US Family holiday in the UK + France

[h0b0]

My family and I are heading over to the UK the August. I grew up in northern England but my wife and kids are American. Im looking to do the most touristy thing possible outside of London. My kids like castles and places like Disney I.e. normal kids. Chester was a 1 day hit with the wife as it felt like the reality Disney may have based parts of Epcot on.

Anywhere in the UK except London due to having that leg booked. Plan is to also spend time in Paris and rural France as well. Any similar suggestions? Budget in rural France is open as I would consider a chateaux in the champagne region and have my UK family meet up with us.

Kids are 4 and 6 and budget is around 400 pounds a night for uk.

[Yipper]

Edinburgh (castle).
Chamonix (Mont Blanc).

[Vaud]

York (castle, Viking museum, minster, Railway museum)

Annecy in France (pretty town, lake, mountains)

[jmorgan]

Wales has a truck load of castles but obviously hire car required. Some great hotels as well.

My fav castles in the North, Harlech, Caernarfon and Conwy and Beaumaris primarily for the access as in you can get in and up on them, and the scenery.

http://www.caernarfon-castle.co.uk
http://cadw.gov.wales/daysout/conwycastle/?lang=en
http://cadw.gov.wales/daysout/harlechcastle/?lang=...
http://cadw.gov.wales/daysout/beaumaris-castle/?la...

[nickfrog]

Yipper said:

Edinburgh (castle).
Chamonix (Mont Blanc).

Logistically very rational

[Vaud]

nickfrog said:

Logistically very rational

While it is the norm to jump on Yippers posts, the OP did say anywhere in the uk... and chamonix is a pretty good place though not so much for the young ones.

[nickfrog]

Vaud said:

While it is the norm to jump on Yippers posts, the OP did say anywhere in the uk... and chamonix is a pretty good place though not so much for the young ones.

I don't think it's the norm, but I think it ought to be in light of the unmatched stupidity of his posting, even by PH"s lowest standards. Chamonix is a great place but probably quite far down the list of places to see in France with kids indeed. The logistics would be a nightmare for starters.

[h0b0]

nickfrog said:

Yipper said:

Edinburgh (castle).
Chamonix (Mont Blanc).

Logistically very rational

Getting some great ideas.

I have to say Yipper surprises me with every post. We did Chamonix last year and the kids loved it. I will warn people with younger kids though that the altitude at the top of Aguil de Midi screws with little minds and sends them crazy.

Edinburgh is also under consideration. It came into the list because you can get cheap flights from NY state to EDI. In the end we are flying into Heathrow though. To add some further details, I have offices in Glasgow and Bournemouth and I’m considering relocating to either place. I could stay in Portsmouth and day trip to Bournemouth for example. Or stay in Bournemouth if it had enough to offer.

I like the idea of Wales. I considered Cotswold as well. Is Windsor worth visiting? Renting a car no issue but would fly if it’s further than Manchester.

[h0b0]

On the Chamonix and Annecy point. I used to go to La Clusaz every year. It’s just down the road from Annecy.

As I mentioned before, the kids loved Chamonix. We took a gamble on an air b&b with terrible photos and it turned out to be fantastic. Getting there was a bit of an ordeal as the connection in a Frankfurt wasn’t possible. This meant by the time we arrived in Geneve the hire car place was closed. Lesson learnt there. Had to get a car from the usual suspects and ended up with a “V-Class” merc. I.e. a Vito with leather seats.

By the time we got to Chamonix it was dark and the kids were asleep. In the morning we flicked the shutter switches and were met with the best view of Mt Blanc possible. The kids still want to move to Chamonix.

[Vaud]

Stay inland from La Rochelle - or near Poitiers.

https://en.futuroscope.com/

Great aquarium at La Rochelle, nice beaches nearby. Futuroscope is apparently great.

[Steve Campbell]

Legoland is in Windsor and is good for kids of that age. The castle is also great but the kids are probably a bit young for that.

[miniman]

Bath.

[nickfrog]

Vaud said:

Stay inland from La Rochelle - or near Poitiers.

https://en.futuroscope.com/

Great aquarium at La Rochelle, nice beaches nearby. Futuroscope is apparently great.

That's a great idea. VERY family friendly.

[smifffymoto]

Puy du Fou knocks spots off any other park,even Disney in my opinion.Unfortunateley it's to late to book the evening cinescenie show as it books up nearly a year in advance.

Edit. If you do go in Summer it is essential to take a wide brimmed hat and lots of sun block,it can get very hot there with little shade to hide from the sun.

Edited by smifffymoto on Saturday 24th February 19:27

[numtumfutunch]

^^^^^^ kind of what he said but with emphasis on the Chatsworth bit
Colonials love it
House and gardens are great, food outlets pretty good and adventure playground excellent for kids

For the France bit the Loire would deliver
Chateaus (yes, I know) by the shedfull inc a few claiming to be the inspiration for Disney, loads of wine related stuff and the tank museum in Saumur is ace

[h0b0]

TVR Moneypit said:

Add in a couple of days at Portmerion https://www.portmeirion-village.com/visit/ and spend your time telling people that you are not a number, you're a free man. Snowdonia is only a stones throw away.

From there you could head a bit North to Liverpool if you were so inclined, or across to the beautiful Peak District with all that Manchester, Sheffield and Leeds https://royalarmouries.org/leeds/leeds-things-to-s... has to offer, (including a church steeple gone wrong at Chesterfield) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_St_Mary_an...

Whilst your in this neck of the woods you could also visit Matlock Bath and the Heights of Abraham http://www.heightsofabraham.com/, Eyam, where the great plague was brought to a halt https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eyam and Chatsworth, Haddon or Hardwick Country Houses and Peveril and Bolsover Castles.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chatsworth_House
https://www.visitpeakdistrict.com/things-to-do/cha...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haddon_Hall
http://www.haddonhall.co.uk/
https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/hardwick-hall
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peveril_Castle
http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/pe...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bolsover_Castle
http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/bo...

Whilst your here, you might as well have a proper Bakewell Tart from Bakewell https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bakewell

And not forgetting Guy Fawkes and the Gunpowder Plot, planned at Revolution House in Chesterfield, (I used to live just around the corner from there)

https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowUserReviews-g209...
http://www.peakdistrictonline.co.uk/revolution-hou...

Perhaps the kids might enjoy a bit of Robin Hood at Sherwood Forest?

https://www.forestholidays.co.uk/locations/heart-o...

Or motor racing, (including the amazing museum) at Donnington Park? http://www.donington-park.co.uk/

And if you are in this neck of the woods, all of the above links are within a 50 mile radius. Added to which the breathtaking scenery, many, many very good local restaurants, friendly locals, great locally brewed beers, http://www.mitchellswine.co.uk/home/about_us/ (I used to deliver beer to there), cheap prices and did I mention some of the best driving roads in the world?

As for France? fk France. It's full of French. Spend your extra time right here in the Peak District instead.

You can thank me when you get here


fk France, it's full of French. Spend your extra time in the Peak District instead are trademarks of TVR Moneypit Tours Ltd


Edited to add;

If your kids like castles, you won't find many much older than this place, the Stone Age fort at Carl Wark, just outside of Hathersage, about 10 miles south from the centre of Sheffield; http://www.megalithic.co.uk/article.php?sid=5510

Which if you're walking up to, you'll likely pass this, the Toads mouth; https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/toads-mouth

After which, you'll be wanting to get something decent to eat, so I'd highly recommend here; https://www.vintageinn.co.uk/restaurants/yorkshire... I went there last week for Sunday lunch)

And whilst you're nearby, you can visit the crash site of several aircraft;

Gloster Meteor at Millthorpe; http://nicwhe8.freehostia.com/millthorpe/1955/1955... ( I used to lie there)
B29 Superfortress, (like Enola Gay which bombed Hiroshima) http://www.jarrelook.co.uk/Urbex/B29%20crash%20sit...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXw7pVI3kKA (from 6.30)
In fact there has been that many within a 25 mile radius of here, I might as well just direct you to this site https://paulbesley.blog/2017/05/08/aircraft-wrecks...

Maybe ancient Pinfolds is your thing? http://www.derbyshireheritage.co.uk/Menu/Archaeolo... like the one in Barlow, (I used to live there)

Or hows about a row of shops 1100 years old? Well, there's some in Dronfield, on Church Street, opposite the church, which itself dates from 1125.
After which, a spot of lunch at the Blue Stoopshttps://www.bluestoops.co.uk/ , (both me and my Mum used to work there), or the Green Dragon http://www.greendragondronfield.co.uk/ which Michael Caine used to own ("Your only supposed to blow the bloody doors off!")

Perhaps visit Blue John cavern? https://www.bluejohn-cavern.co.uk/

Alton Towers ain't that far away either https://www.altontowers.com/

I'm starting to get bored selling the area to you now. In a nutshell, this neck of the woods is a wonderful place to visit.

Edited by TVR Moneypit on Saturday 24th February 21:30

We really appreciate the time you spent on this. Will be doing a lot more research based on this.

[h0b0]

numtumfutunch said:

^^^^^^ kind of what he said but with emphasis on the Chatsworth bit
Colonials love it
House and gardens are great, food outlets pretty good and adventure playground excellent for kids

For the France bit the Loire would deliver
Chateaus (yes, I know) by the shedfull inc a few claiming to be the inspiration for Disney, loads of wine related stuff and the tank museum in Saumur is ace

I went to Chatsworth as a kid so may take the kids and relive my childhood. We could do style mill as well.

Wine you say?.......if I rent an auto my 6 year old could drive.

[Vaud]

numtumfutunch said:

For the France bit the Loire would deliver
Chateaus (yes, I know) by the shedfull inc a few claiming to be the inspiration for Disney, loads of wine related stuff and the tank museum in Saumur is ace

Bioparc - Zoo de Doue is pretty good for kids. I don't like zoos generally but they seem to be pretty good.

[jmorgan]

I like Chatsworth but as a 6 year old?

If they like castles then the ones I mentioned (and others that are more complete) are all climbable. e.g. there is one near me that is a pile of stones, scamper around but you cannot really go up what is left of them, those ones in North Wales are superb examples for the adults and excellent climbing and exploring for the nippers. Get right into them and on the battlements. Pretend to fend off the pesky English.

[djc206]

Bournemouth doesn’t have much beyond the beach so is pretty crap if the weathers not great. Monkey World is only half an hour west though in Bovington as is the Tank Museum! Corfe Castle is also nearby.

Portsmouth has the historic dockyard which is good for the kids and the shops for the wife. You can also do RHIB rides from there which would be great fun if the weather’s nice. As a super cool (but expensive) place to stay you could look at Spitbank Fort in the solent, transfers are from Portsmouth.

Not a million miles from Portsmouth is Marwell Zoo, nearby is Winchester which is a lovely old city. Further west you’ve got the New Forest. Staying somewhere there and renting a couple of bikes would be quite nice. The Pig in the Forest is very pleasant and does excellent food.