As temperatures rise around the world, family holidays in the future could be to entirely different destinations.
While Ireland abounds in beautiful beaches and holidays taken at home are undoubtedly better from an environmental point of view, those seeking a little Euro escapism are turning their attention to cooler spots in the peak months of July and August.
Because of their cooler temperatures, many of these destinations are deliciously unspoilt, so if you do travel, travel well, and leave them as pristine as you found them.
Europe’s Atlantic coast
Tucked into the coastline of the Bay of Biscay, La Rochelle has been a welcome sight for sailors for centuries. There are direct flights from Dublin, but the French rail network is excellent, and the train from Paris takes just under 2½ hours.
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For blissful sandy beaches, Île de Ré is about an hour away again from La Rochelle, and reachable by bridge (as well as boat). Once there, you’ll be enchanted by whitewashed cottages, winding cross-island cycle lanes, vineyards, grazing donkeys, poppy fields, a pretty harbour, great restaurants and hollyhocks everywhere.
Where to stay
The impossibly charming L’Océan on Île de Ré has atmospheric rooms clustered around a swimming pool, and an excellent restaurant too. Approx €150 per room. See re-hotel-ocean.com
Other French destinations
Check out the north coast with stays in cool and beautiful Brittany. Brittany Ferries has routes from Cork and Rosslare to Roscoff. See brittany-ferries.ie.
Further down Continental Europe’s Atlantic coast, and along the southern coast, the Algarve is also cooled by the Atlantic, but is more developed as a holiday destination. While the western Atlantic coast and interior are less built up, expect hotels and aparthotels catering to families in resorts from Faro to Lagos. Prices in August range from upwards of €300 per person sharing, self-catering with clickandgo.com.
Scandinavian retreats
The shivery phrase “it’s bloody Baltic” refers to the Baltic Sea, an offshoot of the Atlantic that wraps around the likes of Denmark, Finland, Latvia and Poland – you can definitely expect cooler temperatures here.
Jutland is the large peninsula that contains most of the parts of mainland Denmark and has fabulous beaches on both the east and west coasts. Lovers of poetry will recall Aarhus, made famous by Seamus Heaney’s The Tollund Man. This east coast Jutland city is charming in the extreme with plenty to see and do around its large harbour.
Legoland at Billund is an hour south, but closer still is Kystlandet: the area around the Horsens Fjord, and one of Jutland’s newer destinations. Here, there are wonderful beaches, a 60km new hiking and cycling route, the “fjordmino”, and ferries to the nearby islands.
Where to stay
Find camping, cottages and hotel accommodation at kystlandet.com, which ranges from the historic Jørgensens Hotel in Horsens, from €150 per night; to camping free of charge at the Viking Camp on Tunø island, described as “a nature camp for the Viking-enthusiast” so you have been warned! See kystlandet.com
Outer Hebrides
Once a byword for far flung distance, the Outer Hebrides is the collective name for the cluster of more than 70 islands that run up the northwest coast of Scotland. Some 15 of these are inhabited and they include enchanting villages, prehistoric sites, glorious beaches and (if you must) golfing.
It’s worth the trip, as they are a brilliant go-to spot for a range of activities. Discover plenty of great food and drink (devotees of Scotch should check out the Hebridean Whisky Trail at hebrideanwhisky.com), wildlife, walking, pony riding and water sports.
You can get there either by train and ferry from Glasgow through glorious scenery, or take an internal flight from Glasgow, if time, rather than the environment, is of the essence.
Islands include Harris, Lewis (celebrated in the Proclaimers’ famous song, Letter from America), St Kilda, Uist and Barra. Prepare for all types of weather and expect an unforgettable family adventure.
Where to stay
Accommodation ranges from campsites and self-catering, to B&Bs, hotels and inns. The Royal Hotel at Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis costs from £89 (€103) per night for a single room; while a self-catering spot will set you back in the region of £600 per week in August for the charming, thatched Struan Cottage on Uist, sleeping up to six – if you all get on well. See visitouterhebrides.co.uk
Spa time in the Italian Alps
Italy’s Dolomites is more for grown-ups seeking a summer recharge. The Lefay Resort and Spa have a new Active and Balance programme that makes the most of this part of the Alps, blending mountain hikes, forest bathing and dunks in Alpine streams in pursuit of making you feel good again.
Add in spa treatments targeting the five elements of classical Chinese medicine, and you should return practically turbocharged. You even get your own Alpine walking guide.
Where to stay
Lefay Resort and Spa Dolomiti for the five-night Active and Balance programme, including meals, treatments and activities, from €3,250 pp. Travel and transfers not included. See dolomiti.lefayresorts.com
A taste of Latvia and Estonia
Experience more Baltic bliss in Latvia and Estonia, where you’ll find fascinating cities, wonderful beaches and extensive forests to explore.
Latvia’s capital Riga has a rich mix of medieval and art nouveau architecture, while Jūrmala was once one of Europe’s most famous beach holiday spots. Imagine extensive sandy beaches, bounded by forests and boardwalks, and all a direct half-an-hour train ride from Riga.
Where to stay
Make it easy on yourself with a Travel Department tour taking in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia for eight nights from €1,279pp including flights and transfers at traveldepartment.com.
The next Travel Department departure isn’t until September, but you can find family friendly options sooner than that with Abbey Travel, which has a seven-night trip for two at the Dodo hotel in Riga from €449pp, including flights.
Stay on site at Jūrmala with plenty of beach front hotels to choose from, for approx €100 per night. See visitjurmala.lv
Channel Islands and Isles of Scilly
Jersey is alternately famous as a tax haven, and also the home of John Nettles’ famous detective Bergerac (to people who are of, shall we say, a “certain age”). A mix of French and English influences, Jersey is officially a “crown dependency” – a designation that gives some of the islanders a certain amount of latitude in their accounting practices.
They also benefit from amazing seafood, beautiful scenery, wonderful beaches and a laid-back lifestyle. Jersey’s capital, St Helier, is a bit built up around the edges, but you’re soon out in gorgeous countryside with lots of lovely walks.
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Guernsey is a quieter, and very beautiful island. Fans of island hopping should check out the Isles of Scilly, further west into the Atlantic, off the coast of Cornwall. Again, you’ll find marvellous beaches, little villages, prehistoric sites, shipwrecks, and – a little like our own gulf-stream coasts – some super subtropical plants. See visitislesofscilly.com
The Scillies, as they are known, are reachable by ferry from Penzance, while there are direct flights to Jersey and Guernsey from Dublin daily.
Where to stay
Loungeville Manor, just outside St Helier on Jersey, is a wonderful historic spot with a great restaurant and super spa. From approx €380 per night. See longuevillemanor.com
On Guernsey, stay at The Duke of Richmond Hotel for five nights in August, from €1,024pp, including flights. See clickandgo.com.*
Beach life: Amsterdam style
Amsterdam may not be your first thought when it comes to a beach holiday, but the coastal strip west of the city has long stretches of golden sandy beaches, a vibrant club scene, and is easily reachable by train with services every half-hour from Amsterdam city centre.
Zandvoort is the largest, but eight of the North Sea beaches in the Netherlands above Amsterdam have blue flag status, so either dig in and chill, or explore more from Wijk aan Zee all the way to Den Helder. There is also lake swimming, with small beaches at Lake Markermeer and Lake IJsselmeer, with plenty of watery activities on tap.
Where to stay
Journey time to Zandvoort beach from Amsterdam is about 40 minutes. This means you can either base yourself in Amsterdam itself, and enjoy the city, its parks and canals, or stay at Zandvoort, with prices at Beachhouse Hotel (which is, as its name implies, right on the beach) for approx €280 per room in August. See beachhouse.nl
EuroParcs at Lake Markermeer has family friendly accommodation in chalets and pavilions from €320 per night for two. See europarcs.nl
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There is also a handy one-hour train from Amsterdam to Bovenkarspel Flora that leaves you a 15-minute walk from the Europarcs site.
This article was updated on August 2nd to correct a factual error - the Click and Go package for flights and accommodation at The Duke of Richmond Hotel on Guernsey is bed & breakfast only, not half board as originally stated.
