Please help me choose a holiday destination :)

[Chip22]

Hello all :)

Feeling a bit stressed out trying to choose a holiday for DH and I this September (first world problems...) Would like this to be a really special holiday because it's for our anniversary, a big birthday for me and will hopefully be the last time we go away just the 2 of us! I'm currently 5w so will be around 16/17w when we hope to travel if all goes ok with the little bean.

We'd like somewhere restful with some historical sites to potter around and nice beaches. Would probably be happy to stay in 2 sites as long as not too much travelling in between. Looking to go for 10-12 nights, staying in an apartment or small hotel. We don't like resorts particularly and would prefer to keep it short haul. Budget is flexible.

Previously we've visited and loved Split/Brac, Santorini and Lake Maggiore; and city breaks in Rome, Venice and Paris.

Thanks for any advice!

Naples, Pompeii and the Amalfi coast? We still have low 30s in September so the weather would be nice

corsica

I agree with Naples
Sicily has everything

Sicily - Cefalú is lovely

Barcelona ? You could get the train and do a couple of days in Madrid and maybe go to Valencia or a little fishing port along the coast too ?

Ischia near to Naples. It’s a beautiful green island with gorgeous beaches and thermal spas (they are just the right temperature for bump, like a nice bath and not too hot). But it’s so cheap for Italy - just look on booking.com

Combine with a few days in Naples (airport is literally a few miles from centre) - you’ll be able to get a nice hotel as it’s pretty cheap. Enjoy all the lovely food and architecture/ archaeology museum, herculaneum / Pompeii, views of Vesuvius...all are very close by.

If you do visit Naples, do your research, don’t judge a book by its cover and take taxis if you’re pregnant as can be tiring walking around.

Personally I’d rather do this option than visit the Amalfi Coast which is (a) very busy (b) has windy roads not great if you’re pregnant (c) is quite a trek from Naples (d) can be quite expensive

^ oh and would recommend the ferry to ischia rather than hydrofoil if you’re feeling delicate. Takes just over an hour

If you decide that driving is a preferable option, I'm a France fan, but only because I live here! I know about quite a few regions but if it was just me and partner, I would do a picturesque area such as pyrenees. I can suggest alot in this region (feel free to pm me). Actually there are budget flights there and then just hire a car if you dont want a drive or break it up with a one night stay mid-way.

Having had 5 children I found with my twins I couldnt bear the smell of a plane (sorry, I dont mean to put you off) hence I'm throwing the drive option out there. At 16 weeks or so you hopefully would be over the feeling off stage. Blooming?! Congratulations anyway. Its an exciting time but possibly nervous too and thinking about not eating anything too strange!

We went to Dartmouth when I discovered I was pregnant first time. It remains a special holiday just because it was us, prior to the next "family" holiday. But I appreciate Dartmouth is UK!

I hope you have a well deserved celebratory holiday wherever you end up.

Thanks for the advice everyone :) Going to send a link to DH to have a look through

Lisbon and Cascais. Lots to do in Lisbon, but compact for a city and about 20 minutes by train from Cascais which has a great beach

Sicily is wonderful, take a look at Taormina.