What's your cheapest package holiday deal?

[thickgit]

I'm hoping to take my two young children away for a week soon. Ideally I'd like a package holiday somewhere close to a beach. Any top tips on getting an absolute bargain. We want to go abroad, but don't really mind where.

Not really a package but we struck lucky with Ryanair flights and the three of us went to Majorca in June for just over £300 including luggage. We booked the hotel separately and got a taxi to/from Palma airport (it's possible to book coach transfers if you prefer) Sometimes it's worth looking at booking flights, hotel and transfers separately

That's £300 for the return flights, not the entire holiday!

Malta is very cheap lovely place and if you book st julians bay theres a beach think ive seen offers for around £200 each

Lastminute.com have good sales sometimes, previously have been to Rome for 3 nights. Hotel flights and breakfast was £250 for both of us

We are currently in Italy, flights to and from Rome, accommodation for 4 nights in Rome, car hire, accomidation for 6 nights in Sorrento £1400 for 4 of us. Same holiday as a package was coming in at a minimum of £2500. So it's well worth looking at booking everything separately.

Oh and we used Airbnb for the accomidation.

Do you have a maximum budget in mind?

Hotel, self-catering or not bothered?

If a hotel would you want children's clubs, babysitting etc?

The maximum budget I had in mind is possibly laughable. Before starting my research, I was hoping for about £400, flights and hotel. The only thing I'd like is a beach nearby. A pool would be great. I don't need full board or babysitting etc
Thank you for your responses :-)

Not laughable if you're lucky and don't mind cramming everything into one suitcase etc. Jet 2 and Ryan air have some pretty cheap deals just now, qif you're flexible with dates, and you could use a website like lastminute or icelolly to find a bargain of a hotel! You could even try air bnb or owners direct for some areas. First go for cheap flight search then you can always look up package deals on the basis you know the cost of flights if you'd prefer not to do separately. Good luck!

I've just booked for a week in the turkey Holliday village.. For me and DS, £514 each for a all inclusive holiday.. Booked in a holiday village as they are great for kids, and we have been to quite a few of them.
The holiday is going to be cheaper than a week camping in the uk last year!

It's because it's Turkey though future.

There are always amazing deals via holiday pirates www.holidaypirates.com

£107 pp in Croatia for a week today for example. I have never used them or even come accross anyone that has booked with them but I do find there website facinating.

Try travel republic. Just plugged in 2 adults 2 kids Birmingham to Corfu staying at Popi star for a week from Tuesday 26 July for £1500, so less than £400 each.

Download the TravelZoo app.

If you are not married to the idea of going to a specific place, there are some amazing offers in it. We have managed a week in a 5* fully inclusive hotel including flights for £350pp, a stay in a Northumberland Castle for just £100 and just stayed for a weekend at a very ecological spa hotel in the north, including an 11 course dinner for only £150 (the room was bigger than my house).

The day I found this app, my glamping holidays were put to the side. Much easier, more enjoyable and cheaper.

I was also going to recommend Holiday Pirates, but if you're happy to stay in the UK, we had a good holiday on the £9.50 Sun Vouchers this year at Butlins. It was cheap and cheerful and I found the codes online so didn't even have to buy the paper.

For two adults and one toddler, four (mid-week) nights cost around £300 including food and most activities.

Best one dh ever got was through a travel agent (Thomas cook I think) he just happen to walk past was : a week all inclusive in March, for the 3 of us (before ds2 was born) for £1000. Everything was fabulous. Best holiday we've ever had.

The best deal we ever had was a week in Spain, self catering in August for dh, me and 3 dc's for Just over £500.
But that was 5 years ago, we always book flights and accommodation separate. Flights were about £200 (including baggage)return for all of us with Ryanair and accommodation was un-named but we managed to find out unofficially where it was before booking, but because it was un-named it was £200 cheaper that the same place named.

Is your budget £400 each for flights and hotel or £400 for all of you?

Go into the travel agent, tell them your budget, tell them you are prepared to leave tomorrow if there is space, and keep going in until something comes up.

The Op meant £400 in total not £400 each I think from re-reading her post. I cant find anywhere that is that cheap unless you include camping in the UK.

Teletext holidays or fleetway travel

Turkey all inclusive on teletext holidays was around 2-3 hundred each for two weeks!

When I was a rep my company used to do AOA holidays. The very best deal I ever saw was 89 quid each. Two weeks SC, 3 of them. They complained the resort was too quiet and paid quite a bit to move.

£400 in total... Keep an eye at newspapers offering coupons for holidays.

Get a family and friends railcard and buy single tickets weeks in advance. We have gone to Edinburg and London paying about 1/5 of the normal discount price.

Use youth hostels, there are some that have fantastic locations, service, breakfast and rooms. I used those who had 5 stars and booked early enough. My best find was one which was newly refurbished, the 4 bed room had a fantastic view and an ensuite, the dinner and breakfast were great and it costed us only £50 for 4 people inc breakfast. You need to book months ahead to get these deals though.

This was the place