...to just want to find an affordable holiday abroad for a family of 5?

[StilleNachtCarolling]

Posting for traffic really. We have three kids who will be aged 7 and under and want to go on holiday during the next summer hols - somewhere sunny.

All the places we've been quoted have been really - last year was the first time we looked at a foreign holiday during school holidays. We almost fell off our seats I think DH actually did fall off at the prices.

This year we went to France and stayed in one of those Al Fresco park things (it really reminded me of the resort in Dirty Dancing!) for a week, and then drove over to Disneyland Paris for another week. It was good fun but not very sunny and all self-catering. I don't think self-catering is much of a proper holiday

So...does anyone know of a secret place somewhere sunny, half board or all inclusive, that's near the beach and has good pools etc? I'm probably asking for the moon on a stick but we don't really want to spend any more than £4K in total. Is that totally unreasonable??

Totally doable. Anywhere in particular you'd like to go?

Budget?

Not really! We've been scouring the usual places online, but we think we've found somewhere nice, then go and check on Trip Advisor and find out that it's an awful place judging by its score and all the bad reviews.

I'm happy with anywhere fairly short-haul. We've looked at Turkey and Majorca as possibles. I've always wanted to go to Corfu...ever since I was about 8 and read My Family and Other Animals but DH doesn't seem awfully excited by that.

DH and I always used to go long-haul pre kids but the youngest is going to be hard to contain on an aeroplane for hours and hours so would prefer to go nearer to the UK really.

TurnOver I did say in my post - less than £4K if possible

I'm thinking Turkey. Friends of ours have raved about it. Stayed near the blue lagoon beach - not sure who with(!). Dais it was cheap to eat out etc as Turkish lira was weaker than euro...
www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g312737-d555770-Reviews-Blue_Lagoon_Oludeniz_Beach-Oludeniz_Mugla_Province_Turkish_Aegean_Coast.html

We have to go in August and baulk at the prices too.
After many years of ruling out Turkey on the basis of 'it's just not somewhere I fancy', we tried it and it's fantastic, been the last 3 years now. You do get very good value for money.
Last year we went to Torba near Bodrum and it was £2.5k for 11 nights for 3 of us (DD age 4). Definitely worth a look.

Thanks - I think Turkey is definitely on our list. It's just where to go! Will have a look at those mentioned

try On The Beach

www.onthebeach.co.uk/

If you don't have a particular place in mind, I'd look at everything but think about making the best of a not 'naice' holiday. You could go to somewhere cheap and cheerful (the DC will love pool/disco/buffet) and have a couple of days out of the resort. Much as I love posh hols, when DD was young I was very budget limited and got a package and tried not to be cynical. She had great fun.

Tell your DH that Corfu is gorgeous.

We went to Lanzarote last summer, and it was about 3k for a family of 5 all inclusive. We managed it by booking the separate parts individually and directly - with the hotel manager, airline and a local taxi company for transfers. It was a lot of work, but worth it for a really chilled week.

Having said that, we are going self catering in France next year, and it will be well under 2k so we can do some work on the house too!

We have the same criteria and have booked AI with thomsons to Skanes in Tunisia. It'll be our 1st AI holiday, but with 3 DC, we're trying to make life easy. The same holiday in Majorca was £6k. This was under £4k (boomed about 6 weeks ago).

Sorry- that was for 2 weeks. 1 week was about £2.5k, iirc.

We've done last minute ones before, two weeks all inclusive 4/5* hotels around Turkey for £5000 ish (for 5 adults, so you could probably get cheaper). I think we've always gone with Thomas Cook.

But you have to keep your nerve! One was booked less than 48 hours before the flight.

Egypt, Turkey, Tunisia are all probably your cheapest options.

I know 4k sounds a lot but when you break it down per person per night it's only £57, which if you want AI isn't a great amount really when you think about flights, transfers etc.

We have also been looking for an affordable foreign holiday for the 5 of us.

This year we had a week in Majorca in May half term - which was lovely but not as warm as it might have been! For next year we have booked 2 weeks in Turkey, all inclusive, to leave at about 9pm on the day the schools break up (17th July I think) - for just under £5k. Well about £4700. The resort has water slides & good Trip Advisor reviews. Also, our eldest DC is 18 next year so no hope of a child price for him.

We looked at so many different countries, resorts etc. and Turkey certainly won on price. I fancied Cyprus but even the cheapest all inclusive was coming in at £2k more!

On the Beach is what we've been looking at mostly.

PourMyself - when you break it down like that it seems like we're asking for a lot for not much money. If you consider that DH and I went on a week's tour of Sri Lanka (in a private car with our very own tour guide), full board, followed by a week in the Maldives, also full board, for the princely sum of £46 per person, per night, it seems like those European resorts are asking for an awful lot of money just for the privilege of going during school holidays!

Follow holiday pirates on fb they have good deals and also try love holidays. I'm looking at a different holiday (2 adults to Egypt in jan) but they are half the price of anyone else

Santas - we can't go before August as we also have Starry Skies to go to, which is the week after the kids break up. DH will definitely NOT pay more than £4K for the holiday. As we are also having the festival break, we would consider going for 10-12 nights instead, which would bring the price down.

Gah! I hate holiday searching! On the plus side, I did find a wonderful sounding dude ranch in Colorado that I want to take the kids to when they are old enough!

ihave - I did look at a few places on love holidays but they were the ones that had high ratings according to them but upon checking on Trip Advisor, found that they had appalling ratings!

What's holiday pirates? I'll go and have a nosy...

Can you find a fire further down in France say La Rochelle, do tunnel, then eat out most nights? Would have thought 2 week cottage c1500 euro, tunnel c.250 booked now, fuel and tolls c400, leaving c£1200 for spends- £80 day would be ok for eating out every other night and BBQ so minimal cooking rest of time?

Gite
Not a fire ffs!!

Look at ile de re

Yes you do have to be a bit careful but once you find a hotel you like then check the price on there. Holiday pirates Is owned by same people as hotukdeals I think and just posts offers :))

Well yes, it's supply and demand I'm afraid!

Short haul flights and summer school holidays do not make for the cheapest deals.