Summer holiday with coeliac DS

[mangomaggie]

I'm thinking somewhere Italian or Spanish linked as they're quite good for gluten free
but really not feeling am all inclusive yet the kids love the social side and the games, footie, entertainment etc.
I want to go to the south of France and bimble around brocant shops and drink cheap red wine but they'd be bored witless
Any compromise to be had. Budget £4k tops which I know makes me in a decent situation but as this is holidays board, hoping for help. Thank you

La Ravoire campsite at Lake Annecy is very accommodating of gf diets. The campsite has published a list of local places to eat https://www.campingsannecy.com/en/where-to-eat-gluten-free and the onsite restaurant will adapt their dishes. The site has a pool with waterslide, organised entertainment, lots of sports and games facilities. How old are your dc?

I'd love Annecy. Was met by a screwed up face by the 11 year old. He loved the all inclusive that DH and I were not a fan of. Maybe I should just send the kids one place and DH and I can choose our own separate hols. Some kind of catering would be good as I'm so fed up of constantly catering but equally I was sick of the salad bar every day for lunch and dinner ! Urgh. I think we have bred kids to not like what we do by childhood hols in France !

Italy is amazing for gluten free. Apparently they have a high rate of coeliac disease, so restaurants, hotels and supermarkets have a huge choice of gluten free foods.

I went to Florence last year, and ate the best gf pastas and pizzas I’ve ever had in my life, and most places had separate gf menus with loads of options, not just two or three.

I want to go to lake Como but nobody else does. I think I'll book 3 holidays and I'll go on my own

Has anyone cruised GF? This might be a balance between AI and self catering

I am a coeliac - following with interest for inspiration! Last year, we went to Nerja in Spain and found it to be very good for GF options both in supermarkets and restaurants - we did self cater though.

DH travels for work. Whilst he is not a cealiac he does have a severe gluten allergy that puts him in A&E and stays in hospital.

He has found Spain and Italy to be excellent in catering for a truly gluten free diet. His recent stay in France nearly killed him….literally. He does speak French and he was very clear when booking he needed gluten free food and everything he was given to eat contained gluten. The only thing he was given that was gluten free were prepacked sweetened Madeline’s. The airport was very bad as they had nothing safe anywhere.

I would be extremely careful and take lots of safe to eat food with you.

Go for the AI. The kids will love it even if you might think it's a bit tacky in places, and larger AI places will also have kids' clubs where you can leave them for a few hours while you go for a bimble.

The major Spanish (at least) hotel chains have outstanding protocols around cross-contamination. You're more likely to have issues at "typical" local restaurants where "gluten-free" means that they proudly list the rice dishes separately, while still frying the chips in the same oil as the breadcrumbed items.

(By the way: "£4k budget" doesn't help us too much without knowing the size of the party, the ages, what it has to include or not, and for how many nights. 🙏)

@samarrange £4-4.5k. Two children albeit one is classed as adult by then and 1 x 12 year old. Two adults. End or start August.
Good questions and thank you.
We are open to lots of options but selfishly I'd not want to cook much as I do ALL the shopping and cooking all year

Seriously, go for the AI. It's high season but you should be able to get 10 nights out of that budget.

Remember that you don't have to stay in the hotel/resort. In Majorca (which I would recommend, because I know it well, but there are loads of places where this is possible), you could spend 4 or 5 days visiting lovely places by bus, with or without DH, while the hedonists in the party do the lie-and-fry thing. Particularly if one of your DC is 18 and can amuse the younger one. AI is brilliant with younger adults.

Interesting i just looked for Nerka on jet2 £5600! 7 nights.

Spain is brilliant for celiacs. I’ve not found France as good. Majorca has something for everyone. Lanzarote also great for architecture fans, beautiful beaches, and geology nuts. You could do a villa in the latter and a few of the hotels do a day AI so you don’t have to stay there, but have all the facilities.