New to Package Holidays, Please Help Me Find One :-)

[Theonlyoneiknow]

Hi,

We have two DC aged 4 and 18mo. We have never been on a package holiday before but seeing as this is the last chance we have to go out of the school holidays thought we would get away abroad in May or early June. We took the kids abroad last summer but did a separate fly, car hire, stay with relatives trip to the Alps which was great but looking for something a bit different this year.

Thoughts are

1. preferably all inclusive. I get fed up of cooking all the time at home so be nice to have a break, plus know that don't have to pay for food when there. Or is it cheap enough to eat out for lunch and dinner in some countries?
2. four hours max flight (from Scotland), not keen on Turkey or Egypt
3. some pools with kids slides and things in them
4. kids clubs available but not a total necessity
5. happy to hire a car and drive around rather than be on the beach or pool every day (is this contradicting what I am after?!)
6. interconnecting room for,the DC so we can sit and enjoy a drink on an evening

Would be grateful for any suggestions as I really don't know where to start!

DP and I are both pretty sporty and love surfing and the mountains!

Thanks in advance for any suggestions!

TOOIK

If you look at Jet2 holidays from Glasgow and Edinburgh at that time of year you will possibly manage to get a free infant AND free child place and an extra £50 off per person at the moment. HTH. Maybe try the Canaries?

Thanks seb1 will check them out!

Does anyone have any specific accommodation recommendations? Have heard the food can sometimes be hit and miss with all inclusive?

If you are sporty look at neilsons holidays in Greece. Not all inc, 3 times per week dinner not included and you can dine out locally whilst the kids are babysat. Drinks also not inc

I had a look

I had a look at

A

Argh. My phone is being silly!!

A colleague recommended them, we are sporty but not keen Sailors unfortunately! Otherwise they look great

Mark Warner or Club Med?

You don't have to be a sailor. You can choose to learn to sail or not, or do water skiing, tennis, cycling, canoeing, windsurfing. I hate sailing and still have a brilliant time. Obviously do a beach club not a holiday on a boat

Thanks 2014,

Any other recommendations anyone?

Holiday Village Rhodes - went when our DCs when they were exactly those ages and it was perfect. We had a family room with a sliding partition door and they provided a cot for DD.

PM me if you want any details.

That place looks fab but the flights to Rhodes are awfully expensive :(

The first choice h

The first choice h

Sorry phone playing up! The first choice holiday villages are fab. We've booked the new Ibiza one for this August (which even has a full water park!).

Definitely recommend Balearics for great weather and gorgeous beaches. Majorca and Ibiza my favourites.

Another vote for the first choice holiday villages.
Costa del sol one is fab!

An iberostar in Alcudia Mallorca would fit the bill - there are a few of them stretched round the bay all right on the beach ( lovely gently sloping abd v safe) and food good. Thomsas Cook use them. I would also recommend using Barhead travel - have all the operators and can advise

We are going to Menorca with our toddler this summer. We booked flights directly with thompson and a week AI directly with the hotel, the Barcelo Pueblo Menorca. We have two interconnecting rooms, called a family room but actually two seperate bedrooms and bathrooms rather than one bed and a sofa. Was cheaper than a package holiday and the hotel is more modern and smaller than one of those mega family hotels in the first choice brochures. Our baby will be 20 months when we go so huge kids club and activities not essential, the hotel we've chosen is family friendly and has kids stuff but we couldn't face one of those massive holiday villages.

Thanks so much, will check all of those out !

we went to Sensatori resorts in Crete which was fab with young children.

Think I might head into a travel agents at lunch - have got a Barrhead and Thomson not far from my office

Oh just looked at the Sensatori resort -they have a lazy river right outside your bedroom! That is so cool, I am scared to look at the £££ !

we paid about £2300 for a week for dh, myself and ds 5 at the time in July so possible to get a better deal for may or June.

Thanks sailors, we need to fly from a Scottish airport which bumps up the price considerably unless we drive to Manchester. Majorca has the advantage of direct flights from Aberdeen (where I am), dilemma dilemma!

There are some lovely parts of Majorca but I would opt for June as Spain was unusually cold in May when I was down that way last year.