big cities were fairly cosmopolitan.
But we aren't going there now.

As someone who lives (and works with) people from "Scottish Islands" you have no idea. They are welcoming, interesting places.

Lots to do - culture, history, beautiful beaches, great food.

Oh, and people who have often travelled widely and have all sorts of friends and family.

Good god. Can you imagine if I came on here looking for a holiday but nowhere too brown as my pale faced kids might stand out.

I sincerely hope you don't share these views with your children OP. What you are in effect saying is that people from rural areas are ignorant and intolerant. FWIW I live and teach in the rural Highlands where (shock horror) there are children of various ethnicities (and therefore skin colours). Funnily enough I manage not to stare or give them funny looks

It really disturbs me that you can't see that your comments and attitude are offensive in any way.

I live in a very rural part of the country. we are all racists here didn't you know. Sorry OP had loads of suggestions for you but really not going to make them. if you go to a small rural village then more than likely everyone in the village knows each other. so anyone from outside will be stared at because no one knows them. it has nothing to do with race and everything to do with natural human curiosity. if you looked into neighbours front garden and saw a person sitting on a deckchair there that you didn't know, wouldn't you stare?

The worst racism I've ever experienced was in Scotland. Just saying.

I won't get into the racism discussion but we're just back from a week in Moscow and St Petersburg and it can be done quite cheaply! We stayed in a lovely 2 bedroom (plus pull out sofa) apartment in St Petersburg in a great location for £37 per night. The children were free or cheap tickets at lots of museums and there's a ton of good inexpensive cafes and small restaurants. We didn't do any tour groups - e.g. went to Catherine Palace via public transport and the whole holiday was fantastic.

The visas were expensive, though!

My DC are mixed race and i understand where you're coming from drspouse. Sometimes you just want a nice easy time without being stared at and whispered about, sometimes even photographed. Where we live now (not UK) people get their phones out to try and sneak a photo as they're walking past! It makes my DD feel really uncomfortable and I've taught her to turn her back if she sees someone do it.

As for suggestions, how about an airbnb in Paris or Berlin?

You don't have to be mixed race to be stared at. I am white and was stared at a lot in Madrid, it was really odd. I put it down to being tall, very pale and tattooed a long time before it was fashionable.

Anyway, lots of refugees from Syria have been housed and welcomed in the Scottish Highlands and Islands so your DCs won't be novelty non white people if you did go there.

Nice, Grasse and surrounding areas are lovely.

What about Lisbon? Cosmopolitan but cheaper than Paris/Berlin etc

Berlin! Amazing city, so much to do, affordable, amazing food and very welcoming to children. I was there last August and it was so, so sunny - the beach bars pop up, SUP in the Spree, swim at the lake.