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.

Thank you for the thoughts, han01uk. Hope you are recovering well after yours.

He will still have his "port" in situ (not Hickman line). He has been recovering to above "transfusion risk" levels within 3-4 weeks. Children are amazing ! We will have at least 6 weeks before we even consider anything. As I said earlier, our Doc didn't have any issues "in principle".

Can only hope we manage something big & special. If not, well... will go to a camp site within 1 hr drive from our hosp (as have done before - kids loved it :))

Thank you all again!

Go for a lovely uk break by the sea

Or Isle of Wight? Near Southampton hospital if there is Any problem but had a holiday feel?

Or the Algarve? If you must travel abroad? I think there are some decent hospitals and there are lots of holiday places so you might get good flights and somewhere last minute?

As others have said travel insurance is a major cost.
Also stock up on medicines you might need and a face mask etc for the plane - we sat next to a very unwell child last plane journey with a temp etc - his parents didn’t want to cancel their holiday for his ‘cold’ (it was much worse than that)

Actually yes jersey might be your best option!
Really hope you get your holiday. It sounds as though you all need it!

Fly to Cornwall.
Beautiful beaches, a short plane ride AND the NHS.
Go abroad next year.

I hope it all goes ok for you x

I live in the algarve, our nearest hospital is about 15 minutes drive and Faro hospital is about 45 minutes. Most doctors will speak English very well

I’m in Carvoeiro, lots of villas and apartments, wide choice of restaurants and a small sandy beach - happy to answer any questions

Recommended to me by a colleague:

www.medisafeinsurance.com

Specialise in insurance for people with pre-existing conditions.

OP - sounds like you have a great plan and should work out. Any family time after the hell of treatment is valued. Hope he does well after his last chemo. Yes,you're right kids are amazing. Enjoy your holiday 😊

Hospitals in Jersey /Guernsey not great, many people with problems are sent to Southampton. You have to pay £40 to see a doctor in Jersey

I just want to say that if you look at the Channel Islands they are not in the uk, nor eu and not therefore covered by either the NHS nor an ehic, so make sure any insurance covers them. All the best.

Just coming on to say make sure you get your ehic cards sorted if you don't already have them ! Happy holidays

Thank you all! Yes, passports renewed, EHICs checked. Cannot do anything else just now - will see where we end up in 6 weeks time. Chemo next week.
Really appreciate all your thoughts and comments - it felt so nice planning smth nice (hopefully), rather than next admission to hosp.
Thank you and all the brst to everybody.

What about La Rochelle. You can fly there and then hire care if needs be. It is a biggish town so there will be a hospital. Lovely beaches around there.

I'd go to Spain, so many expats & holiday makers mean that the hospitals are used to Brits & are very good. Nice short flight too.

I'd either go to Nerja on the Costa del Sol or Javea on the Costa Blanca, depending on availability and price of flights and villas. Both good beaches for the age of your DC & plentiful accommodation within walking distance of lovely eateries.

Just wanted to say congratulations on your last chemo! My son is 2 years in remission from non Hodgkins Lymphoma.

This summer we are going on a trip to Portugal I planned in hospital with him when he was sick (we didn't live in Europe until recently). We've been all over the place in the intervening two years - Germany, France, Bali, Australia, Luxembourg and also backpacking in China for 3 weeks when he was a year in remission. I must say I found travel insurance not as bad as I was expecting, and even two years out his neutrophils are only just now back to normal levels, although fortunately we have never had any problems (touch wood). I made him wear a face mask on the plane for the first year, and we all wash our hands religiously before eating anything. He's also always slathered in sunscreen in sunny climes. We've only just reintroduced buffets and street food for him too. I'm possibly over cautious but I'd hate for anything to happen .....

Good luck and I hope everything goes well. You guys all deserve a lovely break after treatment.

Jersey.

British. English speaking. Reciprocal health agreement with uk. Hospital in centre of town.

Beaches. Lovely weather. Loads for kids to do.

You can fly here. 1.5h max flight depending on where in the uk you are.

You can also say trip to the other islands (guernsey sark) and France.

Ah, the Jersey hospital - we had to sit in A&E waiting for taxis as my dad went in before he died. Full of non English speakers who won’t/can’t afford the £40 doctors fee.

Drunks and people injured from drunken fighting.

And the constant flow of heroin addicts exchanging their needles ... one of the 101 thousand reasons we don’t live there anymore.

Nice

(As in the south of France, not “Naice”).

Loved Sweden.

Also if you look at jersey / gurnesey you’ll Still need insurance.

Hope you get the chance to get away.

Martinahl in Cascais Portugal. Portuguese mostly speak English, rarely have I found someone who can't.
Less than 3 hrs from U.K.
Portuguese hospitals are amazing and Cascais is very near Lisbon so near the best hospitals in Portugal.

gaspode yeah things haven’t got much better re people using a&e as a gp but if you’ve got a sick child you’ll be whizzed to the front of the queue.

Wouldn’t want to live anywhere else though. Especially in weather like this...! Beach immediately after work?! Yes please!

Will the EHIC thing go post brexit or will some replacement occur?

There's a good hospital in Mahon in Menorca but not sure about A&E.

Lovely safe beaches and warm sea, about 2 hour flight away.

Have a lovely holiday (don't go to Cape Verde)

Some French hospitals now have agreements with the nhs. Might be worth exploring being near one of those.

Sitges near Barcelona