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Advice needed for family holiday!
Advice needed for family holiday!
I have read through numerous postings on this Forum and gained some helpful hints for my holiday in Carvoeiro in May- Thanks. However I need your help please with a few more suggestions.
We will be a group of 7 (2 Grandparents, 3 Adults, a 3 year old girl and a 10 month old boy).
1)I would like some recommendations of good family restaurants in the area. Nothing that does only fish, and we always aim to try out a Chinese meal in which ever country we stay in!
2)Does anybody have any ideas of activities to entertain the kids that won't break the bank? We have a car so will be able to travel.
3) Which is the best supermarket to go to. It's about 20 years since we last visited Portugal, and I am sure thinks have changed a lot in that time, but I am slightly apprehensive about where the best place to food shop will be bearing in mind we also have 2 small children to shop for and there is only so much of Tesco's I can fit in my suitcase
4) Money, what's best.....traveller’s cheques, cash? Is it possible to use Switch / Maestro in Carvoeioro and what's the deal with getting money out of the ATM machines?
Normally if it was just me going on holiday and would just go and see what I find, however with such small children I am trying to be slightly organised!!
Many thanks to all in advance.
We will be a group of 7 (2 Grandparents, 3 Adults, a 3 year old girl and a 10 month old boy).
1)I would like some recommendations of good family restaurants in the area. Nothing that does only fish, and we always aim to try out a Chinese meal in which ever country we stay in!
2)Does anybody have any ideas of activities to entertain the kids that won't break the bank? We have a car so will be able to travel.
3) Which is the best supermarket to go to. It's about 20 years since we last visited Portugal, and I am sure thinks have changed a lot in that time, but I am slightly apprehensive about where the best place to food shop will be bearing in mind we also have 2 small children to shop for and there is only so much of Tesco's I can fit in my suitcase
4) Money, what's best.....traveller’s cheques, cash? Is it possible to use Switch / Maestro in Carvoeioro and what's the deal with getting money out of the ATM machines?
Normally if it was just me going on holiday and would just go and see what I find, however with such small children I am trying to be slightly organised!!
Many thanks to all in advance.
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laserblazer
- CVO Oracle
- Posts: 6209
- Joined: Sun Apr 30, 2006 11:11 am
- Location: Worcestershire and QdP
Don't Grandparents count as adults? . Zoomarine is a good day out. Your 3 year old should love the dolphins but is probably too small for a lot of the rides. To be honest, if the weather is good, they will probably be happy on the beach with a bucket and spade. Up the hill by the little church there is a nice new children's playground, which should keep them amused. The train is back in operation by all accounts, so a trip around the area might be fun. There are river trips from Portimao that go up towards Silves. The seafront at Amacao de Pera is a bit Blackpoolish, so will appeal to the kids. There are a few little fairground type rides.
If you head west through Lagos you come to Priaia de Lux. It's a great sandy beach but there are also rock pools where you can search for sea-life. There's also a small Roman Villa right on the Prom.
If you then carry on west you come to Cap St Vincent, which is the most south-westerly point of mainland Europe. There's a huge lighthouse and some pretty stunning views. It can get a tad windy there.
I'll leave the eating side to someone else. I live on fish.
. Zoomarine is a good day out. Your 3 year old should love the dolphins but is probably too small for a lot of the rides. To be honest, if the weather is good, they will probably be happy on the beach with a bucket and spade. Up the hill by the little church there is a nice new children's playground, which should keep them amused. The train is back in operation by all accounts, so a trip around the area might be fun. There are river trips from Portimao that go up towards Silves. The seafront at Amacao de Pera is a bit Blackpoolish, so will appeal to the kids. There are a few little fairground type rides.If you head west through Lagos you come to Priaia de Lux. It's a great sandy beach but there are also rock pools where you can search for sea-life. There's also a small Roman Villa right on the Prom.
If you then carry on west you come to Cap St Vincent, which is the most south-westerly point of mainland Europe. There's a huge lighthouse and some pretty stunning views. It can get a tad windy there.
I'll leave the eating side to someone else. I live on fish.
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nobbyguest
- CVO Regular
- Posts: 35
- Joined: Mon Jun 05, 2006 8:03 pm
- Location: medway
Theres a supermarket on the road out of Cv ,which we found last year when we were last there, and it stocks everything you `re likely to need for a good holiday ,plus everything for young kids , just as much choice as tesco or any other supermarket.
plus the meat and fish counters are better than anything you`ll find in an english supermarket .
restaurant wise ,most of them cater well for all tastes including the children , maximes is one of our favourites as they always give the kids a little treat , they have portable dvd players and films so the kids can watch a film while you have you`re dinner .
don`t worry about a thing you`ll love it there in carvoeiro
plus the meat and fish counters are better than anything you`ll find in an english supermarket .
restaurant wise ,most of them cater well for all tastes including the children , maximes is one of our favourites as they always give the kids a little treat , they have portable dvd players and films so the kids can watch a film while you have you`re dinner .
don`t worry about a thing you`ll love it there in carvoeiro
The Intermarché is probably the supermarket with the best choice for British visitors as it has more of the stuff you'd find back home. This is the supermarket on the road from Carvoeiro to Lagoa. I actually think the new Modelo though at Lagoa is a much better and nicer supermarket.
Yes, you can use Maestro most places and in the cashpoints. You can withdraw €200 per day.
M
Yes, you can use Maestro most places and in the cashpoints. You can withdraw €200 per day.
M
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laserblazer
- CVO Oracle
- Posts: 6209
- Joined: Sun Apr 30, 2006 11:11 am
- Location: Worcestershire and QdP
I can't do that with my Maestro card, so they don't all work like thatCav Kid wrote:You can draw €400 a day on most English bank cards, 2 x 200 by putting your card in twice (draw 200, take card out and put it in again draw another 200)Misty wrote:You can withdraw €200 per day.M
My Millennium card will draw out €400 a day.-
nobbyguest
- CVO Regular
- Posts: 35
- Joined: Mon Jun 05, 2006 8:03 pm
- Location: medway
I have a young child, and Intermarche stocks all the same nappies and other bits and pieces so no need to lug everything over from England. You can stop there on your way to Cvo from the airport and get everything you need. Portugal is one of the few countries where you can get "proper" milk and not this long life stuff that most european countries seem to sell.
It is far too easy to get money out of machines. You can even get the machine to do it in English for you. Not many restaurants accept cards, so you are better of making sure you have cash with you for meals.
There are 100s of restaurants in Cvo. My advice would be to choose where you want to eat in an evening and book it as there are quite a few of you. The Villa Medici at the top of Estrada do Farol (Restaurant Hill) may be a good one. They do nice italian food there, and there is a children's area out the back of the restaurant where they can play and sit separately from the parents if they want to.
My son loves the beach. He also enjoys Zoomarine. If the weather is good, then you will probably find the beach offers enough entertainment, otherwise try Zoomarine.
It is far too easy to get money out of machines. You can even get the machine to do it in English for you. Not many restaurants accept cards, so you are better of making sure you have cash with you for meals.
There are 100s of restaurants in Cvo. My advice would be to choose where you want to eat in an evening and book it as there are quite a few of you. The Villa Medici at the top of Estrada do Farol (Restaurant Hill) may be a good one. They do nice italian food there, and there is a children's area out the back of the restaurant where they can play and sit separately from the parents if they want to.
My son loves the beach. He also enjoys Zoomarine. If the weather is good, then you will probably find the beach offers enough entertainment, otherwise try Zoomarine.
restaurants:
O salmao - Not all fish quite good curry on teh menu
Stone Steak is good fun for kids too.
Tia Ilda- sit on the roof and overlook the sea, pizzas
theres lots of beaches around and parks like zoomarine and slide and splash for the kids. and you have to take them on the train that goes round town.
and the best bar in my opinion is The cocktail garden but then im biased i spose.
xx
O salmao - Not all fish quite good curry on teh menu
Stone Steak is good fun for kids too.
Tia Ilda- sit on the roof and overlook the sea, pizzas
theres lots of beaches around and parks like zoomarine and slide and splash for the kids. and you have to take them on the train that goes round town.
and the best bar in my opinion is The cocktail garden but then im biased i spose.
xx
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Peter Belinfante
Just a stupid question from a simple Dutchman who is often in CVO: Why do you need to buy "stuff you'd find back home" when you are abroad and on a holiday? Isn't it nicer to leave all the stuff from home just at home and enjoy the difference? (that's also the reason I allways leave my mother-in-law at home!)Misty wrote:The Intermarché is probably the supermarket with the best choice for British visitors as it has more of the stuff you'd find back home.M
Peter
Last edited by Peter Belinfante on Sun Apr 29, 2007 11:03 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Peter Belinfante
I'm just happy I'm not married to my mother-in-law! So the best place for her is: stay at home!Ellie wrote:I bet you love her really Peter
Apart from the mother-in-law thing I don't understand why anyone should buy "stuff you'd find back home". I think it's much nicer when you are on a holiday that you enjoy everything you can get and expierence from the country you are visiting. Just forget the normal things from home. That's just nice about it when you are away from home. Otherwise you better stay at home if you want to have the same things you have at home.
Last edited by Peter Belinfante on Sun Apr 29, 2007 11:01 pm, edited 1 time in total.
If you are around in June perhaps you would like to borrow my mother-in law for a couple of weeksPeter Belinfante wrote:Misty wrote: "stuff you'd find back home" when you are abroad and on a holliday? Isn't it nicer to leave all the stuff from home just at home and enjoy the difference? (that's also the reason I allways leave my mother-in-law at home!)
Peter