Holiday Help!

[LazyDoll]

Hi,

Myself and my family (husband and 3 children aged 7/9/11) have holidayed exclusively in the U.K. since the children were born bar one trip earlier this year to explore the Artic circle area for a snowy adventure.

We're keen to get exploring more as a family but are finding cost prohibitive.

We've thought a week away in the Easter holidays or May half term may be cheaper.

The children are very keen to go in a sea without wetsuits and that's their only requirement!!

We'd like somewhere with some water sports options, maybe a water park, nice beach and not too touristy/bit off the beaten track. Our idea of holiday hell would be all inclusive and not leaving the hotel complex to give you more info.

Open to advice re accommodation. Always do glamping/holiday cottages in U.K.

Just don't really know where to start!!

Any help gratefully received.

A lot of water parks don’t open until May (and are already closed by October half term). So I’d advise that you check their opening times carefully. Especially if they are attached to a hotel (the information can be somewhat buried).

We recently went to Valencia, cost £650 (total) 3 of us flying with Ryanair and using Airbnb, plus spends on top. Great parks, beach and plenty to do for kids. Airbnb often is much cheaper than hotels and easier with kids.

I've got a week in portugal in the summer holidays. It's an apartment with acccess to three pools, walking distance to beach, near a water park etc and in a quiet not too touristy area for just over £1300. There's only 4 of us however, the larger apartment and an extra fight would have set us back an extra £300 or so. But still well under £2k so long as you don't mind self catering and book early.

Have a play on the Easy jet website or similar - airbnb makes things more do-able. We got cheap(ish) flights to Milan last May half term, hired a car and drive down to Tuscany. The Italian lakes might be an option (not the sea but almost as good as). If not, other airports that are not your typical resorts.

We went away for a month this summer (whole of August) to France and Spain, drove and camped for 3 weeks in our tent and 1 week in a gite in South of France at the end and it came in at just over £4k all in. If you can get 2 weeks off rather than trying to squeeze it all into 1 week you wouldn't need to fly and that might actually save you money even allowing for a longer holiday. If you enjoy travel and exploring, the journey can be part of the holiday.

Dover Calais ferry cost £200 and that's for our massive van with a bike carrier and roof box, it may well be cheaper in a car. Campsites were all around 40 Euros a night. Even if you are not campers, look at the Cool Camping website for ideas - they have lots of glamping options if you don't have a tent.

We went here once and should be within your budget - we booked via Booking.com a deluxe mobile home which was lovely with massive flatscreen TV, leather sofas and all mod cons. There's a 50 metre pool on site which is heated when its not hot enough and a giant waterslide. Beach 900m. Self catering but food on site. Entertainment in evenings if you want it, very good rock band playing.

www.eurocamp.co.uk/campsites/rivieraandprovence/rv053-domaine-des-naiades/ataglance.html

I booked a really cheap post A level holiday for DD and her friends through lollipop.co.uk. It redirected me to booking.com, but was cheaper than going direct to booking.com.

The flights were with Ryanair and you get the option to add on accommodation and transfers. A week at the end of June worked out at under £300 per person self catering to Lanzarote.

Tinytreefrog can you tell me where you are staying in Portugal please. We have flights booked to Faro but struggling to find accommodation with a choice of pools outside of a really touristy area.

One year we went here and it was quite cheap and off beaten track but did go in September.

www.albarella.it/en

I would guess you would fly somewhere like Venice and hire a car to get there - Ryanair has cheap flights. It's a bit like an Italian centreparcs so pool etc on site. Only thing was restaurants were very pricey and its on an island.

We had 10 days in the istria region of croatia at the end of september. The sea was lovely and warm, but everything was starting to close for the end of season, so may not be an option for an October half term destination.

Tiny tree frog could you send me that info at all please?

I think it would need to be May or summer. October is probably too late on in the year. Totally happy with Airbnb. Camping - go several times in UK a year for weekend breaks. Would need 2 weeks if doing this option and no chance of going out of school holidays as can't take all 3 children out of school(s).

CaitlinOhara that sounds like an awesome summer 😎

Namechanged that sounds like a good plan.

france is amazing.the loire.the Dordogne.and then all inclusive sights that do canvas etc can have some amazing sites.not too over populated if you keep out of the south.and if you go onto the actual sites of the places they have some great little mobile homes,gites,safari homes.and its more like staying in a village.spacious.bit of company when you need it.bars.pancake house.restaurent and acitvitys on site and off if you want it.pool and sea in many.lakes more like the sea in many too.going to sleep hearing other camper and stayer around but quiet enough.some of the best memories ever from france holidays.also France has some exclent self catered places.

Croatia though for that sea through sea.no wetsuit amazing...amazing though if you do your research to pick the right spot.
for family holidays though.those night eating out in the towns.those calm but warm days.id choose france any day.no better place.

Egypt is really. Heap and water will be warm. If you stay in Hurgada you might be able to do a day trip to the ancient Egypt sites, really depending on security and safety. Hurgatda is also a village. Sharm el sheik has more sun but it is really al about snorkeling and beach life
Tunisia will also be a lot cheaper but the Mediterranean Sea will be cooler than the Red Sea. I went to Morocco years ago in August and it was one of my most freezing holiday.

Fuerteventura - south, Jandia area - warm sea and sand

Neilson Beachclub Holiday....multiple destinations and large range children's water based activities ( writing as we speak from their Club Vounaki in Greece)

Mark Warner - similar options

Following for inspiration. The last few years we have done eurocamp, and we have heard good things about yelloh village holidays too. I think you would find plenty of options if you looked on either of their websites.

Not Portugal. I love it there but the sea is cold! It’s the Atlantic. Seriously, I swam there in August once and it was the coldest sea I’ve ever swum in.

@LazyDoll I've pm'd you the details.

The sea in Portugal won be as warm as the med, but it says the average temp for august is 21C which is still much much warmer than the sea in the U.K.!

@elizabethcharlotte I have pm'd you too.

I have just booked 6 nights in a stunning two bedroom apartment. Lovely terrace leading on to gardens. Three pools on site. 5 min walk to lovely marina and 5min walk to beach.

Menorca

Ba flights for one adult and two children £520
Accom £900

Went to same area (Cala n bosh) two years ago. Exquisite and so much to do

That’s August 2019

I think Cyprus would be good in October. Still sunny, but no so oppressively hot as it is in the Summer. Plenty of "off the beaten track" things to do as only the big resorts are developed. There's the Troodos mountains, protected nature areas, jeep safaris, waterfalls, the history of the Turkish occupied areas (must sees are the split capital Niscosia and the ghost town of Famagusta). At least 3 waterparks (Paphos, Ayia Napa and Limassol). Long walks around the coastline. Lots of bays/coves for swimming in the med. Ancient history (mosaics, ampitheatre, forts, tombs). As it's Eastern Med it has a much longer season than the typical Med resorts.

Assuming Brexit does not nadger things

Easter breaks with sea swimming - and snorkelling with fish ....

Crete - Chania area
Croatia - Stari Grad on Hvar island