...to try to book a naice summer beach holiday in Europe at this late notice?

[JandLandG]

Hello there

My other half is determined to find us a sunny summer beach holiday somewhere in Europe this summer and am looking for some help please.

It's not normally our thing - we usually might do chambre d'hôte in SW France or hire a villa with friends - but we know enough I think, so we can probably safely manage to avoid Magaluff. Ha!

Children are 12/9/7 and will like a resort and hotel with pool type of set up but it would be nice to have a bit of added value in terms of extra pleasantness within reach.

Friends recently went to Turkey (Cirali) and had self catering chalet type things which sounded nice (naice!) and there were lovely ruins nearby and they swam with turtles etc.

That sounds terrific but is super pricey booking for late August.

So any other thoughts/ideas/suggestions please?

I'd love to snorkel with turtles of go to a secret cove on a boat and dive into turquoise waters if poss.

Anything else wonderful would be a bonus.

So any thoughts? We'd be really grateful. Budget? About £2k ish for a week for the five of us, I reckon.

Ok, I'll leave it with you but many thanks in advance.

£2k for a family of 5 in turquoise seas? let me know how that goes.

Uhh.. good luck with that.

Mark warner have huge discounts - I looked last night but you will need to call and check childcare spaces if wanted!!enjoy!!

Mark Warner holidays are very similar to Neilson aren't they? If so, I'd thoroughly recommend them with DCs if you're only going for a week. Loads to do!

but it is so hot here!
WHy bother?

try simpson travel - their place in Dalyan is lovely

Five of us- I spent ages trying to find similar and it's 5k for anything but 2 star. I'm not paying 2 k or whatever for flights and staying in a 2 star so it's 5 k for a school holiday trip min.

We're going to do a fancy city break on Eurostar for 3 night instead for 1.5k and camp (with naice lunches etc etc) for week instead (£200)

Let us know if you find it. All I want is pool, beach,self catering but next to hotel for meals/babysitting, and some ruins to visit. Turtles in turquoise seas sounds top though!

but it is so hot here!
WHy bother?

yeah get a paddling pool and a terripin in the uk.

2k for five last minute....is that including food? Hope you find something. Mind you so lovely here at moment why bother....

Secret coves and turtles sounds like Zante.
We are off there in August for two weeks.
Costing over 5k for five of us all inclusive.
You may get a week for 2k but you will have to do a lot of searching.

We got AI Crete for 3, 2 weeks was just over 2k. However they were almost the last seats on the plane.

lol at terrapin

You've posted the same query in chat and travel over the last few days. Did you see those replies?

Unless you are very lucky with a last minute deal, you won't get the holiday you want on the budget you have. Sorry but that's the way it is.

I posted some suggestions on one of your other threads, but I CBA to link as I'm on my phone.

Good luck in finding something.

All these doom-sayers who insist there's nothing to be had for less than £4 grand. Pah. I likes a challenge...... back soon.

Do you want it to be a package deal or would you be happy to book individual elements yourself? What date do you want to go?

Also how fussy are you about accommodation? Is self catering OK and do you want luxury or are you OK with basic? Is 2k including spending?

Wow, thanks for these quick replies...yep duplicated post to get more traffic...that's ok, isn't it?

Some Very helpful comments above, lovely stuff, will investigate, though I agree, I'd rather be at home in the sun, but I suppose all that could change in a month.

Ok, keep em coming, will investigate further.

Thanking you!

Not fussy at all about poshness, just naiceness!

Self catering good, turtles optional.

What I really want to do is to go on a boat to a secret cove and jump in to lovely waters Where does that happen then?!

Two threads?

That's ok, isn't it, Minty?

More traffic and all that.

Or is that not allowed?

Here we go:

Ryanair Stansted to Pula out 12 August back 19 August = £854

Villa booked through owners direct: www.ownersdirect.co.uk/accommodation/p8007919 : £1148 for the week. Not on the beach but not far away and croatia is definitely a good place for clear waters and snorkelling. And it has a pool.

Car hire is coming in at £200 for the week with holiday autos. I make that £2,202 so not that far off your budget.

You will struggle to get a package for the price you're looking at but do it independently and there will be gazillions of options. We very very rarely book months in advance. It's not necessarily all doom and gloom if you use your imagination.

I suppose it might be allowed but it tends to annoy people. I certainly can't be bothered to report.

What if we all posted all our threads in three different topics?

It would be you, me and Gretchen, and no one else all day long.

This agency is for an area I know well and think of as a second home. No turtles but beautiful coves for swimming in, kayaks/pedolos/motor boats for hiring, brilliant snorkelling areas, lots of beaches to laze on, e.t.c...

I entered in the dates of 22/08-29/08 here and got several places for about €600/€700 which would fit your family. There are pricier ones too if you want. www.finquesfrigola.com/rentals.php

Nearest airport is Girona although you can fly to Barcelona too. Ryanair to Girona does work out pricey (over £1000 for those dates) but if you can negotiate with the letting agent if the apartment is free anyway to maybe do a Tuesday to Monday let then the flights work out cheaper.

There are a lot of other agencies as well and a couple of campsites with nice bungalows. If you are interested I can link to them all.

There's also some great day trips if you are interested in that - roman ruins, cities, pottery towns, e.t.c...

If you want more info then let me know.

and I am at work sometimes so you and minterinta. Imagine

Brijuni national park just down the coast, is a place where you can go swimming with dolphins, providing you go with a licensed operator - e.g., this one or at least they claim to be Not turtles I don't think but dolphins trumps turtles, surely?