...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??

[JingleBellSniffer]

DP's family, so 7 including me, went to Portugal for two weeks for £3,000 not including spending money, probably cost about £4,500-£5,000 all-in-all, and if you book it closer to the time it's cheaper too, which I found weird. It was self-catering but we also went to different places and taxis were a bit extortionate too but it was still quite cheap for 7 people. We also went at the beginning of september.

[Gaia81]

We went to Mallorca last year in August. Stayed in a villa for 8 with a pool which was 1000. Flights were less than 300 each which leaves loads for eating out every night.

[nottheOP]

We stayed here in a group holiday www.chaletmontevian.com/

Fly to Geneva and hire a car.

Very cheap, especially if you can go with another family or two and you can go to lakes for swimming etc

[NotYouNaanBread]

We prefer self catering, especially with small children, and the OP was talking about being on a budget, so self-catering might be an option. Airbnb has more choice than Holidaylettings or Homeaway, especially if you want something that feels like a home rather than a sterile holiday build.

[dingit]

I second a chalet. We stayed in Austria last year, 2 weeks 3 adults 1 child for just under £4000. Fully catered, and included free lifts, buses, mini golf etc. incredible value, the food was the best I have ever had.

[Costacoffeeplease]

I advertise on Airbnb, as well as the other major listing sites and there really is no difference now - maybe when they first started with more of a 'sofa surfing' type of accommodation, but they are very mainstream now

[StilleNachtCarolling]

self catering in an apartment or villa is hard work then I think you're doing it wrong

It's not hard work, I just don't want to have to be bothered with the having to go shopping for food and drink without a car. I also just want someone else to take away all my decisions on meals etc so that I can just enjoy the time with the kids and DH. I've done plenty of self-catering holidays but I much prefer a full/half board or all inclusive holiday.

That resort in Sharm el Sheikh looks incredible and we so nearly bought it last night but then we looked at summer time temperatures and they go up into the 40s! My middle child is very pale and doesn't handle extreme heat very well so we might save that place for an Easter break one year.

[Costacoffeeplease]

I'd far rather stay somewhere in easy walking distance of shops and a variety of restaurants for a bit of local colour, and not be restricted to a hotel/complex restaurant - good job we're all different!

[StilleNachtCarolling]

So would we normally - holiday complexes are not really our sort of thing but with three young kids it's much easier to go all inclusive.

Also, these days I have to be very careful with what I eat due to IBD (only diagnosed a few years ago) - it makes my life an awful lot easier if I can have a buffet style meal as I can then ensure that I am in control of my food intake.

Once the kids are a bit older, we'll be ditching the sunshine resorts and going on our hols with Explore Worldwide for some proper adventures

[MistressDeeCee]

When the DDs were younger we all went to Majorca..I didnt think Id like it much but, I really did. We went half-board, more food & drink than we could manage, beach across the road from hotel, hot weather, and I noticed lots of parents were out in restaurants with their DCs. Liked it so much went back again.

[Pippidoeswhatshewants]

Shameless place marking, really need some inspiration!

[Clueing4looks]

Limassol is lovely for a family holiday. We booked through first choice holidays, was around £600pp all inclusive, last week of school holidays a few years back. we booked early and managed to grab a kids go free place.

[mypoosmellsofroses]

Agadir - £3525 14 nights at Caribbean Village Agador, thats flying from Manchester. I've been twice. It's not somewhere I would go now just me and DH but when the DCs were younger it fit the bill. All inc, pools, kids clubs, wide variety on foods. Rooms were basic but clean and spacious, did the job!

[sparechange]

Have you looked at the Ikos resorts?

[StilleNachtCarolling]

Thanks all for your input...I'm still trawling through!

[StilleNachtCarolling]

UPDATE (for those following/place marking): We are probably going to go for this place
www.loveholidays.com/holidays/turkey/dalaman/sarigerme/the-one-club-hotel.html?alltabs=1#state=AchchdLNiFgmgohqy552ECZzDgABgA&view=description

A (comparatively) reasonable price of £3600 ish for all inclusive for 5 people. Trip Advisor reviews look good, flights are at sociable times and the airport transfers are very short too. It ticks pretty much all of our boxes

[StilleNachtCarolling]

^^ That price is for 14 nights. Last summer we were quoted more than that for 1 week self catering in Majorca

[AnneElliott]

Tunisia? We've been to El Kantoui and it was great.

[StilleNachtCarolling]

We've been to France for our last few holidays and I really want to go somewhere I've not been before.

We've also been to Tunisia (Yasmine Hammamet), and whilst I quite liked it, I'm not sure I'd like to go again with kids.

I wish we could have gone to the Sharm el Sheik one as the whole place looks like such fun but 40-50C just will not be good for my tiny pale child or my much larger pale husband. Neither of them handle heat all that well. The other two kids take after me and love a bit of sunshine!

[StilleNachtCarolling]

PGL sounds good for the future...we have a JCA centre in our village that I think does similar things but only for primary kids. They very kindly do activity evenings for local kids in the winter, to try out some of the activities, carols, cinema club etc. All for free! It's very community spirited of them (makes a nice change!).

[ssd]

wont it be boiling on your holiday you've linked to op?

[madwomanacrosstheroad]

I know it is completely different from what you have looked at, but we went to Hungary last summer, one week Budapest and a week lake Balaton (bungalow on camp-site) (with five kids aged from 4 to 21). It was affordable, there was stuff to do for everyone. Budapest is possibly the most child friendly city I have ever been to. Weather is reliably good. Food and going out is still reasonably cheap. In early august the sziget festival is on and children under ten don't pay. In terms of open air baths/lidos it is difficult to beat and you have the disappearing charme of old Europe.
We will go back. I would also look at Baltic sea areas around Poland and former eastern Germany.

[Puzzledandpissedoff]

Easy - do a home exchange. We've enjoyed 53 and wouldn't do a land based holiday any other way now

[Frostyyspecs]

We got benidorm for a week school holidays for £1900 for 3 adults and 2 children all inclusive with jet2 going from east mids.

Families of 5 are about compromise. This year the compromise is location, however we'd struggle to do uk for that price so I'll rake the sun.