Father and Son Trip - sun & history main criteria

[Eightytwenty]

My DH and eldest DS are planning a week away in May. Son very interested in politics / history. Husband is also, but main preference would be to lie in the sun - or perhaps to do a bit of a road trip.

I’ve suggested Pompei, various parts of Greece, Morocco, Jordon and Split/ Hvar.

Any other good suggestions?

Lisbon?

Lots of interesting museums and sights in the city, easy to get around by tram, metro or on foot, and huge parks with cafes for sitting in the sun.

If they fancy a beach day they can hop on the train and head towards Cascais.

Malta? Lots of history in Valletta

Cyprus? Could cross the border on way or the other which may interest from a political point of view and plenty of history/sunshine too.

Thanks. I also suggested Lisbon. I think Berlin would also be amazing but they’d want a beach not a lake.

Athens - could add in a wee trip to an island or 2.
Rome then take a train to the coast.

Or Malta, Crete, Jordan, Sorrento for Pompeii, Egypt... so many places but Athens and Rome are so full of history and dead easy to do - my dad has taken DS as he loves classical history and they loved both trips. Easy to do and lots of museums etc free to kids/students.

Kushadasi In Turkey is close to Ephesus, which is an amazing place. We went on a small group tour and it was one of my best days ever.

Valletta, would be back there in a heartbeat

Malaga for beach and Granada for history

Crete

Jordan definitely

Pompei and Herculeum (SP??) then Sorrento for sunshine although the beaches aren't great and generally private/payable, but could do boat trips out to islands as well for sun and sea.

Sicily?

I thought the Languedoc was lovely, loads of interesting history and certainly warm. Not sure what the sea is like though. Looks like Beziers has a beach, Carcassonne certainly has a man-made lake one with inflatables courses and activities last time I went. And the food!! Ahhhhhh.

• Hurghada combined with Luxor and the Valley of the kings
• Crete Elafonissi combined with Knossos, Spinalonga and the Samaria Gorge
• Barcelona with the Old City, Gaudi, Montserrat. Weather can be gorgeous or crap
• Morocco, Essaouira, Marrakesh, ...
• Granada, Alhambra, Malaga, Marbella, ...
• Oman, several forts, Nizwa the city with most history , beaches in Oman are stunning and nobody around.

You need to go quite south for sunshine. Most European sites Italy, Spain, can be lucky or not. Several dry months currently could well mean a wet May.

@Isonthecase

I thought the Languedoc was lovely, loads of interesting history and certainly warm. Not sure what the sea is like though. Looks like Beziers has a beach, Carcassonne certainly has a man-made lake one with inflatables courses and activities last time I went. And the food!! Ahhhhhh.

Ooh a Cathar themed tour

I am from Monaco, trust me, France will not be hot enough in May. Your best bet is one of the Gulf Countries or North Africa.

if you're interested in Roman history, Spain has got some great spots. I remember Itálica - Trajan's and Hadrian's birthplace - especially, as being fascinating. And it was almost completely deserted.

Ostia Antica, 25km from Rome, was originally the port of Rome. It was also almost tourist free even though it's only a train ride from Rome and we were there in June.

There is something truly incredible about Split. You can see the Roman palace, and successive inhabitants have all left their mark, and it's all there to see. Gobsmacking.

However, I'm Australian, so when I'm in Europe I'm not looking for sun and sea. When I visited Itálica the first time it was January, and we found the weather to be fine.

Malta...lovely weather, great food, cheap and easy to get around by bus. Lots of North African/Italian culture plus the historical British connections.

@Tezza1 couldn’t agree more about Split. I loved it when I went (without the family). But they’re not biting for some reason.

@Cormoran DH has visited Oman several times and absolutely loved it. Unfortunately the friends who were there are no longer there.

Thanks all! So far I think they would enjoy the following the most. They are all very different from places DS has been before (even though actually he’s pretty well travelled).
-Marrakesh and Essouira

• Jordon (also been and it’s amazing)
• Istanbul / beach somewhere else. DH & I thought Istanbul was the most incredible city.

DS also keen to go back to the US but he’s been a few times - though not to NY/ Washington and he was v young when he went to Boston. But I guess that is an option too.

Istanbul? Jerusalem ?

Cyprus
www.donthibernate.co.uk/winter-weekend-in-cyprus/

Now thinking Istanbul, Gallipoli and Troy!

Tunisia? Amazing roman sites (with hardly anyone there) lots of Punic stuff and also WW2 history (you can walk the Magreth Line). Lots of medieval medinas and a very holy mosque in Kairoun.

Then bake in the sun at a beach resort. You can also do desert stuff and see Star Wars filming locations if that's of interest. Driving is easy outside of the capital.

Berlin - absolutely packed with history and fantastic museums.

Ireland - yes, I know, it may not be what you had in mind but there are some brilliant tours from Dublin and a black cab tour in Belfast is pretty special.