Neilson Alternative

[snowydrops]

We have been on 4 Neilson holidays, enjoyed them all and as we are generally quite active they suit us but I would quite like to try something similar but different this year.

We will be DH, DD (3.5yrs), Me and baby of 6 months. Looking to go somewhere in September ideally and not too hot so ideally Spain, Balearics or Greece.

I quite like the all inclusive aspect of Neilson but it's not actually all inclusive and every year we end up with a massive bar / extras bill. It seems to get more and more expensive so I am looking for alternatives. Budget will be approx £3-4000 inc food and drink for 14 nights ideally but could go for a shorter duration.

I haven't found anything that matches Neilson for activities but then it's 3 years since my last holiday with them.

Mark Warner or sunsail would be worth a look...or somewhere like Porto sani resort?!

Porto sani looks nice but I can't see any water ski / wakeboarding which is one of the things I love!

I like the idea of sunsail and doing the flotilla thing one day but not until DC2 is older...I just can't imagine I would enjoy sailing with a teeny baby. Will check out MW now.

Lucky you planning holidays! We did Club Med every year as children and loved it. We played tennis every day, learnt to sail, windsurf, waterski, tightrope walk, everything. And our French improved too. Food was good, wine and beer inclusive at meals, but bar drinks extra.

Will you be needing childcare for the 6mo?
If so if only use specialist uk childcare providers who adhere to uk regs in the relevant resorts, so mark warmer is possibly your best bet?
First choice holiday village do provide younger care and have loads if kids activities for your daughter but not you..

The childcare comment is a really good shout - we did MW when ds2 was 5 months, he LOVED it! Had a specific carer, went to the nursery (air conditioned) every afternoon so missed the hot sun of Greece in June, they had loads of equipment, lovely staff,24hr kitchen available with sterilisers, milk, micro etc. Also he went into evening crèche no problem too...

I am assuming that by something different to neilsons you mean not mark Warner or similar? As the benefits pointed put by pp re mark Warner e.g childcare etc are the same as those you are already getting at neilsons.
We loved neilsons when ours were pre school. Since they started school the school holiday prices are so astronomical for neilsons that it is not much more for us to do long haul all inclusive in a Luxury resort! Personally I would make the most of the activity holiday option whilst you can before the prices rocket for you when confined to school hols. If you can find somehwre with equivalent childcare bearing in mind lots of places don't offer it for under 4s and especially not babies, plus the wakeboard ing etc you want, for a similar price then I would be surprised.
Tots too, baby bolt holes, sovereign families, quo vadis all do baby friendly holidays.