Family summer holiday with a budget of around 18k

[Linens]

Thinking ahead to 2026 summer.
DH and I, DS who will be 14.5 and DS who will be 10
I would like 2 weeks away somewhere. Looked at Mauritius/Maldives/Sri Lanka/Seychelles but seems it’s the wet season and maybe not ideal time to go?
I love European villa holidays but it’s just so so hot now and all the risk of wildfires….
Was thinking safari but I have been before and it’s not hugely relaxing, which we desperately need on our holidays.
We are doing Disney this year in October so probably won’t want to go again so soon. Going away in Easter is probably out as well as we will not be long back from Dis and October 2026 youngest will be sitting 11+ so it will be summer to go away.
I love going away in the UK and we will have a week away in UK at some point but the weather is unreliable for main summer holiday.
I did see a suggestion on another thread for Parnu in Estonia which I really fancied?
Anyone any bright ideas? I LOVE
holidays and booking them and planning and I’ve always got the next destination in mind but nothing is massively exciting me. I know 2026 is a long way off but I like to start thinking about things!

Based on your response I think the question is how much luxury do you want?

For your budget over two weeks you’ll get lovely accommodation in thailand/Vietnam although not super high end, whilst in the US it will be perfectly nice but much more functional.

Even with 18k I’d choose turkey or Greek island holiday. I don’t like the stress of long haul and I love the combination of good food, beautiful ruins and glorious pools and seas. God I’d love a holiday :)

Luxury isn’t required! Nice, clean etc is but not expecting super high end at all. Our budget didn’t get us luxury last year and it won’t this year either with Disney (all 4 of us in one quite small room…..)

Florida Keys - fly into Miami for shopping and sightseeing, then down to middle keys and Key West. Lots of chilling, water sports, good restaurants. Just love it there.

It’s not a typo if you are so insecure you have to brag about how much you spend on holidays (apparently without having a clue where to go)

Have you won the lottery? What do you both do / earn to afford an 18k hol?
for reference we are both teacher / youth worker joint in come is 6k in London family two adults two kids
our holidays each year are 4 days premier inn Brighton / Yorkshire / Cornwall
max budget £1000 to include all food and activities
we do that twice a year

what the chuff do you do ???

They might live somewhere much cheaper, have lower bills, and more disposable income, or they might be mega rich (although I bet mega rich people spend a lot more than 18k).

Our joint income isn't much different, and we could afford a holiday like this because our bills and things we have to pay for aren't really that much.

You have a very generous budget, so what about Switzerland? It's amazingly beautiful, not to hot at least in the mountains, and lots of things to do.

Top Suggestion 👍🤣

Surely you can grasp that 4 nights in a Premier Inn in the UK will be in a different world in terms of cost to 2 weeks in a nice hotel somewhere that is a long-haul flight away.

Do you not know anyone who goes on long-haul holidays? I work in a school in London and have lots of colleagues who travel to long-haul destinations. In the last couple of years I’ve known various colleagues go to China, Canada, Japan, Australia, New Zealand. Costa Rica, Dubai, US Road trips and a tour of South America. They are all very clearly spending a lot more than £250 per person on their holidays. Most of them are not in the young kids stage, but some are.

@Takoneko you can absolutely do long haul for much less than 18k. To think that budget is normal or standard for everyone is frankly, wrong. Kudos to those who can, I wish I could!

ShanghaiDiva I would disagree with your opinion. End of conversation.

Haven't read the replies but Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts is absolutely lovely. Very laid back, nice beaches, little towns you can walk or bike to and get ice cream with the kids. Very chill and super kid friendly.

£18,000 WOW! While others choose between eat or heat 🙄

@TessTimoney
This has been exhausted on this thread.

Nothing wrong with people asking for holiday ideas if they can afford such holidays.

That’s not at all relevant though is it?

Some people on 6k take home woild only spend half of that. That could quite easily have an 18k holiday.

Surely as an educated teacher - it’s obvious a lottery win isn’t needed in order to have an 18k holiday?

Maybe stay out of a holiday forum rather than critique posts asking for holiday ideas. Out of my budget too. But if I had the money I'd deffo fly business and stay in the kind of resorts that cost that much.

Too much faux naïveté is irritating

Do some posters here trawl also through any other topic where people might spend money, and comment '10K for bathroom renovation, I'm happy to use a flannel and sink!' or '50 quid for this sweater, when you could get something for a fiver from vinted??' You rarely see that.

I genuinely don’t get this. What other people can afford makes no difference to people struggling to heat their homes. Surely people in that situation are intelligent enough to realise that other people have more money than them?

The best family holiday we did was the California coast. We flew into San fran for 4 nights then drove the pacific coast and stayed for 3 nights at pismo beach to do nothing but chill then down to LA for 5 nights then flew to vegas for 3 nights. It wasn’t the most relaxing but neither was it exhausting because we had plenty of pool time. We went to Alcatraz seen the golden gate did a day at universal Hollywood seen the sign went whale watching and seen a blue whale😍 we took the kids to the rides in vegas and seen a show. So many amazing memories and it was all so easy! My kids was 16 and 13 and it was perfect

I've just booked flights to Spain in the summer holidays and it was just over 1k for 4 people

A lot of amasing ideas here, but not surprised by all the 🤯 reactions to the 18k budget.
We are high earners (household income tips 200k and no mortgage) but too much of a save for a rainy day type people to splash this sort of cash on a holiday eventhough it’s also a big priority for us.
I think people affording this type of holiday must either be super rich or blow all their money types. I know OP didn’t want these comments, but I think a lot of people can’t help themselves understandably.

If you earn 200k and have no mortgage - there is absolutely no reason you can’t have an 18k holiday.

For those complaining about the negative reactions to this post, having 18k in the thread title is clearly insensitive. Those who are struggling financially can’t exactly avoid it when it appears under Active.

It’s arrogant to assume everyone should be happy to see others spending 18k on a holiday when some can’t afford to put the heating on.
Budget could easily have been kept in the post content instead.