Ideas for family holiday that isn't the typical beach and pool

[puppylovey]

Thinking of holiday destinations for next year. For myself, DH and 2 DC age 5 and 2.

I wanted to look at some different options, as opposed to booking up a beach holiday in Spain/Portugal which is what we originally do.
A nice city or mountain holiday that would still be good for the kids?? Any ideas?

We would have to go in the school holidays and ideally would like to spend no more than £2500 but up to £3000 at a stretch.

Euro camp?

Haven't done one ourselves yet but plan to next year. Lots of different locations from in French, Italy, Netherlands and different settings from beside the beach to near lakes or mountains but have the luxury or a resort.

City breaks would be tricky with your DCs' ages as they're really too young for museums etc. I have a just turned 4 year old and she loves forests / woodland so maybe look for a wooded area with access to towns for a visit. If you were in this country I'd say to go to Scotland but if you're looking abroad, maybe Germany? I'd say that Spain and Porugal in the summer holidays would be too hot for your youngest.

Look at some ski resorts- they are often good value out of season and have things going on I summer. We have travelled to central/eastern Europe a lot and have had amazing holidays. We love Hungary and also look at Slovenia. Both have Eurocamp type places connected to pools/thermal resorts but it is so easy to use them as a base and travel around a bit. I usually find cheap flights first then the accommodation- Allcamps is an amazing website to compare Eurocamp type places across Europe. Pre-child this type of break would not have been on my radar but we have done a few and always had a great holiday. They offer a lot of freedom and when DC was younger she made loads of little friends and they could roam and swim safely/ join in kids club or mini disco.

Even in summer holidays I have not not paid more than £500 a week for accommodation (often less as tend to go late August). When richer we eat out a lot and do lots of trips but I also managed a very cheap holiday on a site in Tuscany (£400 for 10 days in a lodge tent with bathroom and kitchen in covid times) and we had a bbq most nights. We had been before when DH was alive and toured the area then so were happy to just chill, swim etc but then got the train to venice and spent a bit bigger for a few nights! To be honest I never book packages and we get away 3-4 times a year in non-covid years. I have managed to do AI cheaply but realise that this does not really work for us anymore. During covid we have been to various Greek islands a lot and found simple family owned complexes with massive pools which are great value. It is cheap to eat out but most have small kitchens so you can also do breakfast and the odd picnic lunch/evening meal when you feel like it.

Austria is wonderful for active families with primary aged kids stunning scenery lake swimming lots of marked walks and nice people.

I'd base us somewhere near a train hub and do a lot of travel from there to interesting places.

I actually find city breaks easier than beach holidays with the smalls. Not sure I could do a whole week but 3 nights incorporating a few markets and probably a zoo keeps everyone entertained. You could look for a hotel with a pool. Museums are probably out but cafe culture is in. You don’t actually get to relax on a beach holiday with kids that young anyway.

We did Lake Garda and Austria (Kinderhotels are good)

Efteling

Seconding Austria. We went to Salzburg with a toddler and it was amazing, fantastic toy museum, zoo, access to open spaces and mountains, great public playgrounds and swimming pools. Just fab.

Definitely Kinderhotels.

www.kinderhotels.com/en/kinderhotels-family-holidays.html

@willstarttomorrow jumping on OP’s post but some really good ideas there thank you! Can you recommend any of the places you stayed in Greece? Thanks

I was going to suggest Netherlands for de Efteling, some cycling days with kids on back, interesting water park which is an educational park about water rather than a swim park. Had seals and stepping stones etc. My 4yr old loved it. We based ourselves at Citta Romana - nice holiday homes.

@Wavygravy1- sorry only just seen your post. We started out by booking through Tui- hotel only because it just happened to be so cheap that year. It was one of their 'small and friendly' hotels - the Cosmos Maris. We already had flights and I had looked at all inclusive/higher stars but after searching the reviews were amazing and totally deserved!

Due to covid it was an amazing deal and we were so happy when there were extended to 10 nights (we we island hopping and only spent one night on Kos instead before a flight home). It was just so relaxed, cheap to eat onsite or elsewhere and to get around as much as we wanted to or not. I think I paid less than £300 for 10 nights (plus airconditioning) but it will be more now people are travelling again. There was a small waterpark nearby but most of the children were really happy just having fun in the pool with loads of inflatables. When DC was younger we did some 5* all inclusive with the mini clubs etc and it suited us then. However, it is just the two of us now and when we tried AI on Crete the half term before, it became apparent to me that we had outgrown it! We have been to corfu this July- again cheap flights and looking for a similar place.

Copenhagen is perfect. Very child friendly and lots to do.
Zoo, aquarium, canal boat trips, Tivoli gardens, Bakken, the Children's museum - lots of viking stuff, train ride to Helsingor. Loads of beaches nearby if you do fancy a few hours on one.

Munich or Stockholm (more expensive) would be great.

Road trip! Germany is great for kids I found. Bavaria is a good furthest point.

I took mine to Alaska at that age but a bit pricey from the U.K. (we lived in the USA)

What about farm stay type places? We did one in Cornwall with little kids and it was fantastic. I’m sure I’ve seen some in Slovenia, I’ll have a look…

Something like this
www.farmholidays.com/en/accommodations/bachbauer

I second @Bearsan suggestion of Copenhagen. It's great for kids. We went when our son was 4. He still talks about the children's museum 3 yrs later. Lots of outdoor spaces for them to run about along with all the suggestions above. We went in July and the weather was lovely.

Thanks all for the suggestions! A few good ideas to look in to

We have just come back from Serfaus in Austria. Fantastic for kids. Loads of mountain parks a cable car ride up from the village which have the best and biggest playgrounds I have ever seen. I have never been to a more child friendly place.

Absolutely eurocamp type holiday. There's so much to do even on the campsite. When mine were little we did so many different regions of France, Germany, Austria and Luxembourg.

OMG! Hello! Another Serfaus lover! We go every year (covid excepting), but in the winter for skiing. It's my happy place. Hope you had a wonderful holiday.

Definitely Eurocamp.

And if you wanted to do Eftling in the Netherlands as recommended by PPs, stay at Beekse Bergan holiday park with Eurocamp. There's a safari park and 'speelland' (translates to 'fun land' next door with unlimited entrance for park guests staying more than three nights.

www.eurocamp.co.uk/campsites/holland/hl013-beekse-bergen/ataglance.html

We didn't do Eftling as we flew rather than drive, so didn't have the car, but our caravan neighbours said it was fantastic. We were due to go back to BB last year and had planned to go to Eftling - unfortunately cancelled due to PCR costs.

We love a site just outside Paris too and are going back for a fifth time in just under three weeks. An hour from Disney if you fancy that. We went for the first time when the DC were 4 and 3 and did Disney for the day. They loved it all. They're 11 and 9 now and are excited to be going to the campsite again.

www.eurocamp.co.uk/campsites/paris/pa012-la-croix-du-vieux-pont/ataglance.html

City breaks with toddlers that sound fun