Can you help me find my 2024 holiday location?

[Florabella]

Please can you help me find my perfect holiday for 2024. It is for me and 3 teenagers. We want to go abroad, but as cheaply as possible, so somewhere with cheap flights. I don't want to hire a car, so looking for somewhere with good transport links for interesting days out, and would really like to be on the coast. Prefer something with a bit of character - not too much high rises full of Brits

We managed it this year, and would really like to replicate in another country for 2024. Flew to Nice (because the flights were so cheap), had an airbnb in Antibes and used the train for days out along the coast. We did is really quite cheaply (under £1400 for flights and accommodation for 4), but the only cost issue was dinners out were really expensive.

Can anyone recommend something similar for next year? I want to be ready to pounce when easyJet flights are released and there is still the best choice for accommodation.

Thank you!

Barcelona would tick all your boxes I think.
Other options: Naples/Sorrento, Lisbon, Bruges?

Thanks for the suggestions. I love Barcelona and looked at that, but the accommodation is way over budget. I was also looking at Salou down the coast, but it seemed a bit too touristy possibly.
We did a long weekend in Lisbon a couple of years ago, but would prefer something that's not a major city for summer holiday, and beach is really important for the kids

Just going to check out Sorrento as I don't know it at all

I think it really depends where EasyJet fly from your airport. Nice and Antibes sounds hard to beat also!

What about a bit further down the coast to the Italian Riviera? Essentially the same train line as the one from Nice, but you could fly into Genoa and stay somewhere like Alassio? You could do day trips to the other little towns along the coast or even visit Genoa itself. Genoa isn’t as pretty as other Italian cities but it has a fascinating history and great food. The Italian Riviera west of Genoa isn’t as expensive as the French Riviera or the Cinque Terre. Better food too in Liguria - it’s the home of pesto :)

Sanremo another easy daytrip on the train from Alassio

I can fly from Gatwick or Luton, so lots of choice for airports. Alassio sounds interesting, will have a look at that now, thanks

If you fly to Alicante then there’s lots of places to visit. Denia and Valencia are stunning.

We stayed years back at the Residence Kriss in Deiva Marina. We went to visit last year. Deiva is on the main train line and maybe not as pretty as some of the other towns but it's very cheap as a base - big beach - quite a few restaurants/pizza takeways. And you can easily travel up and down the coast to Cinque Terre in one direction and Portofino etc in the other. Ceriale is another nice town west of Genoa. Has a waterpark and fab sandy beach.

My husband and myself went to Valencia last year, it’s wonderful. Plenty to see and do, cheap transport and a beach. I often think about it and wish I was there again.

We booked an Airbnb, it gives you more freedom, I feel very tied with hotels, I want to eat when I feel like it, and it’s much cheaper with 3 teenagers.

https://www.residenceoliveto.it/en/home

https://www.residencekriss.com/en/home

Also there are quite a few apartments in Sestri Levante on Booking.com

Dubrovnik
Athens Rivera

Bruges I mentioned as it’s really easy to get to the Belgian coast from there which I think is a massively overlooked destination by British people yet it’s got miles of lovely sandy beaches. I agree with suggestions in northern Italy though, the train system in Italy is great so it’s very easy to move around and you’ve also got the lakes as well as the coast.

Sitges is a nice town with promenade good shops/restaurants and beach. Not brits abroad. Loads of flights to Barcelona & can get bus from the airport. Can easily get train to Barcelona (30ish mins) or other places for day trips

Malaga - with day trips to Granada, Seville etc. Eating out very reasonable.

Malaga is a good idea and you can add Cordoba to the list of day trips by train - and Nerja is just under an hour if you can get the quick bus.

Definitely Malaga.

Copenhagen. After 15 August local kids are back at school so holiday rentals are cheap. Lots of good public transport and things to do.

There have been a couple of places recommended that wouldn't be cheap when you got there. I loved Dubrovnik but found the cost of eating out very high, ditto most of Italy these days.

Belgium?

Biarritz or Bilbao and travel between the two. San Sebastián is fantastic and easy to get to from either.

I once did a holiday to Bordeaux and biarritz, flew into one and out of the other, easy train ride between them.

I know Barcelona has already been mentioned. But we got really cheap flights to Barcelona.

Staying in an Airbnb for a couple of nights in Barcelona then moving to the coast.

We've booked tossa de mar on booking.com. But there's lots of lovely Spanish resorts up near there. Calella de Parafrugel looks nice, but accommodation was cheaper in tossa.

Girona also looks lovely and resorts are near that airport too. Airbnb in Girona and Barcelona seem really good value

We really liked Salou. Lots of transport links, lovely beach. It is a bit touristy but not on the same level as somewhere like Benidorm.

There is a lovely boat trip to Cambrils which is a very quiet and pretty little town. Plus you have Portaventura on the doorstep which the teens will love.

We went to Croatia this year - Split, Brac and Dubrovnik. Beautiful country but REALLY expensive once there. Dinner for 4 with soft drinks was at least £120, lunch at least £70.