Need help planning a family holiday for 2026? I’m Mumsnet’s Travel Editor - AMA

[RachMumsnet]

Hello!

I’m Rachel, Mumsnet’s Travel Editor and holiday obsessive 👋

Starting a thread to highlight standout travel deals in case you’re eyeing up a 2026 family holiday (or panicking that you should be) and I’m on hand to help you find a great family break - whether you’re already planning ahead or just starting to browse ideas.

I’ve spent years writing about travel for places like the Guardian, TripSavvy, Tripadvisor and Travelzoo, and at Mumsnet I focus on family-friendly hotel reviews, roundups, deals and finding trips that actually work with kids in tow.

I’m also a regular forum lurker so I’ve got a good sense of what Mumsnetters are booking, loving and side-eyeing right now. And I have access to MumsGPT, our behind-the-scenes tool that crunches real MN chat, alongside intel on trends from big travel brands so I can get speedy, useful answers to any questions you may have.

Looking for a quick getaway somewhere sunny with access to a kid-friendly beach? A luxury all-inc with epic waterslides and a kids’ club? A teen-inclusive trip that is anything but boring? I can help with that.

Feel free to throw your questions my way - let’s plan something brilliant...

Highlighting some excellent travel deals for starters:

• TUI: up to £500 off package hols with code SALE
• Eurocamp: 20% off between April and October + 7-night breaks under £500 (and a great single-parent discount that can be used with the savings)
• Cottages.com: up to 30% plus an extra 7% for Mumsnetters
• DFDS: 50% off an Amsterdam mini cruise from Newcastle
• easyJet: 20% off flights (I spy £19 one-way fares from Luton to Barcelona over Feb half-term)
• Hoseasons: up to 30% off plus an extra 5% for Mumsnet users
• Parkdean: up to 50% off + two-night breaks from £89
• Disneyland Paris: 20% off hotel + ticket packages if you’re a Disney+ subscriber (World of Frozen opens March 2026!)

Sounds fantastic!

But I won't be planning for a few weeks yet.

Is this thread time limited or will it be an ongoing thing?

Oh good @SweeetFannyAdams! Yep, realise it can seem a little overwhelming to plan straight after Xmas but I know lots of people are starting to think about 2026 hols.
Happy to keep things running for as long as the main sales are on if useful (usually towards the end of Jan/early Feb).

Great, thank you 👍

Hi @RachMumsnet I would absolutely love some ideas from an expert please as we are really stuck for 2026 ideas. We are also only at the early stages so far.
This year we had the Best holiday in Rhodes - 2 weeks AI. When I think back to it I worry we will be stuck making comparisons but we can’t risk repeating it as that won’t feel the same a
sscond time and we could do with spending less
as we spent over £10k.
Also DC are at awkward teen stage. (13
and 15)
What jumps to mind ?
We love Greece, prefer pool to beach, like easy days but not Groundhog Day . Hired a car for a few days in Rhodes which was fun.
kids aren’t huge adventurers. But then we risk phones taking priority!
Enjoyed snorkelling.
We orefer not to be stuck self catering now we have a taste of AI
it will be August.

Is this enough of a
brief? Thanks in advance if you can help!

I’d like some ideas for a family holiday when the family is 4 adults and the siblings are different sexes so ideally we need 3 bedrooms or at least twin beds for them. We like resorts where there are activities/sports, must have a pool, we don’t mind self catering but a restaurant or two onsite is great. We like a bit of culture. Flying from London.

Warm or hot in Autumn outside school holidays. Not Middle East or Turkey.

how much would I need to budget?

Yes this would be great, I would like to go abroad with two teenage girls and husband July - August. I don't want it really hot. Happy to have £7000 budget.

Hi Rachel - hoping for some pointers to help find a holiday for seven of us.

Six adults (three couples) + a teen so need min 3 bedrooms.
Need to travel in school holidays and be back before the end of August.
Stansted or Luton flights preferred.
Looking for a European beach holiday. Ideally a villa or apartment, either self catering or bed and breakfast within walking distance of a resort with restaurants. My ideal would be a harbour side resort to watch the world go by.

Budget is quite tight for all this around £600 - £800.

Can you help?

Great idea for a thread! I'd like to find a holiday in the school holidays (July, August) where my sporty 13 year old can learn water sports with other teens without DH and I participating. Ideally somewhere we don't have to reapply factor 50 every 10 minutes (we're both pale and burn, but DD doesn't). Ideally somewhere with interesting museums and history. Open to anywhere in Europe.

Ooh excellent thank you. We’re hoping to go to Toronto in August. We’re looking for a resort 1-2 hours drive away from the city for nature, water activities, relaxing.

We’ve been to Turkey now about 4 years running but want to try somewhere different this year. Don’t really care about the location, but DS8 loves the big water slides at the hotels, must be all inclusive, on a beach, and not too far from the airport. Everywhere seems so much more expensive than Turkey and not as much for your money. Would love to find a gem somewhere! 2 adults, 1 child in the summer holidays.

Hi @MavisBarrel Two weeks all-inc in Rhodes sounds dreamy!

How about Crete as an alternative? Lots to explore inc ruins and the pink sands of Elafonisi Beach. Stella Palace always gets a shoutout on here for amazing pools/slides if you like to hang poolside. Or Hotel Silva Beach (all-inc, pools, activities and easy access to Malia if the teens wanted something livelier).

Mumsnet users rate Skiathos for teen trips (“Skiathos town is quite buzzy and there are good beaches. You could also do a day trip to Skopelos which is where Mamma Mia was filmed” - minipie)

Or something like a Neilson break for lots of screen distractions (activities) on tap?

Or away from Greece but a similar island feel maybe Croatia? I went to Krk in August this year and loved it - beaches are pebbly but snorkelling is great and the scenery is stunning.

I’d love suggestions for Kao Lak next January please. I’ve driven myself mad all day trying to find direct flights from London with accommodation for 2 adults with beach views and a private pool close to the centre.

How exciting!

We (2 adults, will be 16 year old and 13 year old) want to go to Thailand over the Christmas holidays next year. We’re not sure about how to tackle exploring such a large place and how to book internal flights etc.

We’re not a fan of big cities so won’t want to spend a lot of time on places like Bangkok and instead like going on walks for the first half of the holiday and then relaxing by a beach in the second half. Our current itinerary is probably Bangkok for two days, then Chang mai for 5 and then a week in koh lanta. Would love some advice on whether this sounds suitable, whether there are alternative itineraries that might work better and avoid crowded, super touristy places and how to book cheap flights, both international and internal!

Hi @RachMumsnet I'm thinking about a visit to Amsterdam in school summer hols. Where would be a good place to look for self catering accommodation? Not sure where to start. And are there any Eurostar/ accommodation package deals available? Thanks!

Any tips for finding hotels with interconnecting rooms or suites that have more than one bedroom?? So few search engines will let you filter by that and assume you mean you want two separate rooms rather than one contained room with two bedrooms x_x

Christmas 2026 I want to be away. It’s a significant birthday.

Could be somewhere sunny as a family of 4. Or Could be skiing - either as a 4 or as a group of 12 (3 families).

budget tbc. Not super expensive but not super budget either.

what have others done at Christmas, to get away from the bad weather and the ridiculousness of an overly commercial grey and miserable British Christmas?!!

Oh this is great! We have just started thinking about somewhere over Easter hols for a family of 4 (kids 7 and 11). We went to Ikos in Halkidiki last year and it was obviously AMAZING but we don't have the budget for it this year. Plus would ideally like more reliable sunny weather. We'd like a separate but connected bedroom for the kids, sofa bed is fine. AI for preference but walking distance to somewhere with shops and restaurants as I did get a bit stir crazy. Know Ikos will have spoiled us, we liked the good food and not feeling on top of other people, so would prioritise that over e.g. amazing entertainment or water slides. Top budget around £4k. Is this impossible???

Hi looking for a villa with at least 4 bedrooms preferably 5. Would like a private pool & near a beach. Any suggestions? Would like Portugal but open to other suggestions if it is a short flight for the last week of July, first week of August. Hopefully near restaurants & a shop. Thank you

Hi Rachel, this is exciting! I want to take my two teenage boys, 18 and 16, away this summer as a special holiday. My DH won't be coming for health reasons. We usually holiday in the UK but have done air b and b's in France, Netherlands and Italy.
Given they are both in exam years we might be able to get away late June/early July but otherwise looking at school hols.
We could literally go anywhere. Indonesia, Canada, Scandinavia, Baltics, , I have no idea where our budget would take us. Budget 6 to 10k. Kids would like exciting things to do and scenery. None of us can drive. We would like not to share one bedroom.

As on another thread I started we’d like to go away for Christmas 2026. Probably Europe, but some suggestions welcome. Thanks.

Hello! I say every year that we'll go away next Christmas, then look at the prices and don't actually book anything. What would you recommend for a week over Christmas with 2 adults and 2 teens for less than £5k? Looking at snow rather than sun, flying/training out of London.

Hiya @Sc00byDont

Some warm-weather autumnal suggestions for you here at resorts with activities/pools + access to cultural sights (assuming you're after a shortish-haul escape but let me know if not!):

Southern Italy: TUI Magic Life Calabria - by the beach, loads of activities and split-level family rooms with twin and double rooms - there's also a Private Lodge area for over-16s, near Pizzo and Tropea for exploring. Mumsnet users recommend this one quite a bit.

Cyprus: Leonardo Laura Beach & Splash Resort - impressive pools/slides, beach access and a 15-min drive to Paphos with its harbour and archaeological park plus family suites with two interconnecting rooms (five beds in total).

Algarve: Pine Cliffs in Albufeira - very spendy but loads going on at this clifftop resort and there are one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments here offering lots of space and access to all the resort amenities inc sports, spa, golf.

Tenerife: Hotel Suite Villa Maria - low-rise resort in Costa Adeje with lagoon pools, sports and entertainment. They have three-bed villas with pools here with access to all the resort facilities.

And there are some great suggestions on this thread about travelling with adult kids.

For a family holiday in 2026, a few great options are Japan (safe, fascinating culture, theme parks), Italy (food, history, and easy travel with kids), Costa Rica (nature, wildlife, and adventure), or Orlando if theme parks are the priority. All are very family-friendly and easy to plan — it really depends on whether you want culture, nature, or pure fun.

Hiya @deconstructingKaren

Some suggestions here for destinations that aren't too hot for a summer break with plenty going on for teens:

Berlin? City exploring, shopping, summer beach clubs and bars along the Spree + access to nearby lakes for swimming/boating. Some great hotel recommendations on this thread.

Norway cruise? Explore the Fjords, lots of onboard activities for teens, Southampton departure - P&O prices from £950pp in August.

Il de Re? Mumsnet users love this island destination - off the coast of western France so doesn't get too hot in the summer but gorgeous beaches, salt marshes, dunes and pretty villages.

Switzerland? Interlaken is a great base for lakes, mountains, trains and gondolas and is within easy reach of Bern and Lucerne for day trips.

Biarritz? For beaches, surfing, excellent food and easy access to San Sebastian via train

Also really interested in Thailand at Christmas 2026.