2020 Self catering Summer Holiday ideas for an active family with kids aged 12, 9 and 5

[wiltshiregaschick]

Hi,

After ideas for a summer holiday for next year for us all!

Just come back from a sporty two weeks away near Girona in northern Spain staying in a hotel run by a British couple. Location was great, and we spent 10 nights there with two days driving through France to get there and two days back. Hotel was on a BandB basis, with option to eat in hotel if wanted. It had a 25m pool (brilliant!), and was close to mountains, interesting cities and beaches. TBH, I think we really could have done with self catering due to the vageries of the kids, of of whom is autistic, but loved the area around Girona.

So, looking for options for next year, ideally self catering for the five of us, somewhere in France/Italy/Spain/wherevere!

Requirements are:

1. enough bedrooms for each child to have on each (sticking point in most French gite properties I look at). My middle daughter has a rare form of autism (PDA), which means she needs quiet time alone often and lots of space, and low demands.
2. A heated pool, large enough to accommodate a myriad of inflatables
3. ideally, in a complex/near other properties so eldest (will be 12 next year) can make some friends and not have to be with middle one all the time, and youngest can play as well
4. Good cycling and running routes near by - so we can have some time away from the kids if needed!
5. Somewhere peaceful and quiet, but near enough to other stuff to do for days out and ice creams!
6. Somewhere warm, but not too hot.
7. Not cost so much money that I have to sell a kidney on eBay to pay for it!

We have had 3 out of the last 4 years near the Gironde in France, and like it there, but prepared to go elsewhere. I think that as much as my husband and I love walking, it is a bridge too far to drag the kids up a mountain track on a walk ( :( )

Hit me with your ideas!

Thanks @gaschick

Do you want to fly and hire a car or would you prefer to drive?

It sounds as though mountains might suit you - lots of fantastic summer sports opportunities in the Alps. Or the Italian lakes?

Thanks. Prepared to either fly or drive. Hiring a car this year for two weeks was really expensive as we need one big enough for all 5 of us that can comfortably seat three children - one of whom is in a car seat. We have been to the Italian Dolomites many times pre-kids, and the Alps, but never to the Italian lakes.

The sticking point now is the bedroom sharing thing. My daughter's autism means sharing can be extremely demanding for her, and make for a horrible experience for the rest of the family with meltdowns and outbursts. It seems to be getting worse as the eldest is advancing to puberty.

Following! We're just back from a cruise and I now think self catering suits is better as DS2 has SN - it definitely complicates things!!

@hopeishere - what is SN? Special needs?? The place we went to 2 years ago in the Gironde was called Font Remy. About £2000/week in high summer for the biggest. It had downstairs bedrooms that had a shower attached, if tour daughter has mobility problems. I think it slept 10. Well, there were at least 5 bedrooms. We stayed in a fantastic place on the Isle of Wight - Island Riding centre. It was set up to accommodate disabled and wheelchair users and had enough bedrooms for all of us. We stayed in Pegasus. My daughter (the AD one) went riding next door at the centre. She also rode this year on holiday in Girona, as there was a riding centre next door. www.maspeligri.com
www.islandriding.com/holidays/pegasus/

Thanks @wiltshiregaschick - yes SN means special needs he has Down's syndrome. No mobility problems though! Will look at those links.

@hopeishere www.fontremy.com