Anonymous wrote:Who is going to manage your house/AirBNB guests while you're away? Do you have family? Are you planning on only renting to someone who can take the whole month, or allowing multiple guests throughout the time?

+1 I wouldn't want to deal with the hassle of renting my house when I'm trying to relax on vacation.

Malaga. Still warm. Easy access to cool southern Spain, Portugal, Gibraltar and Morocco.

Anonymous wrote:Greece, specifically Crete

Weather is great, food is good, everyone speaks English, amazing history and culture, and it's cheap compared to the rest of Europe. But no direct flights from DC.

Is the sabbatical in addition to your regular vacation time? Can you combine the sabbatical with vacation days to have a longer time in whatever place you end up choosing?

We've rented a house for a month in Costa Rica and a month in the Sierra Nevada, in Spain. Both great for kids and affordable.

Greece, specifically Crete

Anonymous wrote:Have you looked at Languedoc France? Easy access (although not direct) from Toulouse. Great wine, Mediterranean feel and lots of hiking, mountains, rivers, castles and medieval villages. Youd Can get to Spain on a long day trip or go for longer to explore. You can get to the ocean if you want for beach time with the kids. The small villages have rentals that would be cheaper than the big cities. I'm guessing September would be lovely.

+1. My mom is there right now - staying at a friend's villa and having a fabulous time. Very family friendly.

Have you looked at Languedoc France? Easy access (although not direct) from Toulouse. Great wine, Mediterranean feel and lots of hiking, mountains, rivers, castles and medieval villages. Youd Can get to Spain on a long day trip or go for longer to explore. You can get to the ocean if you want for beach time with the kids. The small villages have rentals that would be cheaper than the big cities. I'm guessing September would be lovely.

Croatia and/or Montenegro.

I love Portugal. Lisbon has direct flights from DC but that may only be in the summer? September would still be very nice. Lisbon is an easy city to navigate with kids (metro, buses etc) its cheaper than some other big European cities. They love kids there and where ours were younger they were always bringing them treats at dinner,I have always felt welcomed there. English is spoken in many areas. You can easily (2-3 hours drive) get to the southern beaches in Algarve for some beach weather, there is a lot to explore within an easy train ride from Lisbon (Sintra etc). And you can also find hiking areas. The city itself is great for walking, but there are hills which for the younger kids can be a challenge. I wish I could be so lucky for a month there.

Who is going to manage your house/AirBNB guests while you're away? Do you have family? Are you planning on only renting to someone who can take the whole month, or allowing multiple guests throughout the time?

Anonymous wrote:Costa Rica could work for the Spanish, hiking, and family friendliness, plus direct flights. Food is not known like Italy or Spain, but is good and fresh. Lots of expats and good quality health care.

Argentina could be good for wine and such.

There are now direct flights between Dulles and Delhi, making India an option. That can be a stressful place to travel though.

Iceland could be fun but food and wine are not great there. And a month could be right if you like to take things slow or take short hops other places, but might feel like too much time in a small country.

How about Israel? I liked the food, there is good medical care, and you could do short trips to Egypt and Jordan too.

Iceland is VERY expensive, though that would be a great trip.

Anonymous wrote:Google "French gites" - these are houses for rent in the countryside. Very affordable, if you rent in a smaller town outside the main tourist path. The regional governments have been sponsoring gites lists for no-fee for 50-75 years. There are no rental fees and generally very safe/reliable.

I'd look at gites in southern France. You can easily fly from Nice or Marseille airports via low-cost airlines if you want to do a bit of travel. The closer you are to the Med, the more expensive they get.

I'd stay away from AirBnB or VRBO. The fees have become outrageous.

This is a great tip, thank you!!

Google "French gites" - these are houses for rent in the countryside. Very affordable, if you rent in a smaller town outside the main tourist path. The regional governments have been sponsoring gites lists for no-fee for 50-75 years. There are no rental fees and generally very safe/reliable.

I'd look at gites in southern France. You can easily fly from Nice or Marseille airports via low-cost airlines if you want to do a bit of travel. The closer you are to the Med, the more expensive they get.

I'd stay away from AirBnB or VRBO. The fees have become outrageous.

OP, you probably looked at rentals in Nice.. look further out.