Tell me about your best CHEAP holiday!!

[geraldinetheluckygoat]

DH had seen the kids go free and save 40% and it still came out at over £1000 for three nights!!! Feeling dissappointed now, as the kids would have loved it, but we might save up and go next year......

In the mean time, tell me about your cheaper holidays...we are going camping for a long weekend over the summer, but would like another short break somewhere fun and not too expensive that doesnt involve a tent (dont want to have to rely on british weather being good). This country is fine, and under £500 would be good. Kids are five and three.

I have a 'compact' 2 bed house in Derby, right at the bottom of the peak district, not too far from Alton Towers/Chatsworth house/Kedleston Hall.

Bugger. I have a house in an "urban" area of Bedord

back to the Butlins idea if it helps -> 5 and 3 are the perfect age really. Any older and you have to start paying for activities, any younger is a bit too young (although as ds2 is 7 months he didnt really care - he liked the baby soft play bit though)

Favourite things for DS (3.4) were the shows - pretty much all of them were a hit, but we took him to every bob the builder show (20 minutes on every morning) and he also loved the skyline gang (butlins own characters) also Thomas tank show, pingu, angelina ballerina, billy bear. There were a lot of characters he missed due to being asleep or wotnot - like loony tunes and diego.

They do photoshoots with characters too but you can take your own photo rather than pay for one. I wouldnt fork out for character lunches/breakfasts either because you seem them about all the time and they are brilliant with littlies and always stop for a cuddle and a photo.
In the nursery they have messy play sessions each morning which to be honest is just a chance for them to play somewhere else other than pavillion - DS loved it and raided the dressing up box - ignored the paint and water!

They have a stage in the pavillion which is open, then centre stage which is ticketed (tickets free, but you have to collect beforehand) Also had a character olympics outside during the week where they could take part in egg and spoon races etc with Fireman sam and others. The mini funfair is good for the littlies - planes, teacups, ladybirds and noddy car rides.

The soft play area is massive - there are two bits - under 1m and over (DS got into both cos he's pretty much exactly 1m) Also outside the sun and moon pub is a large wooden play area. If they are tall enough they can do some of the things in the big funfair eg trampoline and carousel. DS was too small for dodgems though. The pool was a hit because of the slide area for toddlers, although its not enormous so could get crowded during school hols.

What else. Um. You can walk into Bognor if you really want to, or pay for the mini train that leaves from outside(not necessary to take it as its only a few mins walk, but DS enjoyed one ride)

There are plenty of places to eat on site if you want to, some of which are reasonable, some are not - or like I said head to the local tesco and stock up.

There are arcades and lots of those grabber machines, as well as toddler rides which cost a pound. DS liked to get on them, but we never needed to put money in cos he just likes to pretend!

Hope that helps

What about a touring caravan that is pitched permanently on site. I see there are a few in cornwall. Would be cheaper than a static and think pretty basic but cheap around £40pn in high season or else search and you can find people who rent out their touring caravan with awning to cover their costs as they leave them there all year around. I imagine some of them would be very smart.

What about last minute river boat holidays?

We are ditching the abroad holiday as they come out around £4k and there isnt the available cash to justify such an expense for 10 days of the whole year. We are now focusing on water holidays ie buying boats and taking the caravan.

LynmieP, thanks you SO MUCH for that very brilliant description of Butlins from a kids pov! It sounds really up the ds's street, if we dont do it this year, I definitely want to do it another, it sounds great!
Bacon thanks to you too, I didnt know you could hire touring caravans, thats a great idea, I will look into it as I think the kids would love that! I would absolutely love a boat holiday, but dh has never fancied it annoyingly!

Atlantic Reach is quite far for us to travel too! We are in Norfolk and it will take around 7/8hrs!

wow fair play Fimbo, will you be doing the classic set of at four am and eat sandwiches in a lay by at ten (or was that just my own family that used to do that?)

Butlins sounds fabulous for the kids - I think we might look into it for next year when DDs are 4 and 2 so will probably really enjoy it.

Another idea I had, although don't know much about it, is camping pods. They don't seem to cost too much and if you are okay about 'normal camping' then might be a possibility.

Also, something we tend to do is take family holidays during the May/June holidays (we can only do school holiday times) and these tend to be cheaper.

Some favourites have been Eurocamp in Holland.The girls have never had problems with the drive - we tend to stop in Kent at a Travelodge before the ferry crossing in the morning and have stopped in Bruges enroute too but only because we like it there! Tents for the half term week next June are less than £300 for a week. Weather tends to be fine and the sites in Holland are very child friendly - one has on site theme park that is free to Eurocampers and another has onsite wildlife park and water park.

Euro camp sounds great, Dysgu, and good thinking too about going in may/june break.

I have just looked at camping pods as had not heard of them before- WOW they look very exciting!! Also its reminded me that when i was on a similar quest a couple of years ago (lack of money seems to be a running theme in this house) I found some cheaper Yurt holidays too, which surely would be great fun for the kids too....going to go off and havve a look, Ill post any good links I find.....

LOL! No we are hardy Scots who are used to the travel between England and Scotland and they very very very long tedious journey. At least it will be different countryside this time and dh and I are infamous at getting lost (even with Sat Nav, I will not bore you with the details of us trying to find Holiday Inn Express in Malaga for the best part of 2 hours, we could see it from the airport when we drove out of the car park!) therefore it will be an adventure! A3, us, Easter, madness. .

we do disneyland really cheapish. £99.00 eurotunnel crossing. campsite 4 vents with tent which is 15 minutes drive. or you can go to a travelodge type place (etap or formule 1) 4 nights cost appx £150 euro. then we buy annual passes which work out appx £100 each. you can use them all year and we will be squeazing in our 3rd trip this year before it expires! it works out a lot cheaper than going to theme parks in this country with 3 kids. As for their ages there are lots of things to do, like the shows and stuff. Take your own food and buy as little as poss in there. any questions then ask away.

ah thanks milkybars! I hadnt thought about camping there. we are going on first uk camping trip this year with kids so will see how we get on and if its good, that would definitely be an option to do next year!

Camping near disney you get the best of both worlds. all the hype of disney and then you can get away from it all and relax on a peaceful site only minutes away. with an annual pass there is no pressure to get there as it opens and leave at 11pm as you know you can come and go as you please . for our family (5 full paying) we got our passes for around £500. which is a lot initial outlay, but the kids and us love it and I would thoroughly reccomend it.

We booked a caravan last year in Suffolk. It cost £300 for two weeks and it was in the school holidays. We had to give the caravan a good clean but for that price we couldn't complain.

I never buy my meals in disney either as I time our arrival to get there after lunch usually. we take baguettes and snacks/drinks into the park and munch when queing. When you think a burger and chips (fast food style) will set you back about £12 per person it would soon add up over a few days. I also buy disney presents for the kids here (uk)and give them too them to play with at the campsite, whilst we enjoy a glass of wine .

blimey dollshouse that IS cheap! kids love staying in caravans too dont they? we stayed in one at Searles in hunstanton in september one year, it was bloody freezing out but the caravan was really warm and the kids just LOVED it!

sounds great Milkybars, some great tips - what a good idea to get disney presents inthe uk first!! I like the sound of the passes too.

milkybar... where did you buy your annual pass for disney from?

Hi kiwibella, sorry for late reply Have been working long hours last few days.
When you arrive at disney. you buy a ticket to get in, then go to the disney annual passport office and they refund your day ticket and issue the annual ones. you need to take id with you. By the way the annual passes give you discounted rates for food and the shops.

we r just back from majorca flights were 300 for four people and we stayed all inclusive for 4 for 450 .

transfers 100

so all in a week all inclusive in majorca cala de mallorca for 850, others paid 1500 at same resort.

Hotel was booked through at the beach.

children went free

thanks Milkybar... sorry you have been working so hard!

I found a link for the annual passes and spotted the additional discounts too. It is seriously tempting .

we went to calas de mallorca last year! Hated it. (sorry) . But we have just booked through on the beach for a week s/c in alvor portugal - £900 inc flights for the four of us.

coolma i am the opposite we went to portugal and hated it lol every one is different, depends what people want i suppose, the on the beach website is good but isnt it?

i had never booked with them b4 and panicked incase probs but was grand no hitches and 850 all inclusive cudnt beat it at all cud u !

Oh I agree we got a really good deal too, but just didn't like the place! Hoping Alvor will be ok - never been through on the beach, went to portugal in May through Thomsons..