To want a family Summer holiday for under £2k

[Jageri]

We want to take DC abroad for the first time and PFB is now at school so restricted to the school holidays. Two adults, a six year old and a four year.

Looking around for holidays for next year's Summer holidays and I can't believe the prices!

Budget of £2000 - flying from the NorthWest to somewhere in Europe - ideally Italy but Spain or really anywhere within a couple of hours flying time would do. For a week. I literally can't find anything for under £3500. Is that just how much it costs???

[ginmakesitallok]

No. Well not this year. We were £1700 for the 4 of us for 2 weeks sc in menorca. Lots of holidays about for that price. Unless you're wanting a 4 star hotel.

[spanieleyes]

Unfortunately prices have apparently shot up as families are re-booking in Spain/Italy/Greece after cancelling in Tunisia.

[utopian99]

I think it may be a difference between package or not as well - we're planning to airbnb it, book our own flights amd and choose at the relatively last minute, and should come in around 1500. I do appreciate that noy everyone would feel comfort with that route though..

[SantanaLopez]

If you are willing to wait and get a last minute deal you can save hundreds. Or look yourself- holiday companies add ££££!

We go to Lake Garda in Italy every year (it's brilliant) and we always book in advance, but if you wait Thomson Lakes knock hundreds off. You just have to keep checking until you see a price you're willing to pay (in the next 2/3 weeks) and bite the bullet.

Don't know if this will work, but you might be able to see some of the prices here

[WorktoLive]

I think you either have to book very early possibly doing the separate flights and apartment route, or very late with a package, as flight only is then very expensive.

Lanzarote has lots of self catering 2 bed bungalows on complexes that are good value and then you can eat simple food or eat out.

I'm sure you will get something but there will be compromises.

[ChuffinAda]

Last minute isn't always cheap. We booked the week before we went on our last holiday and the flights were extortionate to all destinations

[Sickoffrozen]

You can get a week in Spain with Jet2 holidays including a free child place for £1500 next summer holidays.

[TealFanClub]

go and rent a house in France on holiday lettings.com and use Tesco vouchers to go in Tunnel

[TealFanClub]

its flights that screwyou.

Do france

[WorktoLive]

Second the jet2holidays recommendation. They might have a late deal too.

[WhenWillYouMakeMyTelephoneRing]

I'm in a very similar position OP so can't help but I feel your pain. Have holidayed in Britain for a few years with everyone saying 'it's cheaper to go abroad', er, in school holidays, really?

[Sirzy]

www.thomascook.com/packages/H0002649?connectorCode=1&contentId=6781ef8ccb502425b891b4b585622f44701a23fd52389c52&startDate=2016-08-09&endDate=2016-08-09&depAirport=MAN&duration=7&boardType=4&brand=AIR1&room=1APT01,2,4,6&seasonCode=S16&freeChildFlag=Fixed&context=uk&selectedDate=2016-08-09&geoPath=Portugal%2FAlgarve%2FAlvor&bsrp=start%3D0%26end%3D9%26occupation%3D2,4,6%26context%3Dthomascook.com%26connectorCode%3D1%26change%3D2%26depAirport%3D0%26depAirportSearch%3D0%26departureDate%3D20160805,20160811%26duration%3D7%26flexible%3Dtrue%26goingTo%3DItaly,%2520Any%26language%3Den%26origin%3DAny%2520North%2520West%26resortCode%3Dany%26sort%3Dprice_asc%26when%3D20160808%26widening%3Dtrue&tab=%2Fsearch

If that works - Portugal for £1500 for 4 next august. Lots of others on Thomas cook (and others I am sure) depending what you want

[neepsandtatties]

I expect that the prices you are seeing now for next summer are very high because the tour operators haven't got their act together in terms of setting up their 'earlybird' offers or 'first child stays free'. I would expect that shortly before Christmas you should start to see the offers come out.

If you want to do something independent, you need to identify the budget airline routes from your local airport (including 'used-to-be-charter-but-now-do-scheduled' like Monarch and Thompson) and monitor their websites to see when they 'open' for Summer 2016 (e.g. for Easyjet, their flights will be available in October). Then book the flights to your preferred destination as soon as they are open and you should be able to get the cheapest seats.

Then you can start looking for your accommodation through google - try search terms such as 'early bird' or 'early booking' + destination name, or go direct to the website of a hotel you like the look of and check on their special offers page.

What type of holiday are you looking for?

[ZaZathecat]

I was going to suggest Lake Garda too. You can usually get flights to Verona fairly cheaply and various resorts e.g. Lazise are onlt about 20 mins away by taxi. We stayed at a simple but very nice 1 bed apartment with pool about 15 mins walk from the town. (2 sofa beds in lounge). It was about £1300 for 2 weeks in August. In case you are interested it was called Holidays Residence.

[prepperpig]

It's the flights that make a holiday expensive if you leave it late to book. The only way you get cheap last minute holidays any more is if you book it literally to go within the next couple of days when the airlines are trying to fill up. So many people go abroad though that often the accommodation is there but the flights are not.

Italy is also particularly expensive. Our holiday to Italy in August is costing a fortune (although we are doing various sights whilst there which bumps up the cost)

[DinosaursRoar]

Next summer, as in July/August 2016? You'd be mad to book now, there's lots of deals on from September onwards - but loads from Christmas. (the 'one child goes free' type ones normally are available then)

If you actually mean this summer, then as others have said, you're up against all the people avoiding Greece and Tunisia. (this also might be feeding into the demand for next year, people are avoiding places that might be an issue).

Italy is often expensive, Spain or Portugal might be best for cheap deals. If you are prepared to hold out and see how things go, Greece will probably be cheap next summer, but I'd want to know the situation was settled before booking anything.

[AlpacaLypse]

A friend is doing Greece very soon, with children (age 10 and 15 though). He's working on the principle that most Greeks will do almost anything for hard currency and is taking wodges of Euros, Sterling and US Dollars concealed about his person and that of his GF and both the children...

I will report back. I'm thinking Greece myself for later this summer, I'm very stuck for dates though.

[Jageri]

Yes sorry I do mean next Summer - so 2016. I don't want to book now so good to hear that prices may fall as I was just trying to get an idea. We would like a nice hotel if possible and Italy is number one choice but realise we may have to not be so fussy if we want to go at all. Thank you to everyone who has posted specific links. Has anyone been anywhere in Europe that is good for preschool ish ages? I'm not convinced that my two will just happily splash about in the pool all day!

[DinosaursRoar]

Alpaca - if it's very soon but not the next week or so, your friend should be fine, it's just there's already being sugar, flour and some other foods shortages (the bank transfers bans to stop money being shipped out of the country means that suppliers from other countries can't be paid and funnily enough have stopped supplying anything).

I would say for little ones, pool and beach is normally enough if it's also hot. Mallorca is very family friendly, Greece should be dirt cheap. Many hotel holidays run with tour opporators like Thomas Cook or Thompsons will have kids clubs on site, often you'd need to stay with them, but they'll arrange games or craft sessions. Going in school holidays means you'll get other children in the hotel that hopefully they can make friends with and play with through the week.

[GnomeDePlume]

I would go to France with children. So much to see:

• castles
  
• roman ruins
  
• standing stones
  
• ancient villages
  
  Lots to choose from and add to that marvellous food and a great climate

[jellybeans]

I found plenty in Greece and I have a bigger family. Eurocamp?

[UpUpAndAway123]

We don't book package holidays, we book the flights separately to the hotel which we book direct with the hotelier. We don't add any flight extras (meals, pre booked seats-if you travel with DC you will be sat with them). The hotel arranges the taxi transfer for us. Travel insurance is included with bank.
If you want to book with an agent, try a smaller independent one who may be able to build you a cheaper package by using different tour operators.

[VolumniaDedlock]

We book flights to wherever ryanair/easyjet fly, and then a small apartment/cottage/villa at the other end. Last year we went to Italy. No pool at the cottage, but right by a lovely beach, and eating out was really cheap.

[seb1]

As you are in the north west, fly from Glasgow after the first week in August you will get free child places as our schools are back. I can recommend a great self catering place in Spain, we are going for 3rd year in a row, family of 4 will be just over £1200 including bags and transfers, pm me if you want.