Ideas for a REALLY easy lovely peaceful Feb break?

[Leavesonthewashingline]

We have had a year from hell, with very serious illness and now mental illness too. Could really really do w taking the family away at half term, somewhere easy and lovely and sunny (doesn’t need to be hot, does need to be bright and sunny). Kids are A level and GCSE and one younger, so we need 3 bedrooms. Would pay quite a bit more for somewhere really reliably lovely, tho everything seems terrifyingly expensive. Where to look? Things are really hard right now and I can’t find the time to look properly…

If Lapland flights are sold out you can still look at other airports in Finland. Anywhere near water will have cabins to hire, Keski-Suomi is the lake area (Jyväskylä is the main centre there) or Turku archipelago on the coast is also an option. Or something like Vierumäki sports institute - like a holiday club. It’s a reasonable distance from Helsinki, just over an hour’s drive. Or there’s Nuuksio National park just half an hour from Helsinki. Finland is one of those places where you don’t have to be remote to have peace and calm, you could base yourselves around the capital and find lots of relaxing things to do. In February you have a good chance of snow in almost all of the country, only Helsinki and surrounding areas are less reliable I’d say.

@Bjorkdidit, that's a bit mean!!! Yes, the flight is long, but I don't find flying stressful - you just sit there, watch films, relax. And then, when you get there, you have tropical paradise and a highly navigable island. The weather is perfect - warm, sunny, warm breezes, and the air is scented with frangipani. The OP and her family could rent a car, drive round the island, spent time snorkeling or swimming from one of the numerous gorgeous beaches, hike through a tropical forest to swim underneath a water-fall, eat pineapple and grilled prawns, pick mangoes from the trees. Plus, no language barrier, which might make the experience less stressful too. (I love going to places where people speak other languages, but if I wanted absolutely stress-free I can see that being somewhere English-speaking might be a plus). We are off to Hawaii at the end of January, staying near Lanikai beach on Oahu. We go every year for our non-adventurous holiday - that kind of familiar holiday where you can just absolutely relax. It's my idea of stress-free, healing paradise.

Assuming the OP is in the UK, she could book a lovely holiday in the Canaries on a familiar website in about 5 minutes and be able to travel from just about any airport and do everything you suggest is available in Hawaii.

I suspect both places are similar in that there is everything on offer from cheap party places, authentic local villages, breathtaking landscapes and luxury villas but for anyone in the UK they could be enjoying their holiday just a few hours after they set off.

And we have good awareness that food, drink, excursions etc will be available and reasonably priced wherever we stay.

Most people in the UK won't know much about the practicalities of a holiday to Hawaii.

For most it will be a once in a lifetime trip that will need to be very carefully planned to make the most of it, especially as the cost will be huge. Does that sound like what the OP is in the right frame of mind to do?

You can't travel directly from the UK so need to get to the US mainland, which already limits your flights to London airports or Manchester, then you have at least one more flight and a stopover.

So the OP could find she's spent a massive amount of money and 2 days travelling get to the Hawaii equivalent of Playa de Las Americas. Or a ridiculously upmarket resort where everything is ludicrously expensive or somewhere that's not set up for tourists and where all the drug dealers hang out.

Puerto del Carmen in Lanzarote . Near airport so very short transfer time, largely flat main resort with a huge long promenade. Will be warm and sunny most of the time (not hot though and can be windy - but better than UK will be in February!) Good selection of hotels and self catering for all budgets. Loads of places to eat.

Does the person with the mental illness want to go away and will the holiday support their recovery? If it involves any form of needing to be in control, going on holiday can cause and lot of anxiety as everything will be unfamiliar. A couple of friends now holiday without their DC with OCD/eating disorders/anxiety leaving the affected DC with supportive grandparents as it is less challenging for the affected DC and those who aren't affected get a chance to relax and re-group. It was a really difficult decision as they obviously wanted to holiday together and it was also worrying for them, particularly the first time, as they knew leaving the affected DC was a risk.

Hawaii is not for us for all the reasons others say, though it sounds lovely for other occasions.

mentally ill person - this is a very very valid question and one I thank you for asking - it’s easy not to take it into account enough. I know they would like to come in some ways and not in others. Very seasonally affected hence the idea of getting SUN. also I can’t leave them…

I go round and round on the Canaries - it’s a sign of how hard things are that I can’t get anywhere with it.

i think we want: at least 3 bedrooms; somewhere warm enough to swim; space for the elder two to revise; enough to do so that we don’t get bored; ok food w options for veggies!

What's putting you off about The Canaries? It definitely ticks all your boxes, I think.

My friend is a travel consultant and she would be able to find you something bespoke and take the worry out of this for you. Am happy to pass on her details if you are interested? You don't pay anything extra up front for her services. Also I'm not her and I'm not just selling.

How does it compare with Playa de Blanca? I have been there twice and found it uninspiring.

Where did you stay please? I went in June once and it wasn’t very hot . I found no t underwhelming, though I know loads of people love it.

I went to the Timfayana Palace and found the food pretty bland and cafeteria like. The hotel was lovely in itself but the pool was too cold to swim in and the indoor pool was closed. I’m not one for evening ‘entertainment’ either.

Canaries are your best option, how about an ai hotel and book 3 rooms - I stayed at TUI magic life and it's about as easy as it comes travel wise. We fly from our local small airport on their plane (luggage included in price), the rep meets you and directs to your coach (also branded TUI) you are dropped off at your hotel and nearly everything was included in the price, food, drinks, many sports, beach adjoins the hotel, multiple restaurants you choose on their app, choice of evening entertainment or more chilled out bar. Was so simple, and the public bus does stop outside if you want to venture further though we opted to rent a car for the day from the desk in reception

Canaries sounds like the easiest way of ticking those boxes.

It is uninspiring but for an easy holiday like the OP wants it was absolutely fine.

We went on the bus to Playa Blanca and I thought it was nice! Probably influenced by the fact we had the nicest weather that day.

A few ideas here maybe?https://www.lonelyplanet.com/articles/european-destinations-winter-sun

What age is the younger one and do they like football? If so, go to Lanzarote and stay somewhere near the Princess Yaiza (the PY is probably out of budget). They do a football school every morning from 10 - 12 and it's open to non-guests. Something like 20 euros a session. That would mean that, in the mornings. the teens could revise, you youngest could go to football and you could chill by the pool or on the balcony. Then have lunch together and have some pool time or whatever before the teens might need to do some more revision.
I think you might need to look at a villa rather than a hotel as, to be able to revise properly, you're going to need to have space. Otherwise, they're going to be stuck on their hotel beds which could get a bit uncomfortable.

Not sure if anyone has recommended Funchal in Madeira. Has its own micro climate, often lovely and warm. One of my favourite holidays ever

We have holidayed in the Canaries many times, mainly Lanzarote. We always rent a villa in Puerto Calero which is a very 'naice' resort, although there is no beach. You can walk along the cliff top from PC to Puerto del Carmen and get the water taxi back. PdC has a lovely promenade and lots of restaurants, plenty of choice.

The advantage of a villa is that you will get your 3 or 4 bedrooms, you get your own pool so no fighting for a lounger. Your older kids will have a bit of peace and space to do their revision.

We usually shop and have breakfast at home, go out for the morning (hire a car), get lunch out and then on alternate nights we eat in or go out.

There's lots to see on Lanzarote.

Cape Verde
under 6 hour flight and not much to do when you get there, although we did a couple of trips.
There are horror stories about food poisoning but we stayed at the Melia Tortuga hotel with TUI which isn't a huge hotel and the food was fine, in fact the Italian Restaurant was outstanding.
My Teens loved it

I would have a look at hotel suite villa maria in Tenerife.

Could book 3 bed villa with private pool and self catering but also access to onsite pools and breakfast in hotel is definitely worth it.

Agree
although it is very child friendly so may have too many tots for your teens!