Winning tip: Hop round a Greek island
Family holidays for us require three things: fantastic food, guaranteed sun and something different. San Stefanos on Corfu provides all three and much more. Instead of hiring a car to get around, rent a small motor boat from the beach and spend the days hopping from bay to bay, discovering little coves and deserted beaches as you explore. Greek Night at Nikolas’s Taverna gets even reluctant teenagers on their feet, and Taverna Agni, right on the beach, provides something a little more grown-up – its chilli prawns are a must.
Isobel Knight
Down to the lake I fear, central France
I spent the summers of my youth in Super-Besse, a village at the foot of Puy de Sancy mountain, surrounded by extinct volcanoes and the mysterious yet peaceful Lac Pavin. The name comes from the Latin pavens, meaning fearing or worried, due to its various legends including one referring to a dragon. In reality, it has scientific explanations from underground stream and gas reactions. I loved breakfasts in the chalet overlooking Lac des Hermines, with its green scenery. We then hiked the mountain, picking blueberries, before fooling around in the snow at the top in our T-shirts! My all-time favourite cheese was mature Saint-Nectaire, for its stinging taste.
• auvergne-sancy.com
Arinna
Harvest time in the Douro valley
Fierce sun warming the amber and ruby grapes by day, and a groaning wind rattling the shutters at night, foretelling a change in the weather. Convivial communal breakfasts, noisy, competitive tennis, and swimming when the sun’s heat relented. Evening meals on the shaded veranda of the 16th-century Portuguese manor house, with cool beers and old port. At other times the seven of us partner up in different ways on different days, to explore steep and winding stony tracks along the river to the ferry or roaming the terraced vineyards finding flowers, fruits and insects alien to visitors from this cooler climate.
• Casa do Souto in Viseu sleeps 10, book on Airbnb
Martin Charlesworth
Going Dutch
Holidaying in the Netherlands with four children under 12 was never on the agenda until we spotted Duinrell on the internet: a holiday park and campsite close to the Hook of Holland ferry port. The site has an indoor water park and unlimited free entry to the onsite theme park, alongside swathes of countryside, and cycle tracks to a long sandy beach. And it’s a short drive to Amsterdam for the hands-on Nemo Science Museum, spotting parakeets while strolling in Vondel Park and a sobering visit to Anne Frank House. Holidays here inspired the children to travel Europe when they grew up, and they still talk of their memories with fondness.
• duinrell.com
Lindsey Till
Not all roads lead to Rome
We planned our campervan trip with two teenagers down the Italian coast, from the French border to Rome, avoiding expensive toll motorways, with the freedom to stay as long as we wanted if we liked somewhere, and save a fortune on hotels. The kids learned to cook pasta sauces from friends they made. We swam on the free beaches when we could and often parked our van in clearings or on quiet country roads. In fact, we liked the bays and beaches on both sides of Genoa so much that we never made it to the Eternal City! We will leave that for another road trip next year.
Peter Riley
From Jutland to Legoland
We had an amazing adventure travelling around Jutland last summer. We loved the huge, windy beaches of Rømø island, where we stayed in a small cabin on a campsite. The iron age village of Hjemsted nearby was a highlight, and the kids had a really fun day in the Lego House in Billund. Aarhus, Denmark’s second city, was fantastic for culture, and the coast up in Skagen was perfect for beach time and exploring. We drove to Denmark from Leeds, via the ferry from Harwich to Hook of Holland. All our accommodation, including places breaking the journey in Germany on the way and the Netherlands on the way back, was self catering via Airbnb.
Catherine Borse
Robin Hood adventure
Our children loved everything about YHA Boggle Hole, a renovated mill right on the beach in Robin Hood’s Bay, on the coast of the North York Moors national park. They spent all day running fast and far under scudding clouds, and when dusk fell just jumped back across the stream to the hostel. They got caked in mud, flew their kite, sang in the caves and explored the woods. We climbed the coastal path to Ravenscar, the Victorian resort that never was, and listened to skylarks and silence up on the honey-scented moors. And on a sea-shore safari we found a velvet swimming crab with bright red eyes like tiny headlights.
• yha.org.uk
Jenny
Marvellous Mallorca
The small town of Puerto Pollença in northern Mallorca is the perfect destination when travelling with small children. The beach has crystal- clear shallow waters for paddling, and playgrounds are dotted along the way. Pine Walk is a mesmerising pedestrianised path on the water’s edge which is great for spotting aquatic wildlife. Child-friendly restaurants are plentiful, though we sometimes opted for a takeaway paella from Restaurante Brisas on Passeig d’Anglada. The budget family-friendly Flora Aparthotel apartments are well- equipped and only a five-minute walk to the beach, restaurants and Pine Walk. Prices start at €59 a night for a family of four.
Jess Bowles
Turkish delight
Eyes lit up at the first glimpse of our travel-weary backpacking family’s paradise – the Lavanta Hotel in Bodrum. From our hillside apartment a bougainvillea path led to a pool overlooking azure seas. Home-baked fare (“Cake for breakfast, Mum?”) was partaken alongside tortoises munching pink petals hand-fed them by the kids. Family-friendly walks by olive tree-lined roads to the marina to devour (almost) an enormous plate of delicious ugly fish. Then to nearby Bodrum Museum of Underwater Archaeology for Phoenician amphorae, Roman jewellery and the Knights of St John castle.
Lynda Pennington
Family isle
The Isle of Wight is great for family holidays across the generations – we range in age from 10 to 81 and regularly visit. We’ve just booked for 10 of us to stay in Freshwater on the western tip of the island. We enjoy the beaches, old-school seaside resorts, cycling, riding and places to visit like Osborne House and the Needles. I particularly like Dimbola, the former home of the Victorian pioneer photographer Julia Cameron, which has great photography exhibitions and in its permanent collection a book about the Isle of Wight festival by my cousin Rod Allen, who died recently, so that feels like a family connection as well.
Chris Allen
Music camp
Since my children were babies we’ve been to Folk Camps every summer. They’re great-value, green holidays, held at different beautiful UK countryside or coastal locations each year – like a mini private festival for 120 people! My children are now young adults and still love Folk Camps as they’ve made such great friends over the years. There are lots of workshops to take part in, a cèilidh every evening with lots of fun dancing, and the chance to sing, tell a joke or play a tune if you want – or just sit back and enjoy the music. Three meals a day and snacks are all included, so you’ll barely need to spend any other money.
• Adults £308 a week, child prices vary by age, under-5s free (weekend breaks also available), folkcamps.co.uk
Helen Self
Looking for a holiday with a difference? Browse Guardian Holidays to see a range of fantastic trips
