The "eek I haven't booked a summer break yet" guide to last-minute family holiday deals

Left things late on the family holiday front? You’re not alone if our holidays forum is anything to go by. In the end-of-term blur of sports days and summer fairs and school shows, it can be hard to carve out the time to plan and book a family holiday. But you certainly haven’t missed the boat (or flight or train). Yes, family holiday deals are hard to come by, especially during the summer holidays, but you can still save big if you know where to look.  

Staying true to our mission of making parents’ lives easier, we’ve rounded up a selection of family holiday deals* for your perusal. Whether you’re looking for a short family break in the UK or want some guaranteed sunshine further afield, we’re here to help lighten the load without making too much of a dent in your budget. 

*Prices and availability correct at time of writing

Nab flights to Europe for less than £30pp this August using Skyscanner's Explore Everywhere tool

Finding cheap flights can be a long and laborious process. If you're flexible on travel dates and destinations, it's well worth checking out Skyscanner's Explore Everywhere tool. Select your departure airport and month and see where you can jet off to without having multiple tabs open at once. The 'Cheapest flights' button will highlight the lowest fares. When testing routes from London, we found one-way fares to Denmark, Ireland and the Netherlands in August for under £30pp.

Get up to £500 OFF a Eurocamp escape in August 

Consider pitching up at a campsite in Europe and cash in on savings of up to £500 this August. Mumsnetters love a Eurocamp escape for ease, affordability and access to kid-friendly amenities. Most parcs feature pools and playgrounds and some offer awesome on-site perks like theme parks and waterparks. Our guide to the easiest Eurocamp sites to get to from the UK provides inspo if you don't want to travel far. We love Eurocamp's single parent discount which offers an extra £75 off on bookings with one adult. 

Book a week in the sun for less than £1000 per family in August via On the Beach

On the Beach is a brilliant place to look for affordable family holiday deals. And unsurprisingly, many of them include hotels that are on or by or near a beach. It’s a really easy site to navigate and prices are clearly marked so you can see per person AND per family pricing at a glance. The calendar feature also means it’s simple to track down the best date to depart on to secure the cheapest price. Bookmark the Last-minute Holidays page to search for destinations and departures to suit your budget. We found the cheapest deals in places like Antalya and Dalaman in Turkey as well as Maspalomas in Gran Canaria and Puerto Del Carmen in Lanzarote.

Save £££ on a Mark Warner activity holiday by quoting code MWMUMS 

Certainly not a ‘bargain break’ but if you’re considering a family activity holiday in Greece or Turkey, a Mark Warner escape is hard to beat and we’ve negotiated an exclusive 5% discount for Mumsnetters when you quote MWMUMS on booking. Mark Warner is offering the discount ON TOP of some of their existing promos so you can potentially save a substantial amount. There’s still availability at most resorts on select dates in August and we’ve spied some free child places on offer at the end of August if you’re able to squeeze in a trip before going back to school. 

Take advantage of 2 million+ UK hotel rooms up for grabs for £39 or less this summer 

A night away with the family for less than £40? Travelodge has made it easier to book an affordable escape in the UK by releasing loads of rooms for just £39 throughout the summer holidays. And we love the fact that they’ve put together a handy guide to nabbing the cheapest rates too (TL:DR: use the Best Price Finder tool and book midweek). At the time of writing we found £39 rooms on offer in Birmingham, Blackpool, Cardiff, Glasgow, Manchester and Plymouth on select dates in August and early September. 

👀 Have a look at the Avanti West Coast Family Advance fares for cheap train travel throughout the summer. Lead-in fares start from £42 between London Euston and Birmingham for up to two adults and three children (one way). 

Save big in the Hoseasons Summer Sale plus Mumsnetters get an EXTRA 5% OFF!

Hoseasons is a great site to check if you’re considering a UK family escape. It brings together an impressive selection of lodges, holiday parks, barges, glamping pods and safari tents and we love the fact that you can find the perfect spot by highlighting amenities like hot tubs, pools and play areas. We also love the fact that (logged in) Mumsnetters can save an EXTRA 5% on bookings and that this fantastic offer can be used in conjunction with existing promos including the Hoseasons Summer Sale. 

Grab a FREE child place and save £££ with a TUI holiday this August

When it comes to tracking down a deal on the TUI website, filters are your friend. TUI is a family holiday heavyweight and there are literally thousands of package deals on offer in hundreds of destinations so it can all feel a little overwhelming. Your best bet is to head to the Last-Minute Holidays section, select as many departure airports that make sense, leave the destination field blank, keep your departure date flexible (+/- 7 days), select ‘see free child places’ and sort by price (low to high). We found 7-night self-catering holidays in Icmeler (Turkey), the Algarve, Salou, Gran Canaria and Tenerife for under £1200 per family of four in late August (including accommodation, flights and transfers).  

Cash in on Cottages.com savings and get an ADDITIONAL 7% OFF summer stays 

Seeking a staycation somewhere cute and cosy or large and lavish? May we point you in the direction of Cottages.com where you can sift through hundreds of properties to find a self-catering stay to suit your party size and budget. And thanks to a fab deal we’ve negotiated, Mumsnetters can get an additional 7% off all stays, including last-minute breaks that have been discounted by up to 40%. And it’s not just classic cottages of the thatched kind on offer, you can expect to find shepherds huts, grand manor houses and coastal villas in the mix too. Note: you need to be logged in to your Mumsnet account to take advantage of the extra savings. 

About the author 

Rachel Erdos is an Editor at Mumsnet where she commissions, edits and writes content with a focus on family travel.

She has written hotel reviews, features and destination guides for top publications including the Guardian, Four Seasons Magazine, Travelzoo, Visit Britain and Visit London. She loves nothing more than researching and writing about fun things for families to do in destinations near and far, as well as trawling the Mumsnet holiday forum for inspiration for her next trip away with her husband and two kids.