How to holiday cheaply with older kids

[Emmie2021]

Is this possible ?

I am a single mum and money is tight but so want to take my three teenagers away for a week somewhere sunny when can travel again.

Is renting a villa cheaper than all-inc? Any tips would be v welcome ) thanks !

Off the beaten track look at places the locals go on holiday, Cadiz in Spain is nice.

@Funf ooh I think I remember somebody I know going there

And self catering obv ?

Self catering and booking direct are cheaper than buying a package through a travel agent. At the moment, you’d have protection from a travel agent in the circumstance you couldn’t go - however if you book through booking.com and choose a pay on the day & cancellable at the last minute option then you wouldn’t loose out on accommodation costs. Booking direct with an airline is cheaper but check their Terms and Conditions re Covid and cancellations. If travel to a destination is ruled out by the Foreign Office they do have to refund you.

We usually self cater in apartments through either booking.com or AirBnB but mix that up with meals out. If you don’t mind cooking while you are away then it works well - I wouldn’t want to do it for every meal though as it’s nice to sit out at a restaurant with a glass of wine as well!

All inclusive / half board can be cheaper but if the kids are fussy its better self catering.

It is definitely cheaper to book direct with airlines and Booking.com or Airbnb if you're not a standard couple or 2 + 2 primary kids. The assorted supplements really stack up.

You can fiddle around with flight dates to get the cheapest combination then look at accommodation. An apartment gives you more space and gives you the option to self cater for a few nights. Lots of apartments have a shared pool and you can look at the maps to see how close they are to the beach

But it depends what you want and how confident you are.

A package is easier as the holiday company does the logistics for you so all you need to do is turn up at the airport.

Have you considered the cost of COVID tests? They will add hundreds of pounds onto your holiday budget, one test each flying out, one test each returning. Or are you talking about travelling in 2022?

Doesn’t that rather depend on the policy of the country they visit as well as what our policy will be when they return? It’s a moveable feast - I don’t know what our policy will be come the summer any more than you do or the cost of a Covid test at that point. Yes it could add hundreds onto their holiday, equally it might not.

Sorry, re reading that it comes across as a bit harsh! Apologies @girlywhirly, the point I was making though is that who the heck knows at this point what requirements either end will be as let’s face it, it’s all change on a monthly basis in the last 12 months.

I agree, there are a lot of unknowns. Surely though, if Martin Lewis on Moneysavingexpert.com was moved to talk about it, any prospective added expense to a holiday abroad should be factored in, especially if cost is an issue? I mean, not having proof of a negative test in future could mean being refused boarding a plane and incurring more cost if another flight had to be booked. I’d guess that proof of a negative COVID test will be more important to the airport staff than a proof of vaccination.

Who knows :-)? It’s not yet known for sure if an inoculated person can/cannot carry the virus. Like last summer, air corridors may exist again in the summer.

I completely agree that cost of testing may add hundreds on but it’s equally plausible it may not. The most sensible thing is to not book till the last minute (which personally we didn’t do!) and play everything by ear. As a family, we ruled out going abroad last year but plenty of people did go. It’s all such a circus!

House swap with another family with teenagers perhaps? That way you get a car, comfortable accommodation, local contacts, pet care etc thrown in.

Hi all - thanks for the responses !

Yeah I’m not planning this trip unless things are settled re Covid such as travel corridors / vaccine certificates , whatever

We are lucky we live in a beautiful part of the country so happy to wait till it’s more straightforward to travel abroad !

Ai can work out cheaper if you get a good deal in a less prestigious resort but if you can book cheap flights or are willing to drive self catering can be cheaper- west coast of France is a good option, lots of gites or mobile homes available, surfing is good, supermarkets and local market for food. Cheap wine. We used the Portsmouth-Caen crossing to reduce driving times

Depends what you're into and enjoy doing. AI with teens means every snack/meal/drink is catered for (which soon adds up with 3 teens I'm sure!). There will also be other teens and stuff to do in an AI hotel. However, to get good AI you need to pay, as the cheaper ones aren't great.

A villa would be good, if they all get on well and will entertain each other without needing to 'make friends'. You can please yourself more with meal times etc, but will end up shopping and cooking unless you eat out a lot.

So pros and cons for both, which prob isn't that helpful .

Incase house swaps do appeal to you, we find https://www.homeexchange.com pretty good.

Thanks I love the houseswap idea - we live in Cornwall so hopefully would appeal to someone to swap with us

I’ve found Loveholidays good, play around with dates. I think all inclusive holidays can work out good value with older DC who like to eat and drink a lot.

We did houseswap holidays through www.homelink.org a few years ago and would recommend. A bit more effort leaving the house clean and tidy, clearing wardrobe space before you go, leaving a folder with details of shops, places to visit etc. but very much worth it.
We've also stayed with people in their own homes through www.couchsurfing.com which has been a great way of travelling and getting an insight into a country and cultures. I took my teenage daughter and her friend couchsurfing in Germany in 2019 and we stayed with hosts in Leipzig, Dresden, Bavaria and the Rhineland (although paid for accommodation in Berlin as weren't able to find a host there).
You could also check out workaways and see if any of those are of interest (I don't know much about these).

Are you limited to summer holidays OP? We have gone away over christmas now that the dc are older and aren't into it, prices are a fraction of the summer time and the weather in Algarve, Morocco or Costa del Sol is really nice. We get a car and do lots of exploring, the great thing about going away off peak is that attractions are empty so you really get value for money.

The way we keep costs down is by forward planning - we book longhaul flights pretty much as soon as they're released (and I keep an eye on prices throughout the year to get a feel for what is a good deal), tend to go self-catering, as we all prefer to stay somewhere with our own pool rather than a big hotel-type complex, and a trip to overseas supermarkets is part of the fun! Driving to France (and beyond!) can be quite cost effective - the Tunnel is MUCH cheaper than the ferries, and quicker. Although quite a long drive to Dover for us, we still do it as the Tunnel can be a fifth of the price of a more local ferry.

Every summer we also do a big group holiday with friends, and hire a big villa. This means you tend to get some great facilities but at a fraction of the 'shared' cost. So massive gardens, big pools, maybe a ping pong table or something, but the cost shared between you all is so much lower than finding a smaller place just for your family. Plus there's guaranteed entertainment for all of you - the kids can go off themselves, and the adults can drink wine .