Please help! Mountain holiday with yound kids

[OnlyOneBike]

We are planning a mountain holiday, 5-7 days, for May/June this year. But I am so struggling with where to go as there are so many options. All have good and less good reviews.

I have looked at:

• Tyrol
• Zell am see
• Lake Garda
• Grindelwald / Wengen / Interlaken

DS will be just under 3 by June. I think a place with lots of activities suitable for yound kids (e.g. easy walking, water with ducks, picnic spots, boating options) and a hotel that is family friendly (e.g. restaurant with kids menu, maybe a little farm and a heated swimming pool) would be perfect. Crèche is not necessary for us.

We've regularly been to Switzerland before DS and loved it. It is familiar to us and we know what to expect. But from memory there weren't enough activities for young kids to keep them busy for 5 days.

Then I turned to Austria and found a few Kinderhotels which looked perfect activity wise until I read some reviews which said the food were limited and pools weren't heated. And it seemed that good weather in Austria (Tyrol and Zell) weren't guaranteed.

Then I discovered Lake Garda which seemed very popular among families. Weather is guaranteed. Food should be good given it's Italy (am I wrong?). But I still haven't figured out what activities are exactly available for young kids.

I'm so confused now...can someone help with recommending a place please? Or is it a bad idea to take 3yo to mountain holiday?

TIA.

www.centerparcs.eu/in-en/belgium/fp_AR_holiday-park-les-ardennes/activities-for-the-children#js-stickyNavFp

www.centerparcs.eu/in-en/france/fp_TF_holiday-park-les-trois-forets/activities-for-the-children#js-stickyNavFp

www.centerparcs.eu/in-en/germany/fp_AG_holiday-park-park-allgau/all-activities?facet[PARTICIPANTSCP][adult]=2

Various European centerparcs?

Thanks Sticky. I didn't realise there were centerparcs outside UK. They actually look to offer a lot more than the Centerparcs here!

The main reason for the holiday was DS was crying for seeing a real mountain. I don't know if there are any Centerparcs located near a mountain or in a valley. But will definitely have a closer look. Thank you!

We've done many with small children. Tbh I would keep Grindelwald/Wengen for later unless lo is train obsessed - no ducks or lakes with easy access unless you stay in Interlaken. Switzerland has kidshotels. Check when resorts fully open as May/June tends to be more limited with lifts etc only open at weekends or on bank holidays. Lake Garda likely to be warmest but the least alpine - Malcesine has a cable car and access to petting zoo etc.

Hi! We have just booked a week in the Salzburg area in July with our kids who will be 5 and 8. It’s one of my favourite places! Decided to do it after we all loved lake swimming in France last year. We also looked into Kinderhotels and some other family hotels but they are just so extortionate we can’t afford that. I have booked two air bnbs - one just outside Salzburg so we can do a couple of days there, Mondsee and the lake and Berchtesgaden national park which is stunning. Then we will drive down to our second air bnb which is about 15 mins from Zell am See. From there we plan to do day trips to different lakes and towns. Hallstatt is a must. Also check out the Solarbad dorfgastein….not been before but my kids will LOVE!

I stayed with DD at one of Familux hotels last year and it was amazing. Lots of activities, beautiful walks, pools were lovely and warm, on site farm.

Lake Constance has a lot to offer for small children. We stayed near Bregenz, the DC loved taking the cable car up to the mountain. There's so much to do around (and on) the lake itself too.

Lake Annecy in France is also worth looking at: lakeside hotels, pedalos, a lovely old town centre, a brilliant family friendly cycle path around the lake (you can hire one of those wagons for the child), go ape type places even for kids and easy access to the mountains. talloires.acro-aventures.com/en/activities/acro-filet-en

www.camping-lac-annecy.com/ has mobile home chalets to rent, lakeside access and a heated pool but I'm sure there are lots of other hotel options too.

As mentioned upthread, also before end May might be a bit limited in terms of good weather and opening hours for activities.

Lots at Seefeld. If your child likes trains Wengen would be paradise.

A holiday to Tenerife could be an alternative. Cable car and short walk up mount tiede but then plenty of other options for the other days

We stayed here in Hintertux which is a kinder hotel which was very good and went same time of year and was around 25C and sunny and at top of mountain lots of snow and an ice palace. There was a small train taking kids to farm animals, good food and a big trampoline / play things outside.

www.hintertuxerhof.at/en/

Thanks for all the lovely suggestions. These have been so helpful.

After quite a few nights of research and planning, we decided to book Grindelwald as we know that area better. DS is train obsessed so hopefully he won't be too fussy about it. And from memory there was a cafe offering very nice ice cream which would be a big plus for him as well. The only issue is the train trip between Zurich airport and Grindelwald is a bit too long for DS so we have to spend the last night in Interlaken to make the return train trip a bit shorter.

I did want to book Salzburg area but snow wasn't guaranteed when I checked the forecast last week. (Had a look at Chamonix as well and it was all green on the webcam!) The weather has been very odd recently.

Annecy looks really nice and it is on our list for future now!

Verbier? Lovely safe municipal pool and you can hire those trikes with fat wheels to come down the mountain on - did this when ds was 4 and he's never forgotten it!!