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Holidays

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

Any suggestions for a relaxing one week European break for very fussy DH?

111 replies

Cinaferna · 20/07/2025 14:35

DH and I want to go away for the week in September. But he has a massive list of what he doesn't want and won't or can't do, many of which are things I can and love doing.

We're looking for a week somewhere warm but not too hot (he doesn't do hot.)
Has to fly from Heathrow or Gatwick. He won't fly from anywhere else.
Needs to have loads of cultural interest but not be a big city. He doesn;t want a city break.

He hates water so nowhere focused on boat trips to islands or kayaking. No swimming.

He gets vertigo easily so no cable cars or suspension bridges or tall towers to climb.

His idea of fun is to spend three days in an art gallery or looking at churches. I can do that for a couple of hours but then get backache and bored.

We both like hiking into the hills or canyons, exploring old castles, some art and architecture, markets.

We had an absolutely dream holiday in Slovenia. It was perfect - walking around the lakes, castles, gorges near Bled and Bohinj; markets in Ljubljana.

I have reached an age where I'm stubborn too now and won't pretend that hours and hours in painted churches is my idea of a break. I also really don;t want to go back to Italy and France - gorgeous as they are I have lived in both countries and really want to explore somewhere new.

OP posts:
SummerCanDoOne · 23/07/2025 18:32

Cinaferna · 22/07/2025 06:26

Yes they do. Thank you for understanding. And I am saying no to stuff too, like going back to Italy again, as I've been so often ( gorgeous as it is) and want a change.

Thanks so much to everyone for your brilliant suggestions. We've decided on Austria. Flying to Vienna for the art and food then train to Salzburg for a bit of hiking and Mozart. Really excited.

Glad you sorted it. I'd love to go to back to Vienna one day but am going to double up with Innsbruck for the Swarovski museum!

Hope you have a fab time.

jesihar · 23/07/2025 18:36

As a future one, Scottish Borders. No midges by then. Fly to Edinburgh then train or drive. Can recommend villages, miles of walking, beautiful scenery.

Crikeyalmighty · 23/07/2025 18:49

@Cinaferna we went to Vienna for new year last year- some very beautiful old buildings- there’s also a great food market open area - about 10 minutes from centre ( or on the metro)

declutteringmymind · 23/07/2025 18:53

By the beach in the outskirts of Barcelona.

Hols23 · 24/07/2025 08:30

I love all the suggestions on this thread. It makes me realise how easy it is usually to default to coastal / city break ideas, so this is something different! Have a great holiday, OP.

Cinaferna · 24/07/2025 09:23

declutteringmymind · 23/07/2025 18:53

By the beach in the outskirts of Barcelona.

He hates beaches Grin but we have been to Barcelona and loved it.

OP posts:
funtimetoni · 26/07/2025 23:41

Hope you have a wonderful holiday and that your husband appreciates what a fabulously understanding wife he has.

Alldressedup · 27/07/2025 16:09

I came on this thread to say Salzburg ticks so many of your boxes and now I can see it seems you have decides that too!! It really is beautiful. We did a tour of the Lake District around Salzburg for an afternoon including a stop at the church where Maria and the Captain got married in The Sound of Music. I am planning to go back and do the train ride to Vienna too.

It’s nice you’ve been able to find something that you can both be excited about. Have a wonderful trip.

Davros · 29/07/2025 20:10

I’m so pleased you’ve decided to go to Austria. We’ve had many great holidays there

PaddlingSwan · 30/07/2025 12:43

Strasbourg or Frankfurt. Both full of churches, museums and art galleries.
Frankfurt gives you the option of excursions to Heidelberg or north to the Hessenpark and Limes (hire car required for this, but easy to arrange).
Stay at the Hilton Gravenbruch (formerly Kempinski) in a lake view room for a bit of city respite. If you have a car drive out to Ruesdesheim and take to cable car up through the vineyards to the Niederwald Denkmal for stunning views of the Rhine etc.
Strasbourg has the Voges on its doorstep and you are within about an hour of Chateau Haut-Koenigsbourg, which, if the weather is good, affords views over tot the Schwarzwald and south to the Alps.

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