Somewhere interesting but good for poor mobility

[Z0rr0]

We're looking at going on holiday next year with my kids (21 & 17) and parents (late 70s early 80s). My dad has some mobility issues. He can walk but is a little unsteady. He walks slowly and would struggle to do more than a mile. He is often in discomfort. So I'm looking for recommendations for somewhere we could go that will be interesting for all of us but is easy to get around.
He can drive, I can drive.
We don't do hotels (usually) or resorts. Prefer our own space, don't like loads of other tourists around us or organised 'fun'.
We like beaches but my parents and my younger daughter don't like very hot. Mid to high 20s would be enough.
We like nice food, pretty views, interesting buildings. Some of us enjoy museums and art galley type places. Dad not a fan, plus walking.
So I'm wondering if there's a place where we could stay in a villa but be close to some interesting towns which we could maybe drive to, do a little walking and then one of us can sit in a cafe with Dad while the rest check out the shops or the streets or a museum.
Does this sound like anywhere anyone has been and enjoyed? Would love your ideas and recommendations.
Would have to be in school holidays so Easter or mid July+.
Thank you!

Austria on the other hand was easy!

Thank you!

Def agree Easter would be best if you're looking at Palma, since it'll be heaving in July.

Lake Grada? Theme parks for the kids plus swimming in the lake, stand up paddle boards etc. Use the ferry to explore towns round the lakes or get the train to Verona for the day. Can even explore further & go into Venice or Milan by train.

Denmark? Very flat, lots to see. Excellent public transport. Might not get the weather.

I came to this thread to look for ideas for us in similar circumstances- I’m the one with mobility issues, I can walk but I have lupus and that makes steps / walking long distances quite painful.

Just wanted to reply to this - we went to Palma in June this year and I found it quite tricky. There are a lot of steps up and down to the cathedral and there are a lot of cobbles in the streets which made it quite painful for me to walk. Some of the main shopping streets are fun to browse round but a lot of the smaller shops are up and down steps and it was unbearably hot (35 degrees ish) so don’t go end of June….! We stayed on the other side of the island, in Sa Coma and that was quite nice in terms of flatness, ease of access to beaches etc.

Some of the towns on the south end of lake
Garda would be very suitable, Sirmione, Lazise, Bardolino. Avoid Malcesine as steep and cobbly (although it’s a lovely day out for the more mobile of your party). The only thing is that it is likely to be pretty crowded in July and probably not warm enough in April. May half term should be lovely though if that is a possibility for you.

I agree with @Pepperedpicklescomments about Palma. There are certainly places in Mallorca which are likely to suit your needs but I wouldn’t have chosen Palma.

Copenhagen/Denmark too
Lovely sandy beaches, lots to see in the city

Possibly not quite what you meant but for some reason thinking maybe - Geneva? Hilly but free public transport If you stay more than one night. Lovely views, museums, cafes, lake you can swim in, public beaches.

Menorca might work if you haven’t already been there - lots of villas (although we’re more hotel people) and definitely ok for slightly older people with declining mobility as I went with one of those! It’s more of a low-key place than some suggested, but there are things to do in the main towns and villages, public transport’s easy and Ciutadella (the old capital) and Fornells (harbour village) are lovely.

How about Northern Spain? Obviously the inland parts are very hilly but there are lots of nice coastal towns and villages that are easier to get around. The food is good- especially the seafood - weather tends to be warm but not uncomfortably hot in the Summer (though it can be wet sometimes unfortunately) and both Santander and Bilbao are stylish places in my opinion.

I'd consider the Netherlands. Really easy to get around and a relaxed pace. Interesting culture, art, museums, gorgeous beaches, great food. Not too hot either and it's very flat! Getting the train there is easy too if you don't want to fly

Scandinavia. Denmark - esp around Danish Riviera above Copenhagen - flat but with great beaches. Very good on the mobility front.

Morlaix in Brittany is a port town. You can walk 2km around the port stopping and sitting halfway at a pub/cafe to buy a drink overlooking the port. It has some lovely old medieval houses, lots of little shops including artisan bakery, fromargery, Italian ice cream and chocolate shop, a great tourist information office, bike hire, restaurants, pavement cafes, nice market twice a week and is 20 minutes away from Carantec beach which has a volleyball net on the beach and a diving platform in the sea. There are other beaches very close by too. Morlaix has a viaduct you can climb steps up to and walk across middle section. Morlaix is also close to a green route where you can walk or cycle along disused railway lines. There is also a lovely swimming pool complex about 4km away with high corkscrew shoot. My DH mobility is not good but he manages well there. They also have a railway which has trains to among other places to Breast and Paris. If you travel over on Brittany Ferries it is 40 mins from Roscoff.

I was going to suggest there too.

My friend goes to Normandy a lot. The people he goes with have limited mobility. Get your dad a wheelchair, then you’ll be less limited.

I second the Alnwick suggestion. Further afield, somewhere like Santiaigo de Compostela/Bayonna

Jersey is lovely.

Thank you so much everyone. Lots to look into. Super grateful to you all.