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!

I've been to the Maldives twice in August, not for a fortnight, I think we did 6 nights the first time and 4 nights then second time. The weather was nice, maybe a bit overcast the first time but still
hot and beach worthy, both times there were odd bursts of rain but never the kind that is torrential all day every day. It is always a bit of a risk though. Mauritius is dry but it's winter, so temperatures more like 23/24. I saw someone listed the best spots in Asia to visit in the UK summer, Indonesia is reliably dry and lots to do, but it's a long journey, I'd probably be inclined to head to Canada or the US.

I'm excited for you! And this thread is giving me serious inspiration for 2028 onwards 😂

Nope! I literally can't get my head around this 🥹 I earn 22k a year so the thought of spending 18k on one holiday is beyond my comprehension 🤯

Google Maps, hotel booking sites, guidebooks and internet blogs are great for planning.

I put together a big spreadsheet with stops, accommodation, driving distances, options of things to do etc. I love the planning bit.

We did 2 very busy days in NYC, then went out along the Long Island Sound to Newport, then headed up to Cape Cod, a day in Boston, up to the White Mountains for a couple of days and then down to New Jersey. Pick scenic routes so that you can stop off and see things rather than just getting from A to B.

New England is great in the summer. Hot but not super ridiculous baking. Like a nice Cornwall. Start in Boston and stay a few days to do some of the great sightseeing and eating there. Then drive either out to Cape Cod or just go North up to Maine. Stop in some lovely seaside places (eg Kennebunks) on the way to Bar Harbour with beautiful hikes in Acadia. Then maybe drive back through New Hampshire mountains and drive up Mount Washington - perhaps staying in Conway. At your budget you can stay in lovely luxurious resorts throughout.

f me. read the room.
cost of living and spending 18k on one holiday?

im happy with a butlins and the ferry to france! haha

keeping the hurricane belt as a compass for a Caribbean vacation is not useful. Chance you would run into one is very, very small, and even then you will be warned, refunded and or evacuated before anything happens. And in fact, Aruba was well on its way to receive one too last year.

This is the Holidays board - I didn’t see anything about “low cost holidays” in the board descriotion. Why shouldn’t OP ask? (& no, I couldn’t afford to spend £18k on a holiday - but I’m enjoying reading the suggestions)

I'm finding this thread pretty funny because people always ask advice on holidays at around this budget and get very helpful advice, but the second you put a price tag on it apparently it's absurd.
I recognise it's a privilege to afford a holiday in this range but it's hardly a rare occurrence - many holidays discussed on this board run to tens of thousands.

If you like a bit of faded glamour I’d suggest staying at Eagle Mountain House, one of the area’s historic hotels.

www.eaglemt.com

18k for 2 adults and 2 kids!! Christ.

Family friend got some inheritance last year decided to use 15k to treat their large family to a holiday and managed to take 9 adults and 4 children to a very nice Spanish all inclusive for 10 days with that!

I genuinely never would have thought people spend that much on one holiday. Or maybe only a small super rich minority would. I’m not saying the OP shouldn’t if it’s their budget, I’m just saying I was another one who was genuinely shocked, no feigning surprises here.

18k !? Christ. Save yourself some dollar and get yourself one Haven holiday.

I’d definitely do Nantucket and Cape Cod/Boston (or Martha’s Vineyard, but I like Nantucket better). I’d probably book a week in a beach house on the island to mooch about and enjoy the place, or at The Wauwinet if you’d rather a hotel. Then spend the second week doing a few days in Cape Cod and the rest in Boston. Boston is a fantastic city and there’s lots of intermingled British and American history there.

That mad. It’s not like you have a dream destination and you need to spend that much, you are actually looking to spend £18k when most normal families would get 3 x holidays for that much money.

I would go to Canada if money was no object and go across it on a train, or go to a cowboy ranch in USA. I’d still have £10k left over though 😁

With that budget you could rent a house in these towns in New England and spend a few weeks exploring. There are beaches, casinos, maritime activities, stately homes, museums - lots to do in the region really.

Mystic, Connecticut
Watch Hill, Rhode Island
Block Island, Rhode Island
Newport, Rhode Island
Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts
Nantucket, Massachusetts
Kennebunkport, Maine
Bar Harbor, Maine

@Comff holidays can just be really expensive. We had two weeks in a nice villa in Spain last year. Not luxury in any way, but nice. 7.5k for 2 weeks. Plus economy flights with luggage 800 each. Then hire car and we’d spent over 12 k before we’d even had a cocktail. Belearics aren’t cheap to eat out so we spent around 17 on a 2 week villa holiday. Loved it but I don’t think anyone would have priced it up at that if they saw
my pictures!
I also like Haven and had a long weekend last summer at a lovely Haven. Also love camping and will be having a week camping in May. Looking forward to to a long weekend in Southend with my MIL. I basically just love all
holidays!

Do people not grasp that people have different levels of disposable income?

I used to have more (I don't know, thanks to divorce) but we spent £15k on a three week road trip in America for two adults, two kids, about 8 years ago. It was fantastic. I can totally recommend that OP, we went in August.

I also spent £10k on Disneyworld Florida in 2014. I imagine that exact trip would be the same reason now.

Love booking and planning holidays. Don't have the same budget anymore but if I did, I'd spend it on trips!

I'd second Barbados. We went in July last year. It was REALLY hot (35+) but it was lovely. You could get an amazing villa for that price. We only paid £3400 for 3 of us as we booked flights and a nice 2 bedroom villa separately so on your budget, you could get somewhere fantastic!

So because other people don't have the money, people who do have to live frugally? Give over.

You spent 7.5k on a villa for two weeks?

You were right to ask for advice here, you were ROBBED!!

@carly2803 I'm not sure it's the OP who can't "read a room"...

you read the thread title and chose to respond while contributing nothing other than to berate someone who has more disposable income than some others

No, you read the room. This thread clearly isn’t for you so just pass it by. No need for the snide comment.

People are struggling with the COL, yes. Some are not. Are they supposed to just keep their mouthes shut forever in fear of upsetting someone? This is anonymous board, they’re hardly asking their minimum wage working, single Mum friend for suggestions of where to go.

Second a couple of weeks in the Canadian Rockies. Flights and top end RV cost us £9k + spending money for 2 adults and 2 kids.

I second Cape Cod btw OP.