Sept holiday abroad 50th B'day *never been*

[Baydreamer]

Hi. The two of us are looking for a beach holiday abroad (somewhere warm), Sept/Oct, to celebrate a 'young at heart 50th'.
Any suggestions & advice would be great please, as we have never even been abroad from the UK.
Clear sea & clean sand a preference.
Destination,Booking company,Airline, ...tips and hints please..?
TIA

Turkey, Greece, Malta & the Mediterranean all still warm in Sept.

Mallorca was somewhere friends had mentioned...?
Nice beach?
Traditional dining?
Live evening entertainment?

Quite possibly Ai as it's our first visit..?

Ah this is so exciting @Baydreamer are you wanting any particular type of holiday? Beach, city, stuff to see or just chill?

Hi. We're looking for a holiday close to a beautiful sandy beach with virtually clear water. Warm..but not too hot ie over 30 degrees. Able to relax during the day..enjoy local cuisine dining out....and a bit of live music & dancing later in the evening. Drink....but not heavy drinkers.
Quite possibly All Inc. as its our 1st visit..?
Doesn't have to be posh....but not dated. It's my Wife's 50th Bithday lol

I loved Cyprus and it would still be warm in October? Really pretty and I think Limassol (?) was lovely. We definitely visited a beach but it may have been pebbly.

😝

Croatia

www.jet2holidays.com/deals/october-holiday-deals

Jet2 used to have a not great reputation but we used it (reluctantly first time!) and the support and in situ help is fantastic. Would always look at them before other package operators tbh.

Is there a reason you haven't been abroad before, is there a type of holiday you dont want or that has put you off?
I would suggest half board if you don't drink much, it would be better value for you and you still won't have to do any cooking.

Cyprus will be lovely weather and has some beautiful places.
Tenerife has the sunshine and somewhere like Costa adje is very convenient but it's not picturesque.
Santorini and Mykonos beautiful but busy and quite expensive to eat and drink
What about Sicily? The Amalfi Coast?

All inclusive wouldn't be a good idea if you're hoping to enjoy local cuisine. You'd be tied to the hotel for all meals and snacks to maximise your value for money. Add in the fact that you don't drink a lot of alcohol and it makes AI even less sensible.

I'd suggest a hotel with with bed and breakfast option, leaving you free to grab a snack lunch (unless you have completely filled up at the breakfast buffet) and then to explore the local restaurants in the evening.

Look at Bitez, near Bodrum in Turkey. Weather is lovely in September/ October. Plenty of restaurants and places to drink.

I'd suggest BB or even SC if they're not breakfast eaters, preferably with a kitchenette at least. We always do this and don't do any cooking, we eat out at least once a day - go for a wander to see what's going on, eat dinner in a restaurant and then maybe stop for a drink in a bar, or seek out the live music that the OP is looking for.

For lunch we'll eat out, get an ice cream or cheese and crisps from a supermarket, we'll also get drinks etc to have on the terrace in the evening before and after dinner.

We stayed here before it was refurbished and it was nice then.

A lot more modern than many Spanish hotels, many of which are dated and/or basically furnished, probably because most people don't really use the room for anything other than sleeping so it's less important than good outdoor space, nice pool area etc.

However while Paguera is a lovely little resort town, it's clientele is almost exclusively German so it's likely any entertainment is in German which might be fine. If this isn't what the OP wants, they could look at hotels by that company in other areas.

Ibiza. AI. We use Tui as they fly from LGW which is nearest for us but family use Jet2 from Stanstead and have always said good things. We like Es Cana right on a lovely beach, 10 mins walk to another two, nice restaurants, outlet of lovely bars. Alua Sol is a great hotel.

Ibiza is a good shout. We went there last year for our annual 'relaxing few days at short notice' we try do do each year - DP works away a lot in the summer in a very physically demanding job but will occasionally have a few days off and we'll try and go somewhere we can just swim in the sea and eat tapas so for this we generally pick somewhere where the flights are reasonable and this is where we ended up, with a jet2 package because that was easiest and cheapest and we'd not been there before.

We stayed in Santa Eularia and actually walked along the coastal path to Es Cana mentioned above one day. We were going to go to Ibiza Town in the day time but didn't get round to it. Santa Eularia is not full of ravers but had a lot of nice restaurants and marina. There's also some 5 star hotels like ME or W and posh beach clubs like Nikki Beach in the area, which would make a really memorable 50th birthday trip.

I know I probably sound like an advert for jet2holidays, but they might be what you need as a first trip away as everything will be arranged for you and you'll have access to help and advice if you need it, especially if something goes wrong like a flight delay. They fly from East Midlands, Birmingham and Stansted are probably nearest for you so I'd look in the deals section for your preferred dates and then play with the filters to pick what you're after in terms of budget, board, location etc.

@Bjorkdidit we've travelled with several package companies over the years and sometimes done piece meal and the nicest, friendliest most actively helpful have always been Jet2, I will join you in the free marketing! Just very very clear who they are from arrivals onwards and the helpline is great.

For a special trip I wouldn’t recommend AI unless you are going v high end like IKOS. If DH & I are going away just the two of us, we book b&b and eat out, so we can chose, buffet style meals aren’t our thing, we like to chose from a menu. We did lots of AI when our DS’ were little.

www.jet2holidays.com/spain/costa-del-sol/torremolinos/melia-costa-del-sol

This is a good option
Well reviewed hotel
Good location near beach
Short flight and transfer
Plenty of bars nearby
Weather will be nice

Greta starter holiday and Jet 2 can sell as a package.

I agree with that suggestion. There's also a train line that goes along the coast between Malaga and Fuengirola so you can have a day out in Malaga or see what else is going on in the area.

The Greek islands can be very pleasant in the autumn, but you would need to pick your island carefully, depending on whether you want peace and quiet or a party atmosphere.

Jet2 at East Midlands are great.
If you're driving there, definitely pay a little more for the 'Meet and Greet' parking. It's right outside the terminal. You drive in, up, under the barrier. It takes a photo of your car and you are told which spot to pull in to.
You go to the little office, hand over your keys and walk into the departures - its about 30 seconds away.
When you come back they have your car ready. It's 24 hours and a real treat.
Otherwise you can get the bus to the other carparks but it can be cold waiting for 20mins!

Book direct with airport or through Holiday Extras website or Purple Parking website.
Jet2 - Mallorca (lands at Palma Airport). Choose an adults only hotel. Lovely.
Or Tenerife - Hotel Botanico in Puerto de la Cruz. Fancy, five star, entertainment, not sure about budget. Is having a refit this spring so will be v new.

Tui books for 7 day or more 'fixed' dates, Jet2 is more flexible for any number of days when the flight is going.

I'd fly into Athens & go island hopping in Greece.

Melia hotels are generally very good. Get a sea view room - hotel right on the front. You can walk up the steps behind the hotel to the main town where you'll find the train station if you want to go into Malaga, and both ways along the promenade. If you turn toward the right and round the head land, that area is called La Caribuela which is really nice (I think). You will find many people look down on Torremolinos which I think is a shame, it's got a lot of character, much nicer than Benalmadena.

If you don't drink then AI is probably not going to be worth it. It's also nicer going out and choosing what you want to eat. I must be the only person to lose weight on AI, I'm not fussy but still ended up eating a lot of salad as the produce was so nice.