annhig

it does very much depend how used you are to hot weather. if you live in New Mexico or Phoenix Arizona you're likely to feel a lot more at home in Southern Spain in July/August than if you come from Maine or Milwaukee.

And the same goes for your kids. It's all very well planning for them to have a siesta and stay up late while you're on holiday, but the chances are they will take at least a few days to get used to the new routine.

There's no reason why you need to abandon the idea of going to Spain entirely. You could do as the spanish do and head for the north coast [the costa verde] and perhaps combine it with some time in the mountains or go for the area around Barcelona, which has beaches but access to lots of interesting sights as well.

Whatever you decide, IMO good A/C and access to sea/a swimming pool are going to make your trip a lot happier for all concerned.

shehzadp

Thank you all for your inputs. I am not planning on abandoning the idea to visit Spain and Portugal but rather reconsidering to do it during the kids' December break or March/Spring break when the weather is not as hot, albeit with a much less hectic itinerary. For the summer we may head a little north to the Netherlands/Belgium or England/Scotland. I am still researching my options and pick what will make for a good family vacation.

Thank you all once again for all your valuable comments and responses.

annhig

hi shehzadp,

if you are considering "England" for a summer holiday, areas you might look which are traditional british holiday haunts are North Devon, Cornwall [of course!] South Wales, and North Wales, depending on what you want to do. All of those areas will give you a balance of seaside/beach, walking, castles, gardens, and a lot more besides.

if you don't want the beach at all, there are many more choices of course, but with kids of the ages of yours, it would seem to be a shame not to spend some of the time in the sea.

BigRuss

If you're considering Scotland and part of that is Edinburgh, you need to think fast - the August festivals flood that city with visitors and lodging will be difficult to find right now. If you go to Auld Reekie in mid-July, you'll be better able to find sleeping quarters. The rest of Scotland is less of an unholy mess in August than its capital.