Sunny holiday novice! Where to go with 2&7yo in August?

[InsolentAnnie]

We usually go away in the caravan in the UK but this year we really want to take the kids somewhere sunny where they can play in the pool and on the beach. We want to avoid the ‘England with sun’ vibe - ideally somewhere that feels a bit more Spanishy/Greek/wherever, though purpose built is still fine as long as it’s not full of English cafes and Irish bars. I like pottering round old towns, visiting interesting places (eg I liked visiting the volcanoes in Lanzarote, boat trips in Corfu and Zante - but that was twenty years ago!). AI or full board would be a bonus as we’re on a budget - we love good food but we’ve accepted that it’ll probably be mediocre on our budget! Doesn’t have to be anywhere fancy but does need to be clean and not rowdy. Our budget is small - somewhere between £1500-2k, which is pretty restrictive. Might be able to go over a bit if it’s amazing.

Please hit me with your recommendations! I’ve looked at Gran Canaria, Son Parc and Son Bou in Menorca, Calheta in Madeira… Pollensa sounds nice too but I’m feeling quite overwhelmed and don’t know much about any of them! Bit wary of Turkey / Tunisia / Morocco at the moment so would rather avoid there. I love Greece but it seems quite a lot more expensive than Spain at the moment. We need to go penultimate or last week in August.

[InsolentAnnie]

Oh and we need to fly from the north west!

[TheLoupGarou]

Watching with interest! I'd like to take the kids abroad this year if we can.

[Beck01]

How about Mijas. Small cute village in Malaga.
We took DSS 7 and DS 11, when i was 7 months pregnant.

Not crowded or too British 20 minutes to Marbella if you do fancy being around fellow Brits.

[Fivemoreminutes1]

If you’re on a budget, consider a Eurocamp holiday and go for their all inclusive package www.eurocamp.co.uk/holiday-types/full-on-fun/inclusive-options We had a lovely stay at Pra Delle Torri and did a day trip to Venice.

[EileenGC]

First, I would look at flights. NW so I assume Manchester or Leeds for departure? Go on Skyscanner, put Manchester -> anywhere, and select random dates at the end of August. Try mid-week if that's not an issue for you as they tend to be cheaper. See what comes up, play around with airports and dates a bit. Not sure of your exact location but if same distance to Glasgow, consider using that airport instead as Scottish holidays will be over by then.

Once you've narrowed it down to a destination you can get cheap flights to, look for accommodation next. Decide if you want a city or a small beach nearby, and research accordingly.

Or, if you're looking at package holidays especially for the AI element, then go on those websites and narrow it down by destination first.

[Summersdreaming]

Is your toddler ok with the heat? The last week of August in the canaries and greek islands could be 35°+ I've known it to get close to 40° in the canaries during a calima.

[Summersdreaming]

That being said, I'm struggling to find much under £2000 with a similar criteria for 3 people this summer, I'm hoping for a last minute deal!

[EileenGC]

I've just done a random search Manchester-Tenerife and you can get return flights for 4 people for under £800 with Ryanair (less if you only take 2 big suitcases between you), and there are a few AI, and plenty of half-board hotels on booking.com for £900-1k. That's for 1 week in August, so it's definitely doable. It's not a luxurious type of holiday with 27 different kids' clubs and private transfers from the airports though...

[Ohhelpicantthinkofaname]

If you put your details into on the beach and search by price there a few places in Spain (canaries) and turkey that have AI for your budget. They seem to have reasonable reviews.

Greece is a bit more if you want AI, but if you’re happy to get an apartment and eat out you’d be able to find flights and accommodation for under £1500. Corfu and Crete are usually the best value islands. We have a week in Corfu at the end of august B&B including fights, hotel, transfers and insurance for £1500. Prices have increased since we booked, but still some good deals about.

[Roselilly36]

Very tight budget for August. PP’s are right about the heat at that time of year, we visited Minorca late August one year, the heat was unbearable, never again.

[Pearlyqueen21]

@Fivemoreminutes1

If you’re on a budget, consider a Eurocamp holiday and go for their all inclusive package www.eurocamp.co.uk/holiday-types/full-on-fun/inclusive-options We had a lovely stay at Pra Delle Torri and did a day trip to Venice.

I also recommend considering Eurocamp - I’ve never tried their Inclusive option, but looking at this link I can highly recommend one of the sites, St Avit Loisirs. Fly to Bordeaux or Bergerac. I actually picked the site on the basis of where we could fly to cheaply 👍

[InsolentAnnie]

Thanks all. Managed to find half board in quiet, not massively touristy resort in last week of August, apartments with fab reviews and a small kids’ waterpark for £1800 (Canaries). It took literally hours of research but I think I’ve actually found the proverbial needle in a haystack..! Absolutely fed up to the back teeth of holiday websites now…!