OMG have villas always been this expensive?!

[Nospringflower]

Have spent the last few nights searching for villas in Greece, Majorca and Croatia. Fair enough it is for 8 people (needing 5 rooms) but to get somewhere nearish a beach and nearish shops/bars, reasonably nice with a pool we are looking at a minimum of £4000 which I can't afford (as our family is 3 of the 8).

I was surprised that we can get all inclusive hotels for much cheaper than the cost of a villa plus flights but because we would prefer to go together we wanted a villa.

Cant decide whether to keep searching or give it up as a bad job!

Just booked a 4 bedroom in crete with pool 10 mins from the sea for 3.5K for 2 weeks and I thought that was really, really expensive.

However, have been searching for a while and had some fairly ordinary ones with 4 beds and pool coming up for £6 - £8K for 2 weeks.

thanks Mr Gove. no holidays out of term time and this is what was bound to happen.

We had a 4 bedroom villa with private pool in Cyprus last August and I paid £1400 for a week.

Flights were extra.

I was looking at Majorca last month for 6 bedrooms - in the end I gave up as the one we wanted on villa plus had gone and none where quite right. I think you pay a premium to be near facilities, which is essential for us.

In the end we booked this beautydel sol which is 6 bedrooms and fits all the criteria for £2900. On paper it's not as glamorous a location, but has everything that the DCs and we will need - places to visit, nearby walkable beach and restaurants, aircon, pool, pool table. Can't wait.

Unfortunately the bigger bedroom villas which are reasonably priced do tend to sell out quickly. good luck with your search.

We are only going for a week which makes it even worse and it is first week in July so not even English school holidays (we're in Scotland).

The 4K one is lovely tho ....

Mummymeister do you mind telling me where your one in Crete is? No prob if you'd rather not tho

thanks Mr Gove. no holidays out of term time and this is what was bound to happen.

Although in honesty out of season is getting just as expensive.

We couldn't find anything nice for much less than that either end of May begining of July.

www.popularvillas.com/Algarve/Villa-Premier-Albufeira/ref-9024/130

We had a fab time at this one in Portugal.

2 years ago we had an 8 bedroom (villa + annex) in Costa Blanca (1km? ish) from the beach for £3k.

I've checked for this years holiday and it's £2.7k, which is a bargain compared to those!

Beginning of July is Scottish school holidays and I think end of May is English half term, hence why they're probably expensive.

However a quick google revealed a few cheaper than what you've found so far:

Majorca 5 bed villa:
www.dickinsonvillas.com/index.php?pg=ficha&id=229 3395 euros p/w

Croatia Villa:
www.ownersdirect.co.uk/accommodation/p1882513

We've used homeaway a few times for holidays abroad.

This one in Croatia has 5 bedrooms a pool and is 7km from a sandy beach. Its £1080 for 1st week July.

Lots available at similar prices.

Have you tried booking.com?

Also I'm thinking it's not just British families that go on holiday.

So whilst Mr Gove's radical policy of forcing families to actually take their school holidays in the school holiday period may have had some impact, there must be other factors at play.

We often stay in villas and never had to pay that much, especially for a week, even in school holidays.

However, some weeks are dearer than others, and it depends on your location.

We have recently booked a lovely looking 4 bed villa in Playa Blanca, with a heated private pool and jacuzzi, for a week in Easter holidays for £1350 in total. From mid July for the summer is goes up to £1800

Had a fantastic villa in May holidays last year, in Majorca - that was a really fabulous 5 bed, again with private pool and jacuzzi. That was a bit dearer as 5 bed at 2500 in total for the week. However, this one is much dearer to go to in July/August - would be £4000+ - It is cheaper in June, but goes up on 1 July.

Are you clear on what you want: where, amenities, distance to beach, car or not, pool, etc

5 bed is harder to find than 4 bed and will therefore both restrict your choice and increase the cost - you sure you can't manage to fit the 8 over 4 rooms instead?

We use holiday lettings.co.uk or home away.co.uk

Majorca, 5 bed

www.homeaway.co.uk/p1912159 - just under £2500. Walking distance into old Alcudia which is lovely, short drive to port d'Alcudia

www.homeaway.co.uk/p1912159 - Majorca again, quiet area, need a car - just under £2300

www.homeaway.co.uk/p1912159 - Inland Majorca this time, again just under £2300

Choice goes up a lot more when you drop it further to 4 bed but still sleeping 8+

Generally you'll find much better value on Owners Direct, Holidaylettings or HomeAway. We used to advertise our 6-bedroom villa (not in the area you're looking for, sadly!) through a leading villa company. They took more than 50% of the advertised price. Now, like so many other owners, we just use Owners Direct and similar sites, and we are able to charge far less to guests while still earning the same or more.

Having said that, larger villas will always be fairly expensive in summer as the owners may rely on summer bookings to see them through the rest of the year! Smaller villas are likely to get more out of season bookings throughout the year.

Thanks everyone for your comments and also for posting villas. Some of them look lovely and make me realise that maybe its me being fussy that is making the ones that I like cost so much!

On the whole I have been trying to get somewhere on the coast, near a beach, near some restaurants and with a pool (and a lovely view is a bonus!) and I suppose when I say near I am really talking about within walking distance even if it is a bit of a trek.

The problem with rooms is that there is me & partner, my 3 kids, a couple and a single friend, so although there are 8 of us my friend (understandably) doesn't want to share with one of my children!

For Croatia we wanted it near enough to Dubrovnik as heard its lovely to get a boat round to so we were looking at Cavtat.

For Majorca the difficulty is that we go to Puerto Pollensa every year so didn't want to go there (otherwise that Villa Marco looks great Rookiemere) or Alcudia, Cala St Vicenze etc as we know them all so well it wouldn't be very different for our girls (thanks hulababy for finding those ones).

I love the look of this one but even that I was worried might be a bit quiet! www.ownersdirect.co.uk/accommodation/p8142996

Still to look at a few others that were linked to here but got to nip out!

OP how about near cala d`or. Can't do links on kindle but if you check out holiday lettings 1345970 there's a remarkably cheap 5 bed villa in walking distance to everything. Shared pool looks to be main downside and not overly luxurious.

Key is to restrict your search to the acceptable price bracket so that you don't see the very expensive ones. They are always going to look superior when you are paying two/three times more for them.

Soller was lovely, and we likes Port Soller too.

I do quite fancy Cala D'or as have heard good things about it I think. I quite liked the look of that one and it looked like a great location. I don't mind a shared pool but wasn't sure about the potential for us all sitting around outside at the villa. There were a few similar but different ones in that complex though. Thanks for them!

Cala D'or is meant to be lovely - our neighbours have an apartment there so they have told us about it.

It is tricky finding a villa when it's not just yourselves that has to like it. If cost is a factor I'd also recommend checking out flight destinations on skyscanner as if you can get a cheaper flight then you might be able to push the boat out on the villa costs.

We went to Menorca last year and paid under £2k for a lovely 4 bedroom villa. I think it was through Menorca Private Owners. it wasn't right by a beach, about a 10 min drive, but was beautifully decorated with a great pool.

I think Menorca is better value than Ibiza or Majorca & fab for kids.

Also you could try Montenegro rather than Croatia - amazing beaches and scenery but a bit cheaper.

We don't pay that much because we hire a car. There's no way I'm walking even 15 minutes in 30 degree heat with the kids and all the beach stuff, so I'm certainly not paying extra to be near the beach! We normally go to Majorca and have a 5 or 10 minute drive to the beach. Perfect for us.

I would maybe agree with you about the beach if it is just one family but needing 2 cars makes it seem like a fuss to go anywhere. Whenever we have cars it's always a fuss to get parked as well so that's why I'd rather walk but walk no distance - villa at the beach but with a pool - perfect!

Ha ha I thought I recognised the name - it's you on the other thread about owners direct.
Where did you decide to go in the end?

Oh and I agree with you about the driving - we ended up with a parking ticket and our car towed in Tenerife - seems they had cottoned on to the jolly old wheeze of spotting the hire cars, so much easier if you can just walk most places. Sadly it does cost a bit extra.

We hired two cars and had no problems. Well, the parking thing did not outweigh the benefits of not having to walk anyway! But then I am very lazy and get s tabby within 5 minutes of enforced activity in very hot weather!

Villa by beach will cost a fortune. Are villas in resorts any cheaper? I don't mean resorts do I, I mean like on a complex with facilities.