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

Original poster

If you have booked a holiday abroad for Summer 2023...

26 replies

Acunningruse · 08/08/2022 10:30

...in school summer holidays, and not had to sell a kidney, just HOW?!

Our same holiday to Italy this year with Eurocamp would be £1000 more next summer and we can't justify it- that's without rising car hire and petrol and food costs.

We would go anywhere within reason abroad for guaranteed sun and chance for DCs to experience a different culture. Budget up to 2500 for everything. I'm really struggling to find anything at all less than 3500.

OP posts:
maranella · 08/08/2022 13:54

You can do a holiday abroad for that price OP, but you may have to alter how you travel. Can you drive, for instance? When I was a kid my DPs didn't have a lot of money, so we all piled into the car, took the ferry or Le Shuttle to Calais and we drove. If we needed to stay a night on route then Formule 1 or Mercure are reasonably priced. We'd stay in a gite or similar and we went to many European countries that way.

Rose13579 · 08/08/2022 17:59

I’ve been looking at holidays for next year and been thinking exactly the same! It’s ridiculously expensive! I wonder if the prices will come down in the Autumn!?

Jollygreen · 08/08/2022 18:01

We've booked a less nice hotel, but it still looks fine.

And instead of hiring a car so we can travel around we're just getting the airport shuttle.

We'll eat in cheaper restaurants.

poorbuthappy · 08/08/2022 18:03

Yes to the driving. We've just come back from a week in the Loire valley. 3 bed gite with shared pool £1k accomodation. Tunnel £300 return. Diesel £250. Spent £800. Family of five.

Simonjt · 08/08/2022 18:16

We’ve been finding the same, we were going to book the same place in Spain and the same holiday will be around £1,700 more!

Grumpybutfunny · 08/08/2022 18:19

We were going to do Europe in the summer but ££££. We are going to book the Caribbean for October and take DS out for two weeks again.

XelaM · 08/08/2022 20:38

We're lucky as my daughter's school finishes on 7th July, so we can book a bit earlier to avoid the worst price hikes. Booked AI in Spain (4 star hotel with waterslides and near beach) for 2 people came at just under £900 with flights

Lochroy · 08/08/2022 20:40

£1850 for for basic flights only for four to Mallorca next May half term. We're not going.

bellac11 · 08/08/2022 20:47

Because Im nosy I just did a search for Spain on airbnb, last week of July next year, under £200 a night, theres over 675 results, many of them around 700 for a week and under 1k. Thats for a family of four but many came up with more rooms.

Obviously you need to add in flights but if you use public transport to get around it neednt be extortionate.

StorieAnna · 08/08/2022 20:47

We gave up looking this year when the usual hotel/flight package had increased from £2,900 to £5,200 ( or thereabouts) for a week.
Instead we have a week in a cottage in France - still £2,000 plus all ferry costs, diesel etc.

I haven’t dare not even look for next year.

wingingit33 · 08/08/2022 21:07

We've booked Mexico in Easter holidays, 10 days all inclusive for under £5k for five of us which is what we paid for Majorca last month! We'll do a cheapy Europe in the summer.

2catsand2kids · 09/08/2022 07:43

We’re currently on a Greek island at a gorgeous family run hotel with a pool and bear beautiful beaches. We’ve done 8 nights and the whole holiday for flights, hotel, private transfers (including a boat) and all our food, drinks and activities will be £2500 for a family of four. I booked all of the bits separately and (depending on the cost of flights) could do the same next summer too. We also have a cruise booked next summer for 7 nights round the med in may half term and that will come to approx £3k for absolutely everything (including two nights in Venice venue the cruise starts). I was also looking at another cruise which goes from Southampton in the summer holidays up to Scandinavia and that was £1700 for four of us. I was searching on Easter holidays and they had a number of holidays either half board or all inclusive to Greece, Portugal or the Balearics for £2-2.8k next summer holidays for four people. So there definitely are good deals to be had you just have to search a bit for them (but I love searching for holidays so will happily spend hours doing it)!

2catsand2kids · 09/08/2022 08:14

Supposed to say easyJet holidays not Easter!

elizabethcharlotte · 09/08/2022 08:46

2catsand2kids · 09/08/2022 07:43

We’re currently on a Greek island at a gorgeous family run hotel with a pool and bear beautiful beaches. We’ve done 8 nights and the whole holiday for flights, hotel, private transfers (including a boat) and all our food, drinks and activities will be £2500 for a family of four. I booked all of the bits separately and (depending on the cost of flights) could do the same next summer too. We also have a cruise booked next summer for 7 nights round the med in may half term and that will come to approx £3k for absolutely everything (including two nights in Venice venue the cruise starts). I was also looking at another cruise which goes from Southampton in the summer holidays up to Scandinavia and that was £1700 for four of us. I was searching on Easter holidays and they had a number of holidays either half board or all inclusive to Greece, Portugal or the Balearics for £2-2.8k next summer holidays for four people. So there definitely are good deals to be had you just have to search a bit for them (but I love searching for holidays so will happily spend hours doing it)!

We are looking into going to Greece next year. We've never been before and I'm a but overwhelmed with all the research! Would you mind sharing where you are staying please?

TheSoundOfMucus · 09/08/2022 08:48

2catsand2kids · 09/08/2022 07:43

We’re currently on a Greek island at a gorgeous family run hotel with a pool and bear beautiful beaches. We’ve done 8 nights and the whole holiday for flights, hotel, private transfers (including a boat) and all our food, drinks and activities will be £2500 for a family of four. I booked all of the bits separately and (depending on the cost of flights) could do the same next summer too. We also have a cruise booked next summer for 7 nights round the med in may half term and that will come to approx £3k for absolutely everything (including two nights in Venice venue the cruise starts). I was also looking at another cruise which goes from Southampton in the summer holidays up to Scandinavia and that was £1700 for four of us. I was searching on Easter holidays and they had a number of holidays either half board or all inclusive to Greece, Portugal or the Balearics for £2-2.8k next summer holidays for four people. So there definitely are good deals to be had you just have to search a bit for them (but I love searching for holidays so will happily spend hours doing it)!

Sounds gorgeous! Can you PM me the hotel please! Thank you.

pennee · 09/08/2022 08:51

2catsand2kids · 09/08/2022 07:43

We’re currently on a Greek island at a gorgeous family run hotel with a pool and bear beautiful beaches. We’ve done 8 nights and the whole holiday for flights, hotel, private transfers (including a boat) and all our food, drinks and activities will be £2500 for a family of four. I booked all of the bits separately and (depending on the cost of flights) could do the same next summer too. We also have a cruise booked next summer for 7 nights round the med in may half term and that will come to approx £3k for absolutely everything (including two nights in Venice venue the cruise starts). I was also looking at another cruise which goes from Southampton in the summer holidays up to Scandinavia and that was £1700 for four of us. I was searching on Easter holidays and they had a number of holidays either half board or all inclusive to Greece, Portugal or the Balearics for £2-2.8k next summer holidays for four people. So there definitely are good deals to be had you just have to search a bit for them (but I love searching for holidays so will happily spend hours doing it)!

Which cruise company are you using, if you don't mind sharing.

XelaM · 09/08/2022 09:43

elizabethcharlotte · 09/08/2022 08:46

We are looking into going to Greece next year. We've never been before and I'm a but overwhelmed with all the research! Would you mind sharing where you are staying please?

Show quote history

I'm obviously not the poster you asked, but the best holiday we have ever had with my daughter was at the Cyprotel Faliraki in Rhodes. The hotel has several different pools with waterslides, which are amazing for kids, great food and the beaches nearby are amazing with the clearest water I have ever seen (despite being sandy beaches). We also loved the shops, restaurants etc nearby.

XelaM · 09/08/2022 09:44

And Rhodes is GORGEOUS with an incredible Medieval city centre and Lindos being two absolute highlights.

courtrai · 09/08/2022 09:47

Rather than booking through eurocamp see if the campsite offers private rentals. In France many do, not sure about Italy. They tend to be significantly cheaper although you may not have access to eurocamp animation programme

elizabethcharlotte · 09/08/2022 09:52

XelaM · 09/08/2022 09:44

And Rhodes is GORGEOUS with an incredible Medieval city centre and Lindos being two absolute highlights.

Thank you! I will check it out.

2catsand2kids · 09/08/2022 09:53

@elizabethcharlotte and @TheSoundOfMucus we are staying at Hotel Meganisi on Meganisi. It is a beautiful family owned hotel that I found out about when someone else recommended it on mumsnet a couple of years ago. We booked direct with the hotel and it’s €120 a night for a two bedroom family suite b&b. The hotel organised the transfer for us (45 minute taxi ride and 15 minute boat ride) after flying into Preveza. It is very chilled out, there are no kids clubs or water slides but a beautiful pool, stunning scenery, amazing food and very friendly staff. They run a mini bus to the nearest beach every day and we also hired a boat for a day and went round the island. I would definitely come back again.

@pennee the one round the med next may half term is royal Caribbean and the one from Southampton in the summer holidays is Princess. We’ve never taken a cruise before and I’ma but nervous that I’ll hate it but I’m sure the kids (9 and 11) will love it and they’re certainly looking forward to the unlimited food and the kids clubs, plus the ports it’s stopping at all look fantastic.

elizabethcharlotte · 09/08/2022 10:57

2catsand2kids · 09/08/2022 09:53

@elizabethcharlotte and @TheSoundOfMucus we are staying at Hotel Meganisi on Meganisi. It is a beautiful family owned hotel that I found out about when someone else recommended it on mumsnet a couple of years ago. We booked direct with the hotel and it’s €120 a night for a two bedroom family suite b&b. The hotel organised the transfer for us (45 minute taxi ride and 15 minute boat ride) after flying into Preveza. It is very chilled out, there are no kids clubs or water slides but a beautiful pool, stunning scenery, amazing food and very friendly staff. They run a mini bus to the nearest beach every day and we also hired a boat for a day and went round the island. I would definitely come back again.

@pennee the one round the med next may half term is royal Caribbean and the one from Southampton in the summer holidays is Princess. We’ve never taken a cruise before and I’ma but nervous that I’ll hate it but I’m sure the kids (9 and 11) will love it and they’re certainly looking forward to the unlimited food and the kids clubs, plus the ports it’s stopping at all look fantastic.

Thank you for the recommendation. I'll take a look!

TrickyD · 11/08/2022 15:34

DH and I are going on a Saga cruise to Iceland and Greenland at the end of June. We have been with Saga a couple of times and enjoy the fact that everything is included. They send a taxi to pick you up and take you home. But you have to be at least 50 so not much use to MNetters with kids.

ON Monday we are heading to our favourite hotel, Hilton la Romana, in the Dominican Republic. We are taking our two sons, one partner and four grandchildren aged 5 - 29.

Previously these family holidays have been wonderful, but as grandchildren get older it will have less appeal for them, so this might be the last.

NewMoney1000000 · 11/08/2022 16:44

DH and I are going on a Saga cruise to Iceland and Greenland at the end of June. We have been with Saga a couple of times and enjoy the fact that everything is included. They send a taxi to pick you up and take you home. But you have to be at least 50 so not much use to MNetters with kids what sort of ages are the guests, I’ve seen a few itineraries I really like?

TrickyD · 11/08/2022 23:12

The average age looks about 60 - 70. But they tend to be very interested in all the things that are available, talks about ports we will be visiting and various interesting historical lectures plus craft and painting classes, there is a lot going on.
Another company worth looking st is Fred Olsen. Good itineraries.
The cruises with these companies are nothing like the huge boats with noisy passengers like the one recently depicted on TV.
Single passengers are well catered for with singles introductions and special events.