Ideas for a straightforward last minute week away with an 18 year old

[Ponkypinky]

We’re going round and round in circles. Every time we think we’ve found a holiday an external obstacle blocks it: I’m talking a jury service summons, the passport office losing a passport during renewal, a work commitment so a family member has to drop out (young adult, career enhancing event so non movable), limited time due to dog sitter availability.

We’re so tired already I’m getting to the point where I want to give up but I don’t want to cancel the dog sitter at short notice and this particular week is the only time DH can take off as we’ve already had to move the holiday dates once.

Can anyone help with ideas?

Here’s the criteria:

Monday to Sunday holiday (yup, limiting)
Soon. Very soon.

Two adults and 18 yr old son. I want something good as it might be the last time he wants to come on holiday with us (particularly if we end up in Drearyville)

Travel: we only have 7 days so I really don’t want to spend 3 days travelling (ie getting to the airport the day before for a 6am flight)

A holiday with certainty - it’s been a tough 3 years and I can’t face unexpected travel delays, changed flights, Eurostar and train delays/cancellations. We’ve been burnt before. DH doesn’t want to drive so ferries are out too.

Done the UK especially Scotland, Yorkshire, Cornwall, East Anglia, Lake District, Somerset/Dorset. DH doesn’t want to get a barge on the Norfolk Broads. We’ve done the big city breaks already.

Budget: £3k

Wild and outlandish U.K. holiday ideas would be appreciated.

There are some last minute deals for Cottages around Woolacombe OP. Good place if he is interested in some surf lessons, nice walks, good food for eating out. Tunnels beaches worth a visit in Ilfracombe. IMO though you sound pooped, I’d be jumping on a plane to an all inclusive!

Thank you. I’ll look into that.

Does Bluestone have another site or is there something similar elsewhere in the country that ISN’T Centreparcs?

Oban, such a great base for so many activities, including seeing basking sharks :)
Or Iceland, shortish flight, lots to do and suited to a shorter break

Alton towers water park? If it’s a water park you are looking g for or do you mean more of a holiday village?

What about a Spanish city/ beach break - so the best flights from your local airport to Malaga/ Barcelona / Alicante and I'm lots of us can suggest lovely beach hotels / resorts for good food beautiful towns and a lot have boat tours/ kayaking etc to be active?

More of a holiday village. We’re about an hour away from Alton Towers so done that.

Done Oban 😢

UK - the weather is you're biggest variable if you're after a holiday with certainty so being able to sit out and enjoy things - the tawny hotel looks awesome and there is fritton lakes in Norfolk with a mixture of self catering/ restaurants / activities swimming etc and plenty to see around the area?

My local airport only flies Fri/Sat/Sun so we are tied to the Monday/Sunday flights which has been a real stumbling block. I’ve looked at city breaks and they are so expensive, especially as we need two rooms.

Hire a motorhome and do the NC500? Isle of Skye?

It depends where you are based, OP, especially as you don't want to drive. Is your offspring quite sporty? I'd say, get on a long distance train to Scotland or the Lake District. Book into a nice pub, or B&B, the spend your time, walking, kayaking, riding, playing golf, whatever.
Or go a bit more cultural and try North Yorkshire, including York, Whitby, Castle Howard (that bit needs a car, to be fair).
Or fly to somewhere like Southern Germany, for similar stuff, but with a European flavour.

Fritton Lakes? That’s new!

DH doesn’t want to drive.

Apols OP .Just spotted that. That does really restrict you. Could you drive instead?

You can't have 'done' all of Yorkshire, I've lived here over 50 years, was taken on countless outings as a child and go walking and on days out round here at least twice a week and there's still places I've not been to that I would like to see.

What about staying in a hotel with spa/activities, eg the Peebles Hydro, Crieff Hydro or Swinton Park near Ripon. Or the hotel or caravan part of Rudding Park. Or Saltmoore near Whitby?

Or look on Jet2holidays for a last minute deal. Or look on Skyscanner starting with the everywhere search to see what flights are available from your nearest airport.

I wouldn't count flying to Europe and back as '3 days travelling'. Morning flight out and you can have a nice lunch in a beach restaurant and then swim and if you fly back in the evening on the last day, you can still do similar on the last day - we went to Mallorca for 5 nights like that and had 5.5 days of holiday.

We looked at Prague but by the time we’ve factored in extra flight costs to avoid 9pm flights, car parking and possibly an airport stay the it bumps the price to over £4k and I can’t justify that for 3-4 days of sightseeing.

I’m sorry. I’m such a Debbie Downer about this.

Can you travel from a different airport? Where are you in the country? If you're in the far south west, northern Scotland or West Wales it can take longer to get to parts of England than it can to fly overseas.

I grew up in Yorkshire and my family are still there so due to a family illness I’m in Yorkshire every fortnight.

If I take a morning flight then we have to stay over as I can’t drop off the dog until 8am (they can’t do the evening before) and then we have the 3hour check in even before we’ve driven to the airport. So we can’t fly until Tuesday so we’d have Wednesday/Thurs/Fri/Sat of sightseeing.

So can’t you fly out of Birmingham? I assume your constraints are based on EM airport?

Croatia. Flying to/from Dubrovnik and Split to give flexibility and island hopping in between. Ferries are great. Cheapish with great food.

But very expensive. I'm not sure you could get six days for three people in Iceland on £3k.

Rather than pooh-poohing what everyone is saying OP, why don't you tell us where you can fly to from your local airport with flights that suit your timings and then we can suggest things?

All inclusive Arum Barat is coming up at just under your budget for a week OP have a look at Jet2 out of Birmingham

Can't be that, EM has flights to many places daily.

OP, you seem to be making things difficult for yourself. You don't need to be at the airport 3 hours ahead for a start. 2 is generous and in virtually all cases will leave you sitting around wondering what the fuss was about.

OP what about the Channel Islands, Isle of Man or Belfast/coast for Giant's Causeway etc?

Technically, Birmingham and East Midlands do have the destinations but not the actual flights when I go to book. I’m after a package holiday as we have been totally stung before by booking flights and accommodation separately.

Sorry, I think I was replying to someone else there.

Look at a smaller city in a country you like. Eg Gdansk if you've been to Krakow, Cologne if you've been to Berlin, Girona, if you liked Barcelona, Porto instead of Lisbon. You'd get a few days for well under £3k unless you're looking to stay at a luxury hotel and have cocktails and fine dining every night.