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)

Naught, I think we get that you don't get it!!

So instead of stupid posts like this explain it so i do get it then

I’ve not read the full thread as it started to derail, so apologies if repeating.

Have you looked at Aman Sverige Stefan? Means st Stephen.

I know you said Croatia, but they also have the most amazing luxury villas I’ve ever drooled over in Peloponnese,Greece Amanzoe

Ollycat - that is one gorgeous villa

As indeed are the villas in Greece Shifty

..and for those who said you can do Canada fly drive for less than £10k, I am sure you can, but we wanted to do this:

23rd July Heathrow/Montreal

3 nights Montreal - Hotel Le Germain - 2 x signature room - B+B

26th July Collect car in the morning - standard 4WD (Hertz all inclusive rate with GPS, extra drivers included and 1st tank of fuel) - One-way drop off fee payable locally CAN $199 plus tax.

26th July -3 nights Mont Tremblant - Fairmont Tremblant - 2 x fairmont rooms - room only basis

29th July - 2 nights St Alexis De Monts - Hotel Sacacomie - 1 queen room and 1 room with 2 beds - B+B

31st July - 2 nights North Hatley - Hotel Manoir Hovey - 1 superior queen room and 1 standard queen room with roll away bed - room only basis

2nd Aug - Drop car off on arrival in Quebec City in the afternoon

2nd Aug - 3 nights Quebec City - Fairmont Chateau Frontenac - 2 x fairmont rooms

5th Aug Quebec City/Montreal 1450/1538 Air Canada

5th Aug Montreal/Heathrow

And the cost is more than £10K with flights.

We'll do it next summer hopefully

I heavily researched Croatia today funnily enough.

For my family of four for a week in August, flights are £600 total. Apartment with at least two bedrooms, a washing machine that's okay but nothing special but basic and clean looking with a beach view, £800-£1000.

Activities range from £500 ish for a day sailing/canyoning/rafting/speed boat to islands etc.

We'd want to do three or four of those I think and intersperse with cheaper half day walking or cycling trips, or a wine tasting or something.

Food doesn't look ultra cheap, so I was reckoning on 100 a day for six days.

So I was thinking it would be in the region of £4000/4500 for the week including parking and transfers etc.

Look on trip advisor and air bnb and booking.com and cross reference with family adventure companies who offer trips there. They would be more, but you could do that for ease? They are about £1000 per person plus flights and extra meals. But all the itineraries are online so you can easily diy.

You can have two weeks in my parents caravan in beautiful Wales for £5k, special deal just for you! 😆

PS that is all around Split that I was researching today.

I don't know where people have stayed and what they have done for much less than what I've said.

Well, my take on it is that some people, if they are going through a hard time or some struggles, often through no fault of their own, find it painful to see or read about other people's good fortune. It emphasises their own misfortune and as we are only human and experiencing emotions we often have no control over, this can hurt.

We don't all have to 'get' the same things. I don't get your utter rudeness, but there we go.

Is this a joke posting?

a week for 10k?

Hardly a tight budget.

I suggest camping in france

hmcAsWas it is a lovely villa- we were there last August and I would totally recommend it. It’s a couple of minutes walk to the sea (rocky) and has its own mooring which is fab if you want to hire a boat / kayaks / SUP etc.

I'm not on the same planet as you so I have no idea what to suggest.

I rented gorgeous catered chalets that sleep 8 people in Meribel for less than £5K a week.

OP you either have no idea what stuff costs or this is a weird stealth boast

I appreciate they don't feature Croatia but I suggest a look at Simpson Travel, not cheap (by my budget0 but tick all the boxes in terms of service (an BA flights from T5 at sensible time of day) and quality.

If you're willing to look further down the skippered yacht option in Croatia I suggest Sail Croatia.

Ops, that post didn't come out quite right!....not cheap (by my budget) but tick all the boxes in terms of service and quality (and BA flights form T5 at sensible time of day).

Having been to Croatia twice in the summer, I’d say spend your money somewhere else.
Some of the places are absolutely stunning but are absolutely heaving in the summer months & my kids were bored at the non sandy beaches.
IMO Croatia is the rubbish cousin of Italy. The food isn’t amazing unless you pay a lot for it.

Go to Puglia - great villas with pools & food that still makes my mouth water

Yes if I could afford Italy I'd go to Italy. Surely Croatia is a cheaper version of Italy?

If you really want to do the fly drive why don't you do it with cheaper hotels?

Honestly OP you are sounding fairly spoilt now.

If I was spending upto 10k I wouldn’t go to Croatia

That's interesting about what some people are saying about Italy. I feel the opposite. We spend well over £12k for 2 weeks on the Amal first coast and was so underwhelmed. I much preferred Croatia. Much more laid back.

We loved the snorkelling in Croatia
Then again we loved it in Italy
and Crete
and the Caribbean
Zanzibar was a bit crap though
and no beaches in snorkelling places are a bonus for us

@ComeOnGordon where would you recommend in Italy? If you see my post below, I was researching lots of activities in Croatia and they were coming in at £500 a day for a family. If it's no more in Italy to do the same sort of things like sailing, speed boats to islands, canyoning, tours and trips... I would definitely go as the food is better.

But everyone I have spoken to say it's a lot more expensive than the £4500 or so I have priced up for Croatia.

I'd love to do a proper like for like if you can recommend an area.

If you still want to do Canada you can definitely do that for way under £10k! Unless you’re planning on flying first class, flights will only be about £1700 for the four of you. Also, the pound is in a good position compared to the Canadian dollar - at 1.76.

Just saw your follow up post - are you really set on those hotels because in my experience it really isn’t worth the money.

Also, WestJet and AirTransat fly from Gatwick and are much cheaper (my flights to Vancouver this summer are half what I’d pay for Air Canada or BA)

Maybe if you were genuinely after thoughts on Croatia - just start a thread on anyone holidayed in Croatia?

‘I’m after a week in Croatia. Luxury. No set budget - what/where did everyone do/go/how much?’

Otherwise it is a bit odd. ‘I’ve got 10k. What’s Croatia like?’

Incidentally, my brother and his wife did a round the world kinda trip. Went to Australia, Thailand, New York, Italy, probably other places too. For about a month and spent 10k.