My thoughts are that there are some hundreds of thousands of Mediterranean coastline, all of it outdoors, most of it with hotels and most with a long history of human culture and a program of summer events for 2013.

I think your statement "I haven't really looked into it much" sort of sums it up. Why don't you start by taking a map of the Mediterranean, closing your eyes, and stabbing it with your finger. Then read up on what you stabbed. If you don't like that, repeat process.

If you are worried about "too hot", go to Galicia.

Sorry for my typo -- meant hundreds of thousands of MILES of coastline

Sorry too if I sounded sarcastic, but if you took the entire Med coastal areas, including the islands, and "unkinked" kit, you would have zillions of miles of coast, the vast majority of it with beach destinations set up for family tourism. Even if you just went to the Guardian website's travel sections and did a search for "family beach vacation Europe" you would be ahead.

Or just ask your family if they would rather eat Spanish, French or Italian food. Then eliminate the other two.

It's like asking: Where should I go to walk in Europe in Spring?

(Of course bright light will say to you: "Slovenia! I loved walking there!" But are you really going to spend your money that way?

Galicia is a good idea, but you could go anywhere, of course, all of Europe has a coastline and there are beaches on most of it.

I don't know what is warmer than Cornwall but not too hot or waht that means. Do you mean the water is too hot or the outdoor temps are too hot, and what would be your criteria for that?

Some suggestions of places that are not the most crowded might be Germany or the French coastline west of Marseille rather than east.

eg
http://germanyiswunderbar.com/eastern-germany/germany-holidays-beautiful-baltic-beaches/

http://www.creme-de-languedoc.com/Languedoc/beaches/index.php

I've been to Montpellier in summer, though (beaches near there) and of course it is hot, it's summer and in southern Europe.

You could also look at somewhere like Naxos in Greece. We were in Greece in Aug last year and yes it was hot and busy, but the beaches were great. We stayed here http://www.hotelspiros.com/ and it was perfectly located just off the beach and had a great pool. The island is big enough to have something for everyone.

Enjoy!

We've been to Cornwall -- that doesn't qualify as warm. >>

lol, indy-dad, that's only based on one trip! who knows, this year it may be boiling. [but I'm not holding my breath!]

seriously, how warm do you want? the problem is that the greater chance of decent weather you want, the hotter it gets. so if you go to the Algarve in southern Portugal, or to Greece, you are almost bound to have as much sun as you could want. OTOH, it may be VERY hot.

further north the temperatures are likely to be more clement, but decent weather cannot be guaranteed. For example, 3 years ago we went to Brittany in June and it was extremely hot; the next year we went in August and it never got above 20C.

for a nice mix of beach and culture, you might look at the South of france or the beaches near Venice or the Tuscan coast or Sardinia or.... as GA so tactfully suggests, the choice is endless.

regarding the northern coast of Spain, we did a trip to Northern Spain one summer and it was lovely - nice beaches and lots to see. San Sebastian is a beautiful place along that coast with beautiful beaches which is also very interesting culturally. and the food is great. but it might rain!

Ummm, I think you better clarify whether you want limit your search for your needle in a haystack to suggestions for the Mediterranean or you would like even a more confusing array of suggestions to include Germany, Portugal, Greece, Venice, Brittany and the Basque coast, none of which involve the Mediterranean.

While we're at it, I'll throw in Norway, Turkey, Crimea, Egypt, Lebanon, the Ivory Coast, the Dominican Republic and Thailand -- and oh -- California and the Prince Georges Islands!

Sorry, I didn't mean to take Greece out of the Med! But you get the point.

Do you want a Mediterranean beach? They are likely to be hotter than beaches elsewhere -- the Atlantic, the Bay of Biscay, Germany, Belgium, etc.

My friend who has school age children regularly goes to Greece during late August, last year she remarked how uncrowded it was compared to previous years. There were deals to be had at the apartment she rented. This was Crete.
Most of the med will be hot, over 40C in some cases but that's what alot of people are looking in their summer holiday.

There's danger of being overwhelmed by too much choice. One way of narrowing it down is to decide where you want to fly from, and see what deals are available. Even pop into a travel agent and get some brochures for an idea of what's out there. Though August is peak season, so book earlier rather than later

Spain (mainland or islands), Greek islands, Portugal, Italy, Turkey will all give you what you want. Turkey can be a bargain.

As you mentioned Mallorca that can be great destination for a family holiday. Just pick the right place (not Magaluf!) I'd focus on Mallorca or one of the Greek islands.

Some nice 'mix' places include Tossa de Mar (easy daytrips to Barcelona & Girona), LaGrandeMotte/LeGrauDuRoi (easy tripping to Montepellier, Nimes, and pretty little places in Provence), Antibes, Camogli (daytrips to Genoa, Cinque Terre and down the Riviera, but a smallish stony beach), Sorrento/Positano (Sorrento only has pontoon bridge 'beaches', but Positano has a nice beach and daytrips to Capri, Pompeii, Herculaneum, and Naples). Also, Lido di Venezia (people complain about the beach, but these people are not teens).

As you mentioned Mallorca that can be great destination for a family holiday. Just pick the right place (not Magaluf!) I'd focus on Mallorca or one of the Greek islands.>>

there are terrific beaches along the north coast of Crete - at Rethymnon and Chania - and lots to see and do culturally - Knossos at Heraklion for started - though Chania is also very interesting.

as for Mallorca, we spent a very nice family holiday on the north of the island one year - Pollensa was the name of the place I think. Again, lovely beaches but also a lot to do by way of day trips.

but I agree with another poster that one way to narrow it down is to look at where you can get to most easily, and start from there.

indy, I've enjoyed your visits all over UK and I think there was one into Normandy. So my thoughts are

1) The obvious package deals that you will see on the internet along the south coast of Europe, in August they will be busy and hot.
2) The great thing is that the Northern Europeans all are there making a crowd even worse.
then there are some interesting areas where (generally) the locals go, such as
3) Northern Spain
4) Western France (I cannot speak enough about Ile de Re but open the wallet big time)
5) The Baltic, (the where?) the Baltic is big and shallow with very little in the way of tides, as a result it heats up, I have friends who spend August in Finland on an island basking in the warm water but you could of course look at Northern Germany (but on the Baltic not the North Sea)
6) Rivers and Lakes, Lake Balaton (Hungary), not Lake Constance (too deep makes it cold), the Mosel (but chose a town that has a public open air swimming pool.

Any use?

"Sorry too if I sounded sarcastic,"

Why apologize zeppole - we're used to it.

indy_dad: Crete is what came to mind first. For the reasons mentioned above. Beachy, antiquities, scenery, warm.

I haven't been to Mallorca, but a friend lives in Barcelona and has a small apartment on the island that she rents when not staying there herself. It sounds like a great place for a family break. And there are lots of cheap packages from the UK.

St Cyprien-la-plage, in SW France. GREAT sandy beach with a pretty harbor to walk around, too. Close to the mountains, you can explore the Cathar ruined fortresses from there. A quick drive to Perpignan, too. I expect it books up quickly, although there seem to be a lot of flats within walking distance of the beach. (We spent a month there, way off season (Nov) in 2010). Good restaurants and a fabulous bakery right on the harbor.

Oh, I like uhoh_busted's suggestion. That IS a fine beach and pretty setting. Haven't been for quite a few years, but loved it!

Oh -- it will be hot and there will be traffic in August, but that is because EVERYONE in Northern Europe wants to go to the beach then. On the other hand, it kind of makes it a cultural experience, too.

Thanks for the suggestions and for cutting me some slack on the open-ended question (most of you, at least).

@annhig -- the Cornwall comment was to make sure you were paying attention.

I'll take a look at Mallorca and Crete as well as look up some of the other places I haven't heard of! I think this might actually be a good time to visit a local Travel Agent and appreciate the suggestion. After pooling together a few options I'll bounce it off the fam and see what sticks.

BTW, due to a poor decision a few years back, we are saddled with some RCI points. This might actually be one opportunity to use them. If anyone (janisj??) has any suggestions for those, let me know as well.

Thanks again.

Are you sure about the Northern Europeans heading South in the summer? I live in the North and in a relatively affluent area. I've been curious about the travel habits of many because the Swedes love to travel. The past couple of years it's been New York during Fall break; Thailand, the Caribbean and Mexico during the Christmas break; Skiing or warm places during February break; and Turkey, Egypt or even skiing during Spring break. In the summer I find that many head out for weeks on end on their sailboats and a few to Southern climate if the weather is terrible. It all depends on the weather because if we have a nice summer then there is no better place in the world to be than in Sweden and I'm sure the same applies to the other Scand. countries. But you want to get the h-ll out of Dodge if it is rainy and grey as we have enough of that year round.

My younger daughter was very fair as a child and we took a decision that the hot areas of Europe were off limits for a few years.
Some of the places we visited were
The Vendee in France-we did Eurocamp here which is always a hit with children
Farm and apartment holiday in Denmark booked through DFDS
Another time we did a grand tour of Scandinavia- UK to Germany by boat, on through East Germany to Bornholm (really interesting- I love Scandinavian islands)up to Stockholm over to Finland back to Oslo and home- some magnificent beaches here and hot weather on the whole.
Another place on the radar but we haven't made it yet is Sylt off the west coast of Germany.
With all of these you run the risk of rain but it will be less rain than in Britain and warmer too if not hot)

We were in Sardinia one July/August time frame. I can recommend a nice family resort in Valledoria if you are interested. We had a car and did some day trips with our kids and another family we were with on holiday. It was hot but the resort was breezy on the beach. Waves mademitnso we had to hand hold the younger kids in the water. We enjoyed the swimming pool at the resort as well.

Since you are based in the UK, you should find a multitude of package deals for Portugal/Algarve and the Canaries.
Neither one is considered as "hot" as the Med.
In fact, many Spaniards go to the Canaries in summer (as well to their mainland North Coast) to escape the heat.
Due to the (cold) Atlantic water currents, the Canaries have a moderately warm climate year round with temps rarely exceeding 30C.
But neither location will be especially cheap in August, as it's their peak season.

@annhig -- the Cornwall comment was to make sure you were paying attention. >>

can i have my prize now please?

What are RCI points?

RCI is a timeshare exchange firm based in the US but with resorts all over. We essentially have "points" to use at an equivalent RCI timeshare if I can find a suitable match. It rarely works out with my interests, however, as I'm now finding out.

RCI is a timeshare exchange firm based in the US but with resorts all over.>>

Aha - care to post a link? we might be able to spot a "runner" or two!

www.rci.com -- not sure how much you can see without logging in, but feel free to have a go!

indy_dad: Do you have LOTS of RCI points? Most of the places mentioned will be at max high season. So if RCI doesn't work out for this trip, there are TONS of resorts right in the UK that would make good trades for holidays while you'reliving there.

(I've traded for probably 15 or 20 weeks in Scotland and England over the years. Actually using them for a week in Fife this spring at a wonderful place I've stayed before.)

We wouldn't go to Sardinia in August.

Beautiful place but just totally overrun in that month. We have been 6 times, two years ago we went for the first time in August. We had to queue for a space to put towels on the beach. Awful time.

Been to Mallorca over 20 times. Lovely place. Look at Colonia Sant Jordi, which is a mainly Spanish upper market resort, good beach restaurants and the best beaches on the island. It is a shortish drive from the airport. Be very careful wit planning, as the resorts range from some of the worst in Europe to some of the most exclusive n Europe.

The weather is regulated by the fact that it is an island. Temperatures rarely exceed 35oC but rain can be more of an issue than place like Sicily.

Lots of day trips on the island and Palma is a lovely city.

You may wish to read

http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/travel-and-living-abroad/travel-advice-by-country/sub-saharan-africa/105cote-d'ivoire

Before you consider some of the advice above.

indy_dad: Do you have LOTS of RCI points? Most of the places mentioned will be at max high season. So if RCI doesn't work out for this trip, there are TONS of resorts right in the UK that would make good trades for holidays while you'reliving there.

(I've traded for probably 15 or 20 weeks in Scotland and England over the years. Actually using them for a week in Fife this spring at a wonderful place I've stayed before.)

The number of points hasn't really been the issue (we have 74K -- not sure if that is considered a lot or not). It's more finding the right place for what I have in mind.

I'm all ears for suggestions as it's been a frustrating experience for me. I can post an e-mail if you prefer.

indy-dad, i couldn't really access the site so couldn't see what is available - sorry.

I'm all ears for suggestions as it's been a frustrating experience for me. I can post an e-mail if you prefer.>>

can i suggest that we go back to a suggestion made up-thread?

where can you get to easily from your local airport/s? [East midlands, Birmingham, even Leeds Bradford].

that might help to narrow it down.

my favourite idea so far is Mallorca. warm but not boiling, nice beaches, lots of things to see and do, a new culture and spanish food.

oops, sorry, it's your holiday, not mine!

my favourite idea so far is Mallorca. warm but not boiling, nice beaches, lots of things to see and do, a new culture and spanish food.


Agree, Mallorca appears promising. The "I'm all ears for suggestions comment" was meant to be more general regarding the RCI tangent.

Thanks for the suggestions!

There are several terrific RCI resorts in Scotland and most are quite posh w/ lots of on-site facilities and in good locations for touring bases (but also a couple that are too remote to be convenient)

there is one in Sutton-under-Whitestonecliffe (near Thirsk) in North Yorkshire which is wonderful base for York, the Moors, Whitby and the coast.

There are several in the S/SE - Elmer's Court is next door to the ferry to the Isle of Wight and a great base for the New Forest/Beaulieu/Bucklers Hard, Portsmouth and over to the Dorset Coast.

Stouts Hill near Dursley is good for Bath, the Cotswolds, Forest of Dean and south Wales.

There are lots in south Devon and Cornwall - mostly smaller properties but great for that area.

And there are the narrow boats (very easy get)

These are just a few to think about.

There are several terrific RCI resorts in Scotland and most are quite posh w/ lots of on-site facilities and in good locations for touring bases (but also a couple that are too remote to be convenient)>>

jj - i think that after this last summer [not to mention autumn and winter] indy dad and family want some more or less guaranteed sun.

there is only a certain amount of english rain that someone can stand, if they aren't brought up to it!

Indy

There is an RCI complex in Alcudia

Really good beach, nice old town, lovely marina area and well placed for day trips.

oh yes, Alcudia.

THAT"S where we stayed.

jj - i think that after this last summer [not to mention autumn and winter] indy dad and family want some more or less guaranteed sun.

For this trip, that's true. Always taking notes for future options though! Unfortunately, we have just a year or so left and I've pretty much got the general locales mapped out.

Thanks for the list, janisj.

annhig: "jj - i think that after this last summer [not to mention autumn and winter] indy dad and family want some more or less guaranteed sun."

I know they want to go warm/south/beachy for this trip.

My post was mainly for the side bar about using up their RCI points - was just giving some suggestions where they might try before moving home.

Indy

There is an RCI complex in Alcudia

Really good beach, nice old town, lovely marina area and well placed for day trips.

There are -- unfortunately none available in July/August.

What are the pros/cons of staying in the NE corner (Alcudia) versus the south (Colonia Sant Jordi)?

Thanks.

indy - i looked colonia up on TA and there doesn't seem to be a lot there besides hotels - about 20 hotels are listed plus numerous "speciality lodgings" but only 2 things to do - one a parx naturel and the other a swimming pool.

so it's heavy on the beach, but a bit low on the culture.

the advantage of the NE corner is that you are far enough away from the crowded beaches around Palma, but close enough to nice places like Soller.

are there non RCI places available?

You know, there's at least one good RCI location in Belize - Banyan Bay (at least it used to be one). Flight to Dallas or Houston, flight to Belize, quick hop to Ambergris Cay and you get a nice quiet vacation in the area's off-season. Mediterranean beaches have their high season when it's cold in the US. Not Europe, but considering the Belizeans live on US dollars and the USD is crap right now, that's also good for you.

Cultural attractions are different - Mayan ruins. Locals all speak some English (the only non-island country in the Western Hemisphere whose sole official language is English). Used to be British so if anything's completely messed up, it's your own country's fault