Where this summer with a 10 and 8 year old?

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As the title says. I feel like my DC are now a bit old for just pool and beach. So am looking for something a bit more active. DC2 loves meeting other children, DC1 is happy reading, swimming and likes history and sightseeing. Both love the water. We aren’t really into big hotels/resorts.

Can anyone recommend a great holiday they’ve done with kids this age?

I’m considering the Alps (eg Simply Morzine) but other ideas very welcome.

You haven’t said their ages. Any idea on budget?

Mine are 11 and 9, and since they were 3 and 5, we've done Eurocamp, specifically this site just outside Paris, which we've been to 5 times.

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

DS2 is also Mr. Sociable and regularly befriends other children on the beach or in the pool. There's also a free kids club, and he ditched us several times in August to attend there. There's an adventure course type thing on site, which we utilised for the first time last year. DS1 went shooting with DH and MIL, DS2 went on the zip line and did archery with Kids Club (we paid €10 for that), and I had a go at the trapeze.

You can get to Paris in around an hour. Either by driving to Compiègne and getting the train or booking with the parc to go on their coach trip that runs once or twice a week. It's also an hour from Disney, which we did as a day trip the first time we went.

It's in a lovely little French town that is very French and unspoiled by tourists. Nearby (15-minute drive) is Pierrefonds, an incredible château that was used in the filming of Merlin. Children go in for free, and adults are about €8. That's a great day out as Pierrefonds is a pretty village, and there's a fantastic ice cream parlour with a shaded garden at the foot of the château.

Soissons is about a 30-minute drive away, which is pretty, and Compiègne is about 20 minutes away. Also, about 15 minutes away is the Armistice Clearing, where Germany surrendered in WW1 and France surrendered in WW2. It's a poignant place.

Last year, I took a hammock (bought from Aldi!), which I strung up outside our accommodation using the tree and decking, and spent a lot of time relaxing and reading in it.

I know you're not into resorts, nor are we, but we like the flexibility Eurocamp gives us of doing our own thing, but being somewhere that DS2 can make friends and they can have some freedom. DS1 spent half the week over at the football pitches.

Thank you - I think the DC would love Eurocamp, but DH is very anti and I’m not super keen. Both because of the large resort aspect and the fairly basic accommodation. I will look again however as it does seem good for these ages so maybe we need to suck it up and treat it as a base, as you say. Is there much private space around the cabins? Also what do you do for food - I don’t mind a bit of s/c at breakfast and lunch but we really like having local restaurants for dinner, ideally ones we can walk to. Is that an option?

ACynicalDad Budget - not Sani or Ikos level but we can spend a fair bit for the right thing. Ages are 10 and 8 as per thread title.

Watching as I have similarly ages to think about.

There's a restaurant, two bars, and a takeaway on site. We ate out most days. There's also restaurants in the town, which is a 10-minute walk.

All accommodation has space around it. Size depends on the accommodation. We had a 4 bed lodge one year. They have a good-sized front garden. Last year we went for the 3 bed Aspect. I definitely wouldn't call it basic accommodation. It had air conditioning and a good amount of space inside. The outside decking was enormous, with loungers and a table set. That's the top end 'caravan'.
Eurocamp caravans are not the same as UK caravan parks (we used to do UK holidays, everything about them is world's apart).

Most of the accommodation has been updated. What are you looking for that isn't 'basic'? We did a last minute trip to Eurocamp in May (to Les Ormes in Brittany) and only got a Classic as that's all that was available 36 hours before leaving), and that was small, but clean, new and comfortable.

If you want plush and the Alps, then we stayed here in Rauris, Austria over Christmas (got back Friday just gone, and I'm already missing that spa).
www.booking.com/Share-nQjGuZ

Most definitely not basic. Restaurant on site. Other restaurants in the town as well as one just outside the hotel (easy walk). An hour from Salzburg for sightseeing, Kids Room in the hotel (which DS2 lived in). Gondolas run through the summer for hiking, etc, on the mountain.
We've been to Rauris twice, but only to ski, so I'm not familiar with their summer programme, though from what I've read, it seems very active. There's a community outdoor pool, gold panning, etc.

Thank you. Suspect I’m being unfair about the Eurocamp accommodation - I’ve only looked at pictures of the outside of the cabins. They are probably nicer inside than I am imagining! We don’t need luxury but do like having space, previous holidays we have mostly rented a villa or stayed in small slightly boutiquey aparthotels. 10 min walk to town for local restaurants sounds good.

I do like the Alpine idea as it would have activities available but not on site (so no need to stay on a huge complex). I will look into Rauris.

As you're looking for something more active, have you considered skiing? We took ours for the first time, aged 6 and 8, and they loved it. I know that doesn't solve your summer dilemma, but it could work for you if you're an active family.

You can go to smaller ski resorts with boutique hotels that do half board. Rauris is a good example of a small ski resort, though Carpe Solem (the resort I linked) is a self-catering aparthotel with the ability to eat at the restaurant in the evening. For us, it was the perfect mix of personal space and hotel facilities.

Always book the highest grade eurocamp accommodation you can afford... and it will have space...we loved some in Spain where we could do day trips to Barcelona and tarragona.

We stayed in zell am see in Austria with similar aged kids in the summer, absolutely beautiful place. We stayed in an apartment and swam in the municipal pool / lake. Stayed for 7 days and enjoyed tobogganing, white water rafting and cable cars up the mountains. Lots of amazing waterfalls to walk alongside. It was a fabulous holiday

Rhubarb yep we took them skiing for the first time last year (2 years delayed due to covid!) and they loved it. We are going again but looking for summer options.

Landlubber Zell am See sounds good! Was there any opportunity for your DC to meet others, if you were in an apartment?

Will have another look at Eurocamp but tbh I think we (DH and I) will be happier staying somewhere much smaller.

So many Greek islands to look at for history and sightseeing/family fun. Also more villages and towns than large resorts so could easily find one to suit

Rauris is about a 25 minute drive from Zell Am See! That whole area is absolutely gorgeous.

Definitely going to have a look at Zell area, thank you. Ideally we would find somewhere where DC2 can make friends but without us staying in a big hotel or complex… let’s see!

Notime we love the Greek islands, they are our go to, but recently in summer it’s been too hot there for doing anything except beach and pool - at least for DC1 who wilts in 30+. Which is part of why I’m looking at mountains instead.

Has anyone done any active family holidays outside the Alps - I can see options in Slovenia, Croatia, Italian Lakes etc but not sure if there is as much to do for kids as in the Alpine resorts?

European Centre Parcs are great if you fancy a bit better than Eurocamp but still reasonable and lots to do - easy for kids to meet. Regardless of language mine seems to make friends on campsites and at centre parcs - the Belgium ones are great and the Trois Forest one in France. I would also say Austria in the summer would be beautiful - we ski there and always say we should do a summer trip.

Thanks @RhubarbFairy - we have taken your recommendation and booked euro camp! Followed your advice and booked the best accommodation we could afford!
do pass on any tips!
I am very excited for a day trip to Paris!

We travelled around Costa Rica with our 2 kids - age 6 and 9 last summer . Such a fun holiday with so much to do, zip lining , nature , rainforests , rafting , chocolate tours , snorkelling, stunning beaches .

My dd's favourite ever family holidays at around that age was the Dordogne. Caves, castles, dinosaur parks, troglodyte dwellings, canoeing, boat trips. Lovely food and wine for the grown ups too. We stayed here lebanquet.com/en/ which was absolutely fabulous and here www.sandaya.co.uk/our-campsites/peneyrals (though you're wary of campsites this really was lovely with lots of activities and entertainment laid on)

Oh yay!! Funnily enough, we booked last night, too, for August. This will be our sixth visit to this parc, so we know it pretty well. Feel free to DM me if you like.

DS2 and I decided today that we're going to go into Paris for the day as we've never done that. He's great company on city breaks, so I'm looking forward to doing that with him.

I'm sure you're already booked somewhere but my recommendation would be The Netherlands, De Twee Bruggen. Great for children - indoor and outdoor pool complexes with slides and flumes, bmx and skate track, bicycle and go kart hire etc. It's quiet, beautiful and very clean with a fantastic shop and a lovely restaurant. The accommodations are gorgeous and not cramped in together like many eurocamps. If you like cycling the cyclepaths all through the Achterhoek and neighbouring towns are excellent. We have stayed with Eurocamp but recommend Vacansoleil or Roan, or book directly.