Where are you going on holiday summer 2026? Recommend us something!

[drspouse]

Looking for inspiration!
We have two DCs, will be 12 and 14. More into adventure and active stuff than many teens (will not be going off to make new friends, will be asking where the swimming pool is).
We don't really like lying around on a beach either. I can't really climb big hills but city walking is fine.
Last few years we have done Dorset (cottage), Northern France (coast/Disney) and also a trip to the US that was interrupted by illness (don't really want to repeat that though).

Benidorm early summer with my sister then Rhodes in late summer with my DH and older DC (in their early 20s)

I had a lovely stay in Rhodes in my 20s (city not resort) but I'm feeling like since I'm ancient, global warming will mean we're dying of heat in August (it will have to be August for us). How has it been there for you if you've been there in August before?

I'm thinking of the Black Forest.

Deciding between Slovenia and Malaysia.

I have active tween/teen DC and they have really enjoyed activity holidays in Morzine and Croatia (zip lines, rafting etc). Slovenia has similar activities available, hence considering there.

Rhodes is too hot in August IMO. For Greece in August I’d aim further north - Peloponnese, Corfu, Sporades Islands etc.

Go interrailing! Brilliant holiday with teens.

Japan, no pools but plenty of adventure.

I'm actually taking DD interrailing at Easter because she's still 11 then so she's free!

In the last couple of years we did:

Chester and North Wales (Wales was a wash out though)

Scotland - Stirling and Loch Lomond

Rhodes - wouldn't recommened in August but really good if you are interested in history

Berlin and Bavaria (south of Munich/near the border to Austria, Lake Herrenchiemsee)

France - Loire Valley and Cascais in Portugal

Italy in 2026 - Florence and Lake Garda

USA - Boston, Newport and NY

The people with active adventurous teens I know have a brilliant time in the Alps in summer.

In recent years we went on an amazing Swedish walking holiday - a day in Stockholm, took the sleeper train north and started walking in Storulvan. It needs careful booking but there are established trails that are unobtrusively marked between mountain ‘huts’ that include dorm beds, saunas and in some cases amazing food (at worst there is a small shop for pasta etc). The scenery is out of this world and it is all incredibly remote from a British perspective.

This sort of thing - https://www.swedishtouristassociation.com/activities/the-jamtland-triangle-on-you-own-summer/

I fear our walking wouldn't be up to that! Looks gorgeous though.
DH and I also had a lovely summer holiday in the Alps pre DCs so that's definitely one to bookmark.

Feb - Rome

April - Benidorm

July - Magaluf

August - Dorset camping

Somewhere fancy of my DCs choosing for his big birthday in Dec.

We are off to Brazil. 5 locations and lots of activities. A bit budget busting, but worth it to us.

North Pembrokeshire.

Last summer we had 10 days in the Austrian alps, followed by 3 on Lake Constance.

We’re going to an all inclusive in Lanzarote with unlimited access to a water park. DC will be 12, 5 and 2.

We’re off to St Lucia, Iceland, Crete and Croatia

We are going to a eurocamp mobile home on the French med coast for last 2 weeks of June. An area we have been to many times with DCs but this time just the two of us.

French campsite holidays are great with teens as they can have a lot of freedom to come and go.

We like self catering as it means we can eat what and when we want.

I have a big birthday next year so we are planning to do the Exodus family Namibia trip during the summer holidays, but it's not currently booked. Going to cost us an arm and a leg, but my previous big birthday was a bit of a none event. https://www.exodus.co.uk/trips/namibia-holidays/family/namibian-family-adventurer/fan#dates-prices
Also hoping to squeeze in a short beach trip somewhere with the kids.

Following with interest as our DC are a similar age and we fancy doing something a bit different to our standard AI beach holiday. I’ve been looking at Eurocamp in France or Belgium but also somewhere like Tossa de Mar which could be combined with Barcelona or Lido de Jesolo/venice.
I’d quite like a pool or beach for the kids but near town or city.

Italian or Austrian Alps. There's plenty to do - gentle walks, longer hikes, mountain bikes, zip wires, Go Ape-type rope parks, lakes to swim in, rock climbing, white water rafting, tandem paragliding ...

The Alpine resorts now have summer programmes that are more extensive than the winter sports programmes. Our favourite place is Saalbach-Hinterglemm, but look at the "Lakes and Mountains" offerings from the major tour operators for inspiration and ideas.

We're doing a Greenland expedition cruise which I appreciate is a bit niche! We also aren't really beach people and previous successful holidays that we've enjoyed with more active kids have been as varied as a tour of India, Centre Parks, Duinrell with Eurocamp and Thailand multi centre.

We're going to British Columbia in August for just under 3 weeks, absolutely adore Western Canada.

Who are you going with? We went to Svalbard with Oceanside and they were excellent. I really fancy Greenland too.

We're going with Polar Latitudes Expeditions, it's actually an Albatross Expedition ship but they've merged so now under the Polar Latitudes banner. We're really excited, we've no idea really what to expect in Greenland so are looking forward to visiting the villages and capital city as much as the scenery and kayaking.

Germany- road trip though. Stay in Aachen (history, not a long drive from Calais) then plot a route around including 2-3 nights in Fussen to see the castles and the Black Forest for some active activities, europa parc before heading into France back to the U.K. (on in reverse of course.) if you have 2 weeks you can see a good selection of places. If like me you have ropey German don’t worry, because we found that hotel staff either spoke English or were happy to make do with my school girl standard German. We don’t book accommodation ahead (nor our return crossing) usually to be flexible but in peak season you might need to. Google is your friend to plot a trip with appropriate distances. Not sure if it’s still there but stayed at a great indoor tropical resort place in Germany once and my dc loved Fussen for the castles, horse and carriage ride and the sommerbob plus europa parc was a huge hit and bizarrely the zeppelin museum.