kr

Im thinking Germany or Switzerland, but im open to really any country. Have a family of 5, 3 kids are 16,14,9 for next summer. Did the Rome London trip this summer looking for a more relaxed trip for them. Not as much site seeing bit great scenary and a good hotel or castle at 300 us dollars a night.

Thanks

grandmere

Annecy, on Lake Annecy, in France. I've not been there yet, but it's my next destination, I hope! Run a search here, and you will find lots of info on hotels, etc.

Grasshopper

The Ticino, the Italian part of Switzerland. Locarno is a short train ride (or even a bike ride) from Bellinzona, with three castles! Albergo Navegna is right on the lake (swimming, boating) and you can hike in the Centovalli, or take gondolas to the top of mountains and hike back down.

cigalechanta

grandmere. I've stayed by the lake in Taillores. It's lovely

cigalechanta

In France, also Lake St Croix in Haute Provence.

grandmere

Mimi, was there regular and easy bus service between Talloires and Annecy? Merci!

ira

Hi kr,

You might want to consider
http://www.castiglionedellago.it/eng/england.htm

Suspaul

Last year we stayed in Meersburg, Bodensee area of Germany and really enjoyed it. From there you can take a boat across the lake to Constance and get a taste of Switzerland, also it's within easy driving distance of Austria. Meersburg was a wonderful location, on the lake with a lovely promenade, lots of restaurants, a castle and it's near the Zeppelin Museum if that is of any interest. Don't forget about Mainau Island. If I can help any further just let me know.

StCirq

Lago Maggiore, which is a well-known tourist spot, or St-Férréol in the SW of France, which is virtually unheard of but close by lots of interesting attractions and very inexpensive for a family.

kr

Thanks everyone now Ill research the suggestions. Ira thanks, but we just did Rome this summer so I would like to go somewhere else although that did look real nice. Should of done that this summer well anyhow I will look at all the suggestions thanks again

Kenny

sheila

Cameron House, Hotel Loch Lomond Scotland. Or Ardeonaig Hotel, Loch Tay, Scotland. Or Ardanaisaig Hotel, Loch Awe, Scotland

Weadles

Annecy would be a good choice. You can take a "hop on, hop off" type of boat from town to town along the lake. Also there's excellent hiking in the area, although we didn't do much of that.

Annecy itself has a lovely old town that's full of creperies along a pretty canal, boutiques, galleries, and entertainment (jugglers, musicians, etc.) in the summer.

We stayed at the Imperial Palace, which fronts the lake, but I found it stuffy and too expensive. I know there are better places to stay, and I'm sure if you search for previous posts here on Annecy, you'll find them.

Have a great time!

cod

You could not do better than the Berner Oberland. We went to Grindelwald this summer with 7 children aged 17-9 (and Interlaken in 2002, which is between 2 lakes with 5 children)) and had a wonderful time on both trips. Our children did the walks, went skiing on the Jungfrau, went white water rafting and paragliding, swimming in the lake at Bonigen, the summer tobogans on Pfingsted......So as you see, there is loads to do, and the scenery is just spectacular. With our numbers, we went self catering both times - the first time to a mobile home on a campsite, and this year in an apartment. First time we drove our own car, this time we rented in the French sector in Geneva airport (30%discount for family with 3 children under 18). Though the Swiss trains have a junior card for 20chf for children up to 16 travelling with a parent that takes them everywhere for a year, so that's good value. Wherever you go, enjoy the trip.

amwosu

I stayed in Annecy a couple nights this summer and would go back and stay a month if I could. There were bike lanes on the street, a variety of boating opportunities, many teenaged skate boarders, in line skaters, and people walking on a crushed gravel path around the lake. The oldest area of the town is very quaint built around a series of canals but is surrounded by a regular kind of modern city. I would be sure to stay directly on the lake or in the old area of town. I think I have some pictures of Annecy on my weblog if you want to see them. It is www.mrswalkergoestofrance.blogspot.com

Bailey

How about Lake Bled in Slovenia?
We stayed at Vila Bled....on the lake.....incredible scenery. Huge Suite for 160 euroes....mid-season rates.
Boating, hiking......yes there is even a castle!!
I wanted to stay & spend several days on waters edge.....I'm ready to return!!
www.vila-bled.com

Traveler863

A beautiful area is Italy's northern lakes, Maggiore and Como. There's plenty of castles, quaint villages and spectacular scenery. It is also a good location for daytripping in the Alps, certainly Milan or possibly an overnight or two to Venice. Enjoy.

resipsaloquitur

The northern Italian lakes are gorgeous, but if you want something non-Italian, consider the Lake District in Austria (lakes include Wolfgangsee, Halstattsee, Mondsee, etc..) St. Gilgen is a good spot to stay at - centrally located, and a nice little resort town.

Many family activities (swimming, boating, summer luge slides, mountain gondola rides, hiking, salt mine tours, biking) plus only a 90-minute drive to Salzburg (in addition to all the standard sights and Sound of Music tours, kids may like the trick water gardens at Schloss Hellbrunn; there is also a zoo nearby).

Traveler863

Resip,
Yes that area of Austria is beautiful. I had to chuckle when you mentioned the Sound of Music tours in Salzburg. A few years ago a group of us wanted to do that but hate organized tours so we figured out where everything was and did our own. Of course at Schloss Hellbrun it was only the gazebo on the grounds that was used in the movie...which was really all we wanted to see. We ended up on the whole tour not knowing how else to get in, it was neat, but we realized leaving that we could have just gone in the exit and the gazebo is right there...and skip paying and going on the tour.

LynFrance

One year we took three daughters (two of them teen-agers) and one son-in-law to Europe in June and everyone?s favorite memory is of a place we stayed on Lake Geneva. It was a small inn directly on the lake in place called Cully, halfway between Lausanne and Montreux. The name of the place Hotel Major Davel. Here is a link to it from Karen Brown?s web site:
http://www.karenbrown.com/switzerlan...sso?RecID=5176

The rooms were immaculate (we needed three) and reasonable, and the small restaurant was excellent. We had corner rooms with two exposures which was really nice.
But what was memorable was the view of the spectacular snow capped mountains on the other side of the lake. The lake steamers stopped every hour or so at the small pier in front of the hotel. The water was so clear you could see the fish swimming around, and of course you could fish for them if so inclined. You could park easily right in front of the hotel. The World Olympic headquarters is about a ten minute drive down the lake road and an interesting stop. Lausanne is about 10 minutes further along, and if you continue around the lake in the same direction you get to Geneva in about another 25 minutes or so.

If you go north along the lake from Cully, in about 10 minutes your are in the cute town of Vevey?Charlie Chaplin?s home?.and ten minutes beyond that you are in Montreux with its beautiful lake side walk where there is always something entertaining going on ?a market, a fair, a sailing contest?just lots of activity. Ten or 15 minutes beyond Montreux is the interesting Chateaux de Chillon (as in the Man in the Iron Mask). Keep going and you are in Evian, home of the water, and a busy town with a lot of boating activities.

The scenery in the area is just spectacular. There are wonderful train rides up the mountain from Montreux, Berne is about an hour or so away, and the cute town of Gruyere is about a 30 minute drive. There are endless other beautiful small towns along the way.

Annecy is about and hour and a half?s drive from Cully. It?s a beautiful town to visit but I?m not so sure about actually staying there. Have lunch in Annecy, walk around, and take a motorboat ride on the lake. Talloire is gorgeous and though we had stayed there ourselves we didn?t think it would be a particularly interesting place for the kids.

We also stayed in Grindlewald and in Locarno on that trip, as well as in the really fun Italian beach town of Marina di Pietrasanta . Everyone loved the Italian stop.
It was toward the end of the trip and everyone could go their separate ways?.to the really spectacular beach?to the pool?.to the stores?. to the art galleries.

Hope some of this helps.

kr

Thanks everyone I have some work to do now, I will start researching they all sound amazing.