Anyone up for a challenge?

[titchy]

I know Christmas hasn't happened yet, but my mind is turning towards next summer's holiday and as usual I'm lacking in inspiration/knowledge....

So, dh, me, 2 dcs (both university students);
7-10 days, early August;
50% fly and flop, so need decent beach,
50% exploring local culture so need decent sized town nearby, and opportunity for one or two excursions further afield.
Prefer somewhere in Eurozone as I have hundreds of Euros on a euro card which means a lot of our spending money doesn't need to be budgeted for.

I thought about a summer alpine hol - but not hot enough. Did Croatia last year which worked well.

Ideas?!

Island hopping in Greece?

Southern Spain. Northern Spain. Majorca. Tuscany, Umbria - anywhere in Italy. Bordeaux, Normandy or Brittany. Ireland. Greece. Just work out how many countries use the € and go from there.

Kefelonia
Great beaches and plenty to explore

Cascais is a lovely fishing town with good beaches on the outskirts of Lisbon. Along the waterfront is the harbour, marina, artisan shops and seafood restaurants. The food is great in Cascais because it is full of independent family-owned and run restaurants and cafes. Trains to the centre of Lisbon take just 30 minutes. The train route follows the coastline and has some great views. Another 'must' is a trip to the Sintra.

I would say Nice but if a nice beach is important, the beach at Nice is a bit slopey and rocky. Nearby Villefranche and Beaulieu sur Mer would tick the box - I’m not sure you’d find a good hotel with a pool in Villefranche without spending lots but you would in Beaulieu. Both are connected by the train line along the Riviera which connects Nice, Cannes & Monaco. Trains are frequent and whatever you are looking for in terms of picturesque scenery, blue sea, art, culture, food etc you‘ll find.

Another good option could be flying into Genoa, spending a couple of days there and then moving on to one of the towns in the Cinque Terre for the flopping somewhere gorgeous on the coast. You can do this by train I believe or just hire a car (we drove). Other Italian alternatives are flying into Naples (wouldn’t stay more than a day as it’s a bit rough - it does however have good museums and food) and move on to Amalfi (very pretty town, decent beach) and visit Pompei or alternatively fly to Catania in Sicily and get the train (about 30 minutes) to Taormina. The beach at Taormina is rocky but it’s very picturesque with a small island attached. The town is quite small but it has an incredibly beautiful Greek amphitheatre and lovely square. You can easily do a trip to Etna from Taormina.

Lisbon and Cascais/Estoril is another option. The beach is a bit rammed in high season (or it was many years ago when I went) but it’s an attractive area with a bit of a faded glamour feel to it. Sintra (town set on a wooded hillside) is pretty and has a very over the top castle! You can get there easily by train.

Finally how about flying into Biarritz on the coast in France and doing the bus ride to San Sebastián in Spain for a couple of days - think the journey is about 40-50 minutes. They’re interesting towns, tick the beaches box and you will eat well!

I could go on but I think I’ve probably deluged you enough!

As a quick afterthought (and then I’m gone), it’s been about 10 years but parking in the Cinque Terre area was difficult so scratch the car bit, get a train!

Salou, nice beach resort but you can take excursions or the train to Barcelona, Tarragona and Valencia. Also only a ten minute transfer from the Reus airport

Thessaloniki and Halkidiki. We had the perfect holiday there last year, just wonderful.

Cyprus, stay on the east coast - blue flag beaches and hire a car to drive over the north Turkish occupied area to explore over there. So much to see and do!

Came to say same as SJane Biarritz and San Sebastian!

Cote d'Azur in France could work too, or the Amalfi Coast.

Another vote for Biarritz or Bayonne (which we liked much more) or St Jean de Luz, then on to San Sebastián and Bilbao. Spain will be cheaper for eating out / drinks than France.

Javea/Xabia.