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Since the kids have been on the scene we’ve holidayed with family in Cornwall. Whilst this has been great, we’d like to go abroad this summer. As my wife and I are both teachers, we’re limited to the 6 week break, most likely the first week.
Ideally, we’d like a villa or apartment in or near a coastal town rather than a resort. Pool would be essential, as would two bedrooms. We’re not fussy about where, but at present can’t find anything with much change from 4 grand with flights.
Is this just the reality of a peak season break, or does anyone have any tips or advice on bringing it in a bit cheaper?
Thanks!
We loved the Massif Central.
Not coastal, but lots of lakes and slow rivers with swimming beaches.
We drove from Scotland (!) and air bnb'd to keep costs down and so we could take bikes and canoes with us, for cheap activity.
Air BnB for cheap house in a quiet village.
We spent a fortnight canoeing, riding, hill walking and loitering around empty villages and lovely small towns.
There are closer places in Southern Germany for similar experiences according to my boss who went with her young kids over a decade ago.
Yep that's reality I'm afraid to say unless you go somewhere that's off peak at that time of year.
Our first flying trip abroad was to Portugal (Algarve) with the kids aged about 7 and 4. We had a villa during the Easter holidays and it was a very easy experience. From memory flights were £1600 + £200 hire car + villa. This was about four years or so ago.
If you search Villa Arvela near Albufeira that will show you the rough area.
There was loads to do, beautiful beaches, a few decent excursion type places, in our experience it was massively child friendly (eateries etc.)
Hire car was definitely an essential for getting about for us and we took our own car seats (was very easy with easyJet).
PM or tag me if you want any more. This is just one way of doing it.
We also did a gite holiday in Northern France a year or so before which was great and much cheaper but you had to make your own entertainment. We found plenty to do but it wouldn't have fitted your requirements.
French accomodation in the North, Normandy, Brittany seems to be well priced but the ferries/tunnel needs careful booking to avoid the cost escalating.
Holland is great but they do have a degree of paranoia about children without a swimming certificate in the pools. You can save by ferrying over and there's lots of accomodation like holiday chalets up the coast.
We're going to a eurocamp style resort in lake Garda (pescheria) for a week (first week of June, my wife's school has two weeks half term then so that's a bit cheaper.)
Looks good to us as we know we like lake Garda, but we've not been abroad with the little one before. Got an apartment with bedrooms, decent pool, restaurants, plenty to do and it's Italy 👌
Bella Italia apartments if you fancy a peak to see if it's up your street!
Easy jet sun 19 Jul Gatwick to alicante returning sun 26th is c 100 per person, so 400 for 4, villa say 1200 pw, 1600, Skoda Fabia 200 pw so 1800 all in for 1 week, or c 3k for 2 weeks.
Maybe Ryanair is cheaper, depends where you are flying from. Plus bags, seat reservations of course.
Our two kids are a bit older but we did the last two weeks of the Summer hols in Morzine last year.
£1k for great AirBnB chalet on the edge of town. Prob £500 for tunnel, fuel and tolls. Then we got the multipass which gives free access to the superb pool, ice rink, lifts (on foot) amongst other things. I also got a few days bike lift pass which my wife and I shared. So prob £1700 ish plus food but we took a lot with us, used the supermarket and only had one evening meal out. Wouldn’t have spent that much less at home on food. It’s not coastal obviously but with lac Montriond and the pool didn’t feel we missed anything. Best family holiday we’ve ever had and doing it again this year.
We loved Eurocamp near Brittany when our kids were younger. Book it through Brittany Ferries, overnight crossing, sleep the journey away in your cabin and drive 2 hours the other side. Normally cost us around 1.5K all in.