I just want a bloody holiday!

[radiorentals]

I am struggling to find anything. I have modest standards, I've stayed in many a Premier Inn or similar, happily eat at a Beefeater, Brewers Fayre et al...yet there seems to be no choice at all, places are either super expensive or £££s.

DP and I have had a tough year, as have my DC who have just finished their exams. We have about £3k to spend. I want a weeks holiday in the Med, all inclusive, in a reasonable hotel with a pool near the beach and town so my DC (16 and 18) can go off on their own a bit.

I honestly thought that wasn't asking too much, but the choices seem to be awful run down hotels (judging by the reviews), or ones miles away from anywhere, including the airport, or spending £5k plus.

Am I just expecting too much? 🙁

www.secretescapes.com/peaceful-all-inclusive-rhodes-holiday-anavadia-hotel-greek-islands-greece/sale?gce_red=1

Secrete escapes AI Rohdes for £529 pp. definitely look to book two room so 4 adults.

tour operators. Auto predict!

Re: booking a package vs booking separately.

On more than one occasion I've found that it is cheaper to book a package. Recently we did a jet2holidays package.

The package for a week for 2 adults including transfers, flights, hotels and luggage (necessary because we were diving) was about £820.

Booking the same flights plus luggage was over £500 before looking at the transfer and hotel - the transfer was about £100 because it involved taxi, ferry, taxi each way, which leaves about £200 for the hotel. The best price for hotel we stayed in on hotels combined is £400 a week, so booking separately is about £200 more expensive in this case.

I've found this before so it's not a case of saying that a package is always more expensive, because it isn't. I do compare costs and sometimes book separately using hotelscombined or booking.com for self catering.

I am unlikely to pay £500 for two flights to Europe so would look for something cheaper. We've been to Lanzarote on Ryanair for £40 each return and paid less than £300 for a week in an apartment, so obviously it can sometimes be cheaper booking separately too.

Have a look at holiday pirates as others have suggested - I only discovered this a few weeks ago and I'm really surprised at some of the bargains.
Bulgaria is pretty cheap compared to a lot of Europe. There's not masses to do in Sunny beach but definitely enough things to do over a week and the beaches are lovely.
Turkey/Morocco comparably cheap - have had lovely hols to both.
Canaries are pretty cheap now as it's often thought of as a winter destination. Again not masses to do but enough for a week or two.

Here?

www.firstchoice.co.uk/holiday/book/mobile/hubsummary

Look at Polka Dot Travel on Facebook - seem some fab school holiday deals within your price bracket on there x

jet2 holidays will do you a week in Majorca staying AI in the Fergus Tobago hotel (2 rooms) for £2448. Includes flights, luggage, transfers.

Flights from Stansted, out at 8am (soon the beach for lunchtime) and back at noon so home for teatime.

I know the Fergus Tobago, it's OK, the pool is good, the food is passable and there's lots of choice, and it's in a reasonable location. Just around the corner is all the madness of Magaluf (which your teens may want to experience) but the Fergus overlooks the beach at Palma Nova which is quieter and a bit more family-friendly! 5 min walk to the beach where there are watersports etc. Lots of restaurants and bars within walking distance if you fancy a night off from the AI at any time. Bus to Palma takes about 40-45 minutes if you want to go and do some proper shopping.

Not sure if the link will work but try this.....

www.jet2holidays.com/beach/balearics/majorca/palma-nova/fergus-tobago/options?duration=7&airport=99&date=28-08-2017&occupancy=r1c16_r2c&board=5&iflight=468908&oflight=468905&rooms=21298_21298&gtmsearchtype=Search+Results

sorry, forgot, that was on 28th August. It's a bit cheaper if you can go a few days later too!

Thanks everyone, I've used TravelRepublic before and OntheBeach but not tried the other sites mentioned so will be looking on there.

Dp and DC not to keen on Turkey, so looking at Spain/ Balearics now instead. DP also swears I said £500 a head so now I need to look for something cheaper too.

I have holiday fatigue and I've not even been yet!

We have 10 days in Gran Canaria in August, 5 people (2 rooms) AI for approx £1100 pp.

Prices are bloody ridiculous but we love the break and time together as a family.

Op, good luck although I think you'll struggle.

I would highly recommend Mitsis hotels - very nice luxe all inc range of hotels across mainland Greece and the Greek islands. mitsishotels.reserve-online.net/

Now not all of them are created equal, so check tripadvisor (avoid Ramira Beach, it's 3 star at best), but have a look and see whats available, I have got crazy deals with them before, and DH and I have gone away with them and spent very little in spending money there as everything was already accounted for.

Oh, and we're both fond of our food and are not fans of processed stuff and it has been (apart from Ramira Beach) bloody good at the ones we've been to.

Just to update, found somewhere on Jet2 (massive, massive thanks to whoever recommended that site!). All booked and came in at well under £2k in the end as youngest DC was free. Am really pleased.

Now I just need to lose enough weight in the next 7 weeks to be beach ready

Yay!

You're beach ready now. Just pack your cozy!

*cozzy, dammit. Autocarrot Fail.

Where did you pick OP? glad it wasn't turkey! We had our honeymoon there years ago and loved it but i would not consider it safe now.

Sign yourself up to gogroupietravel they send me great offers, usually flights, hotel, all inclusive, transfers etc

Mainland Spain. Not very exciting but cheap (well, relatively) and it looks clean and nice enough.

There's free WiFi too so DC are over the moon :)

Aw really pleased you git sorted, radiorentals.

We did Sensatori Crete last year, first week of the school holidays. £1800 for two adults all inclusive including flights through Thompson. 5* and highly recommended as a quality place with good food, plenty to do and enough space for your DCs to relax alone.