11 Plus Exams Forum

Hi all, I am after some advice.
We normally go to Spain or Portugal by air for our 2 weeks summer break, but this year we want to do something different. Ideally would like to avoid the plane and go by ferry and then drive. Had thought of Brittany but weather is the same as here and liable to be rubbish. South of France was an option but I have been told it's really expensive.
Any ideas folks? I have DD of 16 and DS of 13, both love action and get fed up of me lying round the swimming pool sunbathing!!

Camping? We're going to the South of France this summer, taking our tent with us and staying on a site with a swimming pool. As we will have our car, we can visit places of interest while we're there.

I'd be tempted to work out where you can drive to on the continent in 3 days. Then I'd organise some great places to visit en-route each day aiming for my ultimate destination by the fourth day, then spend a week at chosen destination (by the beach, obviously ) and then spend the next three days driving back, taking in the places you didn't have time to visit on the way down!

I have DD of 16 and DS of 13, both love action and get fed up of me lying round the swimming pool sunbathing!!

We have the same issues in our family, zorro.

A few years ago we discovered La Manga – kids play tennis, do football courses, go to the gym (there are also courses in cricket, dance etc and you can sign up for one day or several) and there are lots of different swimming pools to visit. Plus we all go kayaking and snorkelling at nearby beaches, allowing Mrs C to soak up some serious sun… It’s not cheap, which is why we only go every 2-3 years.

What about something like that? Some of our friends swear by Mark Warner Holidays, though never tried one ourselves.

Thanks! Rob - have heard that Mark Warner, Club Med etc are really expensive.
Snowdrops - your idea sounds very interesting!

Agreed about giving the plane a miss - we drove to Dordogne / Tarn region - not excessively expensive there - have also driven (with one overnight stop plus another night on the ferry from Hull) to Bavaria - Fussen / Neuschwanstein etc

If you don't mind the ferry trip how about down to Spain.

Had a look at that last year - the ferry was well over £1000 and took for ever.
La Manga looks great but I fear I would just lie by the pool all day as usual because if I attempted to play tennis in that heat - I would expire!

Why don't you try Center Parcs in France or Holland? We've used them as a base to expolore the country, and then you Have all thier facilities use in the evenings.

I too am struggling where to go for our summer as I am feeling quite gutted right now and so I am thinking of sorting something for summer.

We are going to Costa Del Sol over easter and then today I read the place is stinking dirty. There were storms over there so the beaches are filthy with sewage and dead animal corpes and all

Have you thought about Turkey? What sort of holidays do you like main touristy or unbeaten tracks. I was thinking of thinking of Turkey the area of Cirali. really great especilaly for tenagers, right next to Cirali is Olympos where backpackers visit so your teens will really be spoilt on things to do. really gorgeous and not too tourist however I hear it will be boiling hot so it maybe more ideal to do turkey in October. Also Sharm in Egypty, a little too touristy but with kids this looks great http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_Revi ... Sinai.html The reviews are quite good too and a lot of people have reviewed the place. tempratures in the high 20s. Its a little bit chavtastic if you can bear that

It works out at about £700 for a family of 4 all inclusive accomodiation, however the flights are a bit pricey at about £250 a person....