First summer as a single parent - dare I try booking a holiday?!

[herethereandeverywhatnow]

I have 2 children, 9 and 6. I’m recently separated and every year since I met their father all holidays have been spent with his family in their home country (Europe). I was absolutely dying to go on holiday somewhere - anywhere!! - else so am wondering if I might be able to make this work now that we’ve separated.
He is taking them to stay with his family 1 week after they break up from school, and going away for 3 weeks. That still leaves 3 weeks of school holidays to cover, we used to do summer camp but that’s £100 a day for the 2 of them so I can’t do that the whole time anyway, and I will take holidays from work (though probably not the full 3 weeks).
I’m really daunted by the idea of going away solo with them as they can be quite hard work, but they love beaches and pools (though I don’t!) so I think if we went somewhere with access to both (or just a pool) they would be happy. I can’t spend a fortune but have no idea how much holidays even cost!! I don’t have a car and wouldn’t drive abroad so am imaging a package holiday.
does anyone have any suggestions, tips, words of wisdom or even specific recommendations of where to go or which companies do search with? I had a quick look online today and it’s hard to know where to start!

I find EasyJet holidays one of the more affordable options for package holidays, although everything seems crazily expensive this summer.

Try easyjet or jet2 holidays. Or book flights and accommodation separately. I look for places with good public transport and not too far from where we are staying.
I took my kids to paris/disney at a similar age on my own as you can get the train from airport to city. It depends what you're looking for from the holiday.
Costa adeje in tenerife is nice and short taxi ride from airport.
Or you could go somewhere like centre parcs near Paris or duinrell in Holland.

I will say that there's still the same dramas etc between kids that you get at home so be prepared. One of mine has adhd and it is hard work but hasn't stopped me going away. I was expecting everything to be great the first time I went away and it wasn't but we still had a good time.

If you fancy southern Spain the train that runs from Malaga airport down to Feungirola is easy to use.

Jet2 do holidays there and you can get transfer to yeh hotel and use train to travel about (loads of places to visit there) or you can books flights and apartment and catch train direct from airport yourselves.

we went to Torreblanca for many years and used the train a lot to visit the water park and zoos etc.

I'm in a similar situation but my DC are 8 and 10 months, so their interests differ somewhat. We went to Centre Parcs and just took it day by day. DC2 was only 3 months when we went and happily slept next to the pool so I could play with DC1, who really wants to go back.

For our next holiday, I'm looking for somewhere warm with a pool and beach and an excellent kids' club. Possibly Robinson or Club Med. There are also family hotels around and they do kids clubs. We went to Hotel Amiamo during low season and it was really lovely. I have to get the finances sorted and pay for the divorce first, though,...and be back at work after maternity leave.

There's also a train that runs from Alicante along the coast past Benidorm, Altea etc. Plus we've found in Spain at least there's often a normal bus from the airport to the main resort towns.

However, you say you 'can’t spend a fortune but have no idea how much holidays even cost' but the reality is that holidays in the sun in school holidays can cost an awful lot of money, so it really depends on your budget and what standard you expect.

If you expect luxury accommodation or gourmet a la carte dinner, you're likely in for a shock, price wise. But if you're happy with a buffet or self catering (with eating out and stocking up on easy food, drinks, snacks and ice creams from the supermarket) and any accommodation as long as it's clean, then you might find something in budget.

I'd put your requirements, being as flexible as possible into the search function of Jet2/Easyjet/Tui and see what comes up. Once you've got an idea of what's available and prices, you could also look to see if you can find similar cheaper booking separately, but it could well be that packages are less expensive, especially as it's a late booking.

You could also look at Eurocamp or similar. They should have advice on their website about how to get from the airport without driving.

Do it! I’ve been away with mine loads on our own and it’s always a mixture of fantastic, stressful, rewarding and hard!
Basically don’t sweat the small stuff, take time out to relax, don’t worry too much about routine or trying to see all the sights. The evenings are the hardest bit for some, and if I’m honest sitting in a resort with all the couples would be hell for me, we usually go self catering and either eat out or cook in the apartment and play board games. I love it though.
We’ve done lots of inter railing too and I thoroughly recommend that as a fun holiday which lends itself well to single parents as you’re only paying for one adult and kids under 12 are free.

I’ve done lots of solo trips with my 8yo, from camping to city breaks and even a Disney cruise - the latter was a splurge but gave me much needed respite when life was full on.

If you’re not a beach/pool lover, try to find a mix of activities rather than a package you may not enjoy. It’s your holiday too and children can learn to love and appreciate different sorts of holidays. I usually just ensure there is a daily dose of play parks, down time and ice cream which usually keeps the balance for us. I’ve never drove abroad, nor do I do packages. I usually use kayak to find the cheapest flights and work out if there’s some stuff to do around there. I’ve used buses, trains, sleeper trains etc to get around.

Look at PGL they do family holidays. The one in France has a pool and a trip to Disneyland plus all travel included. It’s basic accommodation and food but great value especially if you catch their offers. We loved it when my dc were similar age to yours. All activities planned and included so not much spending money needed. I loved it because no mental load and we got to do the activities together (which you don’t in a hotel kids club). In the evening the PGL staff entertained the kids leaving parents free to socialise a bit in the bar. Kids loved everything so much we went twice.

I would definitely do a package holiday for your first one because negotiating a train and luggage and dc might be tough.
Spain and Italy are short flights.
Greek islands are very easy going. Food can be cheaper.
Turkey?
easy jet and jet 2 let you pick the number of nights to suit you so you could try five nights in Spain rather than 7 if you’re worried.

I second jet 2, always had a positive experience with them. You’ll probably be able to find a child free space too.
I would recommend making it as easy as possible for yourself. Do a package to a hotel with a pool and close to the beach, all inclusive makes life easy with younger children. You will also get transfers from the airport included in your package so no need to find your own way to the hotel. If your kids would be happy going to kids clubs on holiday you can find a hotel where that’s available so you can have a bit of alone time

I think it’s booked up for this year, but we’re just back from Yelloh Les Grands Pins. It has an excellent pool and is close to the beach. You fly to Bordeaux, then get a taxi.

OP, if you need a bit of support and encouragement, look up your nearest independent travel agent, go and explain what you want, the budget and why you are less than experienced at booking holidays, and see what they suggest.

They will also help you with which airport, booking carparks, checking passport/visa, hiring a car, etc. It might cost you an extra £100, but I found all the knowledge and support and experience worth the money, that first time.

And I agree, Jet2 service is much much better than the other budget/charter airlines.

Wow so many replies today, thanks so much! I have just got the children back after they’ve been away for half term
with their dad, so I will have a proper look later, but wanted to say thank you for everyone who’s taken the time to reply with so many great suggestions!