Get To Know Europe’s Family Friendly Vacation Villages

There’s a hidden treasure in Europe that everyone with kids needs to know about – family friendly holiday vacation villages built to entertain families in high style. Think grand resort comes to the countryside – and the prices are outstanding!

For most of us the thought of visiting Europe with the kids in tow conjures visions of  faces buried in tourist maps, schlepping between famous monuments, endless magnificent churches, countless museums and a castle or two.   I suggest you throw a bit of frivolity into your family vacation to Europe with a stay at one of Europe’s family friendly vacation villages – also known as holiday villages, parcs and camps.  There are hundreds of holiday villages scattered throughout Europe specifically designed for family vacation fun.  Each village offers comfortable family style accommodations and is centered around an impressive water feature that provides nonstop entertainment within the park.  Many have a covered ‘water world’ as well, so even on rainy days the fun doesn’t stop.  There are kids clubs offering supervised activities based on age, sports facilities, golf, hiking, biking, zip lines, horseback riding, and a multitude of diversions based on area attractions.  And did I mention the prices are less than you’d be paying at a city hotel?  Here’s a look at three of Europe’s most popular holiday village developers.

Sunparks offer family friendly villa accommodations in holiday villages throughout the UK, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany and France.  Have you been hankering to visit Provence, St. Tropez and Cannes but thought it was an adults only vacation destination?  You’ll be happy to know that you can rent a Sun Park villa for a week and bounce around the Riviera to your heart’s content.  Be sure to check out their last minute specials, and great discounts offered to travelers age 55+ (up to 40% off)!

Center Parcs has established 17 impressive villages tucked into natural park landscapes throughout Europe.  If your family loves spending time by a scenic lake surrounded by forest, these villages may be the perfect choice.  Accommodations are in a bungalow or villa that feature cozy living rooms with fireplaces and floor to ceiling windows to bring the outdoors in.  The villages offer a huge variety of sporting activities,  ususally a “domed subtropical swimming paradise”, climbing walls and rope courses,  imaginative playground structures, game rooms, golf, tennis, and a great variety of restaurants and shops.  Wouldn’t your kids just love to play Robin Hood and his merry men at this Parc in Sherwood Forest?  Have a look at their photo slide show – it’s amazing!  Sherwood Forest Center Parc

Eurocamp is not just about camping (although you may go gaga over their 3 bedroom tents!), they also offer stays in a variety of bungalows and holiday homes.  This is a large operation with 160 camp developments in the UK, France, Italy, Spain, Germany and more.  Eurocamps are like huge nature resorts offering every entertainment imaginable for family fun.  Their goal is to provide a setting where families can “play in safety from dawn til dusk”.  Imagine spending a week at a fabulous vacation village perched at the edge of Lake Garda in the Italian lakes district – it’s very appropriately named “Eden”!

So the next time you’re planning an excursion over to Europe, investigate a stay at a ‘vacation village’.  Your entire family will relax and enjoy new experiences together while meeting fellow vacationers from across Europe.  Since these villages are marketed extensively in the UK, English is widely spoken.  Be sure to read the descriptions of the accommodations carefully as definitions of a “bungalow” vary widely between companies and locations.  We think you’ll find the pricing irresistible – many in the $500 per week range for a villa that accommodates a family of four.  And remember, this is where all of Europe goes to take their summer vacation, so if you’ll be traveling in July and August, you’ll have plenty of company!

Insanely Great Sale – One Week Vacation For $199 – Act Fast!!

Can a week’s vacation get any cheaper than this? I’ve just been reading Arthur Frommer’s Blog (great resource of top travel info), and learned about this insanely great sale.  A full week’s vacation in a resort rental apartment (studio, 1 bedroom or 2 bedrooms) for a mere $199 per week. That’s not per person folks, it’s per unit for a full 7 days.  And these are not some flea bag properties, they are from the apartment rental division of Wyndham Hotels – Endless Vacation Rentals.  There are resort properties located all across the USA, Caribbean, Mexico and Europe!  I just can’t stop using !!!! this is such a great deal.

Here’s the main catch…. this is a “blowout” sale on the Wyndham Vacation last minute site.  You only have until 4pm on Friday 5/21/10 to reserve your vacation at this amazing price, and travel must take place within 30 days.    Can’t get away for a full week?  No problem, check out early (the price is still worth it)…. or split the booking with some friends and each stay a few days…that would be a vacation for $100!!!!

Now if you just can’t carve out some vacation time in the next 30 days, this is a site you should definitely bookmark and keep an eye on.  The last minute page always offers properties at amazing rates that are available for travel within 30 days. The standard rate right at the moment would be $349 per week for a studio apartment, up to $399 per week for a 2 bedroom – still a fabulous deal.  I think this is going to be my new go-to site for booking quick getaways.

Here’s my suggested strategy for cashing in on these offers:

Strategy #1
Pick a few locations from the destination list
Look for available frequent flyer seats and grab them
Go back to the Wyndham site and book the apt rental

Strategy #2
Select a destination that is served by a low cost airline (JetBlue, Southwest, Spirit, AirTran etc) and look for a great airfare.  Combine that fare with a one week rental from the Wyndham site.

Strategy #3
See a great airline sale…freeze some seats, check the Wyndham last minute site for an apartment rental.

Make your friends incredulous with envy…”You paid WHAT for  your vacation????!!!!!!”  You have to love it when that happens!

Spend Thanksgiving In A Tuscan Castle At An Unbelievable Price

We just came across this fabulous Tuscany Vacation Deal that will have you dreaming of sharing a bowl of perfectly prepared artisan pasta while gathered around a rustic farm table with your family – a smile on every face. Ahhhh the memories you will create!  Instead of fighting the highway congestion at Thanksgiving time this year, why not fly away to Italy and spend a peaceful week at a Tuscan castle where Noblemen of the region have gathered for centuries?

The folks at Dooley Vacations have put together a dream Tuscan Vacation for a family of four for $799 per person that includes round trip airfare on Alitalia, 6 nights in a 13th century Tuscan castle in the town of Montegufoni just outside of Florence, and a weekly rental car.  The $799 offering is good for travel from November 2010 until February 2011 with higher prices available throughout the year.  Check out all the package details at Dooley Vacations.  I can’t think of a better way to escape a dreary winter than to skip over to Tuscany for a dose of Renaissance art, Medieval history, rustic cuisine, sublime wines and incomparable scenic beauty.

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