Help me plan a summer holiday please - Ferry to France and then driving 2 locations maybe?!

[hummingbeetoday]

It's been a tough year, redundancy and emotional trauma all round.

We are now in a position where we can book a summer holiday for our family of four, two boys aged 13 and 11. It will need to be during UK school summer holidays.

I know we need to get on with it but it feels like another big task. I am hoping you kind people might help narrow down ideas please.

I'm not mad keen on 8k+ just for an All Inclusive sun holiday (we did this a few years ago and the kids got bored with swimming and nothing else to do in the part of Turkey we were in.)

Having said that I think the kids would like some swimming (and a bit of relaxation for me and DH would be nice) if an option but mainly they like activities.

So I did think maybe a ferry to France and 2 locations in Europe with activities / sightseeing. But then I get a bit stuck and overwhelmed. Any suggestions or 2 centre combinations you've done that worked well please? Ideally 2 weeks for less than 5k but not sure if that's realistic.

Failing that, I'd consider an AI sun holiday IF there's lots to do that's easy to arrange in terms of day trips (and some days I feel less daunted by that but I think that's just the stress of the year creeping in.)

Thank you in advance for ideas.

The last few years we have taken our 2DC for a week at a Eurocamp in the South of France and then a week staying in the French Alps. It's quite a lot of driving but worth it imo! Lots of Eurocamps or similar to choose from, our kids love being in the water so we have chosen ones by the sea and with good pool/ waterslides. For the Alps we stay halfway between Lake Geneva and the mountains so we are within striking distance of watersports on the lake and biking/ climbing in the mountains.

I'd also suggest taking a look at the Eurotunnel rather than ferry, depending on your location, to save on travel time.

Thank you. Will look into eurotunnel.

And other ideas anyone please?

If you wanted inland and activities, I’d recommend Euro camp in The Loire for the castles and some cycling and then on to a Euro camp in the Dorgodne, for lots of water activity on the river. Pretty much all of the Euro camps sites have pools.

Have you tried asking ChatGPT? I just asked on your behalf and it’s given what looks like a great option…it’s said all the things there is to do, how to split the two weeks up, and estimated costs and all sorts. I will post some screenshots.
I would say if you’re getting overwhelmed just ask ChatGPT and at least roughly go with first think they suggest! It’s once you start considering too many options it becomes overwhelming…

Images under review but hopefully when they load may be useful for you

Another vote for French Alps. Lots of lakes for swimming and relaxing by. Plenty of family activities like cycling, hiking, canyoning, or even paragliding if you feel adventurous! In summer plenty of ski resorts open summer activities and you can still ride the ski gondolas.

We did Chamonix last Summer, it was great. We bought the Mont Blanc passes that gave us unlimited access to the ski lifts and gondolas, and included the Mont Blanc railway and the Aguile du Midi, where you can take the cable car across the mountain tops into Italy.
You could combine that with Annecy or the south Coast. Port Grimaud is beautiful and you can take the boat to St Tropez and get the bus/drive to Monaco for a day trip too.

Do you mind driving long distances from Calais? Tunnel works out cheapest but France is so BIG 😅

Our favourite campsites are:
Sol A Gogo in Vendee
Ty Nadan in Brittany - we broke the journey at Mont St Michel one way and Omaha Beach the other way.
Les Alicourts, a couple of hours south of Paris

Also the Dordogne is brilliant, the campsite we stayed at is for younger dc than yours but it's a great location.

We love eurocamp and have boys the same age as yours. Last year we did the st malo ferry overnight and drove to st jean de monts, lovely beaches and the site had great pools etc.

this year we are doing the st malo ferry again, but this time a longer drive down to past La Rochelle. On the way home instead of doing the long ferry we will drive and stay overnight near to Calais or Dunkirk and get the shorter ferry the next day.

we also looked at Europe package holidays and to be honest the cost of those grotty looking hotels was eye watering! People turn their nose up at eurocamp but the sites are excellent, the caravans are clean and they have deck areas and bbqs, and it’s just so nice to have your own space. We love the beaches and the sports facilities

Are you definitely wanting to stay in France OP?

Just asking as we had the best 2 centre trip in Denmark last summer between Billund and Copenhagen, and the driving distance to Billund from Calais appears to be the same as to the Alps! Might appeal if your boys are into Lego?

A road trip to Legoland would be amazing and you could start other a ferry to the Netherlands to save driving time.

I always suggest this but the Netherlands is a great family holiday option if you’re flexible about weather. You could do Duinrell and Efteling plus a third location for that sort of money, I would have thought. Non-theme park locations also available.

Look at the Vendee camp sites near La Rochelle, less driving than the south especially if you take the overnight ferries to Normandy. Choose Normandy for the second part and visit the Normandy beaches and museums. Took mine at those ages and they still talk about it, so interesting but also poignant (Normandy has excellent food too)

The year before last we got the ferry from Plymouth to Roscoff (we are based in the SW), drove down through France stopping at our favourite campsite in Brittany (le Milin Kerhe), one night in Saintes, which is a gorgeous town, 3 nights in a lovely campsite in the Landes - DS1 really wanted to go surfing on the Atlantic coast but the day we went the waves were ferocious!- then on to the Spanish Pyrenees, which I would highly recommend. Then a few nights in Bilbao, followed by the ferry back from Santander.

We have done numerous times in France

Annecy and Ardeche via tunnel and a night in Champagne to break up the journey en route

Dordogne and Ile de Re via Portsmouth St Malo ferry.

Into Santander, foodie break in San Sebastian and a stop on the Surf coast on your way up through France.

I think two weeks camping including ferries is about £2k but the campsites are FABULOUS. You could do it for cheaper if you stayed at a Eurocamp without a waterpark (access included in site fees). Or get a chalet on a Eurocamp probably for £5k

Edited to say no idea who turns their nose up at Eurocamp these days. We are top 1% of earners and find Eurocamp to be very middle class (more so than TUI AI to be honest).

This is a fantastic camp site in Saint-Just-Luzac and looks like it's even better than when we stayed there about 10 years ago with our 2 sons. So much to do there and great fun evening entertainment the kids loved.

Loads to do, La Rochelle and the beautiful Île de Ré to visit, too. La Rochelle is a wonderful place to wander round in the evening.

We camped but they have chalets, too by the looks of it.

You could visit Futuroscope from there in a day.

Could add on a few days in Paris for culture and sightseeing on the way home.

Edited to add link!

https://www.sandaya.co.uk/our-campsites/sequoia-parc/rental-units#menu

when I was 10 we had a 2 centre holiday in Frejus (near Nice) and Serre Chevalier. Camping. I loved the mountains and as an adult have taken my own kids regularly (don’t like the Côte d’Azur that much - too many people and traffic is dire. Wholeheartedly advise at least a week in the mountains. My kids have loved the balance of activities, decent weather (not usually roasting), lake activities, bit of culture (Briançon and Vauban forts). I think it’s really hard to beat. Kids are now young adults and still want to come!