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Travelling with children can sometimes feel like a giant leap of faith. So many things need to go exactly according to plan for the holiday to work out and it only takes one or two ‘spanners in the works’ to completely throw it off kilter. The best approach is to play to the majority’s interests. Dragging children around stately homes and art galleries will generally end in tears (sometimes for the parents and the children!). Yet heading to a heavily themed, obnoxiously over-rated kid’s park may leave you needing a holiday to recover from your holiday! So head for the one universal interest that will thrill the whole family: the great outdoors! Fresh Air for All Scientists have recently proven that exposure to areas of natural beauty can significantly improve your mood and even decrease depression. The antidote for most families seeking respite from their fraught daily lives is space, room to roam and lots of fresh air. Thankfully, family holidays with all of these elements are also generally the most affordable. However, before you (and your children) groan at the idea of the mayhem of camping, take a moment to consider these 4 adorable and exciting alternative ways of embracing all that Mother Nature has to offer! Top 4 Camping-Not-Camping Sites Halkidiki, Greece A luxurious beach vacation really can be in reach! Head for the Areti Camping and Bungalows in north Greece. This family-run site offers a pristine beachfront restaurant and full access to all four-hectares of this private sandy playground. The children will be entertained for hours with the many on-site activities such as volleyball, tennis and water sports, while you lay back and soak up the sun. Day-trip-worthy adventures are all around the site with snorkelling and ancient ruins to explore all within reach. The Algarve, Portugal Tipi Algarve specialises in eco-friendly living, offering its guests the choice of staying in brightly coloured tipis, a yurt, or a safari tent. The communal barbecue nights are one of the particularly enjoyable features of this campsite, which also includes an organic vegetable garden, a small pool and a shaded yoga platform. The beach is only a short 15-minute drive away but the site itself is surrounded by gorgeous scenery which will keep the whole family fully entertained. VW-ing in France or Spain The iconic family-road trip is, for some, a rite of passage that every family should embark upon at some time or another. However, this novel holiday idea is made all the more exciting if you choose to travel in style! Check out WeDubYou and see just how ‘blinged-out’ a kitsch VW camper van can become! Each van is fully customised with iPhones pre-loaded with music, iPads with movies, and navigation apps. Travel at your own pace without a worry as the company can pre-book campsites all along your route. Explore Spain’s Costa Brava or the vineyards of the Dordogne in France as the open road calls to you. Tirol, Austria Enjoy the stunning beauty of the Alps while introducing your children to another way of life. The Kinderbauernhof Albeineler is a traditional farmhouse found in the alpine valley of Pitztal. When the whole family is not enjoying the free guided hikes or bike rides offered by the hosts, the children can scamper off for tractor rides, collecting eggs or tending to goats, horses and other animals that live on the farm. The adults can sit back and enjoy one of the three available saunas while the children absorb the beauty of farm life. Holidays That Don’t Break the Bank Each one of these non-traditional holidays will not only provide many happy memories and tales to tell, but are also not going to blow your budget for the rest of the year. Children are fairly easy to impress if you frame the presentation correctly. Even the surliest of teenagers will have a hard time being completely focused on their latest electronic device when faced with a gorgeous sandy beach at their disposal. Be sure to explore other money-saving options such as self-catering or shared accommodations. Family holiday insurance also does not have to cost the world. We at InsureMore have some of the most affordable rates on the market, and children go free! After just a little research and creative thinking you’ll find that the potentially dreaded summer family holiday soon becomes the much anticipated family adventure of the year! Spark your children’s curiosity and take full advantage of all that Mother Nature has to offer. The whole family will return refreshed, rejuvenated and energised for the year ahead. Patrick Chong is the Managing Director of InsureMore, an award-winning team of specialists in global single trip, annual and family holiday insurance. Besides offering great deals on travel insurance, Patrick also collects and shares the best free travel competitions to help his clients get the most out of their holidays.
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