If you plan to stay at home all summer, you don’t need to read this. But if you think some sort of holiday might be an idea, you do. I collect these data, from my friends who like to vacation in summer. Yes, hopefully useful, and give a little inspiration for your holiday.
Animal attraction, Sardinia, Italy
f your children are at the "Old MacDonald Had A Farm" stage, head for La Collina, a restored country estate in north-west Sardinia, where sheep, pigs and donkeys baa, oink and heehaw to their hearts' content. There's a children's play area, two pools and on site restaurant, and some of the Med's best beaches for pre-schoolers are nearby. Accommodation is in self-catering apartments or detached cottages.
A week at La Collina from 29 August, for example, costs from £870 per adult and £15 per child including car hire, based on a family of four in a two-bedroom apartment through Inntravel (01653 617949; inntravel.co.uk). The nearest airport is Alghero, with regular Ryanair (ryanair.com) flights from Stansted and Liverpool.
So-near safari, Normandy, France
Meet the Big Five without travelling thousands of miles or paying through the nose by taking your kids to Safari Lodge, just three hours' drive from Calais. Twenty-six wooden bungalows overlook a small valley and lake where, among other animals, rhinoceros, antelopes and Siamang gibbons roam. A short break here makes the perfect start or finish to a holiday exploring the rural Pays d'Auge area of Normandy, with its wild flowers, hedgerow-chequered fields and cider trails.
In July and August Four Seasons France (0845 230 5130; fourseasonsfrance.co.uk) is offering three nights at Safari Lodge from £470 for up to six people. Sea France (0871 222 2500; seafrance.com) offers up to 15 sailings a day from Dover to Calais.
Caves and castles, Slovenia
Combine rafting and mountain biking in Slovenia's craggy Alpine forests with downtime spent soaking up the culture - and possibly some fruit brandy - in ancient towns overlooked by mighty castles. Excursions include a visit to the Thousand Caves network at Skocjan and Predjama castle, with its drawbridge, grisly dungeon, secret defences and phantom knight.
A week through Explore (0845 013 1539; explore.co.uk) departing 8 August costs £890 for over-12s and £820 for five-to-11s including flights, transport, B&B, activities and guiding.
Fly and fop, Mallorca, Spain
A rural setting and fenced pool with gentle steps make Casa Margarita in rural Mallorca ideal for holidays with toddlers. Nappies and formula can be ordered in advance, while cots and other baby equipment are provided along with optional food for the fridge, meals or (bliss!) beauty treatments by the pool. The house is well away from tourist hot spots but within easy reach of three restaurants, bar, bakery, supermarket and post office.
A week starting on 4 July costs £895 without flights or car hire with Vintage Travel (0845 3440460; vintagetravel.co.uk). Ryanair (as before), Easyjet (easyjet.com) and Thomas Cook (flythomascook.com) fly to Palma, Mallorca, from several British airports.
Summer skiing, Valais, Switzerland
Build your confidence - and muscles - on a summer ski course in Saas Fee. Developed by ski icon Warren Smith and aimed at all ages and levels, the courses are particularly popular with active families (around a third of last year's participants came en famille), who spend the morning on the slopes and the afternoons climbing, hiking, playing tennis or riding. Phew!
A week's course with the Warren Smith Academy (warrensmith-skiacademy.com) costs £329 per person. Discounted half-board accommodation for participants staying at the four-star Hotel Du Glacier (00 41 27 958 1600, duglacier.ch) costs from around £52pp per night in a shared room in August. Easyjet (as before) flies to the nearest airport, Geneva, from 13 British cities.
Kasbahs and cookery, Morocco
Team up with other like-minded families on a fully escorted trip to Morocco that includes drinking mint tea with Berbers, lessons in tagine making, a tour of the souks in Marrakesh, guided walks in the beautiful Bougmez valley, where the climate is surprisingly clement even in the summer months, and a mule trek.
July and August departures from £769 per adult and £689 per child from seven years, including flights, transport, accommodation and most meals. Families Worldwide (0845 051 4567; familiesworldwide.co.uk).
