Help me plan my summer vacation

[Mlle. Zabzie]

Dear people of the board. You are a tribe of strong opinions. I am in need of guidance. For his 40th birthday, my husband has asked that we plan a trip with the family somewhere, preferably out of the U.S. I am in need of ideas of places that are relatively kid-friendly (activities suitable for kindergarteners a big plus) where it might be possible to rent a flat for a week, and that meet his biggest criteria of "not here". Ideas? I'm horrid at this stuff-he is usually our vacation planner. He will probably take it back over at some point because he won't be able to stand it, but I'd like to at least surprise him with a few well-thought-out ideas. Thanks!

[Aemon Stark]

Ok! A few quick questions:

Anywhere in particular you haven't been but are interested in going to?

How far "out of the US"? Canada? Europe? Americas? Asia?

[Littlefingers In The Air]

In addition to Mlle's questions, are you working within a budget of any sort? What are his hobbies?

[Mlle. Zabzie]

Let's call this fantasy land. There is a budget but for the time being let's assume it is infinite so that I can get ideas. Traveling with small children is a good limiter:). I think wherever it is should be no further than a 7/8 hour flight from NYC which limits it. Canada/Mexico/Europe/S.Am. could all work. Most of our "we really want to go" places aren't exactly toddler friendly ....

[Mudguard]

If your kids like animals, the Galapagos would be a cool place to visit.

[Raja]

Before you posted the above, I was going to suggest Singapore, but it's miles away from you. Obviously it depends on what sort of place you want to go, it's essentially one big city, but it's great, particularly for a tourist.

Edit: There's a bunch to do there, depending on how old your kids are .

[Aemon Stark]

Somewhere like London could be fun, though I can't imagine renting a flat for a week would be reasonably priced.

In Canada I'd suggest places like Banff or maybe Vancouver (Island). Definitely on the more "outdoorsy" side of things, but nice in the summer. Ontario can be a bit less interesting though there's a lot to do in Toronto. Sometimes it's hard to play up places that are really familiar as vacation destinations. But Ottawa, Montreal, and perhaps especially Quebec City are all really nice in the summer. History and such.

I'd suggest coming to Newfoundland but it's probably better for older kids, as this is really a place for walking around and seeing, well, icebergs (they're usually around well into July). And you can visit places like Cape Spear where you can whale watch without getting on a boat.

There are almost too many choices!

[HexMachina]

Majorca is pretty good for.kid friendly stuff and makes for a really lovely week im the sun. You should find.plenty of appartments there to rent. Iirc there are a some waterparks you can visit with your kids, and I would definitely recommend going to see Pirates with them (acrocbatic circus. There is also an adults only version but obviously you dont want that). In addition to that, I have some vague memory (and some photos) of a sea lion show, and some.exoctic bird shows at a park there (will look up the name if you are interested). And there is a pretty nice crazy golf course in...Palma Nova i think? The beaches are also beautiful, if you simply want to relax. Think in there are shopping areas too but I've not been to them.

Hope the suggestion helps :) Its not particularly adventurous but I loved it the times I have been

ETA: Yeah Aemon Stark, a flat in London for a week over the summer would probaly be expensive, as would all the travel costs (its twenty odd pound for a weekly bus and tube ticket for me, and I have a 30% discount :/ ).

If you like walking holidays I might also recommend booking a lodge in Scotland countryside for a week. Besides the beautiful scenery and walks, there are also some lovely attractions, both in the major cities (e.g. Edinburgh castle, Camera Obscura) and out in the country (a lovely Safari park ai believe is called Blairdrummond). The weather is somewhat unpredictable. You could probably do with renting a car for the week if you want to go around to a few places.

[Littlefingers In The Air]

Why not Greece? Flights are reasonable from New York to Athens, and the dining experience alone would be worth going.

[kairparavel]

What time of year are you looking at?

[Inigima]

Grand Cayman. Can't recommend it enough, but go earlier in the summer, before hurricane season. Dive if you're certified, get certified if you're not. You can take the classroom portion of the dive class in town, then do your checkout dives on referral in the Caymans. Speaking from experience, doing your checkouts in the ocean and seeing cool fish beats the hell out of doing it in a quarry in the States.

[Mlle. Zabzie]

August - birthday is at end of August :) Keep the ideas coming. This is fun.

[Aemon Stark]

Vancouver and the Island tend to be pretty nice that time of year. Not too rainy at all.

[dalThor]

While Mash and I would really like you to come to Greece, I'm not sure it'd be good at this point in time. In late August it's going to be blisteringly hot. Think around 95F every day with not a cloud in sight. On the other hand, it's extremely unlikely you'd experience any rain at all. There are obviously plenty of things to see but I think your little ones would appreciate them more in a few years. (Reading this over, I think your kids might appreciate and remember the sights.) Additionally, getting around with them (and perhaps a toddler) might be a bit problematic because, despite the excellent mass transportation system, there's still a bit of walking.

Renting something in Athens would be relatively easy as everyone departs the city for elsewhere in August. A trip to one of the islands might fit the bill all-around but getting a place to rent in August on an island is going to be quite pricey as - everyone departs Athens for elsewhere.

We'd really like you and the family to visit, maybe with just the kindergarteners it might be doable. Let us know if you need any details or clarification.

[Zoë Sumra]

Thinking about Europe, as it's what I know: Orkney is an interesting trip for you and a safe place to take the little ones, though as per dalThor's comment, they might or might not appreciate the neolithic ruins. The down-side could be midges - I certainly wouldn't recommend mainland Scotland or the western isles in August due to midges, but Orkney might escape the worst of it. The French Alps will be busy at that time of year (as all the French are on holiday), but there is lots of good walking, several lakes that are safe for swimming, and assorted interesting monuments there or not too far away. (I vaguely remember running right across the Pont du Gard as a three year old. I also remember my mother not being happy with me for doing so. There isn't a parapet.) The Portuguese coast is probably your best bet in mainland Iberia, due to Spain being either hot or busy or both, but Barcelona is so interesting that it deserves a mention. You probably can't get directly to La Gomera or El Hierro, the more unspoilt Canary Islands, from NYC, but you might be able to get to Tenerife and change planes there.

[Aerys Blackfyre]

Italy!

[Aemon Stark]

Not in August...

[Isis]

What Aemon said. <3 Banff

[Fragile Bird]

It seems to me, from distant memory, that the happiest young childhood vacations involved a beach. :)

That, and going fishing with my dad. Damn the mosquitoes.

Can you and your husband tolerate the idea of a week at the beach? My friends rave about the Canary Islands. Or at least a five star hotel somewhere with beautiful pools. There are all inclusive resorts everywhere that are child-friendly.

[The guy from the Vale]

If you want to come to Europe, I do have a number of ideas.

If you want the mediterranean experience in August (it will be hot and crowded!) I'd suggest either the Provençe or northern Italy (e.g. Rimini or some place in Liguria). Croatia could also work, but I have no experience with the situation there. Barçelona might be a good idea too, lots of museums, but also the seaside...

The Atlantic coast is a bit milder. You might try Portugal, North Western Spain or some place close to Bordeaux in France.

Paris offers lots of attractions, for adults (Louvre, Eiffel Tower,...), but also for little children (Disney Land, Asterix Park,...)

If you want to do some hiking, going to the Alps might be a good idea. Siwtzerland, Austria and South Tyrol in Italy all offer great hiking opportunities.

The Netherlands offer a lot of various options (sea, cities, countryside) within close distance of each other.

Another option might be Denmark. It's a bit off the beaten track for the big tourist movements, but Copenhagen is a beautiful city, the climate is mild and the sea never more than an hour away. You can even take your children to the original Legoland... ;)