Summer family vacation - Loved Portugal, where to next?

[Anonymous]

When our kids were that age, we visited Switzerland (sledding on a glacier), northern Italian lakes and Venice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Would love to hear your Portugal itinerary. Did you think it was too hot in the summer?

Went in early Aug.
direct flights to/from Lisbon
3 nights in a resort b/t cascais and sintra (rented car and did day trips to each)
3 nights in Lisbon
5 nights in algarve (Lagos with plenty of day trips)
Final night in Lisbon

Not too hot at all. No humidity there

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You missed the best part of Portugal, can't believe you didn't go to Porto and the Douro Valley, OP!!!!

Nah, the best part of Portugal is Madeira. And Lisbon beats Porto, especially with kids.

My kids preferred Porto to Lisbon.

Port drinkers, are they?

NP but there is more to Porto than the drink.

[Anonymous]

Puerto Rico

[Anonymous]

Another vote for Croatia and that general area.

[Anonymous]

OP here, really appreciate all of the suggestions. I’ll keep coming back to this thread for travel inspo

Leaning towards Italy - Florence, cinque terre, Tuscany. Can anyone provide any more detailed itineraries or towns to stay? Or suggestions to add/remove a destination? We have max 2 weeks

(Spain, Croatia, Greece will def be in our future too)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here, really appreciate all of the suggestions. I’ll keep coming back to this thread for travel inspo

Leaning towards Italy - Florence, cinque terre, Tuscany. Can anyone provide any more detailed itineraries or towns to stay? Or suggestions to add/remove a destination? We have max 2 weeks

(Spain, Croatia, Greece will def be in our future too)

While I enjoyed Cinque terre, I don't think I'd go in the summer due to the warm weather/crowds (we were there in the fall over 10 years ago and it was still pretty crowded). At that time of year, I'd opt for Northern Italy (e.g., Dolomites or lake district) over Cinque terre. JMO.

For Tuscany, I think you'll want a villa or agritourismo with a pool to cool off after a day of sightseeing.

[Anonymous]

Botswana- im serious. Summer is the perfect time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Geeece/Greek isles. You get culture, ancient history, museums, beaches, delicious food, etc…

^ Greece!

We did Portugal in 2023 and Greece in 2024, and loved them both.

Here is a suggested itinerary for Greece, based on ours:

3 days Santorini - we flew there instead of Atherns, with one layover in Germany. It was the same price as a RT from Athens, at the time. Stay on the caldera side, in Iveromigli or Firestafani. Avoid Fira, where all the cruise ships dock. Oia is supposed to be nice too but we never even made it there.

3-5 days Naxos - We ferried from Santorini. We stayed near the beach in Agios Prokopios. Agios Anna was also very nice. We rented a car one day to drive to other villages but you could also just bus in to Naxos Chora once or twice to see the town, and walk everywhere otherwise near the beach.

2-4 days Athens - We flew from Naxos. We actually only did 2 days and wished we had more time. We stayed in Monastraki and it was so much more charming than we expected.

[Anonymous]

Thanks, saving this. Sounds lovely!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Geeece/Greek isles. You get culture, ancient history, museums, beaches, delicious food, etc…

and heat and fires in summer. I'd like to visit in cooler temperatures though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Geeece/Greek isles. You get culture, ancient history, museums, beaches, delicious food, etc…

^ Greece!

We did Portugal in 2023 and Greece in 2024, and loved them both.

Here is a suggested itinerary for Greece, based on ours:

3 days Santorini - we flew there instead of Atherns, with one layover in Germany. It was the same price as a RT from Athens, at the time. Stay on the caldera side, in Iveromigli or Firestafani. Avoid Fira, where all the cruise ships dock. Oia is supposed to be nice too but we never even made it there.

3-5 days Naxos - We ferried from Santorini. We stayed near the beach in Agios Prokopios. Agios Anna was also very nice. We rented a car one day to drive to other villages but you could also just bus in to Naxos Chora once or twice to see the town, and walk everywhere otherwise near the beach.

2-4 days Athens - We flew from Naxos. We actually only did 2 days and wished we had more time. We stayed in Monastraki and it was so much more charming than we expected.

Have you seen this year's photos of crowds trying to get their instagram shots in Santorini?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Iceland

Scotland