No Idea where to go - any suggestions?!

[Indecisivelurcher]

We've unexpectedly got a little money and would like to go abroad, me, DH, dd11, ds9. But I really can't narrow it down at all, there are so many great options and I'm putting myself under pressure for it to be memorable as we don't go abroad often!

So far I've looked at Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Portugal, Crete, Croatia, Slovenia, south east France, the black forest.

We'd like historic interesting towns for a wander, history, different culture, sights, ideally free activities. Also beautiful scenery, maybe some decent walks (not at massive inclines though). Maybe some water beach, lake or river, maybe forest or flower meadows.

I don't want to do loads of driving but would do some if it's chilled. We don't want to stay in a high rise hotel, which most package holidays seem to be and they don't tell you much about the actual place.

We would like sunny weather. We could go Easter, May half term or early summer hols.

Welcome any suggestions! I think because the experience is the main thing rather than the country it's hard to narrow down.

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Greece, Croatia or Italy can still be on the cooler side in early April and you need to check if everything is open already, May half-term may be a better time to go.

If you want Summer holidays, I would stay away from anything south, it can be really hot and not very nice to do sightseeing.
Austria may be a really good choice, Bavaria or Lake Constance are also good.
Switzerland can be expensive.

@IndecisivelurcherId try and do it though. It’s memorable and something very different - NZ is a long way but Peru and CR are more doable. South Africa has little time difference and not expensive when you are there.

Barcelona is a gorgeous city that also has a beach. Best of both worlds!

I’ve been to Switzerland quite a lot on choir tours and think it’s a terribly dull place…

@MsGrumpytrousers How are Swiss mountains and trains dull? Really?

Montenegro

Have you thought about inter railing? Passes are free for children under the age of 12. You can visit various places without having to drive. You are also covered for rail travel to and from your home station in the uk if you leave or return to the country on one of your travel days.

There’s a really helpful Facebook group but The Man in Seat 61 website is a goldmine of useful info.

Yes, thought about it lots and love the man in seat 61 stuff have looked for years before and after kids. I did inter railing myself in about 2004 😱 Initially I was planning us 2 weeks from Switzerland to Italy but then wondered if it was a bit much, started trying to focus on one or two places, and here I am being spoilt for choice...

We did Amsterdam - Innsbruck (night train) - Tyrol - Verona - Trieste and flew back from Trieste. A great mix of trains, mountains, culture and beach.

Wow sounds immense! Did you have kids with you?

Yes one tween, they were a tad bored mountain walks but the rest made up for it. Interrail is a bargain.

The Swiss travel passes are really expensive, you really need them to enjoy the area.
We didn't like Interlaken, instead stayed in Wengen (2 more trains up the mountain) which is lovely.

The problem with Wengen is getting out of Wengen to see more. Interlaken and villages nearby is a better hub for transport. Travel is expensive in Switzerland but everything is expensive in Switzerland! The joy of the trains is variety and not being static. We stayed in Boningen which was a short bus ride from Interlaken station. Pretty area but few restaurants.

I think you should do Slovenia/Croatia.

We flew to Ljubljana and enjoyed the town for a few days, also did a day trip to the caves.

Lake Bled for scenery/walks/bikes/swimming.

We then headed down to Split in Croatia, with a stop at Plitvice Lakes along the way. Split has an old town/ruins as well as boat trips out to islands etc.

You could continue down to Dubrovnik if you wanted even more!

Lake Garda - day trips to Venice and Verona.

how do you want to travel? If in school holidays fares can be £££ so one option is Brittany and /or Normandy which fits your requirements and isn’t far from the U.K. driving wise. I have also driven down and stayed in the Black Forest in Germany and Avignon in France, both I recommend highly you may want to do one overnight stop en route though we took the overnight ferry to Caen then drove straight through

DP and I have just been on holiday to the South of France.

Its not as scarily expensive as you might think unless you stay in Nice or Monaco. You can get a special transport ticket for 50 euro for seven days ( Pass Sud Azur) and that covers you for regional trains, buses, trams over a pretty wide area.

Great beaches and lots of pretty towns.A trip to Monaco is fun for the wedding cake architecture, glitz and poseurs.

If you like gardens the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild on Cap Ferrat has some of the most beautiful I've ever seen.