Trying to narrow down summer holiday options.
-
Trying to narrow down summer holiday options. Family travel by train to a self catering holiday destination where swimming, cycling hiking and climbing is possible (as is sitting by the water with a pile of books) lots of fresh air and nature a must. Cities less important. What would you choose (feel free to comment why and be more specific on destination!):
@Ruth_Mottram Because my daughter just returned from a trip to Portugal and the food looked incredible and the sights were amazing and they did a lot of hiking and the sailing looks really good too and also while they were there she asked her boyfriend to marry her and he said yes.
-
Trying to narrow down summer holiday options. Family travel by train to a self catering holiday destination where swimming, cycling hiking and climbing is possible (as is sitting by the water with a pile of books) lots of fresh air and nature a must. Cities less important. What would you choose (feel free to comment why and be more specific on destination!):
@Ruth_Mottram France because it's really varied countryside, the food is excellent, and I'm lazy and live here.
-
Trying to narrow down summer holiday options. Family travel by train to a self catering holiday destination where swimming, cycling hiking and climbing is possible (as is sitting by the water with a pile of books) lots of fresh air and nature a must. Cities less important. What would you choose (feel free to comment why and be more specific on destination!):
@Ruth_Mottram we had a couple of very pleasant holidays at a Eurocamp in Pierros Guirec in Brittany. We took the ferry to Caen then drove, but I see there's a train most of the way from Paris, then a bus for the last part.
Fair disclosure, this was nearly 30 years ago.
-
(Previous holidays have been to Croatia, France, Germany, Norway, would consider other countries but teenagers apparently require heat whereas parents prefer not to deal with wildfires and Mediterranean heatwaves in a changing climate).
@Ruth_Mottram OK, here's a curveball, how about the Central Alps (Austria, Northern Italy)? It gets hot in the valleys, if too hot, take a cable car up a couple of thousand metres. Lot of swimming lakes, cycling, hiking and climbing, all boxes ticked. Likewise, fresh air and nature
-
Trying to narrow down summer holiday options. Family travel by train to a self catering holiday destination where swimming, cycling hiking and climbing is possible (as is sitting by the water with a pile of books) lots of fresh air and nature a must. Cities less important. What would you choose (feel free to comment why and be more specific on destination!):
@Ruth_Mottram You eat vegan, right?
-
@Ruth_Mottram Because my daughter just returned from a trip to Portugal and the food looked incredible and the sights were amazing and they did a lot of hiking and the sailing looks really good too and also while they were there she asked her boyfriend to marry her and he said yes.
@msbellows @Ruth_Mottram boost for any woman bold enough. Wish I could double boost.
-
Trying to narrow down summer holiday options. Family travel by train to a self catering holiday destination where swimming, cycling hiking and climbing is possible (as is sitting by the water with a pile of books) lots of fresh air and nature a must. Cities less important. What would you choose (feel free to comment why and be more specific on destination!):
I'd pick France as it's a really nice country with a lot of variety, and very reachable by train.
Spain and Portugal: feels longer than needed as you travel through France, which has all you're looking for.
-
Trying to narrow down summer holiday options. Family travel by train to a self catering holiday destination where swimming, cycling hiking and climbing is possible (as is sitting by the water with a pile of books) lots of fresh air and nature a must. Cities less important. What would you choose (feel free to comment why and be more specific on destination!):
@Ruth_Mottram I would look into the Ceze/Ardeche. Lots of lovely places there that fit nicely.
-
Trying to narrow down summer holiday options. Family travel by train to a self catering holiday destination where swimming, cycling hiking and climbing is possible (as is sitting by the water with a pile of books) lots of fresh air and nature a must. Cities less important. What would you choose (feel free to comment why and be more specific on destination!):
@Ruth_Mottram I know it's not on the list but I'd also recommend Slovakia. Plenty of nature, has huge forested areas, both hills and impressive mountains (Carpathians/Tatras), more affordable than the alternatives in CH/AU/IT, and reachable by train through either Austria or Czechia.
-
Trying to narrow down summer holiday options. Family travel by train to a self catering holiday destination where swimming, cycling hiking and climbing is possible (as is sitting by the water with a pile of books) lots of fresh air and nature a must. Cities less important. What would you choose (feel free to comment why and be more specific on destination!):
@Ruth_Mottram what do you mean with Summer?
July and August would be probably too hot for Spain and Portugal. If you go in June/September then it is different -
Trying to narrow down summer holiday options. Family travel by train to a self catering holiday destination where swimming, cycling hiking and climbing is possible (as is sitting by the water with a pile of books) lots of fresh air and nature a must. Cities less important. What would you choose (feel free to comment why and be more specific on destination!):
Already the thought of spending "summer" in a southern country makes me sweat.
-
@msbellows @Ruth_Mottram boost for any woman bold enough. Wish I could double boost.
@Urban_Hermit @Ruth_Mottram Here's the moment he said yes. Their friend took the photo not realizing what was happening.
-
Trying to narrow down summer holiday options. Family travel by train to a self catering holiday destination where swimming, cycling hiking and climbing is possible (as is sitting by the water with a pile of books) lots of fresh air and nature a must. Cities less important. What would you choose (feel free to comment why and be more specific on destination!):
@Ruth_Mottram Bornholm.
-
@jon @Ruth_Mottram
So we have done Slovenia with a car a few times and I don’t know how well bus/train options may serve but here’s an outline…
Ljubljana 3 days no car necessary
Transfer to Piran, tour Postojna caves (Slovenia’s underground railway!) en route
Piran - slat flats and pans, city walls, seafood, cold water sea
Transfer through Gorica/Gorizia to Goriška Brda - wine country and walking - or go across Vršič Pass
Then to Kransjka Gora
Skip Bled. -
@Ruth_Mottram OK, here's a curveball, how about the Central Alps (Austria, Northern Italy)? It gets hot in the valleys, if too hot, take a cable car up a couple of thousand metres. Lot of swimming lakes, cycling, hiking and climbing, all boxes ticked. Likewise, fresh air and nature
@kim_harding @Ruth_Mottram I was thinking of Italy too - I had the Dolomites in mind.
-
@jon @Ruth_Mottram I’d imagine also easier to get around once there too.
-
@jon @Ruth_Mottram
So we have done Slovenia with a car a few times and I don’t know how well bus/train options may serve but here’s an outline…
Ljubljana 3 days no car necessary
Transfer to Piran, tour Postojna caves (Slovenia’s underground railway!) en route
Piran - slat flats and pans, city walls, seafood, cold water sea
Transfer through Gorica/Gorizia to Goriška Brda - wine country and walking - or go across Vršič Pass
Then to Kransjka Gora
Skip Bled.@rmartinnielsen @jon @Ruth_Mottram Well, Lake Bled is beautiful, nice to see. (On the other hand, yes, it looks like the photos, so there is no element of surprise as such.)
No need to stay there overnight or longer, can easily be visited in a day, for instance while transferring from Austria to Ljubljana, if overnighting in Villach. For example as in the screenshot.
-
Already the thought of spending "summer" in a southern country makes me sweat.
@knud @Ruth_Mottram Yes, much to warm in summer nowadays (for me).
-
@Ruth_Mottram @Urban_Hermit Apparently it was! She didn't plan it. She was a little frustrated that he hadn't asked her yet (he was planning to do so later), and she had the thought that, gee, this would be a perfect place for a proposal, and then she realized, hey, I'm a feminist, I could ask him! and did it. And then later that day they went shopping for his ring.
-
@Ruth_Mottram Hmm, the other places may on the other hand be too hot.
Our vacation plans this year: First Normandy, then Denmark.
And I say again: Bornholm is fantastic.
