ideas for summer holiday for difficult family

[LadyinCement]

So it's dh and I and two teens. We are all spectacularly unsporty and two of us collapse in the heat. That means we have to rule out all of southern Europe. The teens have given four thumbs down to any long road trips. We all like cultural stuff and the budget is not so bad. Oh, and we all absolutely detest crowds.

Any ideas?

Hmm tricky- what about the Edinburgh fringe in August and a few days in a log cabin doing walking nearby?

Sweden looks like it has some awesome places to visit and stay - I have been but not on holiday. Stockholm looks good and plenty to do - go out to the archipelago

Edinburgh Fringe, Slovenia/Iceland (walking/swimming/horse ridinge tc - too sporty?), Berlin, Barcelona?

We enjoyed Edinburgh a couple of years ago, and thought about the Highlands, but the other thread has put me off going in August as people are saying it is rammed.

Isn't Scandinavia very expensive, and Stockholm has been having a lot of crime problems...

Slovenia looks nice, but I saw it can get to 40 degrees in July/August, likewise Barcelona.

Berlin? Poland - Warsaw and Krakow for the cultural stuff then head to the beach/forest? Baltic states? Trip round Denmark?

Avoid Barcelona if you don't like crowds.

I shall investigate Scandinavian costs. I think the climate would suit us, but I think dh would die if the beers are all £10 equivalent each!

Northern France - Normandy, Pas de Calais etc. Are they studying history as there are plenty of ww1 and ww2 sites to take in.

Denmark, small amount of time in Copenhagen and then some time out in the countryside

Northumberland,
stay not too far away from Newcastle for galleries like the Baltic and the Atkinson, Hadrian's Wall is stunning but you need only do a bit of it, include a fort if you can, the coast is wonderful too. It's not crowded and you won't be too hot.

Germany. There are loads of great places to go, decent beer etc.
We went to the Mosel region as teenagers and enjoyed it. The Black Forest is lovely too. Weather pleasant but not scorching - generally a bit nicer than here.

Avoid Barcelona in summer it is extremely hot and crowded.
How about a cruise to Norway I haven’t been but the temperature might be ok?

Thanks for ideas! I think northern Europe is definitely a hot contender...

Belgian coast? We used to go to De Haan when I was young. Beautiful sandy beaches, lots restaurants.

We spent a week in Zakopane in the Polish mountains once. That was lovely. And really cheap. There's a cable car and a funicular so you can go up and have a leisurely walk back down. We did a trip to Krakow and the salt mines, which are amazing. Also Auschwitz - but I appreciate that might not be for everyone. There were minibuses at the station heading off to different areas so it was easy getting about with no car.

That sounds interesting.

I feel guilty being so fussy and it seems entitled. To think that when I was young I was thrilled with our annual Hoseason's chalet holiday! (And still would be...)

Sweden. It’s awesone.

Munich and Bavaria? Beautiful alpine scenery, not too hot and loads culturally to do as well as lovely lakes etc.. Munich is a really interesting city with some great museums, plus all the outdoor beer gardens in the parks. We loved it

Would your detestation of crowds rule out a cruise?
There are some great itineraries in northern Europe and Iceland.
This one for example. Your DH wouldn't have to worry about buying gold plated beer. If it was too hot you could stay aboard in air conditioned luxury.
I never fancied cruises until someone persuaded me they are great for teens. I took mine first when they were 16 and 18 and we have been two or three times since. You can get your day of culture and there is plenty for them to do when on board. We have visited many cities in Europe this way when DH and I would not have the stamina or inclination to go on a purely city holiday.