Half-term holidays - heaven or hell

By Katharine MacColl

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DRIVING rain, traffic jams and bored children can all add up to a pretty miserable half-term holiday.

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Just how do you keep everyone happy and find a break suitable for all ages that isn't too hard on your wallet

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Why not head for a tropical oasis in one of the burgeoning UK holiday parks. Center Parcs boasts a constant 84F in its swimming paradise. Call 0870 424455 for a brochure. The Oasis Forest Holiday Village in Cumbria (08705 0860000) offers over 100 activities to choose from, including cycling, tennis and clay pigeon shooting.

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Delights of the Austrian Lakes

What about a leisurely cycling tour around the Austrian lakes an an educational and, hopefully, exhilerating experience. Freewheel Holidays (01633 681997) has good family routes through Switzerland and Austria.

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Closer to home, why not blaze a trail to Devon Helpful Holidays (01647 433593) has 42 properties in the West Country with indoor heated swimming pools to beat those rainy day blues.

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If�you or your children are learning French, think about a gite, farmhouse or luxury villa in the South of France. Brittany Ferries (0870 5143 537) has over 1,400 properties�all over the country.

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Keycamp Holidays (0870 7000 123) offers a two-centre holiday to the Loire and Vendee for around �700 and includes football coaching courses, run by UEFA, for the budding Beckhams.

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There are plenty of reasonably priced city breaks available too. Give your kids a shot of culture in Paris, Seville, Rome�or Bruges.