Gite alternatives

[nunheadmum]

The annual hunt for the perfect family holiday begins again!

We've done gites in France for the past few years and it works well for us. We like having a few families around for the kids to make friends and also a bit of personal outdoor space is great. But we'd like to try a different country, probably still European, keeping the social gite benefits if possible and somewhere warm but not too hot (a max of 25-37). We're not keen on high density resort accommodation - something near a smaller village/town is more our thing.

Can anyone suggest anywhere? Gite accommodation transported to another country would be perfect but I'm struggling to find the right thing.

[birnehelene]

Scandinavia? Lots of places with cabin and holiday houses.

Edited to add that I missed the hot bit. We have been to Portugal which was lovely. I think we got our place through sawdays

[yeknomyeknom]

If you haven?t, look at the canopy and stars website. Lots of ideas there.

[twoshoes]

Hi there,

I'm afraid it's not an alternative as such but it is absolute heaven... I grew up with many families holidaying here https://belarbre.co.uk/ {a family home out there}

There are 4 double bedrooms (one with an extra single bed), 2 cots, 2 bunkbeds (so a kids zone room) and oodles of space - 40 acres of forest to roam in and incredible views.

Still France but you could be anywhere it's so private.

Good luck

[nunheadmum]

Thanks for the ideas. Not quite found the perfect option yet though. Portugal looking the best option so far. But struggling to find something with other families around for kids to make friends that isn't an apartment complex with not a lot of private space for us.

I'm trying to work out if somewhere like the Canary Islands or Sardinia would be too hot. Am I right thinking that being islands, they stay a bit cooler? Anyone got any advice?

Always get myself in knots trying to get the perfect holiday for everyone. One year I'll just book what I fancy!!

[mayo]

Did you manage to find anything? We're looking for inspiration and sounds as though our preferences are similar to yours.

We've done a lot of campsites in the past - in France but you can do in other European countries. I often use the Eurocamp website to select a site and then book direct with the campsite which is usually considerably cheaper and often nicer accommodation (we always go for a chalet type place or safari tent). It's a great holiday with children as there are other children around to make friends with and loads for everyone to do on site - pool, playgrounds, cafe etc. and so really relaxing for adults too.

we had a bad experience with a shared gite type holiday with one really annoying family swiping and hiding all the best toys (when children were much younger) and spreading out over the whole pool area and never taking a turn to tidy the play barn etc argh!

[SLad]

Sorry to be a thicko but could someone please explain what a gite holiday is please? I've heard it said a lot and just assumed it was a sort of chalet style thing but Mayo's description of a play barn has me excited that this might be the perfect solution for my 5 and 2 year olds.

[nunheadmum]

Hi. In the end we've gone back to a gite in France. Nowhere else seems to give the same mix of company but private space.

SLad - no I wondered for a while too what they were. A gite is essentially a holiday house in France - originally rustic but often now much slicker. Often there is more than one on a site - e.g. conversion of old farm buildings. You get your own house but share facilities like a pool, play-area, games room etc. Often they will be in quite rural areas but sometimes local bakers etc will call in the mornings.

It really varies what is offered and the standard of the house / facilities but generally we've found them to be good. We like the fact that you get a bit of private space but where there's more than 1 gite, it usually means another family with kids. If the kids hit it off, it makes for a much easier holiday for the parents. It is hit and miss who you get - unless you go with friends - but we've never had an awful time.

If you search for Gites in France or the region you are interested in, you'll get an idea. This site lets you search for places with more than 1 gite.

http://www.cheznous.com/PropertyComplexes.aspx