Summer Family Vacay - Europe Edition
January 21, 2023 6:15 AM Subscribe
Need suggestions for where to book a European family vacay in July 2023! Details below the fold.
Planning a big group family vacay in mid July for 7-10 days. There will be 8-10 adults and 2 children. The group will be converging in Europe from a variety of places, and so ideally the location is either a max 4 hour drive or train ride from a major international airport/major international city.
We have been looking on airbnb, and preference seems to be south of France, but getting to places in Aix-en-Provence or other spots seem to be a bit challenging from Paris. Any other recommendations of places where we can look?
Things we would love:
- Easy access to quaint city or town with a few cafes/restaurants, farmers market, groceries.
- Easy-ish access to water. River or beach.
- Need wi-fi for the digital nomads among us.
Where should we go?
Planning a big group family vacay in mid July for 7-10 days. There will be 8-10 adults and 2 children. The group will be converging in Europe from a variety of places, and so ideally the location is either a max 4 hour drive or train ride from a major international airport/major international city.
We have been looking on airbnb, and preference seems to be south of France, but getting to places in Aix-en-Provence or other spots seem to be a bit challenging from Paris. Any other recommendations of places where we can look?
Things we would love:
- Easy access to quaint city or town with a few cafes/restaurants, farmers market, groceries.
- Easy-ish access to water. River or beach.
- Need wi-fi for the digital nomads among us.
Where should we go?
Marseille/Aix en Provence is only 4:30 drive from Barcelona
posted by gregjones at 6:49 AM on January 21, 2023
posted by gregjones at 6:49 AM on January 21, 2023
If you're open to Northern Europe, I'd suggest Amsterdam. Schiphol is a major airport (KLM hub, bazillion other airlines) and the city is quaint by North American standards (canals! bicycles!) with easy-peasy train access to even quainter places like Bruges and Madurodam. The whole dang country is built around access to water.
posted by basalganglia at 6:56 AM on January 21, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by basalganglia at 6:56 AM on January 21, 2023 [1 favorite]
Avignon is under 4 hours from Paris via TGV and under three hours' drive from Lyon or Nice, ~4 from Barcelona. If you rented a car (well, cars(s) probably) in Avignon, you could easily go to Aix-en-Provence, Arles, walk around vineyards, visit beautiful little villages. Driving in French cities is not my favorite but the motorways and country roads are fine and in Arles and Avignon at least there are parking lots on the edge of the city core where you can ditch your car while you walk around.
posted by mskyle at 7:20 AM on January 21, 2023
posted by mskyle at 7:20 AM on January 21, 2023
If you rented a car (well, cars(s) probably) in Avignon
Also worth noting -- the Avignon TGV station is a very easy place to pick up rental cars and drive out of; I've done it myself.
The Gare d'Avignon TGV (not to be confused with the different Gare d'Avignon Centre, which is the station closer to the city center) is located a bit farther out of town and surrounded by parking lots, so car access is easy.
posted by andrewesque at 7:32 AM on January 21, 2023
Also worth noting -- the Avignon TGV station is a very easy place to pick up rental cars and drive out of; I've done it myself.
The Gare d'Avignon TGV (not to be confused with the different Gare d'Avignon Centre, which is the station closer to the city center) is located a bit farther out of town and surrounded by parking lots, so car access is easy.
posted by andrewesque at 7:32 AM on January 21, 2023
Aix-en-Provence is very easy to get to from Paris, though: 3 hours by train with prices on OuiGo* – the bargain TGV – at around €50 return in July right now. I had a fantastic stay in Aix in September, and also then went to Marseille in December, because passing through on my way back, I thought Marseille looked too good to miss. Marseille has better beach access, of course, both in the city and in the Calanques national park just to the south.
Aix TGV has all the access to rental cars that you need, just the same as Avignon TGV: in scale, it's more like an airport, except it can handle up to 1300 people coming off a TGV all at once rather than 200 from a plane. So logistically, I'd say it's all very much fine.
*although InOui, the traditional TGV service is much less user hostile: no need to pay for baggage or check in ahead of time, etc.
posted by ambrosen at 8:13 AM on January 21, 2023
Aix TGV has all the access to rental cars that you need, just the same as Avignon TGV: in scale, it's more like an airport, except it can handle up to 1300 people coming off a TGV all at once rather than 200 from a plane. So logistically, I'd say it's all very much fine.
*although InOui, the traditional TGV service is much less user hostile: no need to pay for baggage or check in ahead of time, etc.
posted by ambrosen at 8:13 AM on January 21, 2023
I'd suggest Ventimiglia. It's cheaper than south of France, but it is also better for several reasons. Among them: Italians are nicer to foreigners. It is less known than other Ligurian resorts, but that is a bonus, it has many of the same charms.
Ventimiglia is accessible from Nice, Genoa, Lyon and Milan.
From Ventimiglia, you can easily travel by car or public transportation to sights in Northern Italy and Southern France.
The food is great, the beach is small but nice, the market is amazing.
posted by mumimor at 8:22 AM on January 21, 2023 [4 favorites]
Ventimiglia is accessible from Nice, Genoa, Lyon and Milan.
From Ventimiglia, you can easily travel by car or public transportation to sights in Northern Italy and Southern France.
The food is great, the beach is small but nice, the market is amazing.
posted by mumimor at 8:22 AM on January 21, 2023 [4 favorites]
Everyone should be able to fly into Milan (or Bergamo, same difference) pretty painlessly and all of Italy is a pleasant train ride from Milan.
posted by DarlingBri at 8:39 AM on January 21, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by DarlingBri at 8:39 AM on January 21, 2023 [2 favorites]
Cadiz and Vejer de la Frontera are small charming and not so overwhelmingly touristed towns in Andalusia, near or on many many beaches. There are airports nearby (Seville, Vejer de la Frontera), though they might not be so easy to get to depending on where people are coming from. From Madrid to Seville there is a fast train, about 3 hours.
Northern Spain on the Atlantic is normally a bit cooler and since it isn't yet august, might not be quite so full. Small coastal cities like Bilbao, San Sebastian, and others farther west from Bilbao, which now has a fairly active airport.
You might also consider the French coast just across the border. People could fly into Biarritz or Bordeaux (or Bilbao).
If Greece isn't too hot for you all, I could make some suggestions by PM. Greeks are mostly not yet on holiday, so best to choose a place that is not as frequented by foreign tourists, and there are some left.
posted by melamakarona at 9:13 AM on January 21, 2023
Northern Spain on the Atlantic is normally a bit cooler and since it isn't yet august, might not be quite so full. Small coastal cities like Bilbao, San Sebastian, and others farther west from Bilbao, which now has a fairly active airport.
You might also consider the French coast just across the border. People could fly into Biarritz or Bordeaux (or Bilbao).
If Greece isn't too hot for you all, I could make some suggestions by PM. Greeks are mostly not yet on holiday, so best to choose a place that is not as frequented by foreign tourists, and there are some left.
posted by melamakarona at 9:13 AM on January 21, 2023
Riva del Garda or elsewhere around Lake Garda is four hours by train (and local bus for the last bit, very easy) or a two hour drive from Milan. The lake has beaches. We did some great easy cycling and ate some lovely food too. I had never heard of it until mentioned by a colleague and basically went based on google images of the place! It was great!
posted by AnnaRat at 3:03 PM on January 21, 2023
posted by AnnaRat at 3:03 PM on January 21, 2023
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posted by kevinbelt at 6:34 AM on January 21, 2023