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Holidays

Use our Travel forum for recommendations on everything from day trips to the best family-friendly holiday destinations.

Afford something nice in the school holidays

38 replies

imdad · 16/02/2020 12:40

Hi there,

I have spent weeks, literally, looking for a decent holiday during the summer school holidays (we’re both teachers). We have a budget of £3k. This isn’t much to some but it is to us. Two adults and two children.

The only hotels we can find are 3-star dumps to be honest. Prices have really shot up this year!

Are there any other locations that the mainstream are not aware of so much that can give us a little bit of luxury..... I have even looked at Eurocamp or the like but cooking and cleaning doesn’t seem much like a holiday if I’m honest.

Who would know finding holidays is so stressful? Sounds awful compared to the real problems out there in the world but oh well - this is my problem today...

Any help would be great. Thanks

OP posts:
KoalasandRabbit · 16/02/2020 13:58

What is the budget to cover? I find different people have different definitions of cost on here - when I give a budget its for everything we will spend, flights, seat reservations, all food, all activities, car hire, petrol, hotels but lots of people it just seems to be flights plus accomodation.

fairgame84 · 16/02/2020 14:15

I found a few within budget. 4*.

Afford something nice in the school holidays
sendhelpppppp · 16/02/2020 14:17

Try onthebeach or similar. I always find them much cheaper than tui and the like.

Ricekrispie22 · 16/02/2020 14:40

We do Eurocamp-style holidays but choose sites which have a choice of restaurants either on the park itself or within walking distance. Bonus if there’s a take-away service too! Camping des Mures even has a cleaning service available for the end of your stay! www.camping-des-mures.com/en/

We’ve also stayed at a couple of Pierre et Vacances sites. The Port-Bourgenay one had a half-board option and a choice of restaurants as well as a bread/pastry delivery service.

Choufleur · 16/02/2020 14:44

We’re going to France (la baule - beautiful big bay in the Loire) for a week followed by 2 nights in bayeux. 2 bed apartment in la baule was £800. Ferry is £480. I have no intention of cooking every day but don’t mind doing a bit for lunch etc.

We prefer self catering to hotels as you generally get more space. Also hate full board/all inclusive as I want the option to wander around and find something nice to eat.

KoalasandRabbit · 16/02/2020 14:59

If you are just looking for a week last year we did Sweden and Norway. Norway was crazily expensive but Sweden wasn't too bad. Flights were very cheap with Ryanair, maybe £200 return for 4 of us to Stockholm, we stayed here and it was lovely - only similar temperatures to UK in summer so 20C ish but it was really lovely and our kids loved it. There's lots of alpacas, llamas and chicken on site - its amazingly clean too - kids can see them everyday and feed them and you can pay extra to walk the alpacas. It's a B&B with evenings meals on site - breakfast is huge so we didn't need lunch. There's unlimited free hot chocolate / coffee etc all day. It's £1191 via Booking.com for a week end of July for a family of 4 including breakfast - evening meals roughly £10 per person for mains so say £50 for the meal including drinks.

You do need a hire car - not masses in the area but enough for up to a week - silvermine, moose farm, canoeing, beaver safari etc. Guy who runs it Paul is lovely - one of the kindest owners ever met. www.booking.com/hotel/se/norrangens-alpacka.html?label=gen173nr-1DCAEoggI46AdIM1gEaFCIAQGYATG4ARfIAQzYAQPoAQH4AQKIAgGoAgO4ApGqpfIFwAIB;sid=96bca6812b08bddae3f2ab0646c9edf0;age=8;age=8;all_sr_blocks=50438403_139533088_0_2_0;checkin=2020-07-26;checkout=2020-08-02;dest_id=-2474986;dest_type=city;dist=0;group_adults=2;group_children=2;hapos=1;highlighted_blocks=50438403_139533088_0_2_0;hpos=1;no_rooms=1;req_adults=2;req_age=8;req_age=8;req_children=2;room1=A%2CA%2C8%2C8;sb_price_type=total;sr_order=popularity;sr_pri_blocks=50438403_139533088_0_2_0__1504999;srepoch=1581864365;srpvid=877a67d67a4a005e;type=total;ucfs=1&#hotelTmpl

RedskyAtnight · 16/02/2020 15:08

How old are the children? What sort of place are you looking for? What do you like doing?
Is the budget to cover everything or just travel/accommodation?

We've done holidays such as booking a cottage in France that shares a swimming pool and driven via EuroTunnel.

Last year we went to Austria, booking cheap flights and doing a mix of outdoor activities and sightseeing. Think that might have been a bit over 3K but was a fortnight.

ScribblingMilly · 16/02/2020 17:10

Thomson Lakes and Mountains is worth a look.

shellyandlayla · 16/02/2020 17:30

Choufleur DS1 is at school is in La Baule - we live about an hour away. It is gorgeous!

SJaneS48 · 16/02/2020 17:47

Cheap flights to Nice then an AirBnB apartment in the old town. Go swimming at the child friendly beach in Villefranche (10 minutes away by train) and do a mix of self catering and eating out. The train line at Nice connects the Riviera towns so do day trips to Cannes, Monaco etc. Will come in very comfortably in budget.

Hairydilemma · 16/02/2020 17:55

We stayed here a couple of years ago and while it’s not luxury, it was very nice - officially 4 star though Jet2 give it 3. It comes up at £1900 leaving on 24 July.

I think if you’re discerning in the 3-star you pick, you can find some nice places - just look at the tripadvisor ratings. I used to be a real hotel snob but with three children now I have to look a bit harder... we’ve stayed in some lovely 3 star places in the last few years.

www.jet2holidays.com/beach/portugal/algarve/carvoeiro/colina-da-lapa?ds_rl=1206481&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIlsHEmtHW5wIVx7HtCh04kgjcEAAYASAAEgLPafD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

ceeveebee · 16/02/2020 17:59

We have managed summer holidays on about that budget the last 2 years
-Italy -we flew to Pisa and stayed in a combination of Eurocamp and agrituriamos which are like b&b’s usually converted farms etc an very reasonable
www.agriturismo.it/

  • France - Flights to La Rochelle which is very close to il de re - we stayed at
Résidence Odalys Rêve d'île
KoalasandRabbit · 16/02/2020 18:16

Magic Natura is great for kids - AI with waterpark and animal park on site as well as entertainment etc - its £2,500 for a week AI including waterpark and animal park end of August on Booking.com 25/8 to 1/9, obviously flights to Benidorm on top but plenty to keep kids entertained for a week on site and included.

KoalasandRabbit · 16/02/2020 18:17

I often find last week of August even going into early September if you can (may be difficult if teachers though) can bring prices down as some countries school holidays are over.

Ponyta123 · 16/02/2020 18:37

Brittany ferries do some really nice and affordable package holidays

RippleEffects · 16/02/2020 19:11

How old are the DC?

DH is a teacher so we do school holiday times only.

For much less than your budget in school hols we've done 4 nights 4* New York two luxury rooms all meals, transfers and spending money.

11 days around Italy. 1st class trains staying in Florrence in a nice big apartment for a few nights including train down to Rome, then train back upto Venice and we stayed out at Lido de Jeslo but got the ferry across to Venice. In Florence we had breakfast in the apartment (fresh pastries every day), we tended to have street type snacks from the covered market for one meal and restaurant another. In lido we stayed in a three bed mobile home on the beach and cooked more (I love cooking though) that break was under £1500 all expenses, travel, food for the five of us.

Luxury rental in Croatia with flights. Five beds, three bathrooms, multiple terraces, swimming pool, small football pitch around £600 for a week. Easy jet flights were £300 and car hire was £15/ day. We self catered and drank lots of local wine. Again an Easter break.

Last summer we went Eurostar to Paris and had four nights in a nice hotel. That was about £1000 so quite a bit for us.

Hamburg just after Christmas was only a few hundred in a central hotel with flights. Berlin at Easter was similar. Vienna at Christmas in an apartment for a few nights similar too.

Chamonix was another lovely one. Flights and acomodation under £500 for 5 nights. We did spend a fair bit £200ish on 3 day lift passes to go up the mountain, on the mountain train etc. Well worth it though.

Prague for a week, massive apartment right on the Danube by the famous bridge, name escapes me, so great for restaurants and fresh baked goods for breakfast. Acommodation and flights were about £1000/ week night of summer but eating out, travel and entrances were really cheap.

If you're near a town and don't need holiday clubs, I find apartments/ houses much nicer than all being hauled up in a hotel room. I cant get my head around the price difference. In Chamonix a 3 bed appartment was £200 for the 5 nights (autumn half term very end of summer season) 1 room in a hotel for the 5 of us was £200/ night. I do budget for the food. Breakfasts the DC loved coming along to buy baguettes, hot croissants and lots of meats. I liked having a big pot of coffee on the go and a fridge to keep some wine for when the DC retreated to their own space. Being well located means lots of restaurant food choices.

We've been to Iceland summer and winter and Denmark. Again luxury accommodation and semi catering. Both amazing countries.

Another option that would fall well within your budget is a cruise. Southampton to Southampton gives you various options. We've done the P and O mini breaks taking in bruges and Guernsey and a week cruise to the Norweigen Fjords (worth paying for a balcony to enjoy the views on that one)

This Easter were back to Italy flying to Naples as we missed Pompeii off our tour and regret it.

When we were in Hamburg I picked up a leaflet on a safari park near by that had sleeping lodges and safari tents in amongst the animals. It was very affordable and is on my list as a future tour possibility flying into Hamburg (the DC loved miniature wonderland) couple of hotel nights Hamburg, few nights safari lodge, few nights in a thermal spa somewhere then fly back from wherever is nearby. DS1 loves train travel so we'd hop around by train between locations.

If you say a little more about ages and interests I'd be up for throwing a few more of our destination details into the mix.

Anotherdayanothernight · 16/02/2020 19:32

Have you looked in to booking flights and accommodation separately?

BananaBooBoo · 16/02/2020 19:50

Wow @RippleEffects all your trips sound fantastic x

RippleEffects · 16/02/2020 20:01

I hope that doesn't come across as gloating @BananaBooBoo DS1 is autistic and everything in life needs to be meticulously planned. I find travel and exposing him to different environments has expanded his understanding that different people and places operate in different ways.

Before children, my travel had been just a few travel packages but now they don't/ can't meet our requirements, a whole new world of travel has opened up to us - a positive autism family spin off. We don't go out or have hobbies, live a simple routine bound life, so travel is our big indulgence.

imdad · 16/02/2020 21:53

@RippleEffects - thank you for taking the time to provide so many great opportunities for us to explore!

I feel almost embarrassed that I’m stressing not being able to find holidays. I think I need to look further than Tui and Jet2.

Our children are 9 and 5. We have been to Majorca a few time’s with them and they do really enjoy the typical sea and sand - spending everyday by the pool type holiday to be fair but apart from a few trips to EuroDisney that’s all they have experienced....

I’m wondering if they would enjoy different places - I imagine they would!

Thank you to you all too - it’s very kind of you to suggest the different ideas. I’ve got lots to be looking at now.

My wife and I were feeling a little ‘so so’ last year about eating when we were told to, sitting at the same table multiple times per day, fighting for sun-beds every morning!

I’ll get looking now.

Thanks

OP posts:
BeardedMum · 16/02/2020 21:59

We do Airbnb and get cheap flights which we book early to get the best deals. We self cater and only have a few meals out which save a fortune.
The alps are amasing in summer. The German alps are not that expensive. Hiking and swimming in the lakes doesn’t cost anything.

BarbaraofSeville · 17/02/2020 08:51

Don't get hung up on star ratings and probably best to avoid all inclusive unless you want to pay a lot more than £3k.

However, self catering doesn't have to involve much in the way of 'cooking and cleaning'.

We stayed here which can be booked directly, via On the Beach or via package operators like jet2 amongst others.

Small private pool, dishwasher and washing machine, barbecue, walking distance to beaches, marina, restaurants and a reasonable supermarket. Lots of activities on Lanzarote (volcano park, water park, caves, waterpark).

Stock up with drinks, ice creams, snacks and easy food like fresh bread, ready made pizza, barbecue food from the supermarket and plan to eat out at least once a day.

Everyone pulls their weight with regard to food provision and the only cleaning required is keeping the kitchen usable and sweeping up the worst of the sand etc on checkout day.

Better experience than mid range AI and a lot cheaper than a la carte AI.

caulkheaded · 17/02/2020 08:53

We use “flymeanywhere” and look for cheap flights with the dates we want and then find an Airbnb at that destination.

MonitorLiz · 17/02/2020 08:59

I've just gone into TUI and put: Spain, Greece , any London airport, 11 August then filtered on 4 star, loads of choice Smile

parrotonmyshoulder · 17/02/2020 09:05

We always have to do school holidays as I’m a teacher and the children are primary aged. We do Airbnb a lot and have never spent more than your budget on a holiday, including flights and travel.