Where would you go on holiday if this was you? Haven't been out of the UK in almost 20 years

[JesusChristItsJasonBourne]

My parents have recently come into some money, and they very kindly are giving us £1500 to go on our first family holiday abroad.

A combination of illness, unstable job situations, and saving for a house - then doing the house up - means we've never quite got around to a proper holiday, so this is huge, and comes at just the right time, when everything else is ticking along nicely for once..

The money is being given to us in the autumn. If we were to go next summer, we would have a just turned 13 year old and a just turned 2 year old, so quite an awkward age range to cater for.

We wouldn't mind something packagey, but nothing too Magaluf- ideally we'd be able to eat lovely local food, be near a beach/pool/park for relaxing, but also maybe some museums/toddler friendly nature walks/attractions and places of historical interest (though again toddler friendly, I don't want any screaming in the Sistine Chapel)

We like warm but not baking hot, we're obviously crap at travelling so nothing too complicated, and will probably be scared of driving anywhere that isn't the UK. Don't care what the accommodation is like as long as it is clean and functional. I know, we're hopelessly provincial.

Anyone any ideas?

Come to New York City. No driving required, great restaurants, museums, kids activities, etc. We love our UK tourists.

Here's a recent thread from a Brit ex-pat in NYC

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/AMA/3574465-I-live-in-New-York-City-Ask-Me-Anything

Is £1500 your total spend including food? You will get better deals outside the main summer holidays...

We did Lanzarote first week of January with a two year old and it was incredibly well priced, all inclusive food and a harbour / port to mooch about with a supermarket, boat trips, shops, play area for little one etc. Not able to give you any advice for a 13 year old but price and weather wise it went well. We got a kind of one bed suite thing (we slept in the same room but there was a pull out sofa in the living room) so she could go to sleep and we still had living room / balcony / places to chill. Happy to DM hotel details if it helps - it wasn’t full on tourist area, but possible to get there by bus / boat for excursions if you wanted.

I came on to say Lanzarote. The volcanic landscape is incredible!!

On many packages or flights your eldest might be adult prices so look out for this.

An unusual option for a beach holiday with lots to do in area in summer would be sopot near gdansk in Poland.... Either stay in sopot bear beach in apartment or a hotel like for example the mecure between sopot and gdansk. Transport and food are cheap, good english, fab beach, range of tourists

If you’re tied to school holidays you’ll struggle to away on a package type holiday. Consider a city break?

Oh I'd love NYC, not sure the budget would stretch though, and I don't know if I could cope with long haul and a toddler 😂

£1500 is the guts of our budget, but we do have a little wiggle room. Sadly we're stuck to school holidays only, due to work, but would happily go at Easter if it suited

FinnBalors I hadn't even thought of Lanzarote! How warm was it? Please do DM suggestions, it would be much appreciated. My eldest is very easily entertained and is quite old fashioned in what she enjoys doing (reads the Laura Ashley catalogue for fun) so that might suit very well!

I feel so childish when it comes to holidays, I've no idea where to start, we're totally out of the habit. Everyone else seems to swan off across the world without a second thought

If you could go away before LO turned 2 then he/she would be free. Easter would be better to head for canaries. Would also look at city break maybe Barcelona?

Another vote for Lanzarote.
We went to Gran Castillo Tagoro which is a fantastic family hotel with 11 pools, 3 on site restaurants (incl Chinese and Italian) and a 4D cinema.
It's the kind of hotel where you don't even need to leave the complex because it's just so big; but excursions are great too if you did want to do them. We did a boat trip to Lobos island and saw some dolphins, and also did the dirt buggy excursion.

£1500 wouldn't cover a family of 4 as it should've been £3000 for 2 adults but we managed to get it half price on Holiday Pirate, but definitely worth looking at, especially if you can afford to put a little extra.

Look at sidari in Corfu. We always book the Sellas apartments as they have 2 bedroom lovely apartment and are located well between traditional tavernas and a more busy little strip with modern bars and shops. The beach is beautiful and safe.
It’s very cheap and with a free child place with Tui you will get it to come in well under £1500. Just need spending money then, we don’t find it expensive to self cater.

Don’t forget to factor in the cost of passports and holiday insurance too.

I have a similar budget to you for planning our first family holiday abroad next year. I don't want to go somewhere too hot either, I have a child with asd so it is going to take a lot of planning! If I had my way it would be Menorca (a private villa would be lovely but v pricey!), looks beautiful but probably over my budget. I have been looking at the north of Spain..Costa Brava..think it would be slightly cooler than other parts of Spain. I have ordered the Eurocamp 2020 brochure, my kids love caravan holidays so may suit us better and be less expensive. Can only advise keep researching something will come up.

Definitely look at Eurocamp/Canvas Holidays. We are on our first Eurocamp break at Domaine des Ormes in Brittany - it's a big site with loads of activities (which would suit a teen) but a toddler could just potter and use the pool and playground.

Accommodation is either tents or mobile homes (but lots of providers), which are basic but clean and reasonably equipped (mobile homes have own shower, etc, so no trek to the toilet block).

First time we've ever driven abroad but dead easy if you get the ferry to St Malo, and roads are empty compared with the UK - I was terrified but it was fine and under an hour's drive. Lots of options for days out in the area too.

But there will be loads of similar places within easy drive of a ferry port.

I'm not sure about Eurocamp, it does look brilliant and I have friends who swear by it, but it is too reminiscent of all the cheap soggy UK camping weekends we've had over the past years.

Budget doesn't include spending money or passports, so it really is flights and hotel only, plus food... Though the food I don't mind, half board or whatever, we don't have to go the whole hog.

I'm currently looking up places in Lanzarote, and it looks gorgeous, and reasonably prided around Easter. I'm assuming it's warm enough to swim then?

How about Portugal? Albuferia has the old town which is lovely and family friendly - it also gets cool at night which can be nice when you are not used to the heat.

Puerto Pollensa in Majorca, my favourite place and only a 2 hour flight

Majorca was lovely for us this year- we enjoyed Alcudia and the surrounding area.

Morocco is often cheaper than the nearby Canaries but offers similar warmth- albeit a different type of holiday. DS loved it (aged 12) and is looking forward to going back later this year.

Another one for sidari in corfu.
I took my 18yr old and 11yr old in August for £1,200 self catering. We booked with Tui.
May half term would be cheaper,although the sea hasn't warmed up...still gorgeous though

I'd forgotten about Majorca!

I'm so excited, even just looking. It's so nice to know I'm looking to buy - one Christmas we were so skint that I cried at the holiday ads in January

Euro camp isn't camping as you imagine because you stay in a big frame tent with proper beds that is pre-erected and if you go in the summer or May half term, the weather should be good.

But I think you'll struggle to get a package holiday in the school holidays for anywhere near that budget. Maybe try looking at jet2holidays and see if there are any free child places. You should be able to book for next easter now and pay quite a low deposit if the money is guaranteed to come through later.

I'd look at self catering or B&B in an apartment complex for best value and then combine some eating out with easy supermarket food like barbecues, bread and ham etc, ready cooked chicken, pizza etc as AI isn't great unless you pay ££££s. If you want to go at Easter, your best bet is the Canaries.

Just joining the thread for your inspiration. Ta

We went to nerja for about that much. Fly to malaga, taxi transfer, hired an apartment with a pool. There's loads of beaches, the old town and the balcon deuropa is fantastic. A million restaurants, very kid friendly, live music in the Square, lots of kids cocktails, a land train that does tours in the evening, day trip to frigliana, we had the most wonderful time!

Camping la Siesta in Callela de Palafrugell was our first foreign holiday with children & was lovely. Eurocamp type of place but we stayed in a wooden chalet