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Holidays

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

Does my ideal holiday venue exist?!

39 replies

JDav · 20/03/2024 12:07

Hi everyone. I really need some help with ideas for holiday destination but am falling short looking for the things i'd like, don't know if I'm expecting too much!
We have two preschoolers- 4 and 2 so would like to be close to a nice beach as they will want to do that a lot of the time realistically. But my husband and I feel we might be bored at times if there's nothing else around at all. I'd love to also be near something like a lovely old town and ideally a bit of outdoors stuff for short walks, like a nature reserve, so we can just break things up a bit but I can't seem to find somewhere with everything. I don't feel like it's a huge ask but clearly it is! We would possibly be open to all inclusive but think more likely just rent a villa and car. Whilst they mainly need to be the ones kept happy we don't want the holiday to be just for them! When I look at places like Balearics it seems like the resorts and the beach are the only things there, often they aren't near any towns or anything. I was really liking the look of Tossa de Mar in Spain because of the lovely old towns etc, but then it seems the water gets steep really quickly and people are saying it's not toddler safe.

Can I have both anywhere?! Think I'm really struggling because we were never the beach holiday types before kids so have no prior experience of this kind of thing.

All suggestions so welcome, I feel like at this rate I'll never book anywhere. 😂hanks all, T

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Seeline · 20/03/2024 12:12

When ours were that small we tended to stay around the pool more than the beach. There was so little shade and the beach gets so hot and busy, it was easier just to stay by the pool and enjoy the other child friendly facilities of the hotel.
We always hired a car to visit places so that wasn't too much of an issue. Driving is very easy in the Balearics.

thinkfast · 20/03/2024 12:13

Hi OP. Have you thought about Is Ischia? It's a short ferry ride from Naples, beautiful island with wonderful, calm, shallow beaches, list of lovely places to stay, more than one "pretty old town" and because it's Italy the food and gelato is outstanding and Italians love kids.

You won't be able to hire a car though, as the number of cars on the island is strictly limited. We got around by taxi and yuk yuk which worked fine. It also means the walks you mentioned you enjoy are lovely, as not too much traffic.

We had a really wonderful holiday there when our DS was two.

BabyEmber · 20/03/2024 12:14

Look at pollenca in Majorca. Beautiful old town, weekly market lovely restaurants in a square. Close to Porto pollenca which has a lovely sandy beach with shallow water. Really child friendly.

There's a nature reserve close by, Mountain View point and also old town of Alcudua a short walk away hth

thinkfast · 20/03/2024 12:14

Sorry for the auto correct typos! Hopefully you still get the gist.

JDav · 20/03/2024 13:28

Thanks everyone for your replies so far, I'll definitely do some looking at those options. Yes forgot to say we don't have to go in school holidays as Little ones haven't started yet, so hoping to maybe go June time when places might be nice and warm but not too baking hot!

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EveryKneeShallBow · 20/03/2024 13:48

Puerto del Carmen in Lanzarote would be lovely. Get a villa near the old town harbour. It has shops, fishing boats, glass bottomed boat trips, a lovely beach, restaurants and cafes, and there’s loads of places to visit by hire car or day trips by bus around the island.

Itsanothermanicmonday · 20/03/2024 14:00

Once we had kids we decided if they were happy we were happy.

When ours were that age we did camping holidays with friends with children similar ages in the UK, CenterParcs out of season and a couple of times we went in a caravan to a holiday park (the latter is our idea of hell) but the kids absolutely loved it especially the holiday parks and talked about them for years.

Abroad is very hot and running about after young kids to put sun cream on them, watching they don’t drown, run off and taking them out of the sun when we are all hot and overtired isn’t fun for anyone.

When they got a little bit older we went to Euro Disney, Puerto Pollensa and Portugal and had some lovely holidays but these maybe too low brow for you OP. We permeated these holidays with keeping the kids happy during the day and at night we went to a nice restaurant and had some nice food, a civilised meal and a couple of drinks (we talked at the table and played cards and had an ice cream and a walk about after).

Station11 · 20/03/2024 14:10

Quito di Lago might fit the bill?

TheBirdintheCave · 20/03/2024 14:24

San Vito lo Capo in Sicily would fit the bill. It has a lovely long beach with clear, shallow water, a nice town (though restaurants are a bit expensive) and a nature reserve within driving distance. We were there in June last year and the temperature was lovely.

Could you do a combined holiday? This is what we do with our son (3.5). Most of the holiday is a sight seeing city break but then we tack on a few days at a beach town at the end. My husband and I couldn't spend all week at a beach as we'd get bored but can hack a few days 😅 It doesn't have to be all or nothing just because you have kids.

Mynewnameis · 20/03/2024 14:28

San Sebastian is a beautiful city with lovely beaches. I took my kids age 2 and 5

LoserWinner · 20/03/2024 14:33

Cyprus might suit you?

doradoo · 20/03/2024 15:33

Calvi on Corsica might suit - gentle beach, old city to wander round - small train you can get about the island on.

We stayed with toddlers at the A Merula apartments which had a pool but was also walking distance from everything

doradoo · 20/03/2024 15:34

www.corsica.co.uk/a-merula

doradoo · 20/03/2024 15:35

Oops just seen says adult only - wasn't when we went 15 yrs ago - but would give you idea of area

Zephyry · 20/03/2024 15:36

Menorca would fit the bill, small island easy to get around, two lovely cities to visit and gentle sandy beaches

Navyblueblazer · 20/03/2024 15:37

Sardinia has incredible beaches and some amazing Roman ruins. Other areas of Italy have beautiful beaches and are very kid friendly.
https://www.visititaly.eu/places-and-tours/the-10-best-italian-beaches-for-kids

StaringAtTheWater · 20/03/2024 15:38

If you are happy to rent a car and drive, there are lots of options, with lovely beaches, pretty villages and nature reserves.

Places we've taken the kids too:

Crete
Puglia, Italy
Provence, France
Majorca

Doseofreality · 20/03/2024 15:38

Tigaki in Kos would be perfect. Lovely resort with a fantastic beach but very close to Kos Town. You can also do day trips to Bodrum by boat very easily.

Lemonademoney · 20/03/2024 15:42

Pollensa In Majorca is lovely, lots to do if you have a car. South of France?

Navyblueblazer · 20/03/2024 15:45

FYI Italians and Spaniards will take all the kids including toddlers out very late in the evening as they have had a siesta during the afternoon. Once we were at an Italian resort in Sardinia and the Kids Club representative was approaching us and letting us know some craft activities were starting at something like 10pm!! 😂😂 it was after the evening entertainment and there were tons of kids still up, dancing, running around and having the time of their lives.

SwedishEdith · 20/03/2024 15:47

We weren't beach holiday people but found Portugal around Cascais area had a good mix of stuff to do. Same for northern Majorca. Also, Brittany is great for young kids. Weather can be more unpredictable but 2022 summer we had two weeks of over 30 degrees every day.

Fizzywinegum · 20/03/2024 16:04

I was going to suggest Pollensa/Puerto Pollensa in Mallorca as well - the bus service in Mallorca is good

professionalnomad · 21/03/2024 11:12

I would recommend Kas or Kalkan in Turkey - easy to rent a lovely villa and lots to see or do in the vicinty

Xylophonics · 22/03/2024 11:42

We went to Brittany when DC were 5 and 3. Stayed near Dinan. There are some great sandy beaches there - with lots of shells . Visited Mont St Michel.
About 15 yrs ago but it seemed v child friendly. There was a maize maze for example.

JDav · 22/03/2024 20:28

Thanks so much for taking the time to send suggestions everyone, really appreciate it. Husband's been away this week so I've been in survival mode, but going to have a good search this weekend x

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