🇫🇷 FRANCE
Annecy
A clear Alpine lake, canal-lined old town and mountains made for paragliding and cycling.
Nature & hiking✈️ 2h5 to 7 nights£££
BEST TIMEJUN–SEP
😎 HOLIDAY IDEAS
Summer holiday ideas
Six weeks to fill, from cool northern escapes to safaris and Canadian road trips. Here's where to go in the summer holidays, including places that aren't too hot.
Summer holiday ideas: 24 guides
🇪🇸 SPAIN
Asturias
Green mountains, cider houses and sandy coves on Spain's cool, rainy northern coast.
Nature & hiking✈️ 2h7 nights££
BEST TIMEJUN–SEP
🇵🇹 PORTUGAL
Azores
Whales, crater lakes and hot springs on green volcanic Atlantic islands.
Nature & hiking✈️ 4h7 nights££
BEST TIMEJUN–SEP
🇮🇩 INDONESIA
Bali
Temples, rice terraces, monkeys and warm sea, at very good value.
Beach✈️ 17h10 to 14 nights£
BEST TIMEAPR–SEP
🇨🇦 CANADA
Banff
Turquoise lakes, glaciers and elk wandering through town in the Canadian Rockies.
Nature & hiking✈️ 10h5 to 7 nights£££
BEST TIMEJUN–SEP
🇳🇴 NORWAY
Bergen
Wooden wharf houses, a funicular up the mountain and fjords on the doorstep.
City break✈️ 2h3 to 4 nights£££
BEST TIMEMAY–JUL
🇲🇾 MALAYSIA
Borneo
Orangutans, pygmy elephants and rainforest river cruises, with islands to finish.
Nature & hiking✈️ 15h10 to 14 nights££
BEST TIMEMAR–AUG
🇩🇰 DENMARK
Copenhagen
Old-fashioned fairground rides, harbour swims and the home of Lego next door.
City break✈️ 2h3 to 4 nights£££
BEST TIMEMAY–AUG
🇫🇷 FRANCE
Dordogne
Castles on cliffs, canoes on a slow green river and prehistoric cave paintings.
Nature & hiking✈️ 2h7 to 10 nights££
BEST TIMEJUN–JUL, SEP
🇫🇴 FAROE ISLANDS
Faroe Islands
Waterfalls falling into the sea, puffins and grass-roofed villages.
Nature & hiking✈️ 3h4 to 6 nights£££
BEST TIMEJUN–AUG
🇵🇱 POLAND
Gdańsk
Tall painted merchant houses, amber shops and Baltic beaches a short train ride away.
City break✈️ 3h3 to 4 nights£
BEST TIMEJUN–AUG
🇨🇭 SWITZERLAND
Interlaken
Mountain trains, glacier views and turquoise lakes in the heart of the Swiss Alps.
Nature & hiking✈️ 2h5 to 7 nights£££
BEST TIMEJUN–SEP
🇵🇱 POLAND
Kraków
A castle with a fire-breathing dragon, an underground salt mine and great value.
City break✈️ 3h3 to 4 nights£
BEST TIMEMAY–SEP
🇲🇰 NORTH MACEDONIA
Lake Ohrid
A deep, clear lake ringed by mountains, with old stone churches above the water.
Nature & hiking✈️ 3h5 to 7 nights£
BEST TIMEJUN–SEP
🇳🇴 NORWAY
Lofoten
Jagged peaks rising from the sea, red huts and the midnight sun.
Nature & hiking✈️ 4h5 to 7 nights£££
BEST TIMEJUN–AUG
🇮🇩 INDONESIA
Lombok
Quiet surf beaches, jungle waterfalls and car-free islands next door to Bali.
Beach✈️ 17h7 to 10 nights££
BEST TIMEJUN–SEP
🇰🇪 KENYA
Maasai Mara
Lions, elephants and the great migration on game drives across the savannah.
Adventure✈️ 9h4 to 7 nights£££
BEST TIMEJAN–FEB, JUL–OCT
🇨🇦 CANADA
Quebec City
A walled old town, a castle hotel and a waterfall taller than Niagara.
City break✈️ 7h3 to 4 nights££
BEST TIMEJUN–OCT
🇮🇸 ICELAND
Reykjavik
Geysers, waterfalls, whales and the northern lights, a three-hour flight away.
Nature & hiking✈️ 3h4 to 5 nights£££
BEST TIMEJUN–AUG
🇸🇪 SWEDEN
Stockholm
A city built on islands, with candlelit Christmas markets, Lucia processions and a museum about Pippi Longstocking.
City break✈️ 3h3 to 4 nights£££
BEST TIMEMAY–AUG, DEC
🇪🇪 ESTONIA
Tallinn
Medieval towers, cobbled lanes and a real submarine inside a seaplane hangar.
City break✈️ 3h3 to 4 nights££
BEST TIMEJUN–AUG
🇨🇦 CANADA
Vancouver
Forest, beaches and mountains in one city, with whales off the coast.
City break✈️ 10h7 to 10 nights£££
BEST TIMEJUN–SEP
🇺🇸 UNITED STATES
Yellowstone
Erupting geysers, rainbow hot springs and herds of bison by the road.
Nature & hiking✈️ 10h4 to 6 nights£££
BEST TIMEJUN–SEP
🇹🇿 TANZANIA
Zanzibar
Spice-scented Stone Town alleys, giant tortoises and white beaches on the Indian Ocean.
Beach✈️ 10h7 to 10 nights££
BEST TIMEJUN–SEP
Summer holiday ideas: common questions
When are the summer holidays?
In England and Wales, schools usually break up in the third or fourth week of July and go back in early September. Scotland's summer holidays start earlier, from late June or early July. Dates vary by council, so check your school's calendar.
Where is warm but not too hot in the summer holidays?
Northern Spain, like Asturias, the Azores, the French Alps around Annecy and the Dordogne are warm without the 35°C heat of the Mediterranean. Scandinavia and the Baltic, from Copenhagen and Stockholm to Tallinn and Gdańsk, are pleasantly warm with very long days.
Where is in season in July and August further afield?
July and August are the dry season in Bali, Lombok, Borneo and Zanzibar, and the best time for the Great Migration in Kenya's Maasai Mara. Canada and the Rockies, from Vancouver and Banff to Quebec City, are at their best too.
How can we save money on a summer holiday?
Travel in the first or last week of the holidays, fly midweek and book early. Places that are less fashionable in summer, like the Baltic or northern Spain, are often better value than the busiest Mediterranean resorts.
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🎟️ IDEAS ON STANDBY
Found somewhere you like?
Put it on standby with the rest of your family's ideas. Everyone spreads their points in secret, gets one veto, and the draw picks where you go.