06 Aug 3 unusual last-minute family holiday ideas for this summer

As the school summer holidays are now just around the corner, you’re probably looking forward to a well earned family holiday. But if you’ve left things to the last minute and now find yourself franticly searching the internet for inspiration, then look no further than here, as we’ve put together a list of last minute family holiday ideas.

But before we share our list with you, we’ve got loads more advice and suggestions on great destinations for family holidays, including A quick tour of New York, the blue flag beaches of Spain and our top tips for visiting Greece on a budget. And for our complete guide on getting the cover you need for your family holiday read our post on buying the right travel insurance for your summer holiday.

Ljubljana Difficult to pronounce, but impossible not to enjoy is the capital city of Slovenia, Ljublana. Somewhat overshadowed by its larger and more recognisable neighbours Italy and Croatia, Slovenia shouldn’t be overlooked as a family holiday destination. And Ljubljana is the perfect place to base the family. It’s one of the greenest cities in Europe, with cars now virtually banned from the city centre, making it ideal for walking and cycling.

The city is also chock-a-block with family friendly restaurants and museums, to ensure nobody goes hungry or, heaven forbid, bored. Outside of the city, Slovenia’s short but sweet coastline is just over an hour’s drive away, or you could cross the open border with Italy and visit Trieste for a day, which is also about an hour’s drive from Ljubljana. The city is also much cheaper than other cities in neighbouring Mediterranean countries, plus there are plenty of budget flight options, such as the regular service from London Luton with Wizz Air.

Ghent

If you have young children and don’t fancy the prospect of flying any longer than necessary, then Ghent (via Brussels) is just over an hour away from most UK airports. Located in the Dutch speaking Flemish Region of Belgium, the city is not dissimilar to Ljubljana, with much of the centre now being traffic free and super pedestrian and cyclist friendly. The old centre is full of medieval charm and attractions that will keep kids of a certain age entertained and enthralled in equal measure, not least Gravensteen Castle (aka Castle of the Counts) which was built in 1180 and has that quintessential fairytale aesthetic.

Other attractions include Bourgoyen-Ossemeersen, a 220 hectare nature reserve just outside the city and Blaarmeersen Park, which has a large swimming lake plus loads of family friendly events throughout the summer. What’s more, children get in free to most attractions in Ghent. Slightly further afield is the popular seaside resort of Ostend, which is just 40 minutes away by train or car, or slightly closer is the stunning gothic city of Bruges, both perfect for a day trip. Also, if you don’t have much time to spare for a family holiday, then Ghent is perfect for a short weekend break.

Snowdonia

If you don’t fancy leaving the UK, a great option is exploring one of our last great wildernesses, Snowdonia National Park. Perhaps not that unusual as a destination choice, we do however think our National Parks often get overlooked as a summer holiday destination. But Snowdonia is a perfect destination for a family holiday this summer. The park has nine mountain ranges with many of the peaks topping more than 3,000 feet. As well as mountains, the park also has 23 miles of coastline and sandy beaches, so you can spend the morning trekking up a mountain and the afternoon cooling off on the beach.

But Snowdonia has so much more to offer than just trekking, including hundreds of miles of cycling trails, horse riding, rock climbing and historic sites. And in terms of making a holiday out of it, there are plenty of accommodation options in Snowdonia for the family, including campsites, B&Bs and hostels.

Protect yourself and your family on holiday this summer

Whilst we all look forward to our summer holidays, it’s important to remember that things can sometimes go wrong. A holiday can all too easily be ruined by an accident or illness when abroad. But whilst holidays insurance can’t stop accidents from happening, it can help put things right when they do, such as covering the hospital bills and taking care of all the arrangement for you.

And holidays insurance doesn’t just cover medical bills, as all our policies here at Coverontrip protect against a large range of other risks, including lost or stolen baggage and money, trip cancellation and curtailment, and personal liability. What’s more, our holidays insurance policies also provide cover for UK trips (with the exception of medical expenses cover, as we have the NHS for that). So get a quote today from Coverontrip to protect yourself and your family during your summer holiday. And remember kids go free with our travel insurance policies.