Summer holiday on a budget with 2 young DCs - top tips please

[snowydrops]

This is our first year of being constrained by the school hols for DD1 (age 4yrs) and I am freaking out a bit about the cost of things.

We are me, DH and DD1 (4), DD2 (1) and we would like to go for 2 weeks (or 10 days minimum) somewhere sunny and at least warm ideally in August.

Previously we have done lots of Neilson type activity holidays which we like but they come with a hefty price tag in August. Really i think we are after a house somewhere with shared kids facilities so DD1 can make some friends. The option of babysitting would be amazing but overall happy to cater for ourselves etc if it's cheaper.

I am reluctant to go somewhere super hot e.g. Cyprus / Canaries because i think the DDs would struggle and so would i. Ideally need air con which probably means no camping I'm guessing??

Anyone got any ideas of where we can look / start to search?

Budget is absolute max 5k including flights and spending money.

We did neilsons till ours started school and then the prices became extortionate. Now we go long haul and take kids out for a few days, normally in May attached to half term and various inset days.
Not authorised but never been find either.
I would look at other times to go, not August. And consider a couple days out of school.

If you go to a Mobile Home site then the decent vans are spacious and air conditioned. Look at Thomson Al Fresco, they have good sites, you can drive or Fly and hire a car. Our kids loved these types of holidays as loads to do with the freedom of a campsite, pools, play areas etc and they always made friends. We took bikes or micro scooters for them (always drive). Later August is cheaper in France than July/early August.

There are a lot of other much cheaper companies that we have also used, but if going to South of France or Spain make sure you get air-con!

We have faced this for a couple of years now - this year we are going to south west France (check out alternative Aquitaine), last year we hired an apartment on a golf resort in Andalusia - it's all a bit lower key these days, but frankly as long as it's warm and there's a beach and a pool everyone seems reasonably happy!
We seem to pay about £1000 just for flights for the 4 of us (but I'm not very good at booking early and getting good deals!), plus £400 car hire then accommodation on top (wildly variable..)

We're going glamping in Spain there are quite a few places and the have caravans too if you prefer. Toddler pool, park, kids club and of course typical adult stuff at moat of them.

5k is a good budget. For good kids facilities, entertainment splash pools (and a crèche) take a look at the first choice holiday villages. There are numerous ones throughout Europe in locations including Majorca, Menorca, Ibiza, lanzarote, Tenerife, Kos, Rhodes and Cyprus. You should get them all (except Rhodes) within budget.

They make holidaying with children so easy as kids are fully occupied and happy (they even run evening kids club and creche sessions so if you wanted you could have a quiet meal in one of the all inclusive al a carte restaurants).

Thank you! Some great tips here. I am currently researching France and campsites in the Aquitane region (been before and like). Anyone used any good campsites at all? I'll start a new thread on that! Will also look into alternative aquitane and the First Choice and Thompson options.

This year we want to go in August somewhere as DD1 has 6 weeks off and last year was a bit of a wash out. I know it will cost us more but it's a quiet time work wise also so sort of suits is which slightly compensates for the cost!