Travel: Summer holiday recommendations

If you’re wondering where to go for your summer holiday, help is at hand. This post is full of inspiration for great destinations, all of them recommended by bloggers who went there last year. From the UK, to Europe, to further afield, there are some fantastic holiday options here. Do click on the individual blog names to read the destination posts in full.
 
 

UK

Pembrokeshire

Sarah Ebner, who blogs at Family Travel Times says: ‘Pembrokeshire is so gorgeous – brilliant for a family holiday. It’s beautiful and the beaches are amazing, plus there are loads of lovely family things to do from visiting Pembroke castle to high ropes at heatherton!’

Alloway

Trish Burgess, aka Mum’s gone to…. enjoyed a holiday in Scotland last year and says: ‘How about our day in Alloway, the birthplace of Robert Burns? The drive up the west coast was beautiful on a summer’s day. Alloway is such a pretty village and its links with Burns makes it an interesting destination: families will love it.’

Orkney

Janice at Scots2Travel recommends Orkney. She says: ‘Fantastic beaches, world famous history and archaeology, inquisitive wildlife and a great larder. Easy to drive around and getting there by @NLFerries is an adventure too!’

Isles of Scilly

Katy Stern blogs at Otis and Us and she says: ‘We loved the Isles of Scilly. When you arrive you feel like you have stepped back in time. With its turquoise waters, glittering sand, deserted beaches, laid back vibes and honesty stalls in the streets. We would return in a heartbeat.’

Devon

Shobha George of Just Go Places says: ‘My kids loved the Saunton Sands hotel in Devon. We went for a long weekend and we had 2 sunny days which were glorious with miles of sandy beach to play on. On the last day the heavens opened up, but no matter, we went in the indoor pool and had a blast. There is also an outdoor pool if your kids prefer pools to the sea. The path down to Saunton Sands beach goes straight from the front of the hotel. There are surf schools that teach kids to surf.’

Lucy Mackcracken of Momma Mack, is also a Devon fan. She says: ‘I’d recommend a holiday to North Devon, we found there were lots of things to do for all ages and for all weathers.’

Yorkshire

Jo Addison of Kiddieholidays says: ‘Quieter than the Yorkshire Dales, but equally impressive, the North York Moors is a national park in North Yorkshire famous for its vast expanses of purple heather, forests, moorland and dramatic 26 mile coast. The North York Moors has it all; seaside towns, unforgettable wildlife experiences, theme parks, the Dalby Forest, and also Malton, one of the foodie capitals of the UK. There are some fantastic family friendly cycling trails, world class train rides and it is also close to the historic city of York.’

Europe

France

Nell Heshram blogs at The Pigeon Pair & Me and she says: ‘La Garangeoire is a family-friendly holiday park in the Vendée, France. It has a nice laid-back feel, with children cycling round till late at night, and wine-tasting sessions for adults in the park’s 18th-Century manor house. We went with Eurocamp, and the kids’ club there was exceptional: the best summer holiday kids’ club we’ve experienced so far.’

Corsica 

Karen at Mini Travellers recommends Corsica for 10 different reasons (which you can read in her post), but she says that she’d particularly recommend it ‘because it is an absolutely stunning mix of French Italian perfection, and only 2 hours from the UK.’

Croatia

Kate Sutton of Wit Wit Woo says that she highly recommends Croatia. She says: ‘It offers beautiful beaches, mountains, island-hopping and fascinating cities. Something for everyone.’

Italy

Lisa of Travel Loving Family loved visiting the Italian Lakes. She says: ‘My family and I fell head over heels in love with Lake Maggiore in the Italian Lakes.  It is a truly stunning part of the world and offers so much for families including cable car rides, private islands, lakeside beaches, watersports and trips into neighbouring Switzerland.’

Ireland

Natalie Tyler blogs at Crazy little thing called love, and she says: ‘My post is about a trip to Dublin which I highly recommend, it had wonderful places to visit and was a beautiful city to stay in. We found some amazing places to eat and the scenery was breathtaking.’

Travel round-up: summer holiday recommendations

Spain

Chloe blogs at Sorry About The Mess and she says: ‘I would 100% recommend the Costa Brava for a summer holiday. Beautiful beaches, wonderful food, culture, and only a short flight away. We loved our two weeks there.’

Menorca

My blog is Mums do travel and my recommendation is Menorca. I went there for the first time on a blogger trip last year, and I absolutely loved it. It’s a beautiful, laid-back, unspoilt place and definitely somewhere which I’d like to return to with my family.

Megan Morgan of Truly Madly Kids agrees. She says: ‘I recommend Menorca, with its sheltered bays and warm seas and plenty of family-friendly places to eat it makes for a relaxed family holiday.’

Mallorca

Laura Moore of Mum on a mission says: ‘I’d recommend Mallorca for anyone, but particularly for families with a disabled child. It’s a beautiful island with lots to do, amazing food and plenty of wheelchair accessible beaches.’

Slovenia

Cath – aka BattleMum – says: ‘I’d recommend Lake Bled in Slovenia. We visited with our toddler a few years ago and while we were hesitant about a lakeside holiday, it turn out to be brilliant. There’s plenty to do with kids of all ages around the lake. You can even swim in it. And Bled Cake is not be missed. There is a castle overlooking the lake and the monastery in the middle of the lake is worth the gondola ride across. Of course you could hire a boat and paddle across yourself. Either way I highly recommend Lake Bled.’

Greece

Sarah Christie of Extraordinary Chaos says: ‘For ultimate luxury and a fine dining experience Sani Dunes is the perfect place for a family trip. Sani Resorts are arranged around a village harbour offering endless dining choices. But also offer the opportunity to get out and see the real Greece. Should you want to keep fit to keep off those holiday pounds there is a full schedule of classes, a gym and for ultimate wellbeing yoga paddle boarding.’

Further afield

Cape Verde

Cathy Winston of Mummy Travels recommends Cape Verde. She says: ‘It’s hard to top a sunny island for a holiday with kids, but if you’re looking for somewhere a bit different to the usual, Cape Verde is perfect. We visited Sal, one of the collection of islands off the coast of West Africa, where you can spot lemon sharks, float in a salt lagoon and discover colourful villages. Strong breezes mean that temperatures stay around the high 20s during the summer and the sea is better for paddling too, plus there are some lovely child-friendly all-inclusive hotels right on the beach, with pools and kids clubs, such as Melia Dunas where we stayed. One of the most relaxing holidays I’ve taken!’

Sri Lanka

Jenny of TraveLynn Family says: ‘We travelled to Sri Lanka last August and it’s by far one of the best family holidays we’ve had! It’s actually the wet season on the West Coast (not that we saw any rain), but it’s the perfect time of year for the stunningly pristine beaches of the East Coast and trekking in the Central Highlands. Sri Lanka is super kid-friendly – kids will love eating the hoppers (a bit like a pancake in the shape of a flying saucer) and there are mountains where even little legs can reach the summit (our 2yo made it to the top of Little Adam’s Peak!)’

Cambodia

Helen Wills, aka Actually Mummy, says: ‘I’d definitely recommend Cambodia for a family trip this summer – it’s just such an eye opening experience for a family to discover together. We all learned so much!’

USA

Daisy of Dais Like These says: I would totally recommend the North Fork of Long Island, USA, as a brilliant destination for a summer holiday, especially the town of Greenport. The mix of fab cafes, bars and restaurants, stunning vineyards, near empty beaches and great weather make it a truely wonderful place to head during the summer months.’

Over to you

Which of these places would you most like to visit? Do you have any recommendations to add for summer holiday destinations?

Next month

The topic for the March travel round-up is travel budgeting, so please send me links to posts with travel money-saving tips and advice. Please send me your links by 22nd February either by email to [email protected] or via twitter to @grettaschifano. I’ll include a maximum of the first 20 relevant links which I receive. Thank you!