The Daily Telegraph - Saturday - Travel
SOMETHING A BIT DIFFERENT
Away from pricey Lake Geneva or Verbier but just half an hour from both, the town of Martigny has a lively market, the excellent Pierre Gianadda art museum and two particularly kidfriendly attractions: the mazes and inflatables of Labyrinthe Aventure and the ziplines and mini-golf of Western City. Accommodation here is good value, especially at four-star Hotel Vatel, part of a campus for hotel school students. Don’t let the unremarkable exterior put you off: it has swish interiors, a sunny terrace restaurant and, of course, exceptional service.
From £1,616, B&B (00 41 277201313; hotelvatel.ch). Easyjet flies from Gatwick to Geneva, from £56pp.
A different side of the Canaries
A world away from Lanzarote’s brasher resorts, the whitewashed town of Arrieta is a serene place where cerulean shutters mirror the waves and fishing boats line the path to the beach. It is home to Finca de Arrieta Eco Village, a collection of yurts, cottages and luxury houses that share a solar-heated pool. A stay here is a chance to immerse yourself in the local way of life: join Arrieta’s communal paella evenings on Monday nights and take surf lessons with the beachside school.
Its surf shack costs from £998 (00 34 928 826720; lanzaroteretreats.com). Ryanair flies from Edinburgh to Lanzarote, from £173pp.
An Irish adventure
The wild coast of West Cork makes a great base for outdoorsy families, who can pedal along the Beara Peninsula, hike the wild trails of Gougane Barra and swim at wide, Blue Flag beaches such as Inchydoney. A sister property to much-loved Blairscove House (an acclaimed restaurant and set of apartments set around a grand Georgian Mansion), Dunmanus Pier is a painstakingly renovated old stone cottage with its own fishing pier where kids can try their hand at catching crabs.
From £1,120, room only (00 353 27 61127; blairscove.ie). Ryanair flies from Stansted to Cork from £50pp.
The wild side of Portugal
Wild horses, roe deer and even Iberian wolves wander the forests of the Peneda-Geres National Park in northern Portugal. Though it’s well off the tourist trail, its streams and lagoons are perfect for paddling and there is biking and horse riding on offer too. Lost in the landscape, Lamosa Farm has two stylish self-catering properties with shared use of a saltwater pool. Bookable through Responsible Travel, each costs from £1142 (01273 823700, responsibletravel.com).
Both Porto and Vigo airports are around an hour and a half away, with Ryanair flights from Liverpool to the former from £53pp.
Blissful views in Bled
Set among a tangle of barns and chalets five minutes’ walk from Lake Bled, Old Bled House is a renovated farmhouse that’s retained its characterful interiors (making it the antithesis of the bigger, bland hotels on the water). The best room in the house is the ‘superior family’ one, in the attic with knock-out views over the lake and mountains. Take a boat to Bled island, explore its castle or hike past the waterfalls of the Vintgar Gorge.
From £1,058, room only (00 386 31 840 225; charming-bled.com). Wizzair flies from Luton to Ljubljana, from £125pp.
A Center Parcs alternative
A week at Center Parcs in the UK will set families back more than £2,300 in summer, so alternatives across the Channel can be cost-effective. Landaal GreenParks’s De Reeuwijkse Plassen, in farm-scattered countryside near Rotterdam, has lodges set on canals where guests can paddleboard, fish or cruise along by electric boat. Indoor and outdoor play areas, a pool and lakeside beach add to the fun.
From £1,300 (00 31 88 205 9000; landal.com). The overnight ferry from Harwich to Hook of Holland costs from £675 for a family of four and car, including a cabin.
Bucolic bliss
Life is wonderfully wholesome at Hofgut Hügle, an adventure farm set among fields around 20 minutes’ drive from Germany’s Lake Constance. Stay at one of its bright apartments with sunny private terraces and pick your own cherries, run through the corn maze, take to the spa for a parents and kids relaxation session or hire e-bikes and make for the lakeside beaches. There is a restaurant and bakery too.
From £1,001, room only (00 49 0751 1895000; en.guthuegle.de). British Airways has flights to Zurich (around an hour and a half ’s drive away) from £86pp.
A Flemish farm stay
Reliably brilliant for little ones, Featherdown Farm’s glamping sites across Europe are also good for grown-ups,
From £927, room only (01420 80804; featherdown.co.uk).
Hiking trails through a mountainous interior, dolphin watching trips along the coast and the teeny but buzzy capital of Funchal make Madeira fun for the five pluses. A 10-minute drive from the action near the protected beach at Garajau, the apartment Atlantic Mist has an idyllic private garden with sublime sea views, as well as three bedrooms (great for kids who don’t want to share).
From £798 through Plum Guide (plumguide.com). Ryanair flies from Manchester to Madeira from £107pp.
A Scandi city break
Scandinavia may be expensive, but getting there isn’t: Ryanair flights from Stansted to Aarhus cost from £52 per adult in August. That is great news because Denmark’s second city is perfect for both tweens and teens with urban beaches, a coffee-shopheavy Latin Quarter, the sprawling Nicolinehus food market and a plethora of museums.
Stay at Hotel Oasia, an appropriately Scandi-chic three-star in the centre. From £1,571, B&B (00 45 87 32 37 15; hoteloasia.com).
All prices were correct at the time of publication