When to go on a family vacation

Always a tricky one to work out, unless you are all ski addicts. However, there is plenty of playfulness to be had beyond the pistes during February half term, such as exploring the Sahara in Morocco, where you can also bring any leftover Christmas money to spend in the souks. Thailand is still dry, so great for exploring on a bike or a hike, as it is still not too unbearably hot. Safari season in Tanzania is also green and gorgeous at this time, with the timely baby wildebeest a much sought after feature. All particularly good if you have a two week half term, as some schools do. And if you want to keep snow on the agenda, Finnish Lapland’s adventurous wonderland season of huskies, sleds and Northern Lights is still in full flight.

This is a great time to get active in countries like Turkey, Croatia and Montenegro, when the temperatures are just perfect for cycling into the hills, and the water is just warming up enough for you to take a quick dip after a kayaking session. Devon is definitely starting to warm up now too, with lambing and foaling season adding to the Enid Blytonesque beauty of it all too. And depending on when Easter falls, Finnish Lapland’s winter season goes on until April, so always worth checking out your options there too. Since Cuba has opened up, the visitor numbers have soared so just getting there NOW is our best tip. For good weather, March-mid April are warm, sunny and mostly dry and pre-hurricane season. Also opened up to tourism is China, and spring is a great time to visit, if you head south to north.

Europe is always a top choice during the summer vacations, but if you are thinking of a climbing, hiking, biking sort of a vacation, it can be too hot in many places to really make the most of it. Although if you head to the mountainous areas, such as the Picos de Europa in Spain, the temperatures are much cooler, and hills are much quieter. Other adventurous and cooler places to consider during the long break include Finland, with long days to really squeeze every moment of fun out of the vacation. Kayaking on inland lakes or white water rafting in Croatia or Montenegro are good options, far from the madding crowds of the coast, and some at an elevation, and so not as relentlessly hot. And if you head to Canada, Colorado or some of the northern national parks of the USA, you can still find snow in July sometimes, but glistening lakes and rivers to kayak down too. It is also still warm and lovely in Vietnam at this time of year, albeit with a few monsoon showers to cool you down, but on an adventure vacation kayaking along Halong Bay or swimming in Hoi An, you won’t worry too much about the odd splash. Unlike the rest of the country, the northeast of Sri Lanka has a monsoon Oct-Jan, so perfect during European summer. It has also just opened up to tourism again, after being closed due to conflict for many years.

Similar to May half term, European family hubs such as Turkey, Croatia, Montenegro and Catalonia are still very much alive and kicking in October. With temperatures still mild and mellow, these are perfect conditions for pushing yourself up remote, rural trails, whether hiking or biking, and the water is still deliciously warm after the summer months if you want to swim after a kayak or a white water rafting session. For something unusual, this is a lovely time to visit China, with the recommended itinerary being north to south.In Morocco, the desert temperatures have started to cool too, making camping and camel trekking much more bearable, plus this is the best time for surfing in Morocco , so it’s a pre-winter win win. Safaris in Kenya, Botswana and Namibia are particularly lively at this time of year, but with animals rather than safari goers, so it is a great time to make the most of a trip of a lifetime like this one.