Holiday ideas for active families

ah_whitt

I've always been to Cornwall but now want a change.

Where would you go with 2 active kids age 9 & 11 who love cycling but don't want to spend all day everyday on a bike.

Warmer climate preferable, but I don't have an unlimited budget!

Any ideas welcome.

White Horse

Center Parcs?

othello

I presume you are thinking of next summer? How about the Alps. In the summer the snow is gone and the ski resorts open for outdoor activities, including mountain biking. If they don't want to do that there are lots of other activities.

Todd Sweeney

We went to Holland this year and had a great time (myself, my wife, and our kids aged 8, 6 and 2). for us it was the perfect place for a family holiday.

We went with a company called Landal. We stayed with them at their Rabbit Hill site. It was a bit like Center Parcs but slightly more basic and much quieter. Accommodation was great (small chalets). We actually enjoyed it more than Center Parcs. Great swimming pool, lots of forests around, loads to do both onsite and nearby, lovely atmosphere, and of course, being Holland, loads of cycling!

We drove there from the UK and took our bikes, although you can hire the dutch type ones there.

getprg

It is a few years since I stayed in Belgium with this outfit

http://www.sunparks.co.uk/EN/GB/home

but they were excellent - all the facilities of Center Parcs but on a smaller scale and located near the seafront. Self catering chalets, indoor pool complex etc etc and your children get to mix with Belgians, Dutch and Germans.

IIRC some parks have cycle path access to the beach. If weather is good - head to the beach, if not head inside to the pool. Lower prices and less busy if you stay out of peak season of course.

Mr_Cellophane

getprg wrote:

It is a few years since I stayed in Belgium with this outfit

http://www.sunparks.co.uk/EN/GB/home

but they were excellent - all the facilities of Center Parcs but on a smaller scale and located near the seafront. Self catering chalets, indoor pool complex etc etc and your children get to mix with Belgians, Dutch and Germans.

IIRC some parks have cycle path access to the beach. If weather is good - head to the beach, if not head inside to the pool. Lower prices and less busy if you stay out of peak season of course.

I think that was the place I went to first time I drove the family to Europe (I thought they were now all owned by the same company). European CP's (except France) have so much more than the English ones - Ski domes, rain forests with loose animals (eat lunch with lizards and squirrels sitting on the back of the chairs).
Bit further away, the Pyrenees has rafting, cycling, down hill mountain biking. No need to stay in the mountains, the foots hills are flat and the Canal du midi near Carcassonne has a path by it, prehistoric cave paintings, spa towns.

Mike Healey

Or, as one of our families did, do Alpe d'Huez, with their three, ages 12, 10 and 7 respectively. Mind you, it was the 7 year old's first time, tho' the other two have done it twice before

othello

Mike Healey wrote:

Or, as one of our families did, do Alpe d'Huez, with their three, ages 12, 10 and 7 respectively. Mind you, it was the 7 year old's first time, tho' the other two have done it twice before

Wow, impressive! Would love to hear more about how they got on, how the kids did etc. I know my (almost) 7 year old would love to do it