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!

Definitely USA/Canada multi centre trip 😍 My dc loved it at that age.

I can recommend an amazing N America specialist travel agent called Bon Voyage based in Southampton, have done a few trips with them and prices are very competitive, often not much more than booking separately.

@LittleRedRidingHoody we've used CanaDream two years running and found them and the RV to be fantastic.

If you are going to be so tightfisted with your budget you might as well stay at home.

Genuinely can’t work out if this is a joke or not, £18,000 on a single family holiday is grotesque.

Where can you go for 18thousand pounds? Fucking anywhere mate. 🤷‍♀️

Canada - again Banff/ Rockies area. We did 10 days in 2022 for £12k and that included 2 nights in a Fairmont at £1k a night and a tonne of organised trips. Google Lake Louise and yes it really does look like that.

Barbados - nothing to worry about here - the most chilled place on earth!

I too love the planning and have been known to buy massive maps I can stick post its on for road trips!

I paid 7k for a week in Tenerife with Jet2 the summer holidays before last. That was for 4 adults to a nice all inclusive in the nicer part of Costa Adeje. There were more expensive hotels there though. Costs are absolutely ridiculous. I can easily see some 2 week holidays costing 18k if you're going to a luxury destination and staying at very nice accommodation and eating out all the time.

You can do different weeks to break up the summer too, tropics arent great weather in our summer, so could do two short haul destinations one at beginning and one at end of summer??

Take a look at Atmosphere Kanafushi Maldives. The good thing about this resort is they do family villas which are essentially two adjoining villas with two bedrooms, two bathrooms. Fantastic food and facilities. The best time to visit the Maldives is Jan - March, but we have been a few times June - September and always been lucky with the weather. Maldives is a constant 30 deg whereas Mauritius can be a bit chilly in the evenings during their winter.
Thailand is best to go Jan - March, same with Sri Lanka.

I love those sort of trips but they're very full on though and you almost feel like you need another holiday to gget over it when you get back. But it sounds like OP doesn't really want something so action-packed.

Not the only one 🤣 I’m clearly not rich enough for this thread haha

@Crazybaby123 could do…. I do like 2 weeks though, you feel like you can properly relax!!
@CurlyhairedAssassin yes that’s true - I love holidays that are about slowing down,
doing nothing, pottering, reconnecting. Majorca was so lovely last year for that and Disney this year will be very busy so a slower
relaxing time might be more needed. I like the idea of a week in cape cod/somewhere like that then a week pottering nearby?

https://www.jet2holidays.com/indulgent-escapes/search?airport=3&date=07-08-2025&duration=14&occupancy=r2cr2c&destination=155&sortorder=5&page=1&boardbasis=5

I've linked an example. Some people want nicer accommodation. It's bloody expensive if you do.😆I guess some people have big fat bonuses or something, and can do that every year.

Maldives is far too risky that time of year. You risk trips getting cancelled because of the weather/choppy seas.

I do think that @Linens is either a fantasist or genuinely can spend £18000 and a little bit out of touch with the real thoughtless world!

Exactly..this thread is a windup !

Good for you. A lot of people won't want that and will gladly pay £18k for a different holiday

We are going to Vietnam for 2 weeks in Easter with kids similar ages and spending a lot less than £18,000. I was surprised how cheap hotels are there. Other options we looked at were Singapore and Borneo and Costa Rica.

We did USA 3 weeks last year LA-VEGAS-SCOTTSDALE-NYC

I would recommend California SAN FRAN-LA-SAN DIEGO the weather will be lovely & not as hot as Arizona (48c when we were there) 🙂

Humble brag humble brag, cost of living crisis? What cost of living crisis!

New England would be good for that, or northern Michigan. Lots to do (swimming, hiking, sailing), a bit like a UK seaside holiday but nicer weather and nicer scenery in many places.

Italian lakes / Dolomites / Switzerland would not be too hot either and lots of great accommodation options.

I really want to go to Gdansk but probably not a two week holiday.

18k is a decent budget but not sure why people are so wide-eyed about it, very easy to spend that on a two week trip for two people, let alone a family of four!

With that budget, you could almost do a weekend at center parcs

Self walking holidays in Italy including Dolomites, Venice and maybe Cinque Terre or coast of Croatia. Use trains.

Have a look at Hotel Xcaret in Mexico - we went in August 24 and was the best holiday - there’s 8/9 parks included as well