Travel: Family friendly getaways for February half-term

Karen Beddow

Thinking of taking the family away this half-term? BritMum’s travel expert Karen Beddow at Mini Travellers rounds up the best destinations in the UK and further afield as recommended by fellow travel bloggers.

Are you wanting some time away at February Half term? I was fully intending to stay in the UK but the thought of being warmer has won and we are escaping to Lanzarote for a week of Winter Sun. Myself and my husband work from home so we’ve decided we can just as easily work from a villa than here at home.

Last year we spent February Half Term on a twin centre city break with my parents having 48 hours in Hamburg and 48 hours in Berlin, getting the train between the two. We had a ball, albeit it was pretty cold!

So where do other bloggers recommend?

Where to spend February half-term in the UK

Laura suggests spending February half term in the Yorkshire Dales. They did a lot of walking and found some fantastic sights and best of all it was empty!

What could be more exciting for a train mad toddler, than spending a few nights sleeping in a train carriage? Not the kind that still moves, but a train carriage which is stationary, and has been renovated for use by holiday guests. Jo gives you 5 train carriages to stay in with a toddler.

Train carriage accommodation

Last February Katy and family went to St Ives for half term. They stayed at Uni St Ives, on the edge of St Ives and a mile away from the beautiful Carbis bay. There is something really special about St Ives. The sear air, the beautiful beaches or the abundance of independent shops, restaurants and coffee shops, but they love it. The sea air is definitely good for the soul and they were so lucky to have great weather last February. . Their highlight of the week was seal spotting at Godrevvy … definitely worth a visit!

Lianne recommends Bluestone for Feb half term which also has beautiful surroundings and loads of places to visit close by. There is the well loved Folly Farm which has plenty of activities and attractions to keep the little one and adults busy. There are also beautiful beaches around too. The seaside towns are also great with loads of little quirky shops and restaurants. Bluestone resort is also jam packed with activities and restaurants. The blue lagoon swimming and activity centre is great and included with your stay too.

European destinations for February half-term

France

Jenny and family had glorious weather in the Vendée for February half term! We only had one cloudy day, and all the others were warm and sunny, with a couple of days up to 20°C. Wonderful.

Vendée, France

Norway

Nell recommends a trip to the western fjords of Norway in February. They’re as stunning as any time of year – more beautiful, in fact, because you have them all to yourselves, with hardly any cruise ships around. One fjord was so quiet that a school of porpoises swam up to our boat! Plus, the skiing nearby is phenomenal. Norwegian fjords itinerary

Den Bosche

Helen recommends Den Bosche in the Netherlands as it is a simply gorgeous city, easy to get to from Eindhoven (cheap flights go there), and it is truly unique. It is built on a series of canals, which are stunning. And it is medieval, so has bags of character, and a beautiful cathedral. It is also near Efteling – they managed to catch a bus there from the hotel, and it is a wonderful family friendly theme park. Perfect for younger kids, but with enough exciting rides to entertain the older ones too.

Budapest

Budapest is the perfect place to visit any time of year. It has so many historical sites to visit, particularly for older kids and teens. Sarah cruised into Budapest on a river cruise which was a wonderful way to explore Europe however Budapest is a location that needs a couple of days to explore. Notable places to visit are Buda Castle for a panoramic view of Budapest which you can get via a funicular which in itself is an adventure. The giant ferris wheel on the Pest side of the city and the food market to try out some local food.

Tenerife

Jenny recommends Tenerife in February as there is more than just sandy beaches and resorts, although that can be fun too! There’s so much more to see, from the majestic volcano Mt Teide, to ancient forests and learning about the production of bananas and aloe vera. It’s the perfect family holiday for those who love an adventure and a little heat when the UK is still cool. Bonus that there are cheap flights to be found too!

Tenerife in February

Ideas for spending half-term further afield

Donna suggests that if you are interested in trying a cruise this half term there is no better place than starting with a cruise with the Norwegian Encore. This brand new state of the art ship has innovations on every deck. There is so much to do onboard from a full size Karting race track, laser tag and a complete VR centre! In the evenings kids can spend time with friends in the kids club if they wish whilst parents can go on a nostalgic visit to the Cavern club. The new Norwegian Encore is currently making its way around the Caribbean and the west coast of America which is perfect to escape the winter weather here in the UK.

With a 3 hour flight from London, you can be in Marrakech in North Africa. Susanna tells us that in her experience, its hands down the most culturally different and exotic place nearest to the UK. That coupled with with an average of 21C makes it a great choice or a Feb half term.

Marrakech

Tokyo is a good bet for February half term if you have a desire to go long haul and don’t mind if it’s a bit chilly. Setsubun is the day before the beginning of spring (3rd Feb) so spring will definitely be in the air. Locals celebrate by throwing beans; but do make sure it’s the right type of bean if you join in or it could get a bit messy. February is also the time the plum blossom comes out. (not the cherry blossom – that’s later.) And the Japanese go mad for Valentines Day -check out the chocolate displays in the shops. There are some great things to do all year round in Tokyo- it’s an especially fun city for older children. Check out the Family Adventure Project’s post on Tokyo with teens..

You might also like:

The best family resorts in Spain

Where to go on holiday that the family will always remember

About Karen Beddow

Karen Beddow is the Editor of Mini Travellers, a multi award winning Family Travel blog. Karen left her full time role as a commercial litigation solicitor when her three children were then 6 and 5 (twins) to concentrate on her Family Travel blog so that she could spend more time with the children and travel a lot more. From camping to five star resorts, from Welsh beaches to African plains there isn't many places the Mini Travellers won't travel and they are determined to enjoy every moment of it. Mini Travellers is all about proving that travelling anywhere with kids is possible.