Road Trip October 2020?

[DefConOne]

DH has got a landmark birthday this year so we are planning a special holiday for us and DC aged 13 and 10. Planing on two weeks or a little less (packing and recovery time) around October half term.

DH has a plan that involved a huge amount of driving somewhere with little tourist infrastructure that I don't think is safe. I'd like to present him with some alternatives that will be safer, less driving distances and less culture shock for DD with ASD.

We had talked about West Coast USA and/or Canada. Also somewhere Scandinavian.

Any suggestions for a self drive trip for budget of £5-6k for 4 people?

what about a road trip around sweden? there is a ready made plan here for a 10 day trip and it looks fantastic. I would like to do it when my youngest 2 are a little older

I have 12y/o with asd and 13 year old, done a few scandinavian holidays though weather won't be great in October, summer or winter (for snow, husky reindeer) is better. DS with ASD does not like long drives.

We've also done Costa Rica which both kids loved - we stayed in AI hotel as ASD child much prefers them as have food he likes and everything in same place at same time. Was about £6k plus trips. Rainforest, sloths, raccoons, gecko, coati, monkeys, ziplines etc. We went on organised excursions but you can hire car.

Maderia and Italy are lovely. Italian driving is a bit shocking but lots of beautiful places to visit - done Venice, Florence, Pisa for leaning tower (just a day needed), Rome, Sicily, Amalfi Coast, all have been nice and weather should be warm then. Excellent trains.

I would recommend going to the west coast of harris and the Isle of Harris and Lewis! Not as far flung as you wanted but really worth an adventure toad trip

West coast of Scotland and harris and Lewis that meant to say!

I would do North Wales and do a load of activities, the rest of the budget I would have another holiday
Some ideas here, look at the routes drop down
www.donthibernate.co.uk

We have been all over Norway its fantastic with quiet roads but shockingly expensive

sleepismysuperpower1 Sweden looks great. DH did several trips to Scandinavia as a child (the in-laws have always loved Scandi style). Could be a plan. Time of year isn't the best though.

PandancerandRabbitoplh Costa Rica is on my bucket list. Who did you book with as everywhere I have looked is over budget? AI wouldn't work for us as we need more space and flexibility. Great suggestion for destination. Italy would be great for a road trip. Not worried about the driving in Italy, DH's idea is somewhere more risky for that.

rumple123 We are as far from Scotland as you can get and if we are traveling that far would like to go abroad. A bit concerned about anti English sentiment after I visited on a school field trip and got a lot of rude comments about being English. I wasn't expecting it as being from Cornwall we felt a lot in common with the Scots but sadly they didn't see it that way.

Funf DH is Welsh so we know Wales really well already. Looking for somewhere really different for this trip.

Thanks for all the suggestions.

We booked Costa Rica via TUI but lots of people on here have done it independently booking flights direct then accomodation via Booking.com etc. You can also just get TUI flights.

Norway, Tromso, Senja, Alta. Amazing place.

Dh and I went for our 20th wedding anniversary September 2018, we had a little bit of snow so would recommend snow tyres, as the pp said the roads are very quiet so easy to drive around. We saw the Northern Lights every night we had a lodge through air bnb, very cheap and beautiful. We also spent the night of our anniversary in a Wigloo (wigwam with clear walls & ceiling) in a husky lodge. The whole trip was amazing, it is very expensive but worth it if you plan a little, we took loads of snacks and a couple of flasks in our suitcase then did a shop when we got there. We stayed for a week and only ate out twice.

In October I would recommend the southern med, Spain has great roads (take the overnight ferry to Santander for the experience one way, and drive through France to get there. Italy via europa park in Germany perhaps? My dd is autistic and we've done both of these, we find it's better to have our car, she prefers it and I won't touch a left hand drive!

The only thing with Costa Rica if you are doing it independently and your DD has ASD check the hotels provide food she will like. The AI hotels provide a very international menu, some of the others are much more traditional and I know my DS with ASD wouldn't eat a thing. But normally if you research there will be places. I've done Borneo / Malaysia for this summer independently and it's been a challenge to get DS's food but you can do it as some hotels give menus. Managed to find a Belgian chef in Borneo! In our area very few other places to eat around and all traditional rice, black beans etc.