If I give you £25,000, will you design me a fantasy year of fab family holidays please?

[Greeper]

So, we have been lucky enough to come into some cash and I am going to spend the whole lot on a year of fab holidays.
Me, DH and 3 DC 8, 11,13. We all like swimming, cycling, walking, messing about in creeks, crabbing, sightseeing, eating, mooching about. We do a bit of beach but would go barmy lying in the sun all day. I am thinking skiing and sailing or windsurfing might be an option. Best holidays we have had have been Norfolk (for the creeks!), Isle of Wight, Road Trip in the USA, Princess Yaiza was a lovely luxury one off (kids loved it but cold pools for me!). We don't like being too hot.

I am totally overwhelmed with the choices so thanks for any suggestions. It's got to be bloody school holidays of course so probably that budget won't be as stretchy as I think.

A carrabian cruise and a months stay hopping islands whilst sipping cocktails [star5

Japan, down SE Asia, Aus, NZ, across to S America, up to Disney and Canada then home.

DPIL did it for 4 months with £30k flying business occasionally.

I would do a week skiing in February half term and then two weeks in Costa Rica in the summer holidays. For Costa Rica you could either put an itinerary together yourselves (which would be cheaper and is what we’ve done) or go to someone like Trailfinders to put one together for you, or book onto a family tour with someone like Exodus.

Vancouver Island, Tofino, , Ucluelet - Bears, whales, kayaking, swimming - there have been a few threads on here about it.

Canada and Switzerland. How long can you and DP get off work at a time?

Vancouver and British Colombia, including Whistler, definitely needs to be in your list from your description.

Ile de Re in France off La Rochelle. Cycling on off road clearly marked paths, crabbing, mussels, salt flats, beautiful cottages and houses.....

Check out the Grand Canyon Expedition company - they have a Facebook page too - and their rafting trips down the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon. Brilliant fun. Sounds like the kind of thing you guys would enjoy - hiking up side canyons and swimming in waterfalls/rock pools, camping under the stars, black and white water rapids....

Canada and Costa Rica sounds an incredible combination. Or la and Hawaii.

A trip through Europe
South east Asia or Japan

What a lovely problem to have. And a brilliant way to spend it.

Nova Scotia if you’re into the outdoors.

Actually, pretty much anywhere in Canada would work over the school summer holidays - train across the country from Halifax to Vancouver, stopping off at interesting cities and the Rockies?

California road trip in the summer- go south to north. Land in LA L, head to SAn Diego then make your way up and fly out of San Fran .
Feb half term ski in Tigne or meribel

St ives for Easter there is a lovely upmarket holiday place there with a spa and self contained upmarket villas with pools etc. I’ll try and find the link. Or Ibiza or Mallorca or the mainland- Begur or are lovely. Or hotel Iria in Kefalonia. If you’re a sun seeker.

If you have the appetite I would totally recommend Japan in the spring too though. It’s far and it’s very very different but AMAZING.

Watergate Bay for October the hotel is fantastic and the kids can surf and you can drink cocktails.

Edinburgh for new year. The the Isle of Skye or Orkney.

Alaska

If you can get a month off in the summer, I’d blow it all on that.

Something like
Fly into Calgary and spend up to a week in the rockies, Or fly direct to Vancouver or Seattle
Then go to Anchorage, Denali National Park and Fairbanks - about 10 days total. Include some day trips to Kodiak or lake Clarke

Cruise from anchorage down the inside passage to Vancouver (7days)

Transfer to Vancouver island for a few days

Fly in to Portland Oregon, hire an RV and travel all the way down the west coast to San Diego seeing all the sights as you go.

There's an amazing looking ship with full sails that I've seen on cruise websites, no idea on child suitability but it's certainly once in a lifetime stuff. We backpacked in Alaska, took ferries and trains and rented a rv with toddlers, would be even better with your age kids. A road trip down the west coast of the US is also really good (I did it with a baby but again better with bigger ones) taking in the beautiful rocky Oregon coast, driving inland to crater lake, into Nevada, Arizona and the Grand Canyon, Death Valley makes an interesting overnight stop, loads of national parks, Vegas (not very kid friendly but fun for a night or two), Disney, giant redwoods, San Francisco ... I want to do it again (I did it over two separate trips each 2 weeks)

Oh and go skiing in Whistler then head to Vancouver island and stay at the hotel to the east of downtown Victoria, forget the name but it's 5 stars and brilliant, though it didn't stop raining

Oh wow. Just finished a night shift. This is such a great to come back to!!
Loving the idea of Canada. We can probably only get two weeks off together, maybe 3 if I beg. Live the idea of Ill lse de Re too. California road trip is saved for when DH may have to go there for a bit not live the idea of that.
These ideas are just brilliant, off to do some research. It's really a lovely problem to have, money from my late mum which has taken years and years to come through and I know she would say just enjoy it..don't do the gutters etc! So we will. Life is too short.

But love the idea, not not!

If it were me, rather than a year of holidays I would put the cash away and use it to ensure one great memorable holiday each year for the next 3/4 years.

The reality is you probably only have 4 more summer holidays with your eldest until they want to go with friends - make every year awesome!

It may not be worth it for you for two weeks because of the long flight and jet lag but if you could get 3 I would recommend New Zealand. Amazing beaches, lots of mountains to hike, waterfalls, sky diving, bungee jumps, canyon swing, hobbiton, hot springs, zoos, whale spotting, kayaking, stargazing reserve, penguins.

I could go on. I miss New Zealand. Those kiwis are bloody lucky

Look at the companies 'Exodus' or 'Expore' for family adventure holidays.

We had a fab time (16 days) in Thailand elephant trekking, rafting, staying with a Hill Tribe etc. We ended the holiday with 4 days on an island watching fire jugglers on the beach each evening, Children were 9 and 11 and still talk about it (now 17/19).

We also did Egypt. Pyramids, overnight train to Aswan, camel trekking, guests in a Nubian village, sailing up the Nile in a felucca for 3 days, valley of the kings, Luxor Temple then 3 days snorkelling at the Red Sea.

Put Lapland into the mix. If you don't go in December then it's not all about Santa - it's about seeing the Northern Lights, husky sledding, snowmobiles and skiing. We went in Feb half term and it was out of this world - it was also crazy expensive, including the excursions it cost us £3.5k for just 3 nights but we saw the lights and it was out of this world!

You might be right Zoowolla but I have refused to think about that. we will have to save back up again during the year.....maybe will spread this over 18 months to two years.
We very nearly did California before but bumped it, but I now have an itinerary for that when it happens. It took such a lot of faffing and mumsnet advice that I almost feel like we have been. Literally took whole days to do the research. I feel really ungrateful saying that choosing and booking holidays is stressful, but honestly find so much choice that it is anxiety provoking, am really appreciative of these suggestions. A package with explore or someone might be the way to go.

Do Costa Rica over Christmas - it's dry season as opposed to the rainy season in the summer and you don't need to worry about saving money so you might as well choose to go at a better time of the year. Plus your annual leave will go further with the Christmas/New Year bank holidays.

If you want to toad trip with and RV then you’d best commit as the campsites get booked up well in advance.