Holiday Ideas for family 2+2 and grandparents

Hi looking for ideas for a family Sun holiday for 2 adults and 2 children one 2.5 years and other will be (please god )about an 8-10 weeks old!! Go to Tenerife every year and looking for a change can anyone recommend?? DD was a bit young last year for kiddie entertainment but this year should enjoy something like that! Granny & Grandad going to come with us so somewhere with some nice restaurants, drinks, kiddie entertainment etc..It will be Sept 2011 and I was thinking of a Cruise any other suggestions much appreciated!!

I went to a place called Riccione in Italy in September 08 with the GPs in tow and would highly recommend it for famailies with young kids. It's about an hour from Bologna airport.

I found it idyllic. It's a beautiful town - typically Italian with none of the lager culture you might find in nearby Rimini.

Many of the hotels are right on the seafront with just a beautiful promenade to cross to get the beach. Most of the beaches are private and/or attached to hotels but they almost all have secure mini-playgrounds. There are lots of good reasonably priced restaurants and bars with plenty of options to push the boat out if the GPs are babysitting.

Riccione is a real cylcist's paradise so plenty of them for hire (free from most hotels). San Marino is an hour's coach journry away if you're feeling adventurous.

Just typing this, I'm getting sentimental about the evening walks along the promenade, strolling home from the restaurant, trying to eat an ice cream while carrying a sleeping child. Not very hectic but very relaxed.

I could also recommend San Vincenzo and Lido di Camaiore on the Tuscan coast but Riccione just ticked all the boxes.

Hi thanks for that actually spent a week in Lido de jeslo in 2004 before marriage & babies yeah I can remember that kind of atmosphere alright!! Hotels on the beach etc only thing was weather wasn't brill was ok but cool enough I suppose might be ideal for the newborn!! It was September as well!! Thanks for that will look into it!!

Staples. Can you get from Bologna airport in to Bologna easy enough by airport bus? Just thinking of an overnighter in Bologna city. Then is it easy to get a local bus or train to Riccione. Did you go apartment or hotel?

Laramie said:

Staples. Can you get from Bologna airport in to Bologna easy enough by airport bus? Just thinking of an overnighter in Bologna city. Then is it easy to get a local bus or train to Riccione. Did you go apartment or hotel?

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Hi Laramie

There's a regular bus service that leaves from just outside the terminal doors. You can't miss it. There's a machine from which you can purchase tickets in advance but you can also pay the driver directly which is a lot les hassle. From memory, thinks it's about a fiver per person. Journey to Bologna centre takes about 30 minutes. The bus stops a couple of times once ther but terminates at the train station. From there you can catch a train to directly to Riccione although they're slightly less frequent than trains to some of the bigger towns such as Rimini.

There's a good 4 star hotel across the road from the station called the Starhotel. They have good deals from time to time.

In Riccione, we stayed in the Hotel Nautico which was right on the promenade and very cenntral for everything. Would highly recommend it.

Staples said:

I went to a place called Riccione in Italy in September 08 with the GPs in tow and would highly recommend it for famailies with young kids.

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Hi Staples, I read your post with interest.
I am considering taking my family holiday during the school mid-term in October this year. I would love to go to Italy. From your knowledge of Riccione, would you recommend it in October regards weather and if restaurants etc would be closed for the off-season?

Shawady said:

Hi Staples, I read your post with interest.
I am considering taking my family holiday during the school mid-term in October this year. I would love to go to Italy. From your knowledge of Riccione, would you recommend it in October regards weather and if restaurants etc would be closed for the off-season?

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Hi Shawady

If you're going for sun and sand, you'd be taking be taking a chance going in October. It could well be very pleasant (certainly warmer than here) but perhaps not T-Shirt weather, particulalrly if you're going near the end of the month for the school break. Most of Northern/Middle Italy would be the same.

However, Riccione is a functioning town in its own right so with the exception of some beachfront restaurants, I doubt if there would be widespread closure of bars, restuarants etc although they would undoubtedly be much quieter.

From what I hear, Sicily in October would be a much safer option in terms of weather, but I've never been there myself. Would love to go though.

I've travelled lots with little ones and grandparents and basically you can go almost anywhere.

The one place I wouldn't consider with a 2.5 yo is a cruise.

It would be a disaster, keeping an eye on him/her...you could never relax.

Self catering is always a winner, if not essential with small kids
I hate sand with them that small...I don't even like having a pool....fear of toddler drowning.


When ours were that age GPs opted to rent their own place, near us...can't imagine why. We hooked up most of the time and they did there own thing and did a bit of baby sitting for us maybe one evening and one day per week. Our kids are bigger now and GPs now stay with us again!!!

We did go to Sarlat in France for 2 weeks one summer with kids and GPs and it was lovely...there are alot of brits in that area and the menu is very duck oriented...but nice town, restuarants, walking etc.