The best-value TUI family holidays and destinations for 2026: deals, tips and where to go

If you’ve ever tried to book a family holiday in the school holidays and felt your blood pressure rise along with the prices, you’re not alone. Between peak-season fares, limited availability and extra costs adding up fast, finding a break that works for your budget can feel like a full-time job.

The good news is that there are ways to make your money go further. From TUI’s free kids’ places incentive and flexible payment plans to family-focused resorts that are packed with value, TUI offers a range of tools and holiday options designed to help families keep costs under control.

We’ve rounded up tips and tricks to help you track down the best family holiday deals and we’ve got the lowdown on the destinations and hotel brands offering the best value for families in 2026. 

TUI family holiday deals: how to keep holiday costs down

Find holidays with free kids’ places

One of the easiest ways to cut the cost of a family holiday is to grab a free kids’ place and TUI makes this simple with its free kids’ place finder tool.

Rather than trawling through individual hotel listings, the tool lets you quickly see which destinations and dates have free places available for children. Click on the ‘free child places’ button at the top of a search page to filter the deals.

This is especially useful if:

• You’re travelling in peak school holidays

• You’re flexible on destination but not dates

• You’re booking for a larger family

-Mumsnet user, RandomUsernameHere

£0 or low deposits and flexible payment plans

Paying for a family holiday in one go isn’t realistic for most people. And it doesn’t have to be.

If you’re booking for a trip at least six months in advance, TUI offers:

• £0 or low deposits to secure your holiday

• Monthly payment plans to spread the cost

• The option to pay off your holiday gradually before departure
  

This is particularly helpful if you’re booking early for 2026 or planning a longer-haul trip.

Best value family holidays: where to go in 2026 

Egypt (Red Sea)

Egypt continues to offer excellent value for families looking for:

• Luxurious all-inclusive resorts

• Large pools, waterparks, kids’ clubs and spacious hotels

• Reliable sunshine

• Short airport transfer times to popular resorts in Hurghada and Sharm El Sheikh

It’s often possible to get a high-end resort experience here for less than the cost of a European school-holiday break. Bear in mind that temperatures in July and August can reach 30-40°C so it may be a better option for a spring, autumn or winter escape, where you can expect temperatures in the mid-20s. 

Turkey

Turkey is consistently one of the best destinations for family holiday value, combining excellent service with family-focused resorts. You can expect particularly good deals around Bodrum and Marmaris, where competition keeps prices competitive. Consider Turkey for an October half-term holiday when resorts are much quieter but temperatures remain in the mid-20s. 

For 2026, look out for:

• New hotels added to TUI’s portfolio, including

  • TUI BLUE Maviss in Belek

  • Akra Didim Resort & Spa

Malta

Malta is a great option if you’re travelling with kids and want an island destination in the Med that’s easy to explore and offers year-round sunshine and affordable family-friendly hotels. 

Families love it for its:

• Compact size and easy transfers

• Mix of beaches and culture

• Good value outside the hottest summer weeks

Florida

Florida remains a bucket-list destination for many families, and with early booking and payment plans, it can be more affordable than you think. Particularly in 2026 as TUI has expanded its free kids’ places offering in Florida, and there’s greater capacity at theme parks thanks to the 2025 opening of Universal's Epic Universe.

Why it works for families:

• Theme parks and attractions for all ages

• Villa accommodation that suits larger families and helps to keep costs down 

• Flexible payment plans help manage the cost

TUI discount codes and offers

If you’re actively comparing prices, it’s worth knowing that TUI regularly runs promotions that can be combined with early booking.

Current offers may include:

• Discount codes on selected holidays

• Offers on specific destinations or departure dates

• Offers for customers booking a holiday via a myTUI account 

Always check the terms and conditions, as discounts can be date- or destination-specific.

Money-saving tips when booking your TUI family holiday

• Free kids’ places tend to sell out first, especially for peak summer weeks

• Booking early often gives you more choice of room types

• All-inclusive resorts can help avoid daily holiday spending

• Flexible payments make bigger trips more manageable

About TUI 

When it comes to booking a holiday, we know everyone likes something different - from great value all-inclusive deals with TUI MAGIC LIFE where kids can go free* at selected hotels to our action packed Holiday Village options and our TUI BLUE hotels with a “Family Fun” highlight which cater for everyone and are handpicked just for your family.

Our holiday portfolio ticks off everything from beach holidays and city breaks through to lakes and mountains getaways. We also offer tours that let you experience exotic places like Costa Rica, South Africa and Japan in a brand new way, and multi-destination trips with over 5,000 combinations to choose from. As one of the biggest UK holiday companies, we're here whenever you need us - via our stores, website or 24/7 Holiday line. Book now for a £0 deposit* when you pay via Direct Debit*.

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.