have you had a brilliant family holiday in Majorca?

[MorrisZapp]

Hola! We are me, DP, and almost 4 year old DS. Want to go to Majorca (best flight times for us) in late summer.

We want fabulous pools and kids activities, but also the possibility to walk or bus it to reasonably interesting town if possible.

Shorter transfer from Palma the better, though I suppose it's a relatively small island anyway.

Have you taken kids? Where did you stay?

We have been twice to Majorca with DD aged 3 and 4, the last 2 years. We went to Alcudia, but the Port/Marina end of it - totally different to the busy, built up part at the other end (it's 7 miles long the whole resort!).

Also, there are hardly any British people at this end, which is a bonus for us usually! We stayed in the Alcudia Garden hotel - 2 mins to the beach. 5 mins to restaurants etc.

We also got the local bus to the market in Alcudia old town, which was great.

Overall, highly recommended

Brilliant tips, keep them coming! Daft question alert, do they speak Spanish in Majorca?

We went to Cala D'or a few years ago when the DDs were younger but stayed in Cala Egos (about a 15 min walk from Cala D'or through the harbour, which is beautiful. Cala Egos was a bit quieter although still has plenty of shops, bars, restaurants etc, plus beaches.

Yes they speak Spanish although there is a local dialect and the government beach laws signs have both.

I think the trouble with the Bonaire and the other Thomson hotels with decent sized pools is making them almost totally all inclusive. It doesn't encourage people to go off and explore and makes them very busy in an evening as everyone has to get their free beer.

To be fair, I've never seen any one particularly drunk or disagreeable.

We weren't AI there so ate out every night which was a blessing.
People were drinking and smoking all day then just wandering over to the evening entertainment still wearing board shorts and big fat guts on show, lovely.
Footy shirts were also considered suitable evening wear!

I'm not suggesting dinner jacket but for the love of god just put a t shirt and some tidy shorts on.

Never again! I was ashamed to be British

We've been to Italy twice since then and it's perfect, holidaying amongst Dutch, Spanish, Italian and Brits, and much cheaper

Whereabouts did you go in Italy, Mozz?

Peschiera.
Will go every year if we can, love it

Mozz chops if you go to the right bit of Mallorca you can holiday among Dutch, Italian and Spanish and Brits. Just avoid the built up resorts and certain types of accommodation-there are two completely different sides to Mallorca.
We love Italy and South of France and have had some fab holidays in Mallorca -you just need to go to the naice bits!

We enjoyed Peschiera too. Ahh bring on the holidays -can't come soon enough this year.

Sorry I was half asleep when writing that-we have been looking at Peschiera not we have enjoyed Peschiera!!

Fancy the lakes for next years hols.

I'd love to go to the nice bits, but I have fish for DDs and DD2 likes company her own age.

Thus I need a hotel with a good pool and a beach, not a villa in the hills.

Magenta Peschiera is beautiful, we stay in a lovely AI hotel with pools and stuff for kids but it's a great place to explore from, you can get a ferry to anywhere on the lake.
Buses are great too.
Peschiera town is so pretty with lovely shops and restaurants

Sounds fab-will be investigating Mozzchops!

I have just seen this thread and there are some great ideas. I have just looked up Peschiera, it looks so pretty! Where do people stay?

We stay at the Parc hotel which is out of town but they run a free hourly shuttle bus.
You can book a hotel room or apartment if you have a bigger family but we did a hotel room for 4 of us and it was fine.

There are 3 pools, mini club, food is delicious. Very clean, staff lovely.
We're not going this year but will deffo go back next year my dcs won't shut up about it

We went by bus to Sirmione, by ferry to Garda and Bardolino. We did a trip to Venice which was amazing, and also went to Gardaland (theme park)
You can make of it what you want.

Felt very safe there, went back last year as a lone parent and loved every minute.
Also met 3 families we'd met the previous year which says a lot.

Thomson lakes & mountains and inghams do it.
I booked direct last year and saved a fortune

Thank you Mozzchops, your Italy idea sounds and looks lovely! Was looking for somewhere other than our usual Span/Canaries/Mallorca. Thinking nowbetween Greece and Peschiera!
BTW, OP, we go to Cala d'Or in Mallorca, its lovely, quiet and pretty, stuff for kids etc. Stay in a cheapish hotel right on the beach, sister hotel of Ariel, cant remember the name.