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!)

Hi @SunandWine
Sounds like a fun trip - just checking if the £600-£800 budget is per person?

Yes! Would love your help - thanks

Hi @Needlenardlenoo

A Neilson package could be a good fit? Loads of water sports on offer and "kids' clubs" split into different age categories so your 13yo could join the Surf Squad group (ages 12/13) for guided sessions in things like kayaking, paddle boarding and sailing.

Mumsnet users like the Alana Beach Club in Croatia (near Zadar for exploring) and Baia Dei Mori Beach Club in Sardinia.

Both pretty hot in the summer months though!

Or Club Med (similar deal inc water sports and kids' clubs) with resorts in France for cooler temps.

The Falkensteiner Resorts look good for activities (predominantly in Austria/Italy) - the Lake Garda hotel offers water sports and there's a water sports centre at the Croatia property in Punta Skala.

TUI Magic Life hotels offer lots of activities, water sports and teen clubs. A quick check on the forums and MNers rate Belek, Calabria and Fuerteventura.

Chat GPT is absolutely amazing at providing holiday ideas and tips.

At what point do you think that AI will take over the travel agent industry… especially the rise of “instamum travel agents” who have been on a few trips and then call themselves experts?

Our friend booked through one of them last year and the place she was convinced to visit was awful.

Oh lovely @sleepy77 I haven't been to Canada but it's on my list - not least because my cousin works out there as a long-distance train driver!

Some suggestions from fellow Mumsnetters include:

Muskoka lake region: cute lakeside cottage rentals, paddle sports and proximity to Algonquin Provincial Park
Prince Edward County: sandy beaches at Sandbanks Provincial Park on the shores of Lake Ontario and family-friendly wineries and breweries
Blue Mountain and the Georgian Bay region: ziplining, mini golf, hiking and scenic boat trips around Tobermory and the Bruce Peninsula
Niagara-on-the-Lake area (and nearby lake beaches such as Bayfield and Crystal Beach): a mix of shoreline swimming and easy access to Niagara Falls (although lots of users also suggest avoiding this area completely!)

Tell me about Krk. Was it very hot?

Thanks Rachel - I'll check them out!

Hi @somanychristmaslights

Yeah, Turkey is hard to beat for beachfront all-inc hotels with epic waterslides! Some alternatives below though:

Coral Sea Water World, Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt: this waterpark looks insane and it's 15 mins from the airport

Stella Palace Aqua Park Resort, Crete: 30 mins from the airport - I mentioned this one in another post but it pops up on the forums all the time

Hotel LIVVO Lago Taurito & Aquapark, Gran Canaria: beachfront location and 35 mins from the airport

Aqua Nevis Club Hotel, Sunny Beach, Bulgaria: Potentially a cheaper alternative to Turkey. Bulgaria's Sunny Beach is a classic no-frills beach resort. Nearby Nessebar old town is nice to explore. This one's about 30 mins from the airport

Hi, this is excellent timing! Next year is my husband's 40th birthday so we plan to celebrate this at start of July for 2 weeks.

It will be my husband myself and our 9 year old. We normally go to Spain/Canaries on half board nice hotel with activities and beach town nearby. We've been to Disney Florida but prob want something but more chilled this year.

Not sure what we're looking for this year but something a bit fancier than our normal summer holiday. Budget up to around 6k ideally direct flights from Scotland. If we could have swim up pool or something similar that would be amazing (I hate the sunbed reserving!!).

Don't fancy Turkey.

Do you have any ideas? 🤔

Hiya @WillowIvy

Signposting some handy Khao Lak threads below:
www.mumsnet.com/talk/holidays/5360637-thailand-late-november-phuket-elephant-hills-khao-lak
www.mumsnet.com/talk/holidays/5147841-thailand-multi-centre-family-hotels
www.mumsnet.com/talk/holidays/4745818-thailand-with-kids

These hotels are namechecked specifically and might be worth a look 👀
Le Meridien Khao Lak (pricey but looks awesome and there are private pool rooms available)

The Sands Khao Lak by Katathani (swim-up rooms)

La Flora Khao Lak (pool access rooms rather than private pools)

Thanks for your help.

Thank you. There are some great options here and for once with full size beds for the ‘kids’.

I want to take 15yo DD on a budget snorkelling (possibly scuba diving too) break in late June/early July, 3 nights and Europe ideally, where would you recommend?

Hi @ChocolateLemsip

Love Amsterdam! Great for kids.

Note that accommodation in central spots can be very pricey though.

Some hotel/apartment suggestions from Mumsnet users on the forums:

• Wittenberg by Cove apartments
• Meininger Hotels (family rooms with shared kitchen facilities)
• CitizenM Amsterdam South
• Camping Zeeburg (outside Amsterdam but a 5-min walk to the tram with a direct route into the city. Beach area and restaurant on site)
• Or a houseboat could be cool!

Some good suggestions on the Little Clogs site for alternative accommodation options near Amsterdam. I can vouch for Duinrell - it's brilliant with a theme park on-site and close to the beach (about 30 mins from the city).

Looks like there are currently some Eurostar fares for £49 (one-way) in July and August. Can't see many package deals though.

I would love some ideas please. Two adults and kids of 2,9,12 by summer. We like AI but we need several separate sleeping spaces, ideally 4 but minimum 2 rooms. We don’t want to do long haul flights. We like warm but not super hot. Ideally interesting pool and safe beach and something cultural. Some childcare or clubs for the older 2 would be good too. Any ideas?

Hi!

I’m a single mum with a highly energetic five year old boy!

I really don’t like crowds and can get overwhelmed, so I’d love a quiet bur family friendly hotel anywhere in Europe! Or even a private Villa but I don’t even know where to start!

Any help or suggestions would be amazing!

Hi

looking for a Villa with own pool for grandparents, parents and 5 year old girl. All on one level due to mobility issues. Not too hot, car hire, not far from airport, France, Portugal or Spain. Happy to consider golf, hotel complex.

Ooh great thread! Really hoping you can help @RachMumsnet - feeling a bit overwhelmed by the holiday hunt and not sure what we want exists!

We are a family of four - 2 adults, kids age 1 and 5 - planning to travel with in laws (a couple) in the hope of a holiday that might actually include a little relaxing! Happy to fly up to 4 hours, and looking for somewhere warm enough for pool and beach. Half board or AI. The catch is we have to go in Easter hols (4-11 April ish)… Also that I really love quite rustic artsy eco / bohemian style places not a shiny high rise. Realise this is probably not possible given the kids! Not bothered about local attractions/cultural activities or anything though, as long as the kids can play all day. Budget about £5K for all 6 of us. Is this possible?!

This is perfect timing. 👌

I am thinking about a holiday with my boys this year. I am a single parent, they will be 20 & 14. We've never done abroad holidays before, only ever caravan parks - partly because younger son is autistic and could be easily overwhelmed when younger, liked familiarity, etc. We also needed to be able to leave early and get home easily if all got too much. But he's 14 now, doing great, much more regulated. I would like us to have a 'proper' holiday but I have no idea what that looks like as I have never done it. (I am also late-diagnosed autistic and find holidays a bit perplexing and overwhelming too.) Older son has been abroad with his Dad a few times, younger son never has been.

I am thinking probably maximum 7 nights (5 would be ideal but not sure if that's possible), no more than 2-3hr flight (from Glasgow or Edinburgh if possible), would want a package of some kind so that all flights, transfers etc were included. Maybe over Easter so it's not too hot, or early July. Other than that, not sure! Both boys are more gamers than sporty but am sure they'd like a pool or beach and maybe somewhere to do a bit of exploring but I am hoping for a relaxing holiday (as much as I don't really find holidays relaxing!). Don't know re AI - I don't drink and 20-year-old can take or leave it so would we still get good value from going AI? But both boys can be fussy/plain eaters so would AI give them more choice? I basically want it all to be as easy as possible with as little potential for stress as possible!

I am looking through the suggestions you've already given but any specific ideas gratefully received. Thanks, @RachMumsnet

Hi Rachel, I’m looking for hotel recommendations in Spain/Greece/Italy, for one adult and two 6-year olds. I’d like:
Hotel right on the beach, not AI
swimming pool
max 5 minutes walk to a town/village with restaurants/coffee shops/etc
No entertainment needed
somewhere where a car is not needed
3 separate beds
Budget very flexible

I normally go to Ikos/Sani, and while they are gorgeous hotels, you could be anywhere and don’t get to see much of the local culture. So I’d love a hotel with very easy access to a local
village/town. Seems impossible to find!

Hi @SunandWine

Sorry for the delay! Back to the grindstone this week and catching up on questions (+ craving a holiday even more in these temps!).

easyJet is a good place to start (20% off flights at the mo and up to £400 off hols using code BIGSALE).

There are a couple of options that fit the bill (screenshots attached).

Algarve
Luton to Faro departing 5 Aug
4-bed apartment at Varandas do Atlantico (Albufeira)

£535pp

Andalucia
Luton to Malaga departing 28 July
3-bed villa at Marina Turquesa (Nerja)
£638pp

You can enter a departure airport, select 'Anywhere' and then some August dates with +/- 7 days flexibility. Add in 7 passengers and then scroll through the options to check for 3-bed properties.

Lastminute is worth a look as you can put in a departure airport, something like 'beach' as a category, some rough dates and add your number guests as well as the number of rooms you're looking for too.

Solmar Villas has some good self-catering accommodation options with £200 off using code SOLMAR200.

The following villas are coming up for less than £450pp for mid-August dates (minus flights):
Stavros Villa, Paphos, Cyprus (sleeps 8 plus private pool)
Villa Bonilla 16, Playa Blanca, Lanzarote (sleeps 8 plus private pool)
Villa Tierrasol, Cala'n Forcat, Menorca (sleeps 7 plus private pool)

I love Skyscanner's Explore Anywhere feature which lets you select a departure airport and the month you want to travel to see the cheapest flights available and then you could check somewhere like Vrbo or Airbnb for accommodation to align with the flights.

Hopefully some pointers for you!

Hi @EweProfessorSurnameDoctorProfessor

Sounds like an awesome trip!

Posting some handy threads here from fellow Mumsnetters about itineraries and internal flights:
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/holidays/5420858-thailand-holiday-planning-itinerary
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/holidays/5363706-thailand-with-kids
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/holidays/4925076-self-organised-thailand-holiday-me-3-kids

And some advice from a MNHQ colleague who used to live in Thailand:

"I’d highly recommend adding islands to the itinerary. Family-friendly favourites include Koh Samui, Koh Tao, Koh Lipe, and Phuket. Krabi is also excellent for families - stunning beaches, loads of activities, and easy boat trips to nearby islands like Phi Phi and Hong Islands. I haven’t personally been to Koh Lanta but have heard great things.

5 days in Chiang Mai may be a bit too long. If you want to explore the northern region, I’d spread it out across other areas which are nearby:

• Chiang Mai (2–3 days): temples, cooking classes, night markets, elephant sanctuary
• Chiang Rai (1 day): either exploring temples and markets or visiting a tea or coffee plantation
• Pai (2-3 days) so much to do! Pai Canyon, Tham Lod caves, bamboo village, waterfalls, well worth the rocky coach ride up to the mountains.

If you’re landing in Bangkok and don’t fancy staying in the city (though it’s well worth exploring for at least one day), definitely do a day trip. Tour companies will pick you up from your hotel.

Eg

• Ayutthaya: ancient capital with impressive ruins (about an hour away)
• Kanchanaburi: great history, including the Bridge over the River Kwai and the WWII railway – interesting for both adults and teens.

For getting around, the Rome2Rio app is super helpful. Internal flights are easy and usually cheap – use Skyscanner to find the best deals.

Tip: Bring some cash as many places prefer it (tuk-tuks, street food, small shops), but don’t carry loads. Cards like Monzo or Revolut are ideal for payments and ATM withdrawals!"

Hope that helps!

CCing @Peclet for Thailand inspo

Hello, I’m looking for a week in Albania or similar (just not Turkey, Egypt or Morocco) with a budget of 2k.
Can you help please? Thank you!

Hi Rachel
we are going to Slovenia in June and hoping to have 2 nights in the Goriska Brda region. We would like wine tasting and restaurant(s) on site / within easy walking distance. DD (16) would like a pool.
Im struggling to find anything suitable despite the high recommendation for the region generally.
thanks

It's definitely harder than it should be!

On Booking.com there's a 'smart filter' on the left-hand side of the search page that's handy for this. Once you've added a destination and travel dates you can type in 'interconnecting' and it'll sort the hotels with availability and bundle rooms together when booking (always worth following up with the hotel directly though to double check the rooms are actually side-by-side once booked).

TUI doesn't have a multi-bedroom filter as such but you'll often see two-bed suites/apartments in the search results if you've selected adults/kids + one room when adding your initial details. You could use control + F and type in 'suite' or 'apartment' to make it easier to highlight the available options.

Sites like Hilton allow you to book connecting rooms easily online but only once you've selected a specific hotel rather than at search level (tick the connecting rooms box).

Or search for aparthotels as an accommodation type which typically offer more space/multiple rooms.

Or enlist a travel agent to do all the groundwork if you have a destination in mind!