Long distance family visits

[Misty9]

We live about 4-5 hours drive 8-10 hours on a bloody awful trip from most of my family, including the only cousins to my children (my brother's family). But my parents are divorced and remarried and there's nowhere for us all to stay when we visit.

We've recently stayed in a holiday park which, in summer was nice, but wasn't cheap and isn't an inviting idea in january! It was also a bit too far from Bristol. Hotels are an option but with two young children we'd prefer two rooms and ideally somewhere to cook food which doesn't get eaten
So That leaves self catering, but again not cheap and two trips is costing close to a decent holiday abroad! Which may be what we need to accept, but how do other people do this? I get on with my siblings and would like to maintain as close a link as possible...

Could you take it in turns and have your family come to visit you once a year? Have you thought about a house swap? There may be someone else in the area you want to visit who wants to visit yours. Also if there are premier inn or travelodges in the area you are visiting then get on their mailing lists and make the most of their regular sales - rooms for £29 regularly,

Not sure where you are heading, but could you try the family rooms in nearby Youth Hostels? You could cook or eat basic food there.

You probably need to give an idea of budgets and time of yea

how about some sort of serviced apartment? usually similar price to a hotel and most large cities have them now...

visitbristol.co.uk/accommodation/self-catering

or airbnb.....

I think reciprocal visiting will be part of the solution in the future, but my brother has just had another child and my dad thinks Norfolk is as far as the moon so we'd still need a couple of trips and year.

I looked at serviced apartments but didn't think they'd welcome small children? Quite pricey too what I found.

I had considered airbnb - is it suitable for families too?

We're considering signing up to a house swap site too - Anyone any experience of this?

airbnb...you can usually select from a room in someone's house to a whole property - you correspond directly with the owners so you could always check if they're happy to allow children in the property?