Holiday question thread

[KnittedBreast]

slightly happier than my other post il admit

i am looking at taking the children away for 5 nights anywhere cheap and warm. I have tried looking online but everything seems really expensive. how can it be good value to book self catering for 2 adults and 2 kids under 5 and end up paying 800 baring in mind no food is involved?

does anyone have any tricks to find cheap package holidays for me and the children? i am not particularly bothered where we go, who we fly with it really is just a beach holiday i am looking for.

any advice?

thanks

bumping up

KEY CAMPS AND EUROCAMPS, SITES All over the place, worth a try, we have had some fantasic holidays with them, not too expensive either

thanks im having a look now

i always worry about camping, are the facilities nice and clean etc...

Where do you need to fly from? 5 nights is a tricky number for a package holiday - flights are usually based on 7 or 14 night holidays.

And when do you want to go?

any london except standstead. i could do 7 nights but thought 5 nights might keep the cost down? i can go whenever, preferrable before or after summer holida time for cheap prices and also so its not to hot as i dont know how the kids will react to that kind of heat. most of my family holidays were to north africa (out of the question at the moment ) but also much too hot. sand would burn your feet etc..

IME stanstead is the most likely place to have cheap flights. But if you're planning on flying I think £800 for 2+2 isn't hugely expensive. We've managed Tenerife s/c for 600 including car hire but that was skimping on things like letting the children take luggage :)

see i just dont know to play it, ive been told about different time frames for booking cheapest tickets or hear rumors about things you can do to keep costs down. to be honest i wouldnt let my children take luggage anyway, more stuff for me too lose!

why would stanstead be cheaper?

Depends on where and when you want to go.

We never book "package holidays" always flights and accomodation seperate as it works out cheaper for us

We did a five night break at keycamp spain (2 adults and 5 kids) for about £400 Inc flights in September a few years back...the kids had a ball.
So its worth checking out any special offers they have.

We always use Ryanair for flights and they are cheap and no frills. Have managed to get 1p flights with them previously.

RE Accomodation, We often decide where we want to go then book flights in advance and try to get last minute deals which is when cancellations come up really cheap.
We have stayed in apartments, villas & hotels.

We managed to get a really good deal on a complex in spain for july (summer holidays) 2 years ago, cost about £300 S/C because it was listed allocated on arrival.
When we enquired with the holiday company they told us that they only use one hotel so this would be the same one listed as named accomodation for £500+.
We paid £30.00 each for a flight (5 of us) so worked out 1 week in the summer holidays for £450

We never usually book through a holiday company or travel agents, We search internet sites that private owners adverise on.

Cheap holidays can be done, but you have got to do loads of searching and research, Ie holiday reviews, checking location, area etc, to find them.

HTH

We went to France with Keycamp last year, stayed in a tent and, despite my misgivings beforehand, it was the best holiday we've ever had. We drove/ferried, you can do odd number of nights with them, we did 8 nights last year. Great facilites next to a lovely beach and the tent was huge and v well maintained, we've booked again for this year.

Or what about All Inclusive? That way you don't need to spend much when you are out there?

Just seen you want to go before/after summer hols.

September/october is ideal as the prices get cheaper and its starts to cool down a little from July and August.

Although it is still can be hot depending where you go.

How about £253 for 4 flights to Seville with Ryanair (according to Skyscanner.com and a beach front apartment for a week at £250 here?

Sorry - meant to say 10th June.

We recently went to Tenerife and kept costs down by only taking 1 piece of hold luggage and 4 pieces of hand/cabin baggage between 2 adults and 2 children (you just have to make sure you check airline for max. weight and weigh the bags at home before you leave or you really get stung for extra charges).We had more than enough clothes especially as there was a washing machine where we stayed.

We also didn't book specific seats on the plane and just made sure we checked in quite early to get 4 seats allocated together (would have added around £40 each way to get allocated seats or priority boarding). However I would avoid Ryanair as there is no way of guaranteeing that you are near your children as its just "grab a seat when you board the plane".

In the past we've also booked very good value accom. through websites like www.holidayrentals.co.uk where you deal with the owners (I think Owners Direct might be another similar site?) You then book your own flights.

SkyScanners website is good for checking and comparing flight prices as you can see how the prices vary by flying at different times/on different days.

RE: RyanAir -just out of interest has anyone had problems with getting seating near your children?

Its just that we were very very close to being dotted around the plane on our first (and last?) Ryanair experience. Potentially it could have been awful -sitting in 4 separate seats dotted around the plane. Luckily we had the last 2 pairs of seats available so had to each sit with 1 child.

We fly with Ryanair fairly often to see the grandparents and never had a problem with the seating and we always wait until the end because I can't be arsed to stand in a queue for half an hour. On a couple of occasions we've had seats across the aisle from each other but that's not a problem for us

google onthebeach they have some good deals, we have booked malta with them for october 7days Sc in buggiba 3 adults for £570 altogether thats flights accomadation and like someone above have only booked one big bag for hold and will squash stuff into 3 hand baggage bags flights are easyjet
went to marmaris with them last year fights, 2 weeks accomadation, transfers came to £550 for two of us

changes fights to flights lol