Realistic budget for AI

[anothertaytay]

Haven't been abroad for years - we have 3 kids, and need a holiday in the sun, looking at last minute holidays for this summer. As we haven't been away for forever want it to be nice, good pool, and feel like a treat, but doesn't have to be 5*.
What is a realistic budget for a treat holiday for 5? It seems to me from searching that we'd be lucky to get much that's All inclusive for less than 1k per person, but my DH thinks this is ludicrously expensive.... we have savings but obv don't want to spend a fortune when we don't need to... but am I being too picky? What is the average price for a nice AI holiday in Greece / Spain etc? Thanks!

School holidays or not? Makes a huge difference

I think you could do it for 2.5k if you shop around and don't have to do school holidays

You could get somewhere nice for 6k for five of you in the school holidays.

Agree that it massively depends on when you want to go

Also with younger children often AI doesn't amount to vfm. You pay over the odds for children who just don't eat or drink much. You may be better to get a good self catering apartment and eat out It will probably be cheaper.

In school holidays, 3 children under 10, all-inclusive… you could go to Spain for £700 pp with any out of hotel spending money on top it looks like from 10 mins of searching, if you stick at it I think you could get that lower but then you get into scouring reviews very hard territory

Yes, school holidays sadly...

I'm going to Turkey, first week of August, AI 4* with my DD and it's cost £2400 for both of us.

The reviews for hotels any cheaper were not great, so paid a bit more.

@RaisedEyebrows11 a I have looked for a while and only places that are anything like that are a long transfer from airport and what we need and want with 3 small kids (age 4.6&9) is something easy where we don't need to do much and no car hire involved (last holiday 5 years ago with 2 kids the car hire / driving abroad etc was stressful and we've had a difficult year so just want something as stress free as possible)

Try using an independent travel agent, someone local to you that is just a Mum working from home. They take much less commission from the likes of Jet2 & TUI.

Bulgaria & Turkey will be our cheaper destinations. But they will have a longer transfer. You could always use the saving to pay for a private transfer.

For a family of 5 AI in school holidays. I'd expect to pay at least £4000 for maybe a 3 star hotel.

How many nights is this budget meant to stretch to ?
the cheapest on tui as a package flying from any London airport for the first week of August is £3700 so that will give you an idea. That's in side, Turkey with a 1.5hr coach transfer in a 3* hotel with no beach, a buffet restaurant and a very small pool. But it is a 2 bedroom family room. Tripadvisor 4/5.

so essentially anywhere up from that. I'd reckon on at least £5500 for something nice and you'd have to really have to do your homework to make sure you were getting a good place. Egypt and Turkey are the best value within 5 hr flight times but there's no way I could cope with the heat there in August

Everyone tends to want to go away at the start of the summer holidays. If you go away towards the end you can save a bit of money OP.

AI in the school holidays is expensive, there's no getting away from that, especially for a family of 5.

Plus at the cheaper end, it's likely to be quite basic and still cost thousands of pounds. Your DH is going to have to get over himself on the cost, it is what it is.

But I agree that going as late as possible in August is probably the factor that's going to be most effective at bringing the price down.

Try putting your requirements into the deals section of jet2holidays, filter by Trip Advisor 4 and above to exclude the real dross and work your way up in price. Perhaps look at Mallorca or Tenerife as I've been reading reports that the anti tourist protests have put people off booking so maybe there's bargains to be had?

I’d honestly pay a bit more and have a decent hotel over saving a grand and having to eat horrible food with no amenities.

For context Dd and I are going away last week of August and it’s just under £3k AI. So I’d say you’re looking at £6.5k ish for somewhere half decent.

I suppose it depends on your taste and what you value. We don't do AI because I don't want to pay for a la carte AI, I don't like buffet AI for lunch and dinner and we're always out and about in the daytime anyway. So we self cater, stock up on drinks, snacks, easy breakfast food etc and eat out at least once a day.

But I can see how it appeals to the OP, especially if the DC are fussy so choosing restaurants will be a chore or her DH doesn't do his share of cooking, cleaning up, planning, shopping etc.

There's probably an element of how much they want the holiday, is the guaranteed sun and a pool, play parks, beach etc enough and they'll cope with basic buffet food or will food not to their taste (which could be because it's beige and chips or 'too local' so unfamiliar and more bones and shells than what they're used to) make them think it's a waste of money, wish they'd not bothered and stayed at home instead.

Have you looked at easyJet? We just got back from a week during May half term, just over 2k in a 4 star hotel in Turkey for 4 of us. We have also booked Majorca for next May half term, similar price and all inclusive, again 4 star hotel

Self catering is normally 1k pp from my local airport in school holidays (there's not much competition there). AI is around £1.5-2k pp. I prefer SC with meals out as I'm not a fan of buffets.

One thing that is very misunderstood about hotels is that star ratings (not TA ratings!) don’t necessarily reflect the quality of the hotel - just the exact facilities on offer. Each country is different so do your research on where you want to go - but in some countries if a hotel does not have wheelchair access, a gym or business facilities it can only be a 3* at most for example. But, if neither of these are import then there is opportunity to get a great hotel cheaper. In my experience working within travel, these are quite often smaller, family run hotels and are fantastic.

But as PP suggests, suggests do filter by TA rating.

OP this looks nice for £4.4k for a week from 24 August. 2 bed apartment so a decent amount of space in a quiet part of Ibiza but near the beach and has a splash park and play area on site.

https://www.jet2holidays.com/beach/balearics/ibiza/san-miguel-ibiza/balansat-resort?duration=7&airport=77&date=24-08-2024&occupancy=r2c4_5_9&board=5&oflight=1135775&iflight=1135778&rooms=40592&gtmsearchtype=Smart%20Search&smartsearchid=e767508f-4ddf-4fd2-82c5-053d3a6dfb45#tab-overview

Flies from Liverpool because that was already in my Jet2 search and I did notice that made it cheaper than Leeds or Manchester, but that hotel could also be available with other package operators.

I've found half board in Mallorca for £650, if you can go later in august it's usually cheaper.

Bellevue club with TUI, should add

Have a look at EasyJet holidays as well as Jet2 and TUI to make sure you're getting the best deal. I'd also consider going half board if I were you - I bet your kids won't justify the extra cost of AI unless the adults are big drinkers. Have a play around to see what the costs look like.

We just booked a great deal for Rhodes via BA Holidays. Kids under 11 stay for free so the basic price for a bungalow was £2800 and we upgraded to a family suite with a swim up pool for an extra £700. It's the mitsis rodos hotel which has just been renovated. Ultra AI with a selection of restaurants. 2 kids pools and a playground & indoor playroom. We're 2 adults, 2 kids but I'm sure their family rooms are up to 3 kids.
I realise I sound like a rep for them. I'm not. I'm just ridiculously excited for this holiday.

In school holidays 4 star for a week then £4k is probably realistic. If you're willing to go 3 star or compromise on location (further from beach) you could get something for £3k. Turkey tends to be cheaper, or Croatia maybe. We found good deals in Majorca last year.
If you can be flexible on what day you fly out you can make good savings too, fly out Monday or Thursday is usually cheapest. Also going right at the end of the school holidays is cheaper, or right at the start if you're ok with DC missing the last day of term.
Check out Jet2, we have done a couple of holidays with them and never had a problem. They have good last minute offers at the moment and if you're lucky you could find a free child place

If you compare the adult price on weeks with "free child places" they seem to bump it up hugely so the "free child place" is often a total con. When I was comparing some holidays I couldn't understand how the holiday with the free child place was the same price as the the exact same holiday going the day before without the "free place". Then when I looked at the price comparison chart it was clear - They just seem to load a lot of the cost onto the adult price instead.

1K per person doesn’t sound that expensive to me at all! Make sure the hotel is decent