Holidays with Larger than Average Family

[Bumblelion]

Advice anyone on the following.

Am looking to book next year's summer holiday for me, partner and my 3 children - they will be aged 11, 7 and 2.

The only holiday I have been on with all 3 children was with my mum and she paid for all of us to go to Gran Canaria for a week last year as me and husband split up but it cost her a fortune as we had to end up paying for 4 adults and one infant (£29) although only 2 adults went (to get a child place, the child has to share a room with 2 adults and we only had 2 adults in total and they couldn't cater for 5 in a room)so we ended up with two adults (my mum and daughter aged 9 at the time) in one room and two adults and one infant (me, son aged 5 at the time and baby aged less than 1) in the other room.

Does anyone know of any hotels "anywhere" in the Meditterean that caters for a family of 5 in one room?

I know that an apartment is an option but I prefer the idea of half board and even an apartment to cater for all of us will be based on 5 adults so we will have to pay a supplement for the under occupancy (as only 2 adults are in fact going) and an apartment could end up as much as a hotel.

Any advice gratefully received.

Am looking ideally at Spanish Islands or Greece.

I have got my good "friend" at Thomas Cook searching for me but she is having trouble finding a hotel that accommodate all of us in one room.

Was wondering if anyone

Sorry, I haven't got any advice as I found the same thing.

We have 3 children, and after finding a lack of accommodation for 5, we have always gone to France with Keycamp (paying per caravan as opposed to per person - although this still costs us a fortune).

Last year, I priced up a holiday for us 5 for 2 weeks self-catering in Menorca. I was gobsmacked to find that it would cost us a grand total of £3500 - this was a 2 bed. apartment, but because only 2 adults would be going we would pay huge supplements nightly as the prices were based on 4 adults sharing.

Everything else I found was geared up to 2 adults, 2 children - it was so infuriating! Again, even in the UK - staying overnight in a Travel Inn recently - we had to pay for 2 Family Rooms (1 Family is for the perfect 2 adults, 2 children!) so DH had DS1 in his room, and I had DD1 and DD2 in with me!

Sorry I can't offer any help! Hope you find something suitable.

It's outrageous - we rang EuroDisney at the beginning of the year for 2 adults, 4 children. They couldn't do us a suite as there are very few of them, and they couldn't promise we would get two rooms next door to each other. Is this normal? What do other large families do? And do you and dp sleep separately in order to have one adult in each room, or do you put the children by themselves (mine are 7,6,4 & 2).
We went to Bedruthan Steps in Cornwall last year and that was well set up; apartment within hotel with 2 bedrooms and a cot room. Perfect.

you can get villas/apartments that have a half board option.They did this at son Bou in menorca cant remmeber the operator - not 1st choice who we went with a smaller company...

think it washere

bugger go to Menorca son bou. I would recommend it - lots of pools dotteda round restaurants, lovely beach and beach bars lots for olde kids to do

Have you looked at holidays uncovered.com? they have good reviews.

we are going camping this year tho with key camp - 5 of us 2 weeeks £2 3000

twenty three grand, coddy?
I'd have thought you could get it a bit cheaper than that

i cost 22 grand and the rest are ina shed at the bottom of the garden.

Bumblelion, if you book a villa/apartment independently you don't pay per person, and you can get really cheap flights over the internet - it's more of a faff than going through a travel agent, and takes quite a bit of time, and you can go nuts remembering which place is which, but it's far cheaper. Of course having to cater for yourselves is a pain but then that is cheaper too...

If you google something like eg "apartments in Menorca" and "cheap flights to Menorca" (or wherever you want to go) you will get loads of websites. It is a bit scary wondering if the places are legit but we did this on Costa del Sol at Easter and had a wonderful time. (If you want weekend flights at civilised times the flights aren't so cheap but even then, if you book early there is more choice and they are cheaper - when I started looking for ours, flying at beginning and end of Easter hols, there were enough seats for us at £220, but a week later those had all gone and there were only 2 at £275 and the next price was £300...)

Have a look anyway (in a spare moment!)

this is one of the sites we used - it's a well-designed site and the villa was great.

coddy mentioned son bou - here's one !

2 bedrooms + sofabed, only £650 a week in August...

I stay here in Sperlonga, Italy every summer with my dh and my 2 million zillion kids and stepkids. Well actually 2 adults and 5 kids ranging from 10 mo. to 14 years. They are self-catering apartments (but they do the linens and cleaning everyday). They range in size from single rooms that sleep 4-6 to 2 bedrooms that sleep 7-8. You pay for the room, it doesn't matter how many people you have in it. They will also supply a cot if you need it. An umbrella and chairs on the private beach is also included. The water is shallow forever and therefore totally safe for a toddler and the life guards are superb. It is all families with small children and the town is totally set up for kids...all the restaurants have high chairs and are totally child friendly. You fly into Rome (a million cheap flights if you buy in advance) and take the train (1 1/4 hours) from there.

Thanks for all your comments and helpful advice. I think I am going to look at apartment/villa plus flights. Got some brochures on Saturday from Lunn Poly and the girl wasn't very helpful. When I explained my situation (two adults, 3 kids) she said I would have to end up paying for 3 adults and 2 children (even though eldest will only be 11) as you cannot pay for 3 children on any holiday. Also, self catering would be more likely to accommodate our family rather than a hotel room but, again, the apartment would have to be based on 5 adults sharing so the under-occupancy charge will be quite large.

Definitely think the villa/apartment plus flights will be the best option.

Son bou is great and safe for your teenagers.

I just think it's appalling that so few places are flexible enough to offer any sort of accommodation for anything larger than your average 2+2 family. I don't object to paying a rate per bed - after all they don't want to lose money - I do object to the assumption that I would be happy to have my children on a different floor to me and/or that my holiday can't actually include a separate room for me and dh to (ahem) indulge ourselves.

I'll get back to you on this bumblelion but lots of places in Greece do family rooms.Here you pay by the room not per person.The problem is that if you book through a tour operater in UK they charge you (i think) per person. Think maybe you're best bet would be to book through internet.If you can be a bit more specific about dates, place , facilities you are looking for etc I may be able to help more.

I am looking more towards Greece that Spain. Have been to Rhodes, Corfu, Kos, Cyprus, Kefalonia and Zante. Am looking at any of those islands again apart from Zante as my ex took my children there this year.

Ideally want a place that can cater for all of us (me, partner, girl will be aged 12, boy will be aged 7 and girl will be aged 2).

Want to go in August next year - MUST have swimming pool, would like children's entertainment, would definitely like bar, preferably near a beach but not that important.

I am not too fussy as I know my biggest criteria is finding the right holiday that can accommodate us at the right price.

Hi Bumblelion sorry that i have taken so long to get back to you. I was going to recommend Tsilivi in Zakynthos (Zante) which i think is a wonderful place for a holiday with kids.Rhodes I personnally give a miss, I think the locals are pretty down on the brits at the moment!Corfu does have some nice areas - others are also very club 18-30ish Kefalonia is very in at the moment - a friend went this summer and had a wonderful time but I think you would need a car.Cos is definitely family orientated Iwas last there in '77 so can't really express much of an opinion.

I think it might be worth having a look at either Paros or Halkidiki.In both those places you should find hotels with everything you are looking for. Halkidiki is especially nice in my opinion. If you look through some brochures and let me know which hotels you like the look of , I can find out from this end rates for family rooms if booked directly I was looking 2 year ago and found quite a few hotels with facilities for all ages. HTH

Hi beetroot, I know Nisaki had 2 great holidays there. Lovely bit of Corfu. If i remember correctly though doesn't it have a pebbly beach? Having said that a lot of Greeks prefer pebbles to sand.Myself I like sand.