We want beaches, sunshine and cycling with 18mo... completely stuck, where can we go?

[fromheretomaternity]

We want to book a holiday for late Aug / early September. Priorities are warm weather (not too hot though); a nice beach; a decent self-catering place to stay, pref with pool; and, if possible, the option of hiring bikes with a kiddie seat and trundling around some flat/offroad trails (though this is not essential). We want some facilities but are not into big towns / resorts. DS will be 18 months old.

So far we have considered:

• Cape Cod - but expensive and weather a bit unreliable
• Ile de Re - again worried about unpredictable weather

Any other ideas mumsnetters? I need inspiration!!

Provence? Weather should still be great

You can't get much flatter than Chicago

In late Aug / early September - warm but not too hot.

Several beaches, warm water to swim in

Several aparthotels or suite hotels (so self catering) with pool

Lots of bikes

But is obviously a big town (but not a resort)

France is always brilliant for cycling and for young children. I wouldn't have thought that the Ile de Re would be that unpredictable for weather (although nowhere is immune from that these days it seems. The Vendee, although it is quite northerly, is supposed to have a Provencal microclimate so you might be less exposed in one of the mainland resorts rather than on the island.

Camping Village la palge at le Guilvenic in Brittany. Basic site but fab location esp fpor cycling. beach and cycle routes on site.

Second the Vendee - lots of great cycle paths and loads to do for kids.

We also stayed on the Ile de Oleron which had some some lovely cycling (we hired bikes). Would have prefered the Ile de Re I think but couldn't find any suitable accommodation at the time!

Have always used Ownersdirect for houses.

Reckon weather would be ok late August/Sept - we always go in June and (touch wood as we are going again this year) have sun and only 1 or 2 days of rain and even then it didnt last all day!

HTH

We went to Ile de Re in early September and the weather was good, not really sunbathing weather but great for cycling and messing about on the beach, we didn't have a pool but I would think if you're going to pay extra for one you should make sure it's heated.

We also went to Cape Cod, I think that was late September, and the weather was great, it was warm enough to lie on the beach. Some days a bit windy but we found a very quiet inland beach in a state park which was perfect.

Of the two I preferred Ile de Re, you can really cycle everywheredd.

la rochelle?

Some good ideas here. Went to Provence a couple of years ago and wasn't too keen (found it rather unfriendly). I'll have a look at Vendee - hadn't thought of that. Ile de Re is sounding really tempting, love the idea of jumping on a bike every morning to explore.

The weather is really important - we are not sunbathers but I really would like reliable low-20s type weather (went to Amalfi Coast last October and got rained on pretty much every day - don't want a repeat of that!)

What about Croatia? Not sure about cycling options there but is very child-friendly and southerly enough to be warm in early Sept.