Last minute holiday help please!

[HarloCourt]

Hot, beach, chance to wander (including for food), interesting, b&b/room only/self catering.
Max 3 hour flight or a train journey.

School summer holidays.

Around £3,000 for a week for two.
More for two weeks.

Accommodation suggestions/links please.

Thanks so much!

Shamelessly placemarking
Hope u don't mind OP.

Just back from Mallorca, Palma. Stayed at Hotel Helios very close (5 min cab ride) from airport, we went room only but they do half board which seemed popular. Gorgeous pool, spa, lovely clean hotel, family friendly. Great shops, supermarkets and restaurants on the doorstep to have a wander. Quite Spanish too (I know that sounds weird but fab authentic tapas, seafood and no English breakfasts!) Fifteen minute cab ride into Palma city which was so beautiful.

No, go ahead…we might end up in the same place!

I totally get your difficulty with this! Wish I was being sarcastic but I'm not. I've been frantically searching for the last week and cannot settle on a destination. Everything I've seen is either overpriced or underwhelming. I don't want to pay over the odds for something that isn't worth it but do want a nice holiday!

Frustrating isn't it.

I really dislike ‘resort’ hotels, I feel like I'm in a compound! I'd really rather be part if a local community, shop, use the market, local cafes etc.

Can't go wrong with Italy or France. Book flights with a budget airline, book accommodation through booking.com or air b n b. Hire a car if you can/want to.

Suggestions - Lake Garda, Turin, Lake Annecy (fly to Geneva then bus), any South of France area like Nice, La Rochelle. Could even try Barcelona and take the train or bus up and down the coast.

Malaga ticks all the boxes. Easy train from airport then taxi.
Molina Lario is lovely and should be in budget for room only/b&b.

Can Picafort or Alcudia Mallorca, Menorca, Algarve, Moaira or Denia are pretty little resorts on costa blanca (very much not like Benidorm!)