Need location ideas for family trip to Europe - not your std itinerary
Nov 28th, 2004, 07:02 PM
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Need location ideas for family trip to Europe - not your std itinerary
We are a family of four - married couple and two teenagers ( freshman in college and high school). I am looking for suggestions for a family trip to Europe. Would like to be based someplace that is not a large city, possibly renting a house. The location should not be so isolated that the teenagers will feel isolated - i.e., there should be a town, village, small city, etc., where there is enough to keep their interest, but where we could spend some family time as well. Would like to stay in this area for a week or two, and then possibly begin or end the trip somewhere near a big city. Great food and culture nearby a plus. All ideas welcome. Thanks.,
Nov 28th, 2004, 07:19 PM
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I think you need to narrow it down a bit. Europe is rather large, so unless you can give us something more to go on, we poor fools out here have no idea where to start with suggesting something reasonable for you and your family.
Nov 28th, 2004, 07:27 PM
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Robert, I am really ready to consider all options: farmhouse in Ireland, Italian small towns, Spanish beaches, Swiss mountainside, etc. What I am looking for are firsthand suggestions - I read this messageboard all the time and really enjoy the breadth of the suggestions on the boar. Thanks.
Nov 29th, 2004, 01:13 AM
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Victoria ?
May I suggest you look at this link:
http://www.somethingspecial.co.uk/vi....asp?PID=LD114
Absolutely fabulous house in the south of France in the small village of St Siffret (no shops, 1 restaurant) - 5 minutes outside the beautiful town of Uzes (all amenities, excellent markets, restaurants, shopping etc). 25 mins from Nimes (Roman arena, Maison Carée etc) and 40 from Arles and the Carmargue. In the other direction its 10 minutes from the Pont du Gard and half an hour from Avignon (for the big(ger) city experience; hypermachés etc).
A lot of excellent restaurants dotted around in local villages etc.
If you want an active day its an hour to Vallon Pont d'Arc where you can hire two man Canadian Canoes and paddle down the Ardeche gorge through rapids etc (don't worry - no experience required, they even have lifeguards posted at each set of rapids!), a long exhausting day but an absolute highlight and extraordinary experience.
So - Sun, great gite/house full of character with swimming pool, culture, restaurants, markets, shopping, eye popping ancient monuments, the opportunity for a canoe adventure and friendly locals.
Have I sold it to you?
Dr D.
May I suggest you look at this link:
http://www.somethingspecial.co.uk/vi....asp?PID=LD114
Absolutely fabulous house in the south of France in the small village of St Siffret (no shops, 1 restaurant) - 5 minutes outside the beautiful town of Uzes (all amenities, excellent markets, restaurants, shopping etc). 25 mins from Nimes (Roman arena, Maison Carée etc) and 40 from Arles and the Carmargue. In the other direction its 10 minutes from the Pont du Gard and half an hour from Avignon (for the big(ger) city experience; hypermachés etc).
A lot of excellent restaurants dotted around in local villages etc.
If you want an active day its an hour to Vallon Pont d'Arc where you can hire two man Canadian Canoes and paddle down the Ardeche gorge through rapids etc (don't worry - no experience required, they even have lifeguards posted at each set of rapids!), a long exhausting day but an absolute highlight and extraordinary experience.
So - Sun, great gite/house full of character with swimming pool, culture, restaurants, markets, shopping, eye popping ancient monuments, the opportunity for a canoe adventure and friendly locals.
Have I sold it to you?
Dr D.
Nov 29th, 2004, 04:43 AM
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How are your language skills? In which languages are you most comfortable?
IMHO lviing in a house for a couple of weeks - shopping in local stores and markets, dealing with other daily chores - requies a little more in the way of language skills than the typical tourist route (hotel to restaurant to train etc). Not that you need to be fluent - but not knowing any of a language can make the experience much more difficult.
IMHO lviing in a house for a couple of weeks - shopping in local stores and markets, dealing with other daily chores - requies a little more in the way of language skills than the typical tourist route (hotel to restaurant to train etc). Not that you need to be fluent - but not knowing any of a language can make the experience much more difficult.
Nov 29th, 2004, 05:37 AM
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I remember there was a thread here - a trip with 2 teenagers in a house in france with a title "never again!".
We've done trips with our teenager then, and found that it worked well for us:
1. an apartment in London with citiy sightseeing and daily trips with private guide.
2. Italy - especially a stay in Tuscany to chill out with a pool, then Florence and venice.
3. Spain - stayed in hotels.
'
I have some trip reports posted online.
http://emcoinc.com/travel/html/Europe/Lonrpt.htm
http://emcoinc.com/travel/html/Europe/Italyrpt.htm
We've done trips with our teenager then, and found that it worked well for us:
1. an apartment in London with citiy sightseeing and daily trips with private guide.
2. Italy - especially a stay in Tuscany to chill out with a pool, then Florence and venice.
3. Spain - stayed in hotels.
'
I have some trip reports posted online.
http://emcoinc.com/travel/html/Europe/Lonrpt.htm
http://emcoinc.com/travel/html/Europe/Italyrpt.htm
Nov 29th, 2004, 06:24 AM
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Nov 29th, 2004, 07:34 AM
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Hi Victoria619,
How about some Swiss mountains? I'd suggest maybe the hills around Gstaad/Saanen where the teens could bike & hike for days, then the family could take excursions to Lake Geneva, Lake Thun, Lake Brienz, the Berner Oberland, Bern, etc. Gstaad (www.gstaad.ch) is a gastromonic paradise! Pair it with a big city like Zurich or Luzern.
An alternate mountain location might be a town in the Engadine Valley -- maybe Sils or Scuol or Pontresina (a bit off the Engadin but close). Again, teens can bike and hike and explore mountains while you folks can eat & shop in places like St Moritz. Look around www.engadin.ch.
You can find apartments in both areas at the town's tourism website.
Let me know if you'd like more info.
s
How about some Swiss mountains? I'd suggest maybe the hills around Gstaad/Saanen where the teens could bike & hike for days, then the family could take excursions to Lake Geneva, Lake Thun, Lake Brienz, the Berner Oberland, Bern, etc. Gstaad (www.gstaad.ch) is a gastromonic paradise! Pair it with a big city like Zurich or Luzern.
An alternate mountain location might be a town in the Engadine Valley -- maybe Sils or Scuol or Pontresina (a bit off the Engadin but close). Again, teens can bike and hike and explore mountains while you folks can eat & shop in places like St Moritz. Look around www.engadin.ch.
You can find apartments in both areas at the town's tourism website.
Let me know if you'd like more info.
s
Nov 29th, 2004, 08:55 AM
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Two options occur to me:
1. Italy: Siena (small, artsy college town) as you base, finish in Rome.
2. England: Oxford as your base, finish in London (obviously).
But Italy and England are the only countries in Europe that I've visited ...
1. Italy: Siena (small, artsy college town) as you base, finish in Rome.
2. England: Oxford as your base, finish in London (obviously).
But Italy and England are the only countries in Europe that I've visited ...
Nov 29th, 2004, 10:01 AM
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I know you don't mention anywhere in the UK -- but a great location would be a rented cottage or apartment in Scotland.
Great scenery, wonderful cities and amazing history.
A place near a town on a rail link (Perth, Stirling, North Berwick, Cupar, Stonehaven, Maybole, etc) with relatively short trips into Edinburgh and/or Glasgow would let the kids explore the cities on their own but still have you out in the country w/ country pubs, hiking/walking, and great scenery/castles.
Great scenery, wonderful cities and amazing history.
A place near a town on a rail link (Perth, Stirling, North Berwick, Cupar, Stonehaven, Maybole, etc) with relatively short trips into Edinburgh and/or Glasgow would let the kids explore the cities on their own but still have you out in the country w/ country pubs, hiking/walking, and great scenery/castles.
Nov 29th, 2004, 10:57 AM
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I am assuming summer travel with school kids. I see several good options, but these are my choices:
1. Rural Tuscany--ending in Rome.
2. Nerja or Estepona Spain--ending in Seville
3. Bavaria and Salzkammergut area of Austria a week each--ending in Munich.
1. Rural Tuscany--ending in Rome.
2. Nerja or Estepona Spain--ending in Seville
3. Bavaria and Salzkammergut area of Austria a week each--ending in Munich.
Nov 29th, 2004, 11:30 AM
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You might enjoy a stay on the Mosel River; Cochem is a scenic base town with its own 1,000-year-old castle (w/tour and nifty falconry show), lots of character and plenty of eateries and outdoor cafes open into the evening; it's good for daytrips out by car, train, or boat to smaller villages nearby, to Trier, Luxembourg, Cologne, the Rhine Valley, and Lorraine (France). Here's a link to nearby Mosel towns:
http://www.mosel-reisefuehrer.de/mos...ighlights.html
For recreation, there is lots of easy bicycling along paved river paths in the area, good hiking, and a water park called the Moselbad.
You'll find lots of homes and apartments for rent by the week in the area as well - it's a popular destination for European families.
http://www.mosel-reisefuehrer.de/mos...ighlights.html
For recreation, there is lots of easy bicycling along paved river paths in the area, good hiking, and a water park called the Moselbad.
You'll find lots of homes and apartments for rent by the week in the area as well - it's a popular destination for European families.
Nov 29th, 2004, 11:50 AM
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Now that you haven't really narrowed it down any, I might as well suggest you consider visiting the Basque Country, staying along the coast anywhere between Mundaka in the País Vasco (Spanish side) and Hossegor in the Pays Basque (French side). The area from San Sebastian-Donostia in the País Vasco to Biarritz in the Pays Basque is a great beach area, with surfing along nearly the entire coast. The cities of San Sebastian and Biarritz are resorts once favored by royalty and now popular with those who enjoy the quality of life found there. There are dozens of small villages in this area to explore and a number of excellent country homes to rent as full rentals, or others you to rent rooms. And the prices are very reasonable.
This is an ideal location for your two teenagers, as well as for yourselves. The food is fantastic, as is the wine, wherever you go in this region. The scenery can't be beat. You've got mountains to walk in and miles of beaches to stroll. You can go surfing, sailing, swimming, canoeing, biking, mountain biking, kayaking and just about anything else you can imagine, including paragliding and ballooning. There is great night life in the larger cities/villages, but the people here do not stay out as late as they do in other areas. There is just too much to enjoy during the daytime.
The larger resort cities of Biarritz and San Sebastian-Donostia have a small town feel to them. A place where everyone walks and enjoys the atmosphere. This area also hosts some of the best Jazz festivals in Europe. The San Sebastian Jazz Festival runs for nearly a month during the summer, with performances every evening in the old city. Biarritz also has a casino on the beach with a great gastronomic restaurant upstairs.
This is an area with so much to see and do that a single summer is not enough.
For more information on the area you can visit the following web sites:
http://www.euskadi.net/home/indice800_c.htm
http://www.basquecountry-tourism.com/home.php
http://www.tourisme.fr/biarritz/
If you need any help with making arrangements, then I suggest you contact Basque Country Travels ([email protected]). They may be able to help.
This is an ideal location for your two teenagers, as well as for yourselves. The food is fantastic, as is the wine, wherever you go in this region. The scenery can't be beat. You've got mountains to walk in and miles of beaches to stroll. You can go surfing, sailing, swimming, canoeing, biking, mountain biking, kayaking and just about anything else you can imagine, including paragliding and ballooning. There is great night life in the larger cities/villages, but the people here do not stay out as late as they do in other areas. There is just too much to enjoy during the daytime.
The larger resort cities of Biarritz and San Sebastian-Donostia have a small town feel to them. A place where everyone walks and enjoys the atmosphere. This area also hosts some of the best Jazz festivals in Europe. The San Sebastian Jazz Festival runs for nearly a month during the summer, with performances every evening in the old city. Biarritz also has a casino on the beach with a great gastronomic restaurant upstairs.
This is an area with so much to see and do that a single summer is not enough.
For more information on the area you can visit the following web sites:
http://www.euskadi.net/home/indice800_c.htm
http://www.basquecountry-tourism.com/home.php
http://www.tourisme.fr/biarritz/
If you need any help with making arrangements, then I suggest you contact Basque Country Travels ([email protected]). They may be able to help.
Dec 3rd, 2004, 04:04 PM
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i have been getting some ideas for a trip with our 22 yr. old.
scotland, and northern england , as many other places, have some great adventure outlets with quads, kayak trips.. long, short.. whatever.
tons of classes to go to also to learn anything from driving a 4x4 to shooting.
i got the info from the scotland tourist webpage. they sent two great booklets.
besides being beautiful scenery, scotland at least should not be so horribly hot in summer.
scotland, and northern england , as many other places, have some great adventure outlets with quads, kayak trips.. long, short.. whatever.
tons of classes to go to also to learn anything from driving a 4x4 to shooting.
i got the info from the scotland tourist webpage. they sent two great booklets.
besides being beautiful scenery, scotland at least should not be so horribly hot in summer.
Dec 3rd, 2004, 05:15 PM
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I didn't read through this whole thread, but based on the preferences you explained in your initial post, two areas that I think would be perfect for you are the Umbria region of Italy or the Dordogne area of France.
