To choose veneered over high quality laminate flooring?

[ChloeCC]

I'm canvasing for opinions really. Solid wood is out of the question - too expensive. We're looking for a hard-wearing (small kids) wood / wood effect floor that looks good. Some people say veneer marks very easily, while laminate (even very high quality) just doesn't have the lovely finish of a real wood floor.
Anyone got any experience / opinions? I would prefer the veneer but will it be dented and knackered in a few months? Photos would be very handy. Thanks!!

We've got mid range engineered wood (oak) that's been down for 5+ years. It wasn't much more expensive than good quality laminate but it proper wood. It marks in the same way that any wood marks, but looks fab. When we moved in, our hallway had (and still has) laminate that is 2 years older than our engineered floor, and it looks awful; scratched, lifting and never looked like real wood.

@LateMumma

We've got mid range engineered wood (oak) that's been down for 5+ years. It wasn't much more expensive than good quality laminate but it proper wood. It marks in the same way that any wood marks, but looks fab. When we moved in, our hallway had (and still has) laminate that is 2 years older than our engineered floor, and it looks awful; scratched, lifting and never looked like real wood.

Thanks. I'm not worried about age price difference, I just want it to look and feel nice. I'm definitely veering towards the real wood...

Have you looked at karndean? You can order samples for free from their website...