Budget holiday recommendations(ideally A.I) for next year.. With so many buts..

[CeeJay81]

Looking at next year, May or possible October. 2 adults, 1 child. 7 nights. Can take a few days term time but the school are becoming less keen on term time holidays and may start the ridiculous fine thing now. We always use to do a week in term time. So now we are looking at maybe 3 to 4 days out of term instead of 7, so a slight crossover.

The thing is, I'm a bit fussy and these are what I want.
Transfer of 1.5 hours absoulte max from airport.
Separate room for dd12, not all stuck in same room. So 1 bed apartment type set up etc of that kind of family room.

At least a couple of waterslides. some entertainment.

Was looking at Turkey, as we havent been there but long transfer times to a lot of resorts put me off. £2600ish A.I. it seems a big ask and may have to up our budget it seems. Also not keen on any company's other than tui, jet 2 or easy jet.
Suggestions?

Hi. I think the holiday companies are putting the prices up a lot either side of the school terms, as when I looked a few days before the price was still high. I think you will have to up your budget. We've decided not to do a foreign holiday this year and save more towards next year.

Do you mean £2600 for all of you or per person?
If that's your total budget you will struggle. You could certainly find something self catering but AI with slides and entertainment is doubtful.

If you're looking at Jet2 just put those criteria in the search and see if there's anything.

We stayed at a nice place on Lloret de Mar, v close to airport, 25ish mins and we booked our own transfer.
Water slides, loads of pools incl a swim up bar.
Through on the beach I think it was around 3.5k AI for 6 of us for a week in the summer hols. This was rooms not apartments but Hotel was evinia Olympic palace and we were in the cheaper part but some had apartments.

Food and facilities were really good, ice cream vans on site etc. it was busy but with loads of pools it felt like enough space for everyone, bar a bit of queuing at the bar but no biggy.

Magic Natura in Spain was excellent - near Benidorm but in the hills so much quieter. Water park and zoo onsite and cabins had separate kids bedroom. I think tui and jet2 go there.

Would you consider a water park next door ( entry included), ,rather than slides on site? If so we stayed in marinda gardens in menorca a few years back in may half term for about that price. Not checked prices now though. Apartments, max hour transfer, nice place. The aqua park was literally next door and free entry but did have to pay sunbeds, food drink etc if wanted them, so we went over just use slides most days, then back for snacks and drinks round our own pool rather than spending the day there.

I want to go there so bad! 2k for me. DP, 3 yo and baby for a week in June. Not sure we can afford it

Your budget is too low for AI during any school holiday - your 12 yo will be adult price. I go to 'brit abroad' 3star AI and in the summer £3500 is 'cheap' for 2 adults and 2 dcs under 13. You might luck out with a v last minute booking?

You can go to lanzerote 18-25dec for that price with tui or jet 2

You will need to lower your expectations or pay the fine as it’s cheaper than the cost of holiday

Residence rooms at the Arum Barut hotel are what you’re after

If you look turkey fly to Antalya and stay in Lara beach it’s only 20 mins transfer. Epic and so good for families. You will have to up your budget though

No, there are free child places but your right it's too low for school hols. We go term time usually.

I paid about that for 3 people all inc in Lanzarote in Oct half term, DS on a v comfy sofa bed in a separate room to us. No waterslides though.

Oct half term varies, so whilst flights are cheaper going early for our half term, the hotel was full of families who have their half term the week before us.

Try Jupiter Hotel in Albufeira. Not sure how warm it’ll be in May or October but worth a look as it was reasonably priced when we went last summer holidays.

there are some nice ones in Cyprus which will still be nice and warm at that time of year.

I'm suprised at lanzarote coming up cheaper than Turkey. This probably best we found so far.

Another vote for Marinda Gardens in Menorca, we went there last year and loved it. It cost about £4k for four of us for 10 nights in August.

It's AI with a decent food selection, hotel was clean and comfortable, staff were lovely, entertainment was good, rooms are like apartments so have a sofa bed in the living room bit and two beds in the bedroom. We had the sofa bed and DC had the bedroom. We went with TUI. Flight time is about 2 hours, coach from airport to hotel was about 50 minutes. As @Simplelobsterhat says, the water park is next door, free entry if you're staying at Marinda, sunbeds were €3.50 each but you get them for the whole day, so can go back to the hotel for lunch then back to the water park.

Would you consider Morrocco? There’s a few with a water park on site in Marrakesh, think Agadir more expensive but have been to both with kids and they were much cheaper than Turkey at the time.

I think your room requirements are what pushing the price up for you. Is this non- negotiable?

I work in education so I can only go in school holidays. It is absolutely possible to get holidays for that price but you will need to search for a great deal.

I’ve booked a swim up room, for 4, in a 5 star ai hotel in Greece for October half term for £3.3k. This suite has two bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.

I’ve booked a 5 star ai Mitsis hotel, on a different Greek island, for £2.3 at Easter. This room has a separate room for the kids.

I’ve been to both these hotels before and know I have got ridiculous deals!

Last year, I went sc to Portugal for £1.5k for all 4 of us, in August, with flights from a local airport. My kids had their own room here too.

These are all with easyJet holidays.

Have a look at Le Bleu in Kusadasi. Short transfer time from Izmir and has most of what you’re looking for. We had a week there and it was fine and pretty reasonable price wise

We did Lanzarote this Easter holidays for 4 people AI in an apartment style room ie sofa bed in lounge separate from bedroom for around £2500 with jet 2, but no water park or slides.

We also prioritise not all being in one room if we are going for more than a few nights, and there are usually quite a few ex self catering apartments or at least divided rooms in ai hotels not too expensive, but I do think getting the slides on site too might push it too far. You may have to choose which is priority.

Not for 2k ish for the whole family.

At the moment the best I've found is Lanzarote, October half term. Lanzasur club & waterpark or club playa blanca with waterpark add on. Both about £2700ish. So not bad at all, been busy on the jet 2 app. Can't find anything in Turkey for less than 3k, due to room requirements, which aren't negotiable, as hubby has health issues and just wouldn't sleep with all of us in one room. May look at Morocoo, haven't searched there yet. Would be nice to go to a different country.

We went to Menorca this year just after half term (maybe you could do weds to weds over the break or something) and it was £2.4k AI for a one bed apartment, 4 of us (one child free). Waterpark down the road but a nice pool on site and ten mins walk to the beach. Menorca seemed the cheapest when I was looking!

@tangobravo we've done Menorca, which is lovely but will def consider it again. I'm looking at places we haven't been. Maybe I should have added that. We have done Majorca, Menorca, Tenerife, and Crete and Corfu. I wanted somewhere outside of Spain and Greece if poss but I'm not conpletely set on that. Just looking at options on a small budget.