Which Destination for August 2024 Visit With 11 Year Old (camping, cruises, rent)
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Newfoundland is a bit of a drive if you fly into Halifax. The only way to NF is a 9 or 21 hour car ferry from Sydney Nova Scotia after a 5 hour ride Halifax. A lot to see in NF but really a trip onto itself given the short time you have.
Adding New Brunswick to Nova Scotia is very doable with about 3-5 days on PEI. Be very careful we did a short visit to PEI in 1985 and fell in love with the island.
August would not be a good time to go to Northen Italy, especially if is for less than ten days. Crowded and expensive, and not enough time to really get to see things. There is so much to see in the US and Canada..
This might seem counter intuitive, but given you have a fair amount of time to consider options, let me suggest you think about an Alaska cruise out of Vancouver, probably a round-trip one rather than a one-way cruise that ends or begins in Whittier or Seward. (The one-way cruises are best when you have enough time, probably a week, to tour around southcentral and interior Alaska in addition to the 7-night cruise, which you don't.)
Cruises can be remarkably cost-effective because they're inclusive. Unpack once, no hotels or rental cars to wrangle, and the scenery comes to you. There are kids' programs, sitters so mom and dad can have some time to themselves, food options for even the pickiest of eaters, and lots on-board activities (movies, competitions, classes etc.) to entertain all. There are shore excursions at all price points, or you can DIY in ports of call and save a lot of money in the process.
Glaciers, whales, gold rush towns, drop-dead scenery... it's all there. Go a couple of days early, or stay a couple of days after, to run around Vancouver, one of the most beautiful and exciting cities in North America, or maybe the world.
This forum has been really helpful with open-ended questions like this, so here goes. My wife and I (mid 40's) are planning for a 7-10 night vacation next August with our 11 year old daughter, and we're looking at various options in Europe and North America based primarily on pricing/logistics from NYC. We enjoy everything from outdoor vacations involving hiking/horseback riding/national parks to architecture and history, and we've been everywhere from Israel to Greece and Italy to the national parks in Utah and Arizona and have loved all of it.
We're considering the below options based on pricing and flight options, and in recognizing that the list seems super random, please understand that it's because we're willing to be guided by cost and logistics as opposed to pure desirability. (For example we'd love to go to Switzerland but it's out of our budget, and ditto for Yellowstone and Glacier which involve expensive indirect flights and lodging that needed to be booked already.) Any thoughts re: what to choose from the list below would be hugely appreciated - thank you!
-Azores
-Helsinki and Tallinn
-Milan (for northern Italy although I'm concerned re: hotel costs).
-Prague and/or Vienna
-Denver/Estes Park/Colorado Springs
-Northern New Mexico and SW Colorado (Santa Fe, Taos and Mesa Verde, etc.).
-Bozeman, MT
It wasn’t on your list, however I would also suggest a trip to Alaska. No Passport needed, if flying direct.
Denali National Park should be a must visit place in Alaska. Lots of spots on the Alaska coast for whale watching. You may also get a chance to see the Northern Lights!
I just returned from the Azores. It's a lovely place, but rather lacking in attractions that would hold the interest of kids or young teenagers. for that reason I'd strike it off of your list.
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Originally Posted by StealthRabbit
Add New Brunswick, (and NS, Newfoundland), while you are in the neighborhood of PEI.
Bay of Fundy, Peggy's Cove... delightful places (that we frequent during fall colors.)
We've had some really great farm stays in each province. But I really enjoy New Brunswick farmers.
Thousand Islands and upstate NY is great too (since you are nearby).
I'd also add Boston to that list. Lot's of great historical sights, some wonderful museums, and in August there's be the opportunity to go whale-watching. And it would couple well with a trip north into Vermont and Maine to sample more rural attractions.
This might seem counter intuitive, but given you have a fair amount of time to consider options, let me suggest you think about an Alaska cruise out of Vancouver, probably a round-trip one rather than a one-way cruise that ends or begins in Whittier or Seward. (The one-way cruises are best when you have enough time, probably a week, to tour around southcentral and interior Alaska in addition to the 7-night cruise, which you don't.)
Cruises can be remarkably cost-effective because they're inclusive. Unpack once, no hotels or rental cars to wrangle, and the scenery comes to you. There are kids' programs, sitters so mom and dad can have some time to themselves, food options for even the pickiest of eaters, and lots on-board activities (movies, competitions, classes etc.) to entertain all. There are shore excursions at all price points, or you can DIY in ports of call and save a lot of money in the process.
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Having booked seven cruises in the last two years, the few cruise bargains that I have booked are in the shoulder seasons, not in the month of August when Alaskan cruises are the most expensive. Also, I really question the number of affordable shore excursions in most of the Alaskan ports.
Yes, one of the major cruiselines was offering a $199 fare on a seven day Seward to Vancouver but that was in October in an inside cabin.
When you consider all of the costs - the fare, the excursions, port fees and taxes, flights or cruise parking, transfers, gratuities, and thee like, cruise vacations are not all that reasonable. And that is from a person who gets the cheapest cabin, scours for the best deals, does not buy drink packages or specialty dining, plans my own excursions and uses hotel points to cover the night before the cruise.
IMO aspects of getting to see Europe would help her understand the pluses and minuses of being American.
Also- she can appreciate cultures where fluency in more than one language is the norm.
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