First abroad holiday for years - where to go?

[GhostlyAbode]

Please help! We have £2000 to spend on a Holiday abroad. We usually are campers in the UK!

It's for me, DH and DD age 13. We are going in August. I'm not brilliant in the heat. DD and DH are quite active, I'm happy to pootle. None of us are great sightseers / museum people.

DD as an only child needs some things that will grab her attention. DH desperate not to camp and happy to drive if that keeps the cost down.

Where should we go / what type of holiday?

How long for? I'd stick to the top half of France or Germany. I'd head for north western or western France. Self-catering.

Cottage in the Loire valley?

We went a few years ago. You can look round castles and chateaux, canoe, cycle, look round French markets. Lots of things.

Go to Greece. It's just gorgeous, and hot, and chilled, and oh the food.

Somewhere family friendly like Tsilivi in Zante or Hersonnisos in Crete.
If you look on Jet2, there's a fair few free child places left. They do good deals where entry to waterparks are included.

August in Greece will be hotter than the sun though, and the OP says she isn't brilliant in the heat. If it were me, I'd try Sweden - have never been but it looks beautiful and lots of scope for activity stuff.

I second Greece and Tsilivi. It is lovely. Just enough for your DD to do without being too over the top. It will be hot though (for you) but anywhere in the Mediterranean will be at that time of year. But there are plenty of shady beach bars, shades on the beach and if you get air conditioning in your accommodation you'll be fine. The food is amazing and the people are wonderful. Love it in Greece .

Won't Sweden be dead expensive though? £2000 isn't that much if needs to include getting there and, maybe, car hire.

That's a good point - Sweden probably isn't cheap. But you should be the expert, Edith :o
Salzburg? Vienna? Or do you want a beach? By quite active, do you mean they want to try jet-skiing, or just a hearty walk somewhere pretty?

Belgium?

How about Majorca? We are going there for the first time this year. I was tempted by this lovely thread . www.mumsnet.com/Talk/shorthaul/2688735-I-have-fallen-in-love-with-Mallorca

I wish Hassled .

More clues please OP.

Cyprus?

I forget sometimes about how hot it is because we've always holidayed in the Med in August. It was 44° in Turkey one year!
Yes it's hot, but you're only 10 seconds walk from a pool/ice cream/air con usually. I love the sun though, I look forward to my blistering hot fortnight all year round.

Weirdly, we stayed on mainland Greece last August. I was worried as I thought it would even hotter than the islands but it was a lovely temperature with a nice breeze. I don't know if it was cooler generally though.

Wow thank you.

Has to be £2000 for the majority of costs.

By active - they like doing things. Are into sea kayaking at the moment. Like to go to scary theme parks. DD not so good on walking for the sake of it. So active via activities. And happy with physical activities like horseriding, sailing.

Not sure what else to say. Would like people around rather than say isolated cottage.

I would recommend Majorca in that case. It is a fab island and if you rent a car there is loads to see and do and explore. Spend a day in Palma - beautiful city. Stay away from Santa Ponsa and Magaluf and you'll be fine!

Your dd and dh will find plenty of water sports etc there to amuse them and you can have a wander / read etc

I still think Brittany would work - can do sea kayaking! Dinard is lovely -
can fly there as well.

www.tripadvisor.co.uk/VacationRentalReview-g187099-d5527493-La_Malouinette-Dinard_Ille_et_Vilaine_Brittany.html

Loads of sea kayaking, and other water based activities down here in South Brittany as well. We have a gite but sadly no availability now for August. Maybe a campsite? Anywhere good will probably be booked up now for school hols. Happy to answer questions on the area if it looks of interest.

Sorry just re-read your original post saying DH not wild about camping. Scrap that then!

I know you don't want to camp OP but everything you've said you enjoy screams Eurocamp type holidays! Look at La Croix de Vieux pont or Chateau des Ormes, you could book a lodge instead of camp. If you can get cheap enough flights I'd look at Sanguli or Cambrils

Ooh just saw theme parks, definitely a campsite on Costa Dorada near Port Aventura! You can get lodges,chalets etc rather than camp but would be perfect for what you like