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Original poster

Best all inclusive/package holiday you've been on?

30 replies

HeadingForHome · 10/03/2022 10:50

We're new to the package holiday scene but with 3 young kids I think it's time to embrace the world of hotel pools, kids clubs, sunshine and buffets! I don't really know where to start, looked on Tui but the choice is overwhelming.

Looking at Europe, preferably only a few hours flight time from the UK.

Any recommendations/experiences gratefully received!

OP posts:
emmathedilemma · 10/03/2022 10:52

to be fair, i've only been on a handful but my best was Neilsons beachclub. The kids clubs were amazing, we hardly saw the kids ;)

Original poster
HeadingForHome · 10/03/2022 10:57

I've heard of Neilsons so I'll have a look. I don't even really know where to begin.

OP posts:
nearlyspringyay · 10/03/2022 11:01

We've only ever done Holiday Village (Tui) - pre kids would have been my idea of hell but I've been pretty impressed and it is perfect for kids. They have family rooms so there is a divide between your room and the kids.

Ibiza would suit you best with flight times and it's possibly my favourite. We have also been to Rhodes and Kos.

Pros for Ibiza - not too hot in mid summer, short flight and only a 20 min transfer when you get there.

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Holidays
mrsbitaly · 10/03/2022 11:02

Love alcudia only a couple of hours a way, beach, sunshine, waterpark entertainment. We quite liked club mac as our first family holiday

CaveMum · 10/03/2022 11:03

We're booked to the Tui Holiday Village in Mallorca this year (originally booked for 2020!) and have booked Rhodes for next year - it's the flagship Holiday Village so expensive but made more affordable by securing a free child place!

Duracellbunnywannabe · 10/03/2022 11:05

What age are your children? When do you want to travel? And what is your budget?

ForestDad · 10/03/2022 11:06

There is a lot to take in. Have a think about what you want, everything in resort, proximity to a town, culture etc.
The tui site has good filters for hotel facilities e.g great for families/waterpark/spa etc.
For people to make some suggestions would need to know ages of children, budget, date of travel etc.
There are still tui shops open on the high street, prices should be the same as online I think and you'll have someone to guide you through it all.

TarcasticSwat · 10/03/2022 11:09

Someone recommended club Mac. I would read the reviews of that place. I went once and it was hell on earth, was very ill from food poisoning there, as were a lot of people in the reviews. The resort was full of people who would give Shameless a run for their money.

Alcudia itself is beautiful, but I would strongly advise against that hotel!

Original poster
HeadingForHome · 10/03/2022 11:10

Kids are 6, 3 and 0.

Looking at 2nd week of April holidays (approx 10th April) but to be honest the 6 year old is in P1 and could be sneaked out for a few days if there were other dates that worked. Any time before the summer really.

Budget is flexible, had seen an all inclusive for £3k for that week (Mallorca) which seems very good value but the reviews are...mixed. Possibly up to £5k if it was really good and that includes food? I don't really know, I've never priced these things up so haven't really got a good handle on current prices.

Appreciate all the suggestions. Love the idea of Ibiza or Mallorca.

OP posts:
Original poster
HeadingForHome · 10/03/2022 11:12

There are still tui shops open on the high street, prices should be the same as online I think and you'll have someone to guide you through it all

This is probably a good idea to be honest, I have never actually been inside a travel agent but there is one on our high street

OP posts:
Ohsugarhoneyicetea · 10/03/2022 11:16

Club Med Marrakech La Palmeraie (Le Riad section) was fabulous.

Toomuchleopard · 10/03/2022 11:33

Liberty Hotels Lykia in Turkey. I’ve been several times with my 3 kids it’s amazing.

emmathedilemma · 10/03/2022 11:38

ok, they're perhaps a bit young to get full benefit out of Neilsons, I'd wait til the youngest is maybe 6 and the others are older.
The weather might not be great in the Med that early in April, maybe wait til May half term?

AmbushedByCake1 · 10/03/2022 11:40

Hi op, look at Jet2holidays, cheaper than TUI. For April you are constrained by the weather, not reliably warm enough in Turkey or the Balearics. Look at Portugal,
Mainland Spain or the canaries.

Savvysix1984 · 10/03/2022 11:40

Another vote for holiday villages

reluctantbrit · 10/03/2022 11:54

Can you stretch to May half term? Early April is not the best for Europe and even the Canaries have only low to mid Twenties.

One thing for me was how far the kiddie pool is away from the main one. That could mean I don’t have to go through the whole resort because I am at the main pool and DH at the kiddies one to check something.

Also, look at the rooms, you may want a suite with a separate living room where the older ones can sleep instead of all in one.

nearlyspringyay · 10/03/2022 12:00

@HeadingForHome

Kids are 6, 3 and 0.

Looking at 2nd week of April holidays (approx 10th April) but to be honest the 6 year old is in P1 and could be sneaked out for a few days if there were other dates that worked. Any time before the summer really.

Budget is flexible, had seen an all inclusive for £3k for that week (Mallorca) which seems very good value but the reviews are...mixed. Possibly up to £5k if it was really good and that includes food? I don't really know, I've never priced these things up so haven't really got a good handle on current prices.

Appreciate all the suggestions. Love the idea of Ibiza or Mallorca.

I'm paying £5.5 for HV Ibiza in August, £3 for a week in Easter seems expensive.

In April though I'd want to go further south, the pools and sea will be cold in the Balearics and the weather can be dodgy all round.

Original poster
HeadingForHome · 10/03/2022 12:11

Ok thanks - I hadn't given enough thought to the weather, just assumed a plane ride away = warm BlushGrin

I'll have a browse during the baby's nap later. I think the room type (suite/apartment with separate rooms and kitchen area) would be important as well as kids pools.

Thank you all

OP posts:
CaveMum · 10/03/2022 12:15

Yes definitely think about the weather, many of the HV don’t have heated pools (obv not needed in the summer!) but the knock on effect is that people going in early/late season find the pools on the cold side.

Also the Holiday Villages don’t open until May I believe, so that would rule those out if you are wedded to April.

BarbaraofSeville · 10/03/2022 12:22

Second/third looking at somewhere else or another time of year if you want a sunny pool holiday. It might be OK then, but might not be.

If you can face the longer flight, the Canaries with a heated pool might suit, and counterintuitively, might be cheaper for similar standard/facilities than the Balerics, which seem to be significantly more expensive for flights, accommodation and eating out while you're there.

If you're willing to go in term time, late April into early May is a good time to go, cost wise, probably as cheap as you'll get unless really out of season in November to pre-Easter.

Jet2holidays are often one of the best value for package holidays, especially if you can get a free child place, Costa Adeje in Tenerife or Princess Yaiza in Playa Blanca Lanzarote are often mentioned on here as good for nicer family AI hotels and you should get that with a £3-5k budget.

BarbaraofSeville · 10/03/2022 12:24

There's probably also nice places in Gran Canaria or Fuerteventura, but I don't know those islands so well.

Maybe start in the Family Luxe section of Jet2holidays to see if you can find anything in budget.

gogohm · 10/03/2022 12:40

What's your budget? You get what you pay for basically. TUI are a good mid range option price wise and whilst the standards do vary their own brand hotels are pretty reliable. We have found flying with their airline good even when their were issues they looked after us and the transfers so we had no waiting

rhowton · 10/03/2022 13:28

I would really recommend this:

www.tui.co.uk/destinations/spain/canary-islands/gran-canaria/bahia-feliz/apartments/tui-blue-tres-vidas.html

It isn't super luxury but we love it. You can upgrade to a two bedroom, which is one of the reasons we love it. The airport is 20 minutes on the bus. The children's pool has a small water slide, but is next to the adults pool. The sea is next to it. Kids entertainment and adults entertainment every night. Kids club is great and has a creche for under 3s at a cost, its something like 60e for 6 sessions. They have one night a week babysitting club where you can go and have dinner alone. There is a small park as well. We absolutely love it!!

YerWanIsGettinNotions · 10/03/2022 14:29

We had a fabulous Tui trip to lanzarote in October- the Gran Castillo Tagoro. Loads of pools and the kids clubs were great. The weather was warm enough to lie out but not so hot you'd get badly sunburnt on the walk into town if you needed a few bits and pieces.

Sadly DS is not sporty and hates "organised fun" so at nearly 10 I doubt we'll be able to put him in a kids club ever again. However he met lots of kids to run around with (literally run, they spent the evenings after dinner just racing around the grounds and getting very sweaty). I just wish we'd found it sooner and been able to go more in the last two years! We kept meeting families who'd been back loads of times.

RunnerDown · 10/03/2022 14:33

I know nothing about all inclusive but have been to Majorca in May and it was rainy windy and a bit chilly at times ( not all week but the majority of it) I love it but wouldn’t go earlier than June