My husband and I would like to take our two children to Europe next summer (ages 10 and 15months at the time of travel). We are planning to go to London and Paris and then would like to end at a beach. We were hoping to go to the Italian riviera but the train looks like it would take 12 hrs. We went to the French Riviera 2 yrs ago so we would like to do something different than those beaches. Any suggestions?
Posted by
Boston
4132 posts
The beaches on the southern coast of Brittany are reputedly great.
Very crowded in the summer, so lock down those reservations early if you go.
Posted by
11161 posts
Fly to Genoa, and then go to Santa Margherita Ligure or Camogli.
Posted by
Tunbridge Wells
6113 posts
The beaches of Normandy or Brittany would be great and a shorter journey. Also, Ile de Rei, an island near La Rochelle is a fabulous laid back place with great cycling paths and beaches and picture postcard villages.
Italy would be hot for a toddler.
Alternatively, fly to Faro in Portugal and head to Lagos on the Algarve. Great beaches.
Posted by
Vienna, Austria
5398 posts
No one makes long train journeys like that anymore in Europe. With all the low cost airlines, everyone flies. Everywhere.
I think that the Mediterranean is the best area to go with kids, but sandy beaches are very hard to find. I would rent a house in Croatia and fly there.
Posted by
Washington DC
27142 posts
Check weather stats before heading to northern France. I've been in Normandy and Brittany for about 2 weeks and there has been very, very little sun. Very comfortable for touring as long as you have access to a rain jacket and umbrella, but not really beach weather. That's something you just cannot count on around the English Channel.
Posted by
Florida, USA
12172 posts
The north coast of Spain is really good in high summer months. I've been to San Sebastian/Donostia, which is really nice, but something like Santander might be perfect. The south coast of Brittany is a different look but also really nice. Another choice might be Medoc, a peninsula near Bordeaux. A friend went there and said it was really nice - forests, wineries and beaches all within a short drive.