Interesting holidays with kids - get us out of the all inclusive

[HeyDiddleDumplings]

Hello,

I’d like some ideas for interesting holidays with kids (5&7). Where have you been / done that’s more interesting than an all inclusive.

Up until this point we’ve loved an inclusive (not that we cash to holiday lots, but have managed a few) it’s given us all a break we’ve needed. We recently had our holiday cancelled last minute so had to book something else very quickly & last minute. There wasn’t much left and the place we ended up wasn’t that great and still cost quite a bit. It left me feeling a bit over all inclusive’s - the waste, the ‘pack em in’ approach, the cost, the lack of culture. And now the kids are in school holiday they are just so expensive.

I would love some ideas for summer holidays where you get to do a bit more stuff and are more affordable in summer. What have you done that your family has enjoyed?

Yas island in Abu Dhabi

Yas waterworld, Warner brother studios , Ferrari world

At that age, we took our two to a caravan right by the beach in Norfolk. About £500. Fantastic weather too. Hours of fun pottering. Surprised you are not getting more UK options.

I agree with Salou, portaventura is a good day out, we did it with jet2 with 3 days passes to parks included, a day trip to Barcelona is doable, lovely beaches with lovely restaurants.

Isle of Wight is perfect with those children's ages. Stay at Nettlecombe Farm and the kids can help feed all the animals. Loads to do on the island. Ferry trip feels totally relaxing, chilled by the time you arrive.

The world is your oyster. I’m not a huge fan of AI though am currently sat in one in Mexico. I found a good deal on what was a very expensive week to go away due to jubilee and half term. I started off looking at self catering holidays in Greece and ended up booking a package deal, 3 nights in New York then 7 nights in Mexico (that but AI) which was more exciting to my teens than Greece and about 1/3rd more expensive, but better value if that’s makes sense. We booked a hire car for 3 days so have been out exploring, can’t bear to be caged in for too long! I have done all sorts of holidays with my kids over the years, sometimes very small budgets sometimes larger. When you have younger kids, self catering holidays to places like France can work really well.

As an aside I am loving and feeling very validated by the love for Austrian mountain holidays on this thread. Usually I have to explain to very baffled people why I've chosen what seems to them like an extremely random holiday...

But right now I'm sitting on my balcony, drinking my coffee and eating one of the fresh rolls the apartment complex has delivered each morning, looking out over the lake and the mountains. Going on a walk to a waterfall this morning, then a swim in the frankly very nice local pool, then a walk up the valley. Fridge is full of local products, the people are lovely and helpful and my kids are already clamouring to come back.

We went to Corsica pre pandemic and stayed in a chalet on a campsite.

it was a lovely kind of back to basics holiday. We did horse riding along the beach, wild swimming in the mountain river and enjoyed the amazing beaches. Definitely worth a visit. Only saw one other English family all week. The only downside was that I had to use my slightly iffy french for all communication and it was all on me as the only one in the family who can even make an attempt. We managed though and it was a lovely holiday.

Jas5mum is talking about Duinrell. Plenty on Mumsnet go there/have been.

We had a pleasant stay there when DD was about 10/11 and i think that was the perfect age.

Some of the accommodation is a bit tired/basic but the safari tents were lovely.

The waterpark had few visible lifeguards so better for confident swimmers.

We took our car and bikes, but you could probably manage without either.

BTW car hire this year is insanely expensive. Might be best to try somewhere by ferry so you can take your own car. We are having a lovely time right now in France on a campsite, brought our campervan and also hired a small chalet.

Our childhoodswere caravans/cabins in the Bordeaux area of France. Ferry from Portsmouth to Roscoff (or similar) and then drive down which was part of the adventure. Then two weeks of exploring the area - caves, bike rides, horse riding, local towns etc and a mix of eating out and BBQs by the caravan. They were absolutely idyllic.
We also enjoyed a driving holiday as we got a bit older, with a week in the middle to enjoy a villa somewhere. Exciting to stay in new hotels etc, though I know some friends who used to camp as they travelled and then have a week in a villa before camping on the route home.
I hate AI personally. I want to travel to try the local food, explore and get a feel for a place. There are plenty of things for children to so outside of kids clubs - they have children in whatever country you visit after all. And watching them explore and try new things is a huge part of the joy.
My main memories from our holidays when I was really young are going to pick up pizza from a camp site takeaway, mom having a huge plate of cockles and a giant crab for a meal out, exploring some deep caves and playing with rackets on the beach after climbing the sand dunes. Oh and playing cards in the evening on a little plastic white table and chairs outside our cabin whilst burning citronella for the mosquitoes.

We stayed in a cottage near the river Deben in Suffolk last summer. There were nice places to walk, a little beach, we went to the Suffolk punch sanctuary and a transport museum in Ipswich.
There’s loads of interesting things to do in the UK, when my kids are older I’d love to take them on city breaks to Liverpool, Chester, Bristol, York, maybe Hull.

I could recommend so many different holidays, but the one I’d suggest with kids your age is the campsite/cabin in the dordogne. We went for several years when the kids were younger. Weather is generally great, food is fab and there is lots to do. Medieval castles, kayaking, tree climbing/ropes courses, markets, village fetes (aimed specifically at kids,) and loads of interesting historic sites - the Vezere region has numerous Palaeolithic monuments including the famous Lescaux caves which are really good, there’s lots of Hundred Year War stuff, and lots of little ancient towns you can wander round on an evening and stop off for a fabulous ice cream sundae for the kids. I’d also suggest Gardens of Marquessac, it has a maze, treehouses and cargo nets in the trees to climb in. We’ve stayed at 2 different campsites, each with a lake and a pool for swimming in. Loved it every time.

@JassyRadlett I click on threads like these to find out what else we might do with ourselves after a decade of going to the same place, so it was quite a surprise to find this thread headed straight there. But we are still doing new things and the kids adore it so for now… We got interrail passes in their sale this year though so are going there and back by train through France, Switzerland and Germany, including Futuroscope and Playmobil World.

If no one has mentioned it already - in the UK Anglesey is brilliant with kids. Lots to do, beaches, small attractions, nice was, decent places to eat and a favourable micro climate!

Best holidays we had when dc were small were hiring an apartment in France, road trip in America that was expensive plus we had a month and hiring a canal boat.

I suspect its more time do with AI has all the food and drinks factored in so going out for the day and paying for lunch / dinner is an added expense?

(I don't know as we don't do AI but we also haven't been abroad in about 6 years either, I'm not dissing AI)

An apartment or house rental of some sort is generally better value for families. This is because most will just charge per rental not per person compared to hotels/ all inclusive. So a 3 bedroom house will be the same price for 2 adults as 2 adults and 3 children. You can then choose how much you eat in or out cost wise.

Slovenia is worth looking at. Lots of glamping huts or treehouses areas are popping up, and nice apartments around lake garda or in the mountains. It’s generally a bit cheaper than Austria

I don’t do AI. A yurt in wales, a farmstay in wales, anywhere Airbnb in towns? A treehouse in chateau grounds in france was super cool. We just Airbnb somewhere nice and explore! A house in a town in Sicily (very cheap), apartment in carcassone…. You can base yourself in annecy, france, there are buses from Geneva airport and you can catch buses along the mountain towns for days out. If ours had been that age we would have gone to the fairy chimneys in cappadocia and stayed in a cave hotel but at 1 & 4 it seemed a bit too much tricky walking for them. Italy anywhere.

Back packing! Mine were that age when we started with them. Admittedly in their rucksacks was just pjs and a few t shirts and a book! We we went to Interlakenhoheweg in Switzerland, Denmark, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Ireland , Germany , Belgium, Finland and so on over the years.
we just used skyscanner and booking.com.
Brilliant times.

It’s more about the cost for us.

AI is expensive so if I’d paid for it I wouldn’t be able to afford to go out and about and eat out all the time. I’d feel like I’d wasted my money and frankly I doubt I could save enough to have a load spend on top of the price of an AI hotel.

we always go either self catering or b&b. Even with a load of spending money it’s still usually less than the price of AI and you can please yourself.

@Caspianberg - where is this, sounds wonderful!

We’ve done family camping trips to Morzine - mountain biking, swimming, hiking - and Chamonix in the past. The Ski resorts in the French Alps are pretty good in the summer too.

In a similar situation several years ago, an MNer recommended Crieff Hydro. We went there for 6 years in a row.

We went to Turkey when my DC were a bit older than yours (youngest was 9). It was fab - a few days in Istanbul to see the sights, then a few days on the coast to chill out, do water sports etc.

I loved our family holidays in the Netherlands when I was a child. We used to do house exchanges so saved lots of money as didn't have to pay for accommodation. Is that an option for you?

The place I enjoyed the most was Jordan (DD was 8) we landed in Amman, rented a car drove down to the Dead Sea and spent a couple of days there, Wadi Rum reserve camping over night, Petra overnight and back to Amman for 3 nights. Amman was one of my favourite places for food! We met several coach tours on our travels that run family tours that include all the major sights and over night stays if you are not confident traveling independently.

We are returning to Istanbul this summer (first time since covid) our DD is now 11 but we went when she was 9 and 6. Hotel with a pool and breakfast included with lunch/dinner out while wondering around the city. Lots to see, do and eat!

We went to Dubai last year which was fantastic. We Had an air b n b which was £110 per night, fantastic pool area we had brunch there after a swim before heading out. Masses of things to do and see and doesn’t need to break the bank.

We've just been to chamonix- you fly to Geneva then taxi/bus for an hour. Both kids loved it- lots to do:
Aiguille du midi to the top- can walk in the snow and go in the glass void.
Montvenors train to the top of the glacier- ice cave.
Courmeyor Italy for the day
Play in the river- les paradis les pray
Visit the gorge de diosaz
Parc merlet to see animals
Geneva for the day
Hikes

All trains in the valley are free with a pass and fast
Great food/drink
Fab hotels- I recommend hotel heliopic which has a lovely pool.