bambi1

HI, We are planning a 5 week holiday to Europe next year, likely to be around June. Since we were in Europe a few years ago we are looking for some different places to visit this time. Last time we visited London, Paris, Venice, Lake Garda, Mont Blanc/Chamonix, Cinque Terre and Sardenia. Does anyone have some interesting spots to visit with 2 children around 10 years old. We are not interested in many museums. Perhaps beach or lake stays, easy bikeriding ...? Spain will definitely be on the itinerary... any recommendations where?Thanks!

ditto97

Maybe you can try the Balkan Peninsula? Croatia, Greece, and maybe a day trip to Bosnia/Montenegro.

Sounds amazing...have fun planning and visiting!

sparkchaser

Legoland (or Playmobil Funpark depending on the age of the youngest)

neckervd

A few ideas about places in Switzerland:
SWiTZERLAND WITH CHILDREN

As public transport is rather expensive in Switzerland, study carefully the sites about Swiss Pass, Swiss Flexipass and Swiss half fare card: http://www.swisstravelsystem.ch/Tick...l?&L=2#s_h_f_c

Check the Swiss Travel System Family Card
The Swiss Travel System Family Card is issued at no cost to parents who wish to take along their children under the age of 16 at no cost. Please note that at least one parent has to travel with the child/ren.

Some ideas:

historic steamboats on Lake Geneva:
http://www.cgn.ch/horaires/pdf/AffA2-ete-10.pdf
http://www.cgn.ch/eng/flotte

Swiss Vapeur Park Le Bouveret:
http://www.swissvapeur.ch/en/index.php

Signal de Bougy:
http://www.parc-aventure.ch/Signal-de-Bougy/
http://www.signaldebougy.ch/

Menhirs at Yverdon
http://www.yverdonlesbainsregion.ch/...menhirs_clendy

Blonay-Chamby historic railway:
http://www.blonay-chamby.ch/index-en.php

Chillon castle:
http://www.chillon.ch/en/

Gruyeres castle, cheese diary and chocolate factory:
http://www.chateau-gruyeres.ch/e/mul...spectacle.html
http://www.la-gruyere.ch/en/navpage-...FR-120085.html
http://www.lamaisondugruyere.ch/inde...=142&Itemid=56
http://www.lamaisondugruyere.ch/inde...=142&Itemid=56

Chatelard-Emosson (Mont Blanc area):
http://www.chatelard.net/english/pages/descr_e.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emosson
http://www.emosson.ch/PublicEN/default-en.htm

Zermatt-Gornergrat:
http://www.gornergrat.ch/home/index.php
http://www.klein-matterhorn.ch/photos/
http://www.zermatt.ch/en/index.cfm

Entirely walled city of Murten:
http://www.murtentourismus.ch/en/nav...nFR-99305.html
http://www.murtentourismus.ch/en/nav...-MurtenFR.html
Medieval city of Bern:
http://www.berninfo.com/en/page.cfm/Information
http://www.kleinbahn-gurten.ch/

Swiss Village Park Ballenberg:
http://ballenberg.ch/en/Welcome

Lugano and Swissminiatur:
http://www.lugano-tourism.ch/en/291/default.aspx
http://www.swissminiatur.ch/

Seewen in the Jura close to Basel:
http://www.bundesmuseen.ch/musikauto...x.html?lang=en

Rapperswil:
http://www.zuerichsee.ch/en/page.cfm...FamilyDRZ/1230
http://www.knieskinderzoo.ch/
http://www.zuerichsee.ch/en/page.cfm/SightsRZ
http://www.zuerich.com/en/page.cfm/r...gion_zuerich_x

Rhine Falls Adventure Park
http://www.rheinfall.ch/Attraktionen...ark?lang=en-US

Furka steam train
http://www.furka-bergstrecke.ch/eng/train/timetable.php

You may have a look at
http://www.myswitzerland.com/en/interests/family.html
http://www.takethefamily.com/where/s...ays-and-breaks
http://www.eparenting.co.uk/family_h...tzerland.shtml
http://www.reka.ch/en/rekaferien/Pages/default.aspx
http://littletravellers.com/destinat...y-switzerland/

bambi1

Wow! Thanks for the suggestions! It might take me a while to go through them but it's great to have some ideas to start with.

asps

IMO the most children friendly country is Austria, or the extended area including Salzburg, south Bavaria and Tirol. Apart from obvious chidren destinations like (in Salzburg) toys museum, Helbrunn water park, salt mines, all the services in the country seem to be oriented to families.

Another children destination, in Bavaria but not too distant from Salzburg, is Herrenchiemsee castle. First you take a train from Salzburg, then a tiny train (sometimes with steam engine), then a ferry, than you have a walk in a park or a ride in an horse cart, then you visit a (not too big) castle with golden rooms... what else? (Good weather essential for this trip).

mocha_dolce

Switzerland is a great idea with 10 year olds. You could easily spend 2-3 weeks there, basing yourself in 2-3 places. The Swiss Pass with the family card (free travel for children under 16) makes it a lot more affordable.

Also consider Rome, for all its iconic places, Germany for its castles and the architecture of Bavaria. Wherever you go, consider spending some time in parks, playgrounds, or in toy stores that would be fun for your children.

nytraveler

I would avoid Spain at that time of year - it's just unbearably hot - esp in the south (temps of 100 and more).

I would head for Switz, Germany, Belgium etc - which will have a ton of outdoor things for kids (hiking, biking, exploring mountain peaks)as well as a bunch of castles - ancient ruins and some still being used, lakes with steamers, small military museums that can be fascinating (the real experience of the average soldier - not just tanks and guns) as well as roman ruins (Trier and area is a wonderful place to visit).

sparkchaser

There is a "military park"/museum near Ypres that has restored the WWI trenches. It's a somber place for adults but kids seem to enjoy running around shooting at each other with imaginary guns. Anyhoo, I highly recommend it for WWI history buffs.

sparkchaser

Also, I was at Saalburg (restored Roman fort near Bad Homburg, Germany) twice in the past 4 weeks and when I was there there in June, there were children working with some of the museum staff and they were practicing sword play and the tortoise formation (complete with shields). Very cool to see. Of course, all instruction and information was in German (and the kids were older than 10).

Still, if you look hard enough you should be able to find English language activities.

stevewith

There are many wonderful beach areas of Spain that are not hot in June, or even July, including Barcelona, but I would recommend northern Spain for beauty. There are many places to go bike riding, and of course hiking. Consider bike riding in the Basque Coast in France as well.

If you are going to Spain, I recommend including Portugal as well, the Algarve and parts of Lisbon.

Another possible combination with Spain is Sicily, with a focus on its volcanoes, which your kids should enjoy.

Lastly, it is very easy and cheap to fly from Spain to the Netherlands and Belgium, where you would loads of opportunities for easy easy bike riding, plus most kids find the food heaven on earth.

neckervd

Every Western european country (except the smallest one's) has a few dozens of castles open to the public, not only Germany.

irishface

Wales-lots of castles, steam railways, hiking, beaches.

Scottish/English border--castles, Hadrian's wall, hiking, beaches, train rides.

(took my nephews to these places when they were about that age and years later they are telling their kids about their adventures there)

Check out indy_dad in the search box. He and his wife have been to lots of nifty places with their two children. Lots of ideas for all over Europe. They are Americans now living in UK and their kids were 8 and 11 when they began these adventures. Great trip reports and lots of pictures and maps, also good suggestions for places to sleep and eat.

Christina

well, I was just in Barcelona and it most certainly was hot. Not like Madrid or Andalusia, of course, but it was definitely hot in July, maybe 85-90F most days (30-31 C), and it didn't cool down that much at night. It was also pretty hot in SW Basque France, of course. Besides, if they aren't big on museums, that's one less reason to go to a city like Barcelona and put up with all the city stuff, even though it is a great place.

Now those are pretty normal summer temps in a lot of the US, of course, and the OP may not really care--you do want it hot for the beach, I'd say, or why go. But I would avoid the places even hotter than Barcelona in Spain. I haven't been there but have heard the northern Spain coast is nice, and not as traveled (and NW). I don't think it's that easy to get great flights from there, though, not sure. Galicia, for example. see http://www.spainthenandnow.com/spani...efault_26.aspx

I also like the Switzerland idea.

stevewith

If you were just in Barcelona you weren't there in late June and early July, when it wasn't hot by most people's expectations of summer travel in Europe.

bambi1

Sorry for my late reply but thanks to everyone. You've all given some great ideas that I can start looking into. Seems like almost all those gorgeous European countries have so much to offer our family! Thanks