Family holiday conundrum
Discussion
We’ve got kids (5 and 7) and are having a bit of a debate about what to do about holidays now they are that age.
Previously we’d always done airbnbs chiefly because I hate other people, the wife isn’t mega against that idea, and the kids were little so it didn’t matter. I hate hate hate package holiday hotel resort all inclusive type things and the wife thinks similar… but we kind of agree it would be nice for the kids to make friends etc.
Before kids we travelled a lot and went to all sorts of interesting places.
I am prepared to budge on my type of holiday I’d prefer, but package hols seem so so expensive it just makes me doubly not want to do that. We’re also now stuck with school hols only now really.
Part of me would quite like the kids to have someone to play with so we don’t always have to directly entertain them, but part of me thinks the point of a holiday is for us to connect with our own kids. I’m not a big boozer and I also have stomach issues so tons of food and drink is not really my aim. It’s more about quality I think. My wife doesn’t drink at all. I also don’t want to slip down the slippery slope of just doing ‘kid friendly’ hols and would also like to take them to more interesting places than the typical standard countries for sun and sand.
Any thoughts on this?
Previously we’d always done airbnbs chiefly because I hate other people, the wife isn’t mega against that idea, and the kids were little so it didn’t matter. I hate hate hate package holiday hotel resort all inclusive type things and the wife thinks similar… but we kind of agree it would be nice for the kids to make friends etc.
Before kids we travelled a lot and went to all sorts of interesting places.
I am prepared to budge on my type of holiday I’d prefer, but package hols seem so so expensive it just makes me doubly not want to do that. We’re also now stuck with school hols only now really.
Part of me would quite like the kids to have someone to play with so we don’t always have to directly entertain them, but part of me thinks the point of a holiday is for us to connect with our own kids. I’m not a big boozer and I also have stomach issues so tons of food and drink is not really my aim. It’s more about quality I think. My wife doesn’t drink at all. I also don’t want to slip down the slippery slope of just doing ‘kid friendly’ hols and would also like to take them to more interesting places than the typical standard countries for sun and sand.
Any thoughts on this?
i'm deffo in the camp that kids find any holiday interesting, but also that the places you take them shape their worldview even if just a little bit. I'm also very much in the camp that as much as self-catering holidays are probably quite tiring compared to hotels (you need to cook, find restaurants, have your kids 24/7 obviously, etc.) that this is on balance better than outsourcing the kids to other people on a flop holiday. I just enjoy the freedom to go and explore and but also to have a house rather than just a room, etc. esp if it is a lot less cost.
I think the Mrs sees it from both sides, and had previously lobbied me to do an all inclusive type place once before and we both hated it. All of us got ill, we were all in one room, it all just felt quite generic but you felt trapped there. That was meant to be a really good place too.
Anyway I dunno. People tend to gravitate to what they prefer. I just feel i'm a fighting a losing battle a bit as the wife is very heavily influenced by her mates who are mostly in the all inclusive get fookin pissed an burrrnt camp...
I think the Mrs sees it from both sides, and had previously lobbied me to do an all inclusive type place once before and we both hated it. All of us got ill, we were all in one room, it all just felt quite generic but you felt trapped there. That was meant to be a really good place too.
Anyway I dunno. People tend to gravitate to what they prefer. I just feel i'm a fighting a losing battle a bit as the wife is very heavily influenced by her mates who are mostly in the all inclusive get fookin pissed an burrrnt camp...
PurpleTurtle said:
We've got a 9yo son and also did a lot of independent travel before we had him.
We also both dislike hotels, mainly because we like to go with the flow, so dancing to someone else's tune at a hotel with set meal times is a tad irksome.
Our solution has been going 'room only' in places, or renting an apartment with communal facilities. Until my Dad went into care last year we also had access to my parents' two-bed apartment on the La Manga complex in Spain. That is ideal as you get lots of families there also effectively self-catering, but sharing pool etc. These places are never over-subscribed, as they are 'residents only' (including those renting from owners) you always get a sunbed by the pool whenever you turn up, and don't have to endure the hell that is loads of other Brits on a package holiday. There is generally a couple of kids of a similar age to play with, but it's not overrun with screaming kids. Lots of bars and restaurants, sporting facilities and good supermarkets nearby.
The key thing is that it is generally nicely busy with 'some' kids around the age of our son, but not overwhelmed with hordes of screaming Brits on the piss all trying to get as much all-inclusive San Miguel down their neck as fast as possible. So you can usually tick the box of there being someone to entertain the kids, but not one of those hellish places where people race for the sunbeds at 7am. There are also loads of really nice beaches all within a short drive.
There are loads of rental agencies, I have just picked this at random to give an idea of type of properties (no affiliation).
https://www.lamangavillarental.co.uk/rentals/
We're going again in August, sadly my folks had to sell their place because of Dad's dementia, but we fortunately have a family friend who owns another one out there who lets us have it for free for a few weeks every summer. Before that was the case we rented a couple of places and had a great time.
Some people baulk at having to do *any* cooking on holiday. I've never really understood that, we mix it up, a bit of eating out, a bit of self-catering, depending on what we want to do on the day. Main thing is we are dancing to our tune, not someone else's.
ETA: most apartments at La Manga will be two bedders, so the kids get their own room. This was the kind of place my folks had before they sold it, we had some great times there. Pool is perfect for kids the age of yours: https://www.expedia.co.uk/Cartagena-Hotels-Los-Mol...
There is also a fellow PH'er over on the Buying An Apartment in Spain thread who lives at El Rancho across the road, he can vouch for how nice it is for a young family.
https://www.lamangavillarental.co.uk/resort/el-ran...
Restaurants: https://www.lamangaclubresort.co.uk/about/restaura...
many thanks, we're aren't massively different i think. Sorry to hear about your Dad.We also both dislike hotels, mainly because we like to go with the flow, so dancing to someone else's tune at a hotel with set meal times is a tad irksome.
Our solution has been going 'room only' in places, or renting an apartment with communal facilities. Until my Dad went into care last year we also had access to my parents' two-bed apartment on the La Manga complex in Spain. That is ideal as you get lots of families there also effectively self-catering, but sharing pool etc. These places are never over-subscribed, as they are 'residents only' (including those renting from owners) you always get a sunbed by the pool whenever you turn up, and don't have to endure the hell that is loads of other Brits on a package holiday. There is generally a couple of kids of a similar age to play with, but it's not overrun with screaming kids. Lots of bars and restaurants, sporting facilities and good supermarkets nearby.
The key thing is that it is generally nicely busy with 'some' kids around the age of our son, but not overwhelmed with hordes of screaming Brits on the piss all trying to get as much all-inclusive San Miguel down their neck as fast as possible. So you can usually tick the box of there being someone to entertain the kids, but not one of those hellish places where people race for the sunbeds at 7am. There are also loads of really nice beaches all within a short drive.
There are loads of rental agencies, I have just picked this at random to give an idea of type of properties (no affiliation).
https://www.lamangavillarental.co.uk/rentals/
We're going again in August, sadly my folks had to sell their place because of Dad's dementia, but we fortunately have a family friend who owns another one out there who lets us have it for free for a few weeks every summer. Before that was the case we rented a couple of places and had a great time.
Some people baulk at having to do *any* cooking on holiday. I've never really understood that, we mix it up, a bit of eating out, a bit of self-catering, depending on what we want to do on the day. Main thing is we are dancing to our tune, not someone else's.
ETA: most apartments at La Manga will be two bedders, so the kids get their own room. This was the kind of place my folks had before they sold it, we had some great times there. Pool is perfect for kids the age of yours: https://www.expedia.co.uk/Cartagena-Hotels-Los-Mol...
There is also a fellow PH'er over on the Buying An Apartment in Spain thread who lives at El Rancho across the road, he can vouch for how nice it is for a young family.
https://www.lamangavillarental.co.uk/resort/el-ran...
Restaurants: https://www.lamangaclubresort.co.uk/about/restaura...
Edited by PurpleTurtle on Tuesday 9th April 13:05
Shaoxter said:
Blown2CV said:
I am prepared to budge on my type of holiday I’d prefer, but package hols seem so so expensive it just makes me doubly not want to do that. We’re also now stuck with school hols only now really.
Depends where you go surely? Doesn't have to be Maldives...I booked a last min Easter holiday to Turkey for £1900 for 3 people AI for 8 days which I think is pretty cheap. Canaries and Greece/Cyprus weren't too much more. There's plenty of stuff to see and do outside the resort in those places too.
StupidDecisions said:
Camping in Europe?
Self catering and get your own space but absolutley great for kids. Find a campsite with as many or as few ammeneties as you like.
Have a look at https://www.les-castels.co.uk/ for an idea on whats available.
yea we looked at that too. I would be less averse to this but it seemed to be coming in sort of £4k upwards to live in a shed for a week!! There were nicer ones but they were more ££.Self catering and get your own space but absolutley great for kids. Find a campsite with as many or as few ammeneties as you like.
Have a look at https://www.les-castels.co.uk/ for an idea on whats available.
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