UPTOURIST

Here’s a great list of 5 great European timeshare resorts you might want to consider for your next extended stay in the Old World:

1. GRAN MELIÁ PALACIO DE ISORA, Spain

Prepare to live in the lap of tropical meditteranean luxury at the Gran Meliá Palacia de Isora located on Tenerife Island (part of the Canary Islands) in Spain. The resort is spectacular and if you like to swim without the fear of sharks and other dangerous aquamarine life, you’ll really love the estimated 7,500 square miles of pools that scatter the island!

This is the largest (by land size) and most populated island in the Canary chain with close to a million Spanish and international inhabitants, making for a real cultural experience during your stay. In addition to traditional meditteranean cuisine, you’ll find a who’s who of other cultural dining, including Japanese, French, and American fine dining. There’s world famous YHI Spa onsite as well.

 

2. MONDI-HOLIDAY HOTEL BELLEVUE, AUSTRIA

This gorgeous hotel offers timeshare opportunities year-round. Situated on the Stubnerkogel foothills, you can hit the slopes in the winter months for some world-class skiing and spend time biking or hiking in the summer.

The gorgeous Hohe Tauern national park is nearby, as well as awe-inspiring mountain waterfalls, wellness spas, restaurants, a pub, bowling alleys, and more. The area is remote and picturesque (less than 6,000 inhabitants), perfect for relaxation without feeling overwhelmed by the surrounding culture. Pets are allowed too.

 

3. MARRIOTT’S VILLAGE D’ILE-DE-FRANCE, FRANCE

You can’t beat this French resort for a relaxing timeshare opportunity. And likely can’t say the name 3 times fast without stuttering! The resort lies just on the outskirts of Paris (20 miles) with all the amenities you’d expect to find on an American vacation.

Shopping, dining, drinking and leisure abound in this place! Buses leave daily for Disneyland Paris if you have kids. The pool area (as pictured) is absolutely spectacular, and there’s also an indoor pool for the kids. Onsite whirlpools, steam baths and saunas. There’s a 27 hole golf course on site, with several other challenging courses a short distance away. Best, the French countryside is right at the backdoor of the resort.

 

 4. HILTON CRAIGENDARROCH, Scotland

This quaint village-style timeshare is located in the Dee Valley in the Cairngorm National Park. Surrounded by the Scottish foothills of the Cairngorm mountain range, there’s really nothing to do here but relax and take in the history.

Not!

They have all the amennities of a 4-star hotel included with their timeshare packages: pool, spa, restaurants, room service, shuttles that take you wherever you want, biking and hiking trails for miles, the Lecht Ski area is nearby, and the Deeside Activity Park is within range for you and the kids. The Historic Balmoral Castle is nearby at the Queen’s Scottish residence.

 

5. Landal Sluftervallei, Netherlands

I could spend days naming off the most expensive and luxurious places in Spain, France, the UK, Germany, etc. However, the Netherlands always deserve a fair mention. Landal Sluftervallei is in a quaint seaside island town in the Netherlands called De Cocksdorp, located on an island in the Wadden Sea (at the tip of the Northern Sea) which connects Germany to the Netherlands. Most of the Wadden Sea islands are timeshare resort living areas and as you can imagine, you’d never run out of things to do.

This isn’t a place you go to find luxury, per-say, but rather to experience culture while breathing in gallons of fresh seaside Dutch air. There are pools, expansive roads, restaurants, parks, nature reserves, tons of Dutch entertainment such as dancing and singing shows, and much more. This is a home away from home. Expect to be welcomed with open arms by the Dutch and Danish locals!