Ask Joan: Travelling with children

I am parenting my 12-year-old daughter on my own. Holidays are always a bit of a challenge as she does not like the heat and is a very active child so sun holidays are not really an option. I on the other hand want to chill out and take it easy. Any suggestions for a two-week break in the summer and/or city break in Europe would be appreciated. DS, Wicklow.

Our near neighbour could be an option for a holiday mix to suit you both. There are many good resorts and hotels in England where you would find a suitable holiday.

The first to consider is Cornwall – it gets the best weather in England, yet would not be too hot for your daughter. It has great outdoor activities and she could try surfing or other water sports. There is a direct flight from Dublin to Newquay with aerlingus.com.

The following resorts are in the Newquay area and you can take a taxi from the airport easily. The Headland Hotel, headlandhotel.co.uk, is traditional-style hotel with great new spa; it also has lovely self-catering homes.

The Esplanade Hotel on Fistral Beach has a free surf school for guests, esplanadehotelnewquay.co.uk. The family friendly Sands Resort is at Watergate Bay, where you could also visit Jamie Oliver's Fifteen restaurant, sandsresort.co.uk. Hendra Holiday Park is a mobile home park with a swimming pool and lots of fun activities. She may also meet children of her own age there. Hendra arranges outings to attractions like the Eden Project and theme parks. Hendra-Holidays.com

Otherwise, there are many lovely apartments and cottages to rent in Cornwall. You could pick a town like Newquay, Padstow, Port Isaac, Falmouth, Fowey or Penzance, where there is plenty of summeractivity and no shortage of things to do. See visitcornwall.com and beachretreats.co.uk.

Other resorts in England to consider are Center Parcs, which has terrific activities from tropical pools to zip-wiring, rock wall climbing, cycling and spas, centerparcs.com. Adults will enjoy Center Parcs too. There are five around England and you can go for a few days or a week. Accommodation is self-catering or hotel.

The Bluestone Resort in Wales is another nice mix for adults and children with great outdoor activities, both water- and land-based, a spa, restaurant and clubhouse, bluestone.com. Oakwood theme park is also nearby and well worth a day out. The British school holidays tend to be from the middle of July to end August if you plan on meeting other children.

Amsterdam is well worth considering for a city break. It is easy to get around and there is always a lot on. See Iamsterdam.com/en/visiting. There is a great section of things to do with children.

This summer I’m visiting my sister in Italy and travelling Ryanair from Dublin with my 22-month-old and three-year-old. I’m thinking of bringing my Phil and Teds double buggy but I’m worried about damage or it getting lost in transit. Can you provide advice on Ryanair policies and if you think I’d be better off renting a buggy instead? CR, Dublin.

Ryanair has a very good reputation for handling baggage and equipment, although you could use a travel cover to make it easier to protect and handle your buggy and in case of rain. There is a number of places where you can order and rent baby equipment from in Italy, although not every area is covered. See travelswithbaby.com and travelmamas.com. Hire for a week would be about €60.

Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com