From Tenerife to Cornwall, we share ten last-minute deals for your family holiday
IF you have not yet booked your summer break, don’t fret – you might have accidentally played a blinder. Prices have been slashed by up to 20 per cent and June is the best time to book, according to Steve Campion, MD of Holiday Discount Centre. There are lots of bargains out there, from savings […]
IF you have not yet booked your summer break, don’t fret – you might have accidentally played a blinder.
Prices have been slashed by up to 20 per cent and June is the best time to book, according to Steve Campion, MD of Holiday Discount Centre.
There are lots of bargains out there, from savings on all-inclusive packages to the cheapest destinations such as Bulgaria, Portugal and Turkey, to discounts on staying in a seaside hotel at home or sending the kids off on their own.
Trisha Harbord selects a range of tempting offers to suit all budgets.
1 — Tenerife
A SAVING of £150 on an all-inclusive holiday with entertainment galore for kids.
The 4-star Sunwing Resort Fanabe is near Playa Fanabe beach in Costa Adeje, on the southern coast of the Canary isle, and an easy one-hour transfer from the airport.
The family rooms have kitchenettes – even if you are on an all-inclusive package. Kids aged three to seven have the Mini Land club. There’s a teen lounge, pools and a games room.
The waterparks Aqualand and Siam Park – voted No1 in the world – are close to the resort.
Costa Adeje also offers watersports and boat trips.
- Go: Seven nights’ all-inclusive for four, from Gatwick on July 16, from £2,176. See thomascook.com.
2 — Cornwall
FOR families bigger than your average two plus two, finding a UK hotel room big enough can be difficult.
But the Esplanade in Newquay can sleep up to six people – and even the dog can go.
The hotel offers entertainment to keep youngsters happy, including rock pooling, pizza making and bingo.
There’s an indoor pool with a splash area for little ones and adults get ten per cent off treatments in the Fistral Spa.
The hotel has a surf school, offering lessons for anyone aged over seven, paddleboarding and coasteering. Nearby, there’s an aquarium and zoo.
- Go: B&B for a family of four in a standard room for five nights from July 20-25 costs from £955. Larger rooms available. See esplanadehotelnewquay.co.uk.
3 — Portugal
IT’S the second cheapest European country to visit this summer after Bulgaria, so going self-catering or B&B can save you money because food and wine is cheap – £1 for a beer and £14 for lunch for two.
The 4-star Luna Solaqua in Albufeira, in the Algarve, has apartments but with all the facilities of a hotel – pools, kids’ playground, restaurant and wellness centre.
Albufeira is a large, lively resort with an adventure park, zoomarine with dolphin shows, a theme park and a buzzing nightlife.
Take a walk along the Via Algarviana to get off the beaten track.
- Go: Five nights’ B&B, including Southend flights on August 6, is from £391pp – a saving of £154.50. Seven nights’ from £443. See easyjet.com/holidays.
4 — Spain
A WEEK’S holiday for a family of four – for the price of three at TUI’s Spanish resort.
Family Life Islantilla is on the edge of a long sandy beach in Costa De La Luz.
The 4-star hotel has entertainment for all ages, children’s clubs and a “hangout” for teenagers, restaurants serving international food from burgers to tapas, and bars.
Activities include yoga, aqua aerobics and water polo and there are watersports available on the beach – jet-skiing, kayaking and sailing.
Nearby is a shopping centre and golf course, one of the best in Andalucia.
- Go: Seven nights’ all-inclusive, from Stansted on July 14, from £864 per person, based on a family of four sharing. See tui.co.uk.
5 — Yorkshire
YEE-HAW! Take your little ones on a Wild West-themed holiday park. Pinewood Park, two miles from Scarborough, offers glamping and camping, and the prices do not rise in peak season.
The most luxurious is the Cowboy Lodge, sleeping four, with a hot tub lit at night by 1,000 fairy-lights.
Or try out a tipi, a shack or cabin. They can fit all sizes of family.
Then there’s Woody’s Western Wagons just like in the movies, apart from the toaster and microwave.
Scarborough is a traditional seaside resort which also has a castle, Sea Life aquarium, bowling alley, cinema and Peasholm Park.
- Go: Tipi for five from £100 a night, Woody’s Wagon for four is £110. See ref 168 at hostunusual.com.
6 — Carmarthenshire
SAVE nearly a third on a short stay at the Edwardian-style Stradey Park Hotel & Spa in Llanelli.
The mansion’s spacious interconnecting rooms makes it perfect for family escapes. Kids under 12 eat free and families get a free picnic on two of the days.
The 4-star Stradey Park, with views over the Gower Peninsula, is a great base for visiting attractions in South West Wales.
They include 12th Century Kidwelly Castle, the WWT Wetland Centre, and the National Botanic Garden of Wales.
Visit Pembrey Country Park, where you will find activities ranging from horseriding and cycling to tobogganing and nature trails.
- Go: Four nights’ B&B for family of four, from July 22, from £440 (save £200), stradeyparkhotel.com.
7 — Turkey
IT is back on the holiday map and is the third cheapest destination. So even if you go all-inclusive, you won’t be afraid to eat in the restaurants.
Marmaris is a popular resort on the Turquoise Coast with gorgeous beaches, history and culture.
The castle and museum give an insight into the Ottoman Empire, and old Marmaris is home to a bustling bazaar.
The 4-star Kervansaray Marmaris has a large pool with slides, kids’ club, playground, mini golf, spa, table tennis and a gym.
There’s a free shuttle bus to the beach and Aqua Dream and Atlantis waterparks are nearby.
- Go: Seven nights’ all-inclusive from Birmingham on July 16, from £379pp (saving £80) or £394 from Gatwick. See loveholidays.com.
8 — France
THERE is a third off this break for active families – on the banks of the largest lake in northern France.
Les Cottages de Valjoly are in the heart of the Avesnois National Park. The lake is a base for watersports, with more activities in the beautiful Nostrimont Forest.
There is horseriding, golf, trampolines, tree-trek adventure course, archery, pools and an aquarium.
The 3-star cottages sleep from two to eight, have a modern kitchen, lounge, bedrooms and a terrace. There are five restaurants in the resort and a shop.
- Go: Seven nights’ self-catering in a cottage for four people, from July 14, now costs £420 (saving £180).
- Return ferry with P&O from Dover to Calais costs from £187. See summerfrance.co.uk.
9 — Bulgaria
THE cheapest European family destination this summer – to eat, rest and play – according to the Post Office’s holiday-costs barometer.
Sunny Beach has the longest stretch of sand on the Black Sea and a promenade with shops, bars, clubs, restaurants and a market.
There are sports galore, including windsurfing, parasailing, tennis and volleyball.
The 4-star Kalina Garden Hotel, which has rooms to accommodate up to five people, has a pool with a slide, kids’ club and play area, aerobics classes and fitness centre and mini-golf.
- Go: Seven nights’ all-inclusive, from Gatwick on August 31, from £396 per person. For details see onthebeach.co.uk.
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10 — Perthshire
NOW here’s an idea – send the kids off for a week. There’s a great deal on PGL summer camps. Pay for one child and get a second for £49 if you book by Friday.
The offer is for a week’s stay for children aged seven to 16 at 13 adventure centres throughout the UK including Dalguise in Perth & Kinross.
There are more than 50 activities across the centres including abseiling, canoeing, archery, football and zip-wires.
Kids get three meals a day and there is evening entertainment in the main house, once the home of Beatrix Potter. Dalguise also has a lake and sports dome.
- Go: First child pays £589 for a seven-night multi- activity holiday at Dalguise from July 20, and a second £49. See pgl.co.uk/holidays.