Europe/Eastern Europe

Based solely on the daily cost of RS tours (which may not be a good indicator) it looks like Turkey. Keep in mind, there are quite a few eastern European countries not included in RS tours (Romania, Albania, Ukraine, Moldova, etc.). Also, consider the cost of RT travel might turn a "bargain" into "seriously expensive".

In earlier posts you asked about Spain and Croatia...did you rule both out? Also, you said "beach days" but are you flexible about lakes too? That would open up more possibilities since there are countries that are either landlocked and/or beaches are not really the "draw" there (e.g. Romania). Every country that's not on the Euro would be a great candidate. I would personally pick Turkey, it has amazing resorts in the southwest coast (places like Marmaris, Bodrum, Daylan, Antalya, etc.) and the Lira will take you very far. I don't think safety is an issue in any of these places.

For an inexpensive European destination with access to beaches/lakes and activities for the kids, look no further than Poland, here would be my two recommendations:

Poland's Baltic Coastline, especially the towns of Gdynia and Sopot.

Or

The Masurian lakes District aka the land of 2000 lakes, also in Poland :)

both Spain and Croatia are still on the list, but since soo many people said Spain is very hot that is the only reason that I'm asking of other places. Turkey is a HUGE no! no! if you really have to ask why? I completely disagree with their denial of the Armenian Genocide. Lakes are not on top of the list as we prefer the sea's over lakes, yes I know, Spain's coast line is the Ocean... I'm leaning towards Croatia but a lot of people said we need a rental car so that is one of the biggest reason we may rule it out. Spain is still the contender but just wanted to see what else. we do not use RS tours as we like to do everything ourselves and use our time to our needs and desires. I know that we Always go over budget that is expected when taking a family on a trip. I was under the impression that both Spain and Croatia will be less expensive then Italy or France. All of your input is appreciated I just don't know what to do.

Eastern Europe is really nice but I just feel like if we can do Euro then it will be much better.

My suggestions for cheap countries with good beaches would be Albania, Montenegro, Bulgaria and Lithuania.

I'm not sure what you mean by "do Euro" though.

I don't think you can compare entire countries by price...there are areas in each that are relatively less expensive. Croatia is not as inexpensive as one would think, especially Dubrovnik because it has gotten so exclusive and well on the tourist path. But you don't need a rental car in Croatia at all, you just need to structure your trip to take advantage of buses like I did between Split and Dubrovnik. Brač was a wonderful, family friendly island. Very easy to get to from Split via ferry, as were the other islands. Not as inexpensive as I hoped (but then again, maybe airbnbs and "sobe" rentals would be much more competitive than the hotels I stayed at). I think you can make any country (except the most expensive ones like in Scandinavia) work at any price point, it just means being very aggressive with good airfares and cheaper lodging and maybe making some meals in your room. Of course, going in the peak season means lots of crowds (especially at the beach) and relatively more expensive than other times of the year.

Also, look into Corsica, Sardinia and Crete.

Portugal offers good value. There are some great beaches, food, wine and historic towns if you avoid the Algarve. Europe is safe.

Some Eastern European countries such as Albania are cheaper, but less developed.

You can’t generalise about costs eg costs on Santorini, Greece are significantly higher than most other Greek islands; Dubrovnik and Hvar town are significantly more expensive than other parts of Croatia, even Stari Grad, 30 minutes from Hvar town.

In many places, June will be slightly cheaper than August, which is peak school holiday season.

The northern coast of Spain generally has not-hot weather even in mid-summer. You can't count on every day being beach weather (Canadians probably excepted) due to the potential for it to be cool and either overcast or rainy. It's an interesting area and generally not too expensive with the possible exception of San Sebastian (foodies) and Santiago de Compostela (pilgrims seeking comfortable accomodations at the end of the Camino). Northern Portugal might also work; I haven't seen very much of that area.

The problem with the most reliable beach destinations in the south is that they can be oppressively hot in the summer. Otherwise, I think Sicily would be a brilliant idea.

Montenegro is very interesting and relatively cheap. Unfortunately, I don't think the national parks (reportedly very nice) are accessible via public transportation. And it will probably be quite hot.

Bulgaria is cheap and very interesting. I wouldn't know what to tell you about beaches, because I suspect a lot of the most convenient ones have been turned into very-low-end package-tourism destinations. By the time I reached Bulgaria it was the second half of September, and the problem wasn't heat; fall was moving in and there was some rain. I don't know what mid-summer temperatures are like.

I'd suggest Germany. Spend some time in Bavaria for the sightseeing and then head north for the beaches on both the North Sea and Baltic Sea. It's not as inexpensive as Turkey or other Eastern Europe countries but also not as expensive as France, Italy, or Switzerland. I know you said you prefer the seaside to lakes but the resort towns on the big lakes like Konstanz on the Swiss border are just like the seaside.

If you decide on Albania or Montenegro, be advised that we've been told by the company whose tour we are taking this month not to drink the water in those two countries.

Thank you everyone for your input, the suggestions are some really good ideas. I will see what the airfare is for the countries and will start booking from there. Sicily is a great idea that I did not think of, but we will consider all and do our research. thanks!

Any country can be as cheap or as expensive as you wish. We went for 29 days, and spent $5200 for 2 - less than $100/day.

1) Always eat the hotel/pension breakfast. We ate the breakfast, and had dinner out. $52/day on food
2) Don't buy a lot of junk
3) With kids, I'd rent a car. This can be pretty cheap especially
4) Consider camping. Kids love camping
5) I'd do all reservations before the trip. Don't rule out hostels, which have private rooms with multiple beds.

Since you are from the West Coast, have you done the US National Parks? There's a ton of great parks in the USA, including 6-7 in CA alone.

camping is a big no no, in the US or Europe, I'm not a camping person. I understand that some areas are more expensive then others, we spent over 3 weeks in Greece last year and 6 days was just in Oia Santorini, so I get how it can be expensive in one place but less in other. We have done most national parks from San Diego all the way to Alaska, so we are good on National parks on this side. We try and do one new state every year for a week or so, so we get to see the country as well. In the summer we do Europe or other countries...... We just returned from the Bahamas, a week before the hurricane hit....

This one is easy, cause I have done it; the coast of Montenegro. Some days on the coast with at least 3 great towns worth seeing and doing. Then maybe some mountain time. Still got time, the Albanian Rivera looks amazing
I havent done it yet, but I have it priced out for the Spring. I'm going to Bosnia & Herzegovina in a few weeks; again the pricing is amazing. But no beach, just some fly fishing in the rivers.

Then, to mix in a little City time, visit Budapest. About $65 on Wizzair from Tirana, Podgorica, Sarajevo. Still the cheapest major city in Europe. Eastern Europe is a wise choice.

Oh, I've been to Black Sea beaches in Bulgaria and Ukraine. Naaaaaaaa, not that good.

If you decide in Albania or Montenegro, be advised that we've been told by the company whose tour we are taking this month not to drink the water in those two countries.

Did the company explain why you shouldn't drink the water? I can't speak for Albania but we were in Montenegro a week ago and drank the water with absolutely no issues whatsoever, in fact it tasted better than some of the water I've drunk in the US. In the old town of Kotor there are public water fountains and people were constantly filling their bottles with the water with seemingly no bad effects. Even if drinking bottled water in a restaurant the ice is made from tap water, none of my family suffered any ill effects from the water in Montenegro.

Whilst on the topic of Montenegro it was listed as a potential place for the OP to visit. I would hesitate to advise it particularly as the OP is looking to visit at peak summer season. Kotor, where we stayed, doesn't have any real beaches to speak of. The shoreline is shingle and rock and lots of pontoons which traditionally were used to secure and access the many fishing boats. Kotor is not cheap, eating out is on a par with most Western European cities.

Some of the best beaches are in Budva however it is a very popular spot, particularly amongst wealthy Russians and probably wouldn't be ideal for the kids. As for safety, Montenegrin drivers are atrocious, I witnessed some very dangerous driving there and some of the roads are hazardous.

The Polish Riviera has interested me and is on my list but I haven't been so cannot make a recommendation.

You don't state the reason for not using a rental car. I would recommend Mallorca but it's best enjoyed by car. Mallorca is a pleasure to drive around, it's not congested (other than Palma) and the driving by Southern Europe standards is particularly mellow. Plenty of beaches, an aquapark, a very good aquarium, castles, caves, walled medieval towns, fantastic markets, reasonably cheap, excellent food and very easy to get around and explore. We've been going for a number of years and our kids love it (now 14 and 12). We've been in June and it's perfect, we've been in August which is hotter but fine if you're at the beach or by the pool or go up into the mountains where temperatures are a bit cooler. It's a very safe place, never experienced any problems or felt unsafe and we sometimes visit twice a year.

Portugal is also highly recommended for value for money, excellent food and a safe place. I've yet to go but we're looking at possibly next year.

Southern Spain will be hot but that doesn't stop the thousands of European tourists who descend upon it every summer. Whilst the heat isn't conducive to walking around and exploring historic sights it doesn't matter much if you're going to be spending much of your time around water.

Some of the best beaches are in Budva however it is a very popular
spot, particularly amongst wealthy Russians and probably wouldn't be
ideal for the kids. As for safety, Montenegrin drivers are atrocious,
I witnessed some very dangerous driving there and some of the roads
are hazardous.

I've been there a number of times and all I can say is you and I visited different worlds. I have kids, and if I weren't so cheap I would take them there in a heart beat.

I have ruled out Albania and Montenegro but I didn't think of Majorca on it's own? Is it enough to spend 2 weeks just in Majorca or we would need to add another location as well. We are flying from west coast so is the trip (financially and time wise) worth it for one place, or would you recommend adding a city or two in mainland Spain. I don't think we can have a direct flight so we must connect through Spain.
now here are the few reasons we try and avoid driving: my husband will not drive outside of the country, that's just a choice he made, so I will need to do all the driving, we will need to bring two carseats with us for our kids, I don't drive manual shift, so the car must be automatic. btw i did get my European drivers permits from AAA last year, so I have no problem doing it again. The more I read all of your comments the more I'm thinking of Spain/Majorca, Portugal and Croatia......

the funny part of all of this is that I spend many years in Easter Europe growing up, my parents owned a house on the beach of the Black Sea (Sochi).... so I'm aware of how things are in that part of the world, it's just my husband who is very new to Europe or anywhere outside of the States. perhaps that is the reason he is reluctant to drive....

again, thank you all for your input, I'll wait and see how this comes about, once I start pricing the airline....

I've been there a number of times and all I can say is you and I visited different worlds. I have kids, and if I weren't so cheap I would take them there in a heart beat.

We visited the same world we just have different opinions and perceptions.

I have ruled out Albania and Montenegro but I didn't think of Majorca on it's own? Is it enough to spend 2 weeks just in Majorca or we would need to add another location as well. We are flying from west coast so is the trip (financially and time wise) worth it for one place, or would you recommend adding a city or two in mainland Spain. I don't think we can have a direct flight so we must connect through Spain.

You can easily fill two weeks in Mallorca particularly if you're factoring in a lot of beach time but ultimately it comes down to your style of travelling. For those who enjoy a fast pace, one or two nights in a place and then moving on, they may find two weeks to be a bit stifling. I'm not one of those people and I'm fortunate to be 1 1/2 hours flight away via my local airport which is a 20 minutes drive. We also own a timeshare there (two weeks) so we've been visiting multiple times and still not discovered it all. However, because we have the luxury of being so close and knowing that we'll be returning we take things easy, after all, that's what holidays are about for us.

You won't find a direct flight from the US so you'll need to connect somewhere but it doesn't have to be Spain, flights to Palma depart from many airports within Europe however Mallorca is most popular with the British and Germans so you might find more availability from UK and German airports along with Spain. A common trip is flying to Barcelona, spend a few days there and then on to Mallorca, either by flying or ferry however mixing in a visit to London and catching one of the many budget airline flights from Stansted, Luton or Gatwick might appeal, lots more of interest for the children in London than Barcelona (or Madrid which is the other major Spanish gateway for US flights).

I would advise your husband not to fret about driving in Mallorca. You'll be driving on the same side of the road for a start which is the biggest hurdle with transitioning to driving abroad. I don't know where you live or what the traffic is like but I can assure you, I find driving in Mallorca far less stressful than driving in the US. It's a slower pace, far less combative and competitive, better lane discipline and nowhere is more than 1.5 drive away. The mountain roads can be a bit windy and some people are nervous whereas others, me included, enjoy them. Other than Palma and perhaps Manacor there isn't really much in the way of heavy traffic. There's a very large underground car park just on the outskirts of Palma, reached via the main coastal road which negates having to drive within Palma and it's a 10 minute walk to the cathedral and the historic district. There is public transport on the island but I've never used it and I would imagine that it would be frustrating getting to and from the beaches and visiting the various towns and villages. Whilst the streets within the old towns can be very narrow there is plenty of parking in the surrounding areas and the old parts can be reached on foot in minutes. I wouldn't want to be waiting around for public transport in the middle of summer least of all with young children and whilst I appreciate that it's a pain to lug the car seats with you it's something we did for years and I feel that the benefits far outweigh the hassle.

If your husband doesn't want to drive in the mountains then there's the option of the fantastic old wooden train that runs from Palma to the lovely town of Soller and a further tram ride to Port de Soller. The kids should love it too.

I'm leaning towards Spain with Majorca added to it. I'll have to price out the airline tickets to see what we want to do. thanks for all the input.