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Holidays

Use our Travel forum for recommendations on everything from day trips to the best family-friendly holiday destinations.

Original poster

Tell me about your successful summer family holidays in places I might not have considered

89 replies

PikachuEars · 16/09/2023 08:28

Getting the post holiday blues so starting to think about where we might go next year. Nothing is off the table but I especially want to hear about things that aren’t package holidays to beach resorts as that’s not really our style.

Hit me with your best suggestions…

OP posts:
ConnieTucker · 17/09/2023 08:46

I was coming on to say the netherlands but see i have been beaten to it many, many times.

Tumty · 17/09/2023 08:46

Can you PM my too @PumpkinPie2016

StillWantingADog · 17/09/2023 08:50

Netherlands this summer was great

stayed in a landal holiday park which was fab

Original poster
PikachuEars · 17/09/2023 09:16

TizerorFizz · 16/09/2023 21:00

@PikachuEars You haven’t really said what you might spend.

Iceland isn’t more expensive than Denmark or the Alpine countries. My DC would have been bored stiff interailing. They actually liked spending time in places, not the rushing about.

Successful holidays we had in school summer holidays were Alaska, Peru, South Africa, Boston and Cape Cod (you could go elsewhere from Boston), British Virgin Islands, Kenya and Brittany.

Nothing is off the table as far as price is concerned - we’ve done cheap-ish (but brilliant) trips for the last few years, lots of camping etc. So we can justify a blow-out and the DC are reaching ages where they may actually remember and appreciate a bucket-list destination.

Even if not for next year I’m storing up ideas for the future.

I’ve spent the morning researching RV trips Canada/US - I’m sorely tempted to do this next year!

OP posts:
ComingtoKent · 17/09/2023 09:20

Completely different to a lot of the suggestions here, when my son was 13 he and I went on a small group tour of Egypt. I think the company was called Explore. It was fantastic. Four families including us (one family had five children, ranging from about 10 to 18 in age). We saw all the main sites, had a couple of days on the Red Sea (boat trips, snorkelling), travelled on the sleeper train between Cairo and Luxor, rode on camels and donkeys, did the Cairo museum (stunning), slept on a falukka and cruised down the Nile. Also did a dawn balloon trip (extra charge), bit nail biting but fabulous. All the time accompanied by a brilliant, enthusiastic (but not annoyingly so) guide.

Original poster
PikachuEars · 17/09/2023 11:03

ComingtoKent · 17/09/2023 09:20

Completely different to a lot of the suggestions here, when my son was 13 he and I went on a small group tour of Egypt. I think the company was called Explore. It was fantastic. Four families including us (one family had five children, ranging from about 10 to 18 in age). We saw all the main sites, had a couple of days on the Red Sea (boat trips, snorkelling), travelled on the sleeper train between Cairo and Luxor, rode on camels and donkeys, did the Cairo museum (stunning), slept on a falukka and cruised down the Nile. Also did a dawn balloon trip (extra charge), bit nail biting but fabulous. All the time accompanied by a brilliant, enthusiastic (but not annoyingly so) guide.

I’ve been on a Explore trip on my own, I didn’t know they did family trips - will have a look!

OP posts:
Fluffycloudsfloatinginthesky · 17/09/2023 11:08

@PikachuEars exodus do family trips as well. I often look longingly at the Costa Rica one.

lordloveadog · 17/09/2023 11:16

Orkney

Snippit · 17/09/2023 11:27

Why not try Valencia, such a beautiful historic city, it also has a fabulous beach.

We loved it so much I’m taking my hubby back there as a treat for his 60th birthday.

countrygirl99 · 17/09/2023 11:55

If you have allowed out budget how about Namibia. Lots to do and see. Self drive is really easy as well.

Original poster
PikachuEars · 17/09/2023 12:27

Fluffycloudsfloatinginthesky · 17/09/2023 11:08

@PikachuEars exodus do family trips as well. I often look longingly at the Costa Rica one.

I was just looking at those…looks amazing! One to save up for!

OP posts:
Kapalika · 17/09/2023 13:13

Montenegro.
we recently returned from Thailand with 2 teens. They loved BKK and Chiang Mai, not so much Koh Samui because of the heat.
I would go back in a heartbeat!

Lovetotravel123 · 17/09/2023 13:19

Road trips around Slovakia and Montenegro. Just booked the first and last night and left things to chance in between.

pangolinparty · 17/09/2023 13:40

Hire a Motorhome and get the ferry to France!

We are very lucky as we have our own. I couldn't bear the thought of an AI/ package/ resort holiday. We'd all be so bored!

We spent 4 weeks of the summer travelling around France (Jura and Alps), Italy (Alps) and Germany (Alps and Vosges). We cycle, kayak, wild swim, run and climb. So the van gets us right into the places we can do this. We follow the good weather and change plans frequently at the first sniff of any rain. We also quite like exploring cities too... so did a bit of that too. Stayed in the van close to various city centres. We find it equally great for sight seeing.

TizerorFizz · 17/09/2023 14:59

@PikachuEars Families Worldwide are also good for meeting up with others. Although you might not like some of the Dc or parents! I forgot about going to Ecuador and the Galápagos Islands too. I have found DDs remember bits of these holidays but not everything. Even when they were teens.

Applesaarenttheonlyfruit · 17/09/2023 16:21

We have had adventure holidays in July/Aug in the following places.

Iceland
Namibia
Borneo/indonesia
Peru
Tanzania

All of them were fabulous, but not a budget option. We have been to other places but they are better at other times. Would you travel at Xmas or Easter?

We’ve also used Families Worldwide, but not as a group trip.

Original poster
PikachuEars · 17/09/2023 16:31

TizerorFizz · 17/09/2023 14:59

@PikachuEars Families Worldwide are also good for meeting up with others. Although you might not like some of the Dc or parents! I forgot about going to Ecuador and the Galápagos Islands too. I have found DDs remember bits of these holidays but not everything. Even when they were teens.

Yes I shouldn’t have specified summer really - any season recommendations are of interest! We get a fortnight in October as well as a fortnight at Easter so Spring and Autumn are possibilities for a big holiday.

OP posts:
Applesaarenttheonlyfruit · 17/09/2023 16:42

If not main summer hols other hits have been

Sri Lanka
Cuba - travelling around not resorts
Finland
Florida - keys, Everglades, Miami
Jordan
Morocco
Canada
Going to Costa Rica at Xmas

Loads to do in all places from sightseeing to adventure sports.

OneOfTheThree · 17/09/2023 16:43

Another vote for Denmark. We went this summer and stayed in a summerhouse just outside Lumsås, Zealand, about an hour from Copenhagen airport.

We have Danish friends, so they rented the summer house through DanCenter, and it was fantastic. Lots of brilliant places to visit - we went to the glass museum and workshop, Summerland, fire engine museum, and spent lots of time on the beach, which was stunning. White sand, very clean, sea fairly shallow for quite a way, and even though the weather wasn't great, we still swam a few times.

It's all about outdoor living, barbecuing, children playing outside - it was very safe and very relaxing.

We then spent a few days around Copenhagen, going to Tivoli, Experimentarium and the aquarium on our way home.

Food and drink is more expensive but the quality of the meat, fruit and veg was incredible compared to our equivalent here.

Can recommend.

Tootingbec · 17/09/2023 16:54

Yes yes to Netherlands and Austrian alps in the summer. Also Bavaria fab - best of both as can do Munich, lakes and mountains. Jutland we enjoyed but I think Netherlands better!

I am laughing at the thought of all the other Mumsnetters who have prob been on holiday in slightly obscure places at the same time as us!

Belgium an underrated place that we have enjoyed as part of a euro road trip - Ghent, Brugge, Antwerp, the French bit!

Timothhorton · 17/09/2023 17:44

Quebec? Montreal and Quebec City are beautiful and fantastic food. Head to the Charlevoix region on the St Lawrence known for it's food and views, tons to do, whale watching in Tadoussac is probably the best in the world, it even has belugas you can see from the shore. And the Sagueney Fjords, the walks in the Appalachian mountains and the silence of a cottage on the lake with just the sound of the loons and the dark skies.. glorious.

PumpkinPie2016 · 17/09/2023 18:00

PMs sent to those who asked 🙂

exLtEveDallas · 17/09/2023 18:03

Cyprus, but the Troodos Mountains rather than the tourist resorts. Lovely in the summer and cooler than the rest of the island, beautiful in winter with some great skiing.

Malaysia - a number of islands where all there is to do is snorkel and scuba. You'll be treated like royalty and see some amazing sights. Fly into KL and spend some time in the city then go to KK/Sabah/Borneo and you can taxi boat to a number of islands. Also climb (it's all steps, not rock climbing) Kota Kinabalu, do the main climb in the day, stop at the hostel for a kip and do the last bit in the early hours to watch the sun come up from
the summit. Absolutely amazing.

TizerorFizz · 17/09/2023 18:32

@PikachuEars Quite a few places mentioned really won’t be great in August and are better as winter destinations. Or Oct half term as the earliest. We went to Ecuador and Galápagos Islands at Easter but it’s year round really. You just want calm enough seas!

Labbingtons · 17/09/2023 21:59

There are some amazing ideas on this thread. I’ll be revisiting it when we decide our next summer break.

We’ve found it hard to decide on a spot because there are so many places we want to go. But also because some spots are just too hot for us in summer so we’ve tended to go at Easter (the Amalfi coast, Andalucía, the Carolinas.)

Last month we had the most amazing two weeks in Slovenia. So beautiful, loads to do, delicious food, fascinating history and culture. Gave me my summer nouveau fix too!

Another success for our family was Boston and Cape Cod. Again, fascinating history and culture and lovely beaches and nature to explore.