Summer holiday ideas with cycling, swimming pools and day trips

[FallenNight]

We haven't booked a summer holiday yet.

The last two years have done a center parcs in Belgium/Netherlands. We like to take the bikes and do some (flat) cycling. Kids (tweens) love swimming pools.

We will fly to the canaries in October for late sunshine, so I was thinking a holiday we could drive too for summer. UK or Europe.

But maybe a break from center parcs but still need to be able to find a good swimming pool for the kids, I'd like nice food and maybe a bit of exploring. Excursions.

Any suggestions.

Lalandia in Billund, Denmark next to Legoland. I took teens a few years back and we had a great time.

Thanks @InMySpareTime that looks brilliant. A long drive though from Calais - but a stop off in Amsterdam on the way there and something on the way back might be good.

Duinrell has a very good indoor pool complex, plus an attached theme park. From the park you can easily cycle to the beach and The Hague, which has lots going on. My of my DC’s favourite days out was to Madurodam.

We enjoyed Amsterdam. Can hire cycles and go out of the city (we went to Edam and got cheese).

lots to do in the city itself

Have you thought about the vendee region in France.

We stayed in Les Clarys plage (with eurocamp) but there are loads of similar sites around.
we did lots of cycling include to St John de monts, and there is a lovely pool complex on site and walking distance to the beach.

Also second Duinrell. Nice and close to the ferry if you go from Hull or Harwich

Germany. Plenty of public fun pools, lidos and lake swimming. Good cycle network everywhere.

Frankonia is good, we managed it in one day driving from SE London but often stay overnight somewhere. You have cities like Nürnberg, Bamberg, outdoor activities.

@FallenNight Driving to Billund from the UK is easier and much shorter if you take the ferry from Harwich to the Hook of Holland rather than Dover or Folkestone to Calais.

Harwich also only has this one ferry route, which only leaves twice a day, so there are none of the horrendous queues and delays that Dover and Folkestone experience. Take the overnight ferry and you arrive at the Hook of Holland rested and ready for a relatively easy journey to Billund, most of which is on the motorway and which only takes around 8 hours.

Thanks for all the ideas, some new places to look at. I quite fancy a kids time/park combined with a night or two in a town or city for me and dh

@FallenNight Re: Billund. As well as Lalandia and all things Lego (Lego House and Legoland - both are great for kids) there is also WOW Park. If you want to combine with a town Aarhus, Denmark's second city, is a short drive away and has beaches and an amusement park (Friheden).

If you do Billund, definitely go to the Legohouse, it’s one of the best attractions we’ve ever done and the Mini Chef restaurant was surprisingly good food for the novelty of ordering via Lego bricks - this needs pre booking

Check out Europa Park, easy to then go to Strasbourg or further into Germany like Stuttgart.

Cycling around Ile de Re near La Rochelle is perfect. Beaches rather than pools though, but an easy drive from Calais, and excellent food and wine. France is generally really well set up for cycling. Majorca also excellent for cycling, but not the drive.