Need to spend less than £10K on summer holiday this year. Anyone been to Croatia

[hmcAsWas]

Had been looking at a fly drive around Quebec, Montreal etc but some rather hefty unexpected bills are clipping our wings this year and so we're now looking at Europe. We've done villa holidays before in South of France, various locations on mainland Italy (and also Sardinia and Sicily), Spain, Greece etc and so now we're thinking perhaps Croatia? If you have been, what did you like / what would you recommend?

We are a family of 4 (kids will be 14 and 16 by the time the holiday comes around). They enjoy some sightseeing but not wild about too many dusty cathedrals. They will happily do places of historical interest however (particularly if they relate to stuff they have studied at school). We are not uber beachy (probably would go a couple of times in a week), but do like a well appointed villa with a pool. They also like adrenaline type outdoorsy stuff and appreciate beautiful scenery.

(and there has to be wifi)

That sounds very intrepid Twofishfingers - it looks like you've put a lot of planning into that.

With 10K you'll get a luxury luxury luxury villa in Croatia! We are going to croatia this year, 2 weeks in July. 5 of us. Flights and apartment is under £1200. So for 10k you'll be sorted.

If we had 10k though, I would be looking at somewhere like the caribbean or somewhere luxuriously heavenly, with palm trees and white sands and cocktails and dolphins splashing in the ocean as the sunsets. I obviously haven't visualised this much of course!!

I honestly don't understand how you are struggling to find a weeks holiday for 10k. Seriously I don't. I'm sure for 10k for a week you could go most places.

To put it in context for you we went to Lanzarote recently in Feb and it was £1200 for 10 nights (flights, apartments and transfers) for 4 of us.

If you're ok to put things together yourself I'd suggest Montenegro over Croatia. If you stay near Kotor you can still do a day trip to Dubrovnik if you fancy it(doesn't do it for me but realise I'm unusual). EasyJet flights from Gatwick, stunning villas with pools, great food. The sandy beaches around Budva are some kind of Benidorm for Russians which is a shame but the rest of it was beautiful.

sweetmoon whaaaaaaat?? I’m tasked with finding a late July (27th/28th start date) for 5 of us with a £1500 budget (could stretch if we found The One) and I’d resigned myself to accepting that we won’t be able to go abroad (like, ever). How on Earth have you managed that?

I think the more more interesting question is...where can’t you go on holiday for a week, as a family of four, for 10k?

KitKat - I am not struggling to find a place in terms of affordability. I am struggling to narrow down where in Croatia I would like to stay - the £10k is a bit of a red herring (mentioned to not exclude costlier options like a cruise), what I am really after is where is a great location....

There are a lot of naturist beaches in Croatia. I just thought I’d mention that, as you may not want to get a surprise if you are visiting with teenagers.

I also second the Istria region. Beautiful and lots to do over the summer months. My kids absolutely adore it. I managed to take 4 or us to a 5-star hotel at the height of summer with half-board for ~£4000.

I think I'd do Italy with 10k tbh

Which 5 star hotel was that TeeBee?

We spent a fortnight staying in Mlini, a fishing village about halfway between Dubrovnik and Cavtat. It was nice to be able to escape back to
somewhere quiet after the crowds in Dubrovnik. We also did a day trip to the bay of Kotor in Montenegro which was beautiful.

I'm going to ignore the boasty £10k in title.

If I had that money I would be hiring a private yacht with Capt / staff and sailing from Split to Dubrovnik via Hvar, Korcula & Mljet! Once I got to Dubrovnik, I would stay at Hotel Argentina for a few nights.

If you want to stay in one place (5 star) the look at President / Valamar / Hotels / Hotel Dubrovnik Palace in Lapad, near Dubrovnik.

We flew to zadar, had a couple of days there including a lovely boat trip to some of the islands plus bike ride.

We then went up to plitvice national park. It was at Easter so still snowy but stunning. If it had been summer we'd have gone to krka too. You can swim there.

On another trip we went to Dubrovnik and Montenegro. Loved both. The bay of kotor is stunning.

Next time I'd like to go island hopping. If I had your budget I'd stay somewhere awesome e.g. a lighthouse or castle or book a sailing holiday between islands.

OP " the £10k is a bit of a red herring"

I think you might have misunderstood "red herring" - it's not the equivalent of boasting.

Lol - reminds me ages ago of a holiday programme where someone intended to spend £50k on hiring their own yatch, with crew. The interviewer pointed out that, at the time, you could buy a small house for that! The holidayer looked a little puzzled and gently replied "But why would I want a small house?!"

Hey ho. I love MN and being able to see what life looks like for other people.

I don't really understand the offence at the value expressed in the title, or the comment its boasty. Why do people have a problem with more money than them? Is it some sort of reverse snobnery?

And oh i work 3 days a week on minitum wage so £10k is more than i earn in a year. But i dont find it goady or boasty that some stranger on the internet is spending that on a holiday.

I see it all tje time ohh so and so has money lets get at them dor having money. Wow they have money, good for them! I presume you havent held up a bank or comitted some other crime to get this ten K op? I presume you've worked for it?

So what is the damn problem with ops budget? So its more than you'd spend. Yep you probably spend more than some one like me can afford on a holiday. I don't begrudge you for it. To all of those of you that have made a sarcastic comment about the money value how much do you spend? Can i cone on your threads and go €2k for a holiday ohh thats a bit goady/boasty ohh how very dare you? £1k on a holiday thats two months wages why on earth would you want to spend that on a holiday?

Serioysly i don't get it. I just dont! Yes ten grand is a lot of money i understand that. And no i wouldnt spend it on a holiday even if i had it. Mainly cos i don't do holidays or tbh expensive things. But if some one with money wants to spend that money surely its up to them

I think it was the way the post was worded. It sounds a bit like 'poor us, we 'only' have £10k for a holiday this year, is it even possible'?

But if she'd said 'we want a luxury family holiday in Europe, with culture and watersports, budget £10k, preferably less' there would have been a lot less sniping because when you start looking into it, that can be what a week's AI in a 5 star European hotel costs, or close to it and that is a typical holiday for many people on here.

Saying 10k for a week IS boasty though whether the OP realises or not (sorry OP). You could go almost anywhere in the world and do anything for 10k a week.

If the OP just wanted to ask where was nice in Croatia then money isn't necessarily relevant.

I’ve booked Croatia and my budget is way less than yours (honestly 5 per cent of yours) and am very happy with my choice.

Flights were just £104 return!

Ok scabbley how much do you spend? Because im pretty sure id consider your budget boasty!

Oh no i wpuldnt id just go oh you have more money than me cool. Good for you!

OK naught we get you are delighted to hear about a holiday you could never afford. Lots will find it boasty. Doesn't mean OP can't ask, and she says she has a thick skin so it's all good.

barbara i see your point but i also don't see the problen with it. Its a sugnificant budget cut for Op. I understand its not for most people. But is for Op.

So my step mum never really understood how my mum was able to take me my brother and my two half siblings away for literally half what she and my dad would spend. It was all no no to get a decent villa you need to spend this much... i would want a six bedroom villa, how is getting that even posiable on your mothers budget shes depeiving you. Now op isnt quite that snobby, but she might not be aware that there are more budget villas etc so to her she might be going oh hell ive had to cut my holiday budget in half i dont know where wo start.

Its like some people spend £200 a night on hotel, they arent even aware that you can get a hotel room for £35 a night in a travel lodge.

To OP shes had to cut her holiday budget, she is unaware that its perfectly do able on a tiny percentage of what shes used to spending. And thats what shes asking. Can she get the holiday ie the 5 star villa with a pool and all mod cons that normally costs her lots more than shes got budget for cheaper. The answer of course is yes. Of course the answer is yes. But the Op doesnt know that thats why shes asking.

Again imagine this was the question i noemally spend £2k on my family holiday rhis year ive replaced my car and boiler, so looking to spend about £1k looking at some where in the south of france is it possiable? No one would be accusing that person of being boastful or goady, but to me its still way out of my budget, does that mean i can go on that tread and go wow your so goady you want to spend a grand on a holiday. I'll give you my flat for a grand a week? No of course it doesnt nor woyld i.

No scabbley im not "delighted" i just dont really give a single flying fuck what people spend their money on. And i dont understand why any one would.

Same way as its no ones business what i can or can not afford.

If some one wants to spend £10k on a holiday awesone its their money, if someone wants to spend £100 on a cheap camping weekend in their nextdoor neighbours garden great lovely for them. Neither question is boastful or goady.

What about chartering a yacht/gulet for a week? We did it a few years ago from Split down the coast to Dubrovnik. Just as luxurious as a 5* hotel and you get the opportunity to see Miljet, Split, Hvar, Dubrovnik etc etc. You can get off the boat as much as you like, or stay on and sunbathe (which your teenagers may prefer). It probably cost £10k for the 4 of us.