2 weeks abroad in Aug with small children; A&E within 1 hr drive

[ReceptionMum]

Hi, would appreciate some recommendations for a quiet-ish destination (abroad; near sea) for our long waited holidays this Aug (hopefully) with 6yo & 4 yo.

Wish list/MUSTs:

1. A&E hospital within 1 hr drive. My DS is finishing his long chemo treatment this month. He is ok, no mobility/etc issues, doesn’t need an everyday medical support but we need a proper hospital nearby just in case. We will, obviously, only go if he is OK-ed by his Doc here.
2. Flight 4 hrs max
3. Cannot book anything in advance, will be a last minute decision depending on how well/quickly DS recovers after his last treatment.
4. Don’t want an “all inclusive”. Self catering apt/small villa is what we are thinking about.
5. Somewhere with walkable restaurants/town centre, easy walks/drives nearby that children would manage.

Many thanks in advance.

What about austria . Somewhere like zall am see . Got a lovely lake to swim in and plenty of activites to keep you entertained.

Yes, soulrider, unfortunately you are right.

Arghhhh... first time ever we wanted to find something with no compromises, and it is not going easy so far....

Budget is reasonably high (I really hope so, no experience yet with big school time holidays due to treatment) - can spend up to £3K. There must be something "special" out there !

Thank you all for your suggestions!

Costa del sol? Great hospitals in Malaga and velez malaga.. will you be hiring a car? Nerja has a chilled vibe with beaches not rowdy. Look at villas and apartments on www.menyber.com I think August might be difficult if not already booked but September is glorious weather wise and you will have more choice of accommodation.

Menorca would be great. There’s a hospital in Mahon. In theory most of the Island is about an hour away, but I would stick more to the eastern side if I were you. It’s really easy to get around by car and the beaches are really, really clean and very child friendly.

Please don’t go to Cape Verde. It’s beautiful and I love it but there’s no real hospital and you have to be airlifted to the Canary Islands.

South of France? There is a large children's hospital in Nice, I believe angelina Jolie had her twins there. They are used to tourists so most doctors have some English

I would second Malta. English is an official language and shouldn't have any problems with hospitals. Maybe look at mellieha?

I think Malta would be good for you. There is a hotel way up north on the Island called Golden Sands, which is 5* The lift will take you all the way down to the beach.
It is out the way so you might need a car to get around. There is not much to walk to. Though the buses are fun
Other than that I can't think of other hotels that have a sandy beach.

I second Port Soller in Majorca. I'm sure that would tick the boxes for you.

The South of France, or Northen Italy, like Trieste and nearby beach areas. Beautiful, clean, less crowded than other destinations. Slovenia is nearby for a visit. + top hospitals.

I was also going to suggest Malta. Great hospital, English speaking, plenty of lovely spots for swimming etc, 3 hour flight.

Thank you all so much for all your suggestions. Will do some research of the places mentioned tonight, speak with DH & then may come back with specific questions.

Thanks a gain. Much appreciated.

DD finished chemo in September and we have got her travel insurance here for this summer: www.freedominsure.co.uk

They mainly ask about if first remission was within three years, and whether there have been any relapses. Price was surprisingly reasonable.

We are further on than you (so no need for hospital within a hour) and our kids are older - youngest is 7 - but we are going to Paris, Barcelona and Lisbon, interrailing - last two are both with or very close to beaches.

Also, being cities, could well be easier to find somewhere to stay with less notice.

I completely understand why you want to leave the UK for once - we've been on holiday in the UK for the last three years, and it's been nice, but we've been very much looking forward to getting out passports out again!

Thank you for the insurance link, TantieTowie . All the best to your DD!

Rightly or wrongly, feel a bit uneasy about "city breaks" - too much crowd

True. I have to say that once you get past the six months post-chemo life really opens up again and a year on you'll be able to do any of these ideas. Have a lovely holiday whatever you decide to do!

@caerringtonm I'm not sure if you're aware of the last 100 years of history but Dublin most definitely is not in the UK .

OP you could try Lanzarote but it will be very hot in August. They have a British doctor there and the some staff in the hospital speak English.

It sounds to me that you want somewhere to relax. City breaks are hard work. As is booking everything separately, and it's not necessarily cheaper than a package. I'd go for a package at a beach resort this time and save the more adventurous holidays for another year. Look at Jet2 we've had some great holidays with them.

If you can go in September there will be vastly more choice and lower prices than August. Lots of the most popular destinations for Brits will be sold now for August. Menorca is lovely for small children, as is Majorca. Santo Thomas or Cala'n Bosch in Majorca were perfect when mine were 6 and 4.

Make it easier on yourself by booking a daytime flight from a local airport. Might cost a few pounds more but is so worth it.

Trouble is that for A&E you pretty much mean 'near city'. So up/down the coast from Lisbon, Barcelona, etc could work. Lisbon is about 30 mins from various beaches. If you hire a car, somewhere like Ericeiria near Lisbon www.obidosportugalguide.com/ericeira-portugal.html could work but worth checking the route on Google Maps - apparently 1 hour 30 mins on bus so should be quicker. I'd also make sure I knew which hospital I'd be headed to. Best wishes for the end of chemo and to your DS.

Fed also makes a good point

Someone said upthread italy. If considering Rome, ostia or Gaeta ate the best beach destinations. The bambino Gesù hospital in Rome would be the best hospital. They have an oncologica unit, English speaking staff and accept international patients no problems asked.

Unfortunately this is uncommon in italy and I'm often called into the hospitals here to translate. So for that I'd not advise the Amalfi coast or Naples salerno area.

The causeway coast in Northern Ireland? Take a plane to belfast to please the kids, nhs, no language barriers and close to home just in case (so you can keep your peace of mind while pleasing kids). There are loads of kid and family friendly things to fo

Can I just ask if its OK for people who have recently had chemo to be out in the sun much?

I'm only mentioning it as a friend said that they were advised to avoid it for at least a year post chemo. I'd never heard of that until then.

I would suggest Duinrell in Holland really near Amsterdam and The Hague so lots of English speakers and lots of fun for the kids. Easy bike ride to a lovely beach too. Alternatively west wittering near Portsmouth has blue flag beaches and really is lovely . I can vouch for the local a and e, children’s ward as well as the gp s as we had to use them for our little girl.

Majorca? Go at the start of September, you'll get a great deal for £3k. Perhaps look at a villa and fights separately?

We used A&E for our then 4 year old. The care and medical attention he was given were fabulous. No problem with a language barrier either. Lots of English speaking medics. I think you can get an interpreter quite easily, if necessary.

Majorca? Go at the start of September, you'll get a great deal for £3k. Perhaps look at a villa and fights separately?

We used A&E for our then 4 year old. The care and medical attention he was given were fabulous. No problem with a language barrier either. Lots of English speaking medics. I think you can get an interpreter quite easily, if necessary.