holiday on the cheap (very) - need help

[slowdive]

I hadn't booked holiday for the summer as I couldn't afford.

Had just a £1000 windfall and would love to take the DC away.

They are 8 and 10. older DC has severe autism and camping/caravan is not an option with her (tried and failed miserably, don't ask). otherwise we are open.

we do have passports (not that I expect a grand to take us all the way to Spain, but you never know).

We like it quiet and outdoorsy and ideally for 5-7 days. DC have never had a proper holiday and DC2 has to suck up a local because of her sister so I really would like to give them a change of scenery.

Google isn't helpful. it all seems to cost £££ but does anybody on here have an idea what we could maybe do? we are based in the north west and I don't drive. and it's just for the 3 of us.

Check the likes of hoseasons for lodge holidays.

I bet you could get a lovely holiday cottage somewhere in the UK for that. I'd recommend the North East of Scotland - no midges, and not as heavily touristy as the west coast so in theory you should be able to get more for your money.

Slow I just had a great time in an airbnb in Hemsby (Norfolk) which cost me £250 for half term week. It was a 2 bed chalet - cheap and cheerful, lots of beach days, countryside walks and went kayaking on the broads. Was so lovely. We did BBQs and beers at night either on the site which had lots of green space or on the beach itself. I love AirBnB, think its so reasonable.

On the beach has some all inclusive deals in the last week of July or first week of August for about 1200 for the three of you in the Algarve. No food or drink to pay for that way.

do you drive? If so you could take the eurotunnel to france.
Here is a eurocamp 24th august to the 31st in France for £686 for the week (for the whole party). It has full kitchen facilities so you can cook yourself to make it cheaper.

www.eurocamp.co.uk/campsites/rivieraandprovence/rv081-labaiedesanges/ataglance.html

Or if you fancy cornwall then theres this place . All activites are free including sports, crafts, swimming, and spa pool. It is also full board so thats all your food.

www.manorhousehotel.co.uk/UserFiles/File/278.pdf

Per Person its 244 for 2 nights, 315 for 3 nights. 7 nights is 458, so a 7 week break would be over budget. But I wasn't sure if your budget would be larger since food and activites were included (not sure if food was included in the original 1000).

If you look at skyscanner, type in your local airport, then destination 'everywhere'. Select whole month rather than specific days and search for the cheapest flights for eg August.

I've been looking this last week and from my local airport I've found flights to Brittany and Ibiza for under £50 each , some of them as low as £20. Mainly midweek flights

Could book accommodation direct or through trip advisor

My friend has an airbnb in Cardiff
Loads to do here

OP I just booked a week in Malaga in October half term (family of four) for £700!

Flights from Bristol Sunday-Sunday, then an apartment in a hotel complex in Benalmadena. Flights were a bit less than £500 and I got )200 off the apartment with Nectar points with Expedia.

It can be done!

We've just got back from a week in the Isle of Wight (Costa del Wiggit). Not exciting, but really worth it! You go over on the ferry so it feels continental, but no need for a passport. There's a zoo and an interactive dinosaur museum in Sandown, together with a lovely sandy beach. There's a steam train and museum, a castle, the Needles where you can go up and down in the chairlift (or steps if DC would prefer) and go out to the rocks on a boat.we stayed at a Parkdean caravan site, but you could use Airbnb. I can highly recommend it.

I found it much cheaper to go very end of August and travel back the day that school restarts or the day after - cut our holiday cost by a third. We paid £1,200 for four of us for a week SC in Gran Canaria.

Highly Recommend Robin Hood's Bay in North Yorkshire, absolutely Idyllic, fairly quiet amaaaazing fish and chips and no cars there either because the roads are too small. 4 miles from Whitby so doable by train and taxi...

Enjoy! What a lovely thing to get a windfall just in time for a proper holiday. wishing you a lovely time

£1000 is lots for 3 people for a week! You could go to so many places. Depends what you want. Have a look at either getting a house in Cornwall/Devon by the beach.. Or look onkayak.com for flights... Holiday Pirates deals... or air bnb and then a flight. If you air bnb it, you can have breakfast in and share a meal out... and buy some local snacks and pic nic at the pool/beach... I just looked at a few options... random ideas, but points for further research ;)

holiday.holidaypirates.com/holidays/bulgaria/bansko/saint-george-palace-bansko.html?alltabs=1&state=A8BQoVTCAp4AoJoKIKYKstudogCQoAAYAQ#view=description

holiday.holidaypirates.com/holidays/spain/andalucia/seville/san-gil.html?alltabs=1&state=A8QbgqmEBSwBRRxU5bc7RAEhQAAwAg#view=description

holiday.holidaypirates.com/holidays/?state=A8QbgqmEBSwBRRxU5bc7RAEhQAAwAg

holiday.holidaypirates.com/holidays/italy/puglia/castellaneta-marina/villaggio-i-turchesi.html?alltabs=1&state=A8BQoVTCAp4AoJoKIKYKstudogCQoAAYAQ#view=description

www.holidaypirates.com/holidaypackages/have-it-in-kavos-7nts-from-gbp-134pp-incl-hotel-breakfast-flights_27153

Theres this one I just saw 7nts from £134pp incl. hotel, breakfast & flights to Kavos in Greece. You could spend a night in the accomodation and then island hop- so many cute options.

All you need is a flight, taxi/train/bus, accomodation.

Ribby hall is lovely, it's by Blackpool and you stay in little cottages

Could get the eurostar and go somewhere in France or Bruges is lovely. There is something extra special about going abroad with kids if you can.
Look at eurocanp too - they have chalet type accommodation too.
Or the European centre parcs in Belgium and France are much cheaper that UK ones

OP if you can go late August, how close are you to a Scottish airport (Glasgow / Edinburgh)? Someone recommended looking at holidays from Scottish airports late August as schools have gone back there by then and it's much cheaper.