Argh - just can't find a holiday this year..... Any one any suggestions?

[bozza]

I have spent hours trawling the net to no avail. It was so much more straight forward last year. We had a lovely two weeks here. Flights were about £350 and the villa was £900.

This year we fancied a change from France and I have looked at Costa Brava, Sardinia, Italy, Menorca etc. I have read pages and pages of accommodation on holiday rentals and owners direct and homelidays and holiday lettings. I can't find anything suitable for anything like the price. We want to be reasonably close to the beach (so not some remote Tuscan mountain top) but would be prepared to drive to it, a few restaurants in walking distance if possible but not in some huge resort, a shared pool and two bedrooms. Also could do with flexible changeover dates because Saturday flights in August are £££.

As anyone been anywhere that fits the bill? Aigues-Mortes fitted all this exactly.

Would this appeal?

www.villasolutions.net/viewproperty.php?ref=Casa%20Zayas

It is in the Costa del Sol, flights to Malaga, you would need to hire a car. The beach is 30 mins max away, Torre del Mar/Nerja/Malaga. There are restaurants nearby and local shops.

It is my Mums house and it is on the market but she is accepting holiday rentals until it is sold (which the way the current market is will msot likely be some time!).

i really like caleta in fuerteventura. right on the beach, market, restaurants, not full of drunken 18-30s like tenerife can be...if you could find a villa there or even do a package i am sure you would enjoy.

Can't give a specific recommendation as we stayed in the middle of a field ontop of a hill www.le-marche-explorer.com/property_details.php?name=azienda_cerqueto&PHPSESSID=dac13b612d50cf775da2 550d38553b8c but suggest you consider the province of Le Marche (pronounced Le Markay)in Italy. Cheap flights, beautiful scenery and lots of accommodation available if you avoid the first 3 weeks in Aug.

Thanks everyone.
Westcountrylass that property looks lovely but I doubt it would be in my price range. How much does your Mum rent it out for?

Jody I fear that the Canaries would be a bit too hot for us in the summer holidays - DD in particular is very fair and quite sweaty. I have been to Fuerteventura with DH prior to having the DC and the school holiday restrictions and we did enjoy it.

Confusedmover I have considered that area of Italy. Are the first 3 weeks in August the Italian holidays? We can only really do either the last two weeks in July or the last two weeks in August, or maybe the second and third week in August.

we are renting a villa with shared pool in zakynthos here Close to beaches and tavernas but in a quiet area.Haven't been before though ,so I hope it's good.

Ggirl where are you flying from/to and how much were the flights, if you don't mind me asking? It is still more than twice as much as we paid for the place in France last year which was £900 for two weeks. I wonder if I am being unrealistic.

Italy very expensive - Spain or one of the more popular Greek islands might be a better bet.

we are flying from bournemouth,flights are £250 each.
We got the villa for £730 but that's with discount and in june and we can only afford one week.

The trouble with Spain MrsMattie was that it all seemed too huge and built up. I am a fussy bugger - I want something that is not a huge resort but not in the middle of nowhere either. There are some lovely properties in Italy but they all seem to be on a remote mountain top miles from the sea.... I think you might have hit on it with a Greek island. Last time I was in Greece, eating out etc was very cheap.

So yes ggirl I am being unrealistic! I obviously just hit lucky last year. The DC are keen for us to return to last year's place but I don't think it will be the same.

Yes £900 for 2 weeks in the summer holidays is a bargain!
Why do you think it wouldn't be good to go back there?

Just because we've done a lot of the things in the area. I wouldn't rule it out for a few years down the line, but am beginning to wonder if I am wrong.... We have done France for the last 3 years though.

bozza -
I would avoid the first 3 weeks in Aug if you plan to go near a beach. We were in Le Marche the last week in Aug and the beach was half empty. These were some of the Le Marche places that I kept on my "favorites"
ownersdirect.co.uk/italy/IT947.htm
www.villasanraffaello.com/index.html
www.lavalledellolmoscuro.it/eng/lavalledellolmoscuro_home.html

Places I've been to recently and enjoyed are Zakynthos (Daphne's villas) and the costa brava (near Begur). Zakynthos is very low key, not much to do except sand and sea. Fine if that is all you want!

Costa Brava I thought definitely merited another stay - a variety of things to do, nice countryside and beautiful coast. We were there last week of August and it was busy but not overun. Refreshingly free of villa cities, but you need to choose your place carefully - anything near to begur should be nice. (we liked callela de palafrugell and llafranc). Cheap flights (ryanair!) to girona about an hours drive away.

Ah elliott I think I have looked at daphne's villas today. But couldn't find any cheap flights. I will relook at Costa Brava. The problem I had there was that everywhere seemed to specify a Saturday changeover and the flights were twice as much on a Saturday.

confusedmover I will check out your links.

daphne's was a mumsnet recommendation! We had a lovely holiday there in May about 2 years ago - have been wanting to go back but not in August, I think it would be too hot.
Good luck with the hunt.

perhaps I should try aigues mort
Though France is not that great for us as we need to fly direct from Newcastle - we probably don't get the cheapest flights by doing this but this is an absolute for me in terms of making the journey bearable!

There are a few airports in the area. The nearest was Montpellier, but we flew to Marseilles - but Nimes is also close by.

I have emailed my Mum and will let you know how much it is.

ConbfusedMover suggested Villa San Raffaello in Sarnano. We visited there last year with our 4 children. It was fantastic! Cheap flights, great apartment, pool, village up the road with all you could need. English speaking owners who know all about area. Us and our children loved it and we're going again this year.
Review under short haul travel or go to their website villasanraffaello.com. PERFECT!!!

Forgot to mention - we flew into Ancona airport with Ryan Air - Really cheap

Bozza, the rental of my Mums place is £450 p/wk. If you are interested, email me and I will forward your message on:

[email protected]