Choosing the right family activity holiday

Generally speaking, our snow holidays offer complete freedom to do what you want, when you want (obviously, if you choose to book ski lessons, you'll need to fit your other plans around these).

If you are considering a cycling holiday, look carefully at how flexible the routes between hotels are and what there is to do on your ‘free’ days: are the activities and places of interest close to the hotel, or do you need to cycle to them?

In the case of cycling holidays, we recommend not over-stretching yourselves. It’s better to arrive in the early afternoon, in a good mood and with plenty of time to relax in the pool, than to arrive late with no-one talking to each other.

If your children are outgoing and keen to practise their language skills, they are likely to enjoy staying in agriturismos and guesthouses. If they are shy and wouldn’t relish sitting around a large communal table with other guests, stick to hotels.

It may sound obvious, but if your family tends to wilt in the heat, you’re best heading to Austria if you’re restricted to travelling at the height of summer. Our holidays in Spain, on the other hand, are at their best in the May or October half-term holidays, when they’re much quieter but usually still warm enough for shorts and T-shirts.