Holiday of a lifetime, but not too far...

[loverrr]

Evening all, my husband turns 40 this year so would love to surprise him with an amazing trip! Only snag is we have young children & reluctant babysitters so Im thinking 3 days/ 4 nights would really be the max we could go for.
Any recommendations?
It will be in August if I want to go on actual birthday.

How about the Norwegian Fjords and Bergen? It’s expensive but very impressive and so would be very special. I did this for my 40th and tagged on Copenhagen.

We went to the Meneghetti Vineyard hotel in Northern Croatia. You can fly to Pula with some airlines, but it's cheaper and very easy to fly into Venice and drive (just need an online permit to drive through Slovenia coastal motorway). It is very luxurious and not too far, plus the nearby towns of Porec and Rovinj are lovely.

Or Vegas, where we went for my 40th for 3 nights. Renewed our vows with Elvis, saw aerosmith in a very amazing venue and drank many cocktails. No gambling.

Thankyou for the suggestion! Your user name suggests you are abit of an expert! Any recommendations for somewhere warm?

If by not too far you mean staying in Europe, then maybe somewhere in Greece like Santorini or Mykonos depending on your budget.

Thanks @Mumaway - Vegas would be amazing, were you knackered after the flight? The vineyard sounds great too, off to google that now!

Marrakech is doable for 3 or 4 nights. Only 3.5 hrs ish from UK. Might be worth a look?

Iceland?

Does anyone have any specific hotel or area recommendations please? Thankyou!

I’d do South Africa. The time difference is only a couple of hours so it’s very easy to adjust. Cape Town and the wine country are amazing.

Beldi Country Club in Marrakech is fabulous. It has the most gorgeous spa and beautiful grounds. I think it cost us around £200 a night so not cheap but for a very special occasion it's definitely worth it.

Italy-The Amalfi Coast. Could base yourself in Sorrento & do trips such as Capri, Pompeii, Mount Vesuvius, Naples, Positano, Ravello etc. Lots to see & amazing food & wine.

Kasbah Tamadot in Morocco would be really special but very expensive so you might want to cut it to 3 days 2 nights - which might also help with reluctant babysitters.

I've always wanted to go to the Amalfi coast in Italy. Absolutely stunning, Italian food, sunny climate.

Amalfi coast and Southern Italy in August will be super hot (heatwaves last two summers), crowded and mega expensive
It’s the worst time to go

Annecy in France - beautiful area (fly to Geneva then train or coach)

Ideas for somewhere warm would be places like Seville/ Granada/ Malaga but I think they would be too hot in August.

A few days driving around Montenegro could be interesting. Or if you like the outdoors, the Slovak mountains.

Madeira is also great. Lots to see in Funchal and great day trips from there.

But actually, one of the best places you could go is the Scilly Isles. Caribbean style beaches and you can see a different island each day. I would opt for that over anywhere in mainland Europe! But it is so special that August might be sold out already.

Lake Como?
Nearby Bellagio is gorgeous, fabulous gardens.

Well, very few places will be quiet in August. We went in August & absolutely loved it.

We got married when our kids were young so wanted a short honeymoon. We went to Barcelona and it was perfect, very short flight and it turns out flying without kids is a joy 🤣

Nordic countries are cool. I think you need longer than 3 days in Norway. 3 days in Copenhagen or Stockholm or Reykjavik would be great and good in August.

Amsterdam is a great city for a short break. Maybe not wow enough?

For my 40th I flew to Brussels went to the Musee des Beaux-Arts to see Breugal's Icarus (whole point of trip, always wanted to see it). Then the Magritte museum (also love Magritte). Ate some great seafood (my fave). Went to bruges staying in a hotel with a pool despite the extra cost because I love to swim. We did other stuff that wasn't so "me".

My point is could you centre a trip around something meaningful to your DH? A sporting fixture he would really like to see? A concert he'd enjoy?

Lake Como is a really good suggestion. Quite clement in August compared to Amalfi coast. Stay in a really gorgeous palazzo type hotel. It's a really good trip for 2 adults.

Similar to Mumaway's suggestion, Hotel Lone in Rovinj, Croatia. It's not a Tui hotel but we booked it through Tui and the flights (Pula) were with Easyjet so I think you can be more flexible with your dates.

It was just gorgeous.

We stayed at this hotel https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/HotelReview-g187782-d235953-Reviews-GranddHotelAmbasciatori-SorrentooProvinceoffNaplesCampania.html in Sorrento a few years ago. Caught the train to Pompeii for a half day. Was an amazing holiday (5 days for us).

Assisi in Italy was also wonderful for a short break and very close to an airport so quick easy journey but I can't remember the exact hotel.

Copenhagen or Amsterdam are very quick journey time and lots of lovely things to do. City hotels tend to be a bit average unless you have ££££ to spend though, but we weren't in the hotels for long.