Never taken family abroad before - where do I start?

[ChipsForSupper]

I've only ever taken the kids camping in the UK but this year have come into a little bit of money. Not much, really, so this may not be possible, but would love to take them abroad. It would be 2 adults and 3 children aged between 11 and 17. It would have to be in May/June half term. I have looked on various websites so far and am bewildered!

I am hoping to do it for around £3, 500 including spending money (so cooking/eating would have to be included in that) - is that completely unrealistic?

If not, which destinations should I be looking at?

What sort of trip are you hoping for? If you haven't got any idea of that then it can be bewildering as there are so many options. But for £3500 you could almost certainly have a week SC in an apartment on the beach with a hire car and meals out in France, Spain, Portugal, Canaries, Balearics, etc. You could probably find a hotel too, although if you're looking at this May/June you may find that your choice is a bit limited at this late date as it's a very popular time to travel.

Take a look at HomeAway, AirBnB, Volare, Owners Direct, etc. But you really need to decide where you want to go, otherwise you'll be overwhelmed with choices.

I was hoping for primarily a beach type holiday but not just that - maybe somewhere with a bit of sight seeing too?

Stupid questions but if you've never taken them abroad and they need first passports, I'd get that sorted before booking as it's not long until May half term...

Do you need to go school holiday time? We are doing AI in fueturentura in May which cost £2500 for 4 of us. You'd easy get a nice week away for that budget. When are you thinking of going?

Benidorm have good deals. I've never been though so can't really tell you what it's like but for a week in the sun would prob be ok.

Have you considered Bulgaria? Again not been but meant to be reasonably priced. I'm probably not helping too much! My fave websites for holiday searches are Jet2.com.com & firstchoice. Costa del sol would be nice at that time of year too. Fab beaches, loads of eating places.

Definitely sort passports ASAP.
Popular places are popular for a reason so you will probably enjoy any of the resorts TBH. I think your budget is very doable.

I would sort out how hot you would like it to be. Northern Spain and Italy will be pleasant but not boiling. Go further south if you need it really warm.
Then consider if you want a bit of culture or just beach and flop type holiday.
Look at the cost of flights and then look at hotels or apartments separately. If you pick places like Majorca with low cost airlines you can see which days offer best value. You could do six days rather than a tour operator seven for example.
My top tip is not to chose the earlieest flight out either. It is stressful and horrible waking up at 4 or 5am and the day feels long and dreadful. Book one that everyone can get up normally and enjoy getting to the resort in time for a lovely dinner.

I'd try get a cheap package deal. I've often found chea AI deals for much less than booking separately.

Alicante is quite cheap but never Benidorm as its shocking.

It really depends on where you want to go, you could try France or Germany, it's just close by. You also have to decide which means of transport you want to take, try Google Flights for plane tickets, also think about how you are going to go around if you plan to visits more than one city, you can easily book a train, take a look at raileurope or opt for a more time consuming but cheaper way and hire a bus that covers your area.
A lot of research to do but only that can ensure you an enjoyable trip!

Normally I'd say somewhere like the Balerics, but May is pretty early in the season there so a lot of things may not have opened yet. So instead I'd probably recommend Salou which is in the Costa Dorada on mainland Spain. Being the mainland it's nowhere near as affected by seasonal variation. It's got a lovely beach and the Port Aventura theme park is also there which would be perfect for 3 teenagers. Only a 2 hour flight too.

Oh and Barcelona is only about an hour away to go to for sight-seeing trips.

Tenerife is great for a fairly low cost holiday in the sun. If you go to the south of the island (costa Adeje) there's some fantastic sandy beaches, a couple of huge water parks and lots of lovely restaurants. If you want to self cater then there's a few supermarkets in the area too and the food is fairly cheap.
Loads of excursions you can go on to explore the island such as visiting the volcano, going for guided treks through volcanic gorges and botanical gardens, and even a jet ski safari which takes you around all the lagoons.
There's a big monkey park that's fun to visit, and also a huge zoo called Loro Parque which is the biggest zoo in Europe.
Weather is warm/hot all year round as it's only 100km or so from the coast of Africa. Flight time is 4 hours too so it's not too long getting there.