Suggestions for a summer holiday please.

[LadyMacbethWasMisunderstood]

We are a family of 5. My 2 teenage daughters will be 16 and 19 by the summer. So adult prices. DS will be 9.

We have not travelled out of the UK as a family before. I dislike flying but will grit my teeth and do it.

Previous holidays have all been camping/hotels/cottages all over the UK.

We are looking for a 1 or 2 weeks (will be price dependant). July or August 2020. The main criteria for my daughters is that they can swim in the warm sea. I’m doing this holiday for them mostly (eldest DD has recovered from a life threatening illness and DD2 suffered a lot alongside her along the way). No health issues now that will affect the choice of holiday.

DS will be happy with pretty much anything so long as I make it fun for him.

I’d rather not fly long haul and probably can’t afford that anyway.

I’m expecting I’ll have to find around £4,000. Would love it to be less. Could find a bit more if really necessary.

I know this is all very vague. I’m pretty clueless about foreign holidays.

All help appreciated.

@TheNoodlesIncident Where do you stay? I've been looking at crete but some hotels are quite far out and its a trek to the nearest town.

Turkey is cheap and you get a nicer standard of hotel for the price you’d pay on Europe. Does it have to be the summer holidays? May/ Oct half term are cheaper and still warm.

This May DD2 will be in the midst of GCSEs prep. So not May. And all being well DD1 will be going to university (a year later than her peers as she missed a year of education) in September and won’t get a half term holiday in October. I would consider early July (when both DDs will have finished exams) and take DS out of school for a week. Not ideal. But I’d think about it.

Cruise. You don't even have to fly for some. Lots to do for all ages, good food. I've taken my dc on loads in the past and they absolutely loved them. Me and my dp love cruises now it's just us two. I love the sightseeing best, he loves the fab dining.

I’d love a cruise. But I don’t think that’s quite what the DDs are looking for. DD1 is in recovery from anorexia and whilst she is doing brilliantly I think the focus on dining would not be ideal. It’s definitely on my list for things to do though in the future.

@userxx
We like Almyrida on the north coast. Restaurants line the beach, lots of different places to try, plenty of shops and little supermarkets. We go self catering so that sort of thing is important to us, although there are some nice looking AI hotels in Almyrida.

It's just down the coast from the big port town of Rethymno, we hire a car so we can get out and about to explore. Last time we walked the Samaria Gorge, the biggest natural gorge in Europe. They've made a fascinating trail through it (and there are wild goats which live there - because of the hikers they are happy to come out and look at you, no doubt hoping you'll share lunch!) We also visited the recycled glass blowing studio and the freshwater lake, where you can hire little boats and pedallos.

It's a fabulous place, I can really recommend it. And the Greeks are the loveliest people.

Warm sea means it will be hot. So you will need somewhere with aircon. If your DD is recovering from an ED will she be okay with a hotel with the communal dining buffet experience? I know that's hell on Earth for a lot of people with EDs so maybe a villa would be better? Would you be okay cooking and are you prepared to do a bit of driving?

Given what you've added definitely think you should check out the Balearics before Greece imho. Even though Greece is lovely (depending on where you go) Minorca / Mallorca would be ideal, the beaches are sandy and the water super warm for your daughter, but it is marginally less hot than Greece, so very pleasant.

Ok to cook. Don’t mind driving. A buffet would likely be fine now. It’s making the food into the big event I want to avoid. I Like the idea of a villa though. I think we need to decide on the area then look at accommodation options. Thanks for the air con reminder. I really am quite clueless. I’m not stupid - generally - but I am about this! I’ve been reading all the suggestions and feel quite excited. This Holiday is not about me. But I am beginning to want it too!

I went to Mallorca when I was 18. I loved it. Never thought of it for us though. I’ll add it to my list.

Will your daughter be OK with an all inclusive type holiday? Most of the entertainment is by the pool which usually involves people in swimwear or skimpy clothing maybe not good if she's body conscious
If she's not good with that you could consider a city type break on the Mediterranean coast such as Barcelona or Lisbon,plenty to do rather than lazing about plus beaches obviously next to the sea for some days when you want to chill.

* Will your daughter be OK with an all inclusive type holiday? Most of the entertainment is by the pool which usually involves people in swimwear or skimpy clothing maybe not good if she's body conscious *

In my experience, all inclusive holidays don’t attract many Gisele type bodies!

It’s definitely the sea rather than poolside we are after. To be honest what they probably imagine is somewhere like Mauritius. But I can’t afford that!

Realise that most people including me don't have Gisele type body's but if OP daughter has had a ED she's possibly going to be body conscious.
I found from my dds that the teenage years when they had the gorgeous figure were the times they were most reluctant to show it off and us old gimmers didn't bother at all.

I too recommend Crete, in fact I'm going back this year!
It is very hot & the sea is like a warm bath.

I'm going to a family run hotel for b&b right on the sandy beach at a small town near Chania.

It's very cheap to buy delicious meals at the nearby restaurants, the hotels sunbeds at the beach are free if you buy the cheap drinks, the bus services to other locations are good.
We visited the beautiful Elafonissi last time.
The flight to Crete is 4 hours. I've posted a couple of pictures.

If you go to a very hot place I recommend factoring in the cost of hiring sunbeds & umbrellas on the beach to have a bit of shade. Also the sand may be hot so you need decent flip flops to wear to the shore.
Definitely take hats. Eg a baseball cap plus cover ups such as short kaftans in a non sticky material.
Keep your fluids up.
And you need factor 30 at least if you're pale & must keep reapplying it!
My sisters olive skinned & gets away with factor 20 P20 but I'm pale & have to keep applying proper factor 30 sun lotion. I do get a tan but slowly.

Btw The Algarve in Portugal is beautiful & sandy but the Atlantic can be deep & very cold like the sea in the uk. My sister went last year & would take a wetsuit if she went back as it's so chilly.

Yeah I wouldn't go for the Atlantic if you want warm sea. You need the Med or the Aegean.

Actually if you're daughter imagines a Mauritius type experience, a Greek island would deliver. Ish! The sea is shallow and an amazing colour and the white and blue building ps are just beautiful. But it is bloody hot so go early or get aircon so that you can retreat indoors at the heat of the day

DH and I went to Tsilivi in Zante last year (Sept) and we loved it. It’s a really compact town with loads of bars and restaurant. The beach is lovely but crowded which I prefer as I can blend into the sea of bodies of all shapes and size 😂
The advantage of Zante is that it’s a relatively short flight, some of the Greek Islands are over 4 hours and Cyprus is 5 hours.

Ohh Crete. Zante. I’m looking into all this now. Thank you so much for all the help. I feel very fortunate to be able to plan this holiday.

Turkey (Antalya area). Loads of good quality hotels and many have water slides which the kids would love. You get a lot more for your money than Spain or Greece. We went last year and it was so good that we’ve booked again this year.

I once went to Zante and it was spectacular. The stuff of dreams. Your kids won't be disappointed. Just avoid the bar/clubby area near the airport. You will see turtles too.

@TheNoodlesIncident Sounds perfect! Thanks so much for that. Not bothered about all inclusive hotels, there are far too many lovely restaurants you miss out on.

View from a lovely restaurant attached

It really is beautiful

Greek islands are an obvious choice. I had a good cheap holiday on Zakynthos / Zante (same island two different names). Some of the towns are very nightlife partyish but some aren't so bad. Lovely waters, I spent so much time swimming in the sea.

Looking at Almyrida now.