First time AI holiday in May half term?

[ritzbiscuits]

Starting to look at May half term holiday for next year for DH, DS 6 and me.

We've spent several years doing self catering holidays in France/Italy/Spain, mostly on campsites. We often hire a car and do day trips too. I'm sick of cooking on holiday and I really want a relaxing break.

Can anyone get me started in looking at AI options? Open to destination, but don't want to be in a massive hotel. Food is important, kids clubs less so as I don't think my son will go in one.

Is Turkey a good place to start? Any areas to avoid?

Turkey does AI the absolute best IMO.

You don't have to go AI though, you could do Half board anywhere.

One year we had a villa with a pool in turkey but also half board in the hotel connected to it. best of both worlds as by that point DC were no longer that bothered about multiple pools and slides and were happy to have our own space. Was also nice to have breakfast provided and a great evening meal but the freedom during the day to either be out and about or just grab our own bread and cheese etc.

Ai is fab though and it's a real experience and definitely look at reviews but remember that some folk like to go away and have "british" food and turn their nose up at freshly grilled fish and meats and beautiful turkish stews etc and then claim that choices were limited. There has always been plenty of choice for us as well some plainer and more recognisable options.

I am an AI convert. Pre kids it was my idea of hell. Then we tried a self catering holiday in France and I felt like a skivvy because there was no online shopping and the apartment kitchen was 1/4 the size of of our kitchen at home. The constant shopping, chopping, serving and cleaning up meant it wasn't a holiday at all. Next year we did AI and I'm not stopping them til the kids can cook. Zafiro menorca and mallorca are brilliant.

Thanks for your recommendations. DH has decided he doesn't want to do AI after all next year, I think he's not bought into being dropped off at a resort and being relatively tied to it.

We've found good school holiday flights to Venice so we've booked those and will be looking in that area to stay.

Hmm, he might not fancy AI but then it seems that it's you that has been left to do the cooking? So self catering doesn't impact him that much. We had a similar argument for a few years so we've done a mixture of different holiday types as we both work full time and I needed a holiday too. I think the deal is that if you go self catering then either lunch or dinner (but mainly dinner) has to be eaten out each day or he cooks. I enjoy both types to be honest and they each have their pluses and minuses. I don't mind breakfast/lunch in the villa and I like pottering about the local shops for stuff and I also quite like doing a couple of meals in over 10/12 day holiday, usually one bbq and one big one pot type meal (Paella/risotto/jambalaya etc), otherwise we eat out each evening just as we'd do in the hotel.

Hope you find somewhere good to stay, I stayed in a hotel in Rimini in my youth - beach goes on for miles - went for a walk down the beach and totally lost where my hotel was - got very hot and grumpy trying to track it down. :o

@WaxOnFeckOff Don't worry he will be cooking too! We're likely to go self catering but eat at least one main meal out per day. We don't mind have simple things like bread/cheeses/meats/salads for lunch and I'm sure a lot of pizza!