Not a city break…. But kind of??

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Hi all,

I am looking for some ideas of destinations for our summer holiday this year. An AI resort is my husbands idea of hell and whilst I wouldn’t mind it I know he’d be bored to tears.

We have always typically done city holidays, especially pre kids. But now I feel we need the happy middle of staying somewhere that does have the pool and some stuff for the kids, but also good day trips as well

Kids will be 4 and 1 in the summer and we will be travelling in May/June to make the most of our last year not paying the school holiday premium!

We went to Sicily when my eldest was 18m and made the mistake of going in July and spent the whole week in the hotel because it was 36 degrees so looking to avoid that also.

All suggestions welcome!

What about a cruise?
kids clubs/fab days out/pools etc?

I always said no way but have done a couple now :)

@MerryChristmasYaFilthyAnimals funnily enough my parents flew out to a cruise today and they have been saying the same to us. They were reluctant cruisers at first but with my mum wanting to sit by the pool with a book and my dad having itchy feet they’ve found it a good happy medium. I have just been nervous as to how “kid friendly” they are!

Some are really great. The kids clubs are fun from parents I know who've used them with smaller kids than the one I have. It's picking the right cruise. P&O Iona is a lovely ship, with indoor pool etc.

If you’re comfortable with ferries and driving in Europe, (& ideally near a port with ferries to Hoek van Holland) Beekse Bergen Safari resort in the Netherlands is very family friendly with plenty to do, but close enough to do day trips to Efteling theme park or towns/cities like Breda, Eindhoven, or Brussels or Amsterdam.

It's very old school, but have you considered Brittany? A bit of time on the coast eg Benodet, a bit of time in Quimper? It's such a beautiful area.

We did lots of the South of France when dd was little. Juan Les Pins for example has a lovely beach and there are carousels and trampolines on the seafront. A mini-train. Easy to use public transport to visit towns up and down the coast - Nice has a lot going on and Antibes is very pretty. Easy transfer from Nice airport and short flights. We've also done the St Tropez area a few times but you really need a car for that. Languedoc also lovely - with beaches and towns like Montpellier, Carcassone and Pezenas. In May it would be better going further south for the weather.

France might be the best bet with hiring a car. We’re in Scotland so not really handy for a ferry but definitely happy to fly and hire.

Would highly recommend Dubrovnik. Book a hotel a short bus ride away from the centre, which has lots to explore and enjoy.

An AI holiday doesn’t have to equate to a fortnight laid on the sunlounger by the pool. We go to AI hotels yet spend a good chunk of the holiday out and about. In Tenerife we climbed the top of mount Tiede, visited many local lovely remote villages and explored the black sand beaches. In Menorca we visited the fantastic Drach caves and explored a lot of the island. I think most would say these are the perfect example of AI holiday locations yet we manage to perfectly balance exploring with pool and beach days

Barcelona? We went at those ages and it was great. Good mix of city and beach.

Croatia - go to Dubrovnik and Split - beautiful cities to explore but can stay somewhere with pool and beach .