2 adults, 4 children, £5k to spend on a holiday. Where?

JimmyTheWig

Some great tips coming through here.
Will check out holidaylettings.co.uk, definitely.

Thanks, Jim.

claire16c

I think if you really save hard you could do Florida. You dont have to go to every single theme park, or stay in an expensive hotel. If your kids are like lots I know, half the fun is splashing around in the pool. You could always do a week in Orlando and then a week at one of the beaches to keep the costs of the parks down.

I know in school holidays the prices can be crazy, but it would be a great place to to take your kids at that age. And you really will have a holiday of a lifetime. My parents took us there when we were similar ages and its somewhere I definitely would want to take any future children.

You could go at Easter, the weather would be really nice but not stifling like it is in August.

Bob_the_Saver

Put the 4 kids in kennels and go around the world

zagfles

claire16c wrote: »

I think if you really save hard you could do Florida. You dont have to go to every single theme park, or stay in an expensive hotel. If your kids are like lots I know, half the fun is splashing around in the pool. You could always do a week in Orlando and then a week at one of the beaches to keep the costs of the parks down.

I know in school holidays the prices can be crazy, but it would be a great place to to take your kids at that age. And you really will have a holiday of a lifetime. My parents took us there when we were similar ages and its somewhere I definitely would want to take any future children.

You could go at Easter, the weather would be really nice but not stifling like it is in August.

Yes, the problem with August in Florida is that the weather is hot, humid and stormy and I've heard the queues in the theme parks can be long. Spending most of the day queuing in stifling weather is not my (or the kids) idea of a "dream holiday"!

But Florida is an excellent place for a holiday and has so much more to offer as well as the theme parks (everglades, Miami south beach, keys etc), but best go off-peak and when it's cooler! Easter tends to be busy, best time could be May half term - some schools have 2 weeks off then, if not see if you can take the kids out of school for a week. Accomodation can be cheap off-peak - as there's so much of it in the Orlando/Kissemee area.

DUKE

WOW after Wales (have family there & I used to go there every holiday) you're all in for a treat Jim! Not that there's anything wrong with Wales. My husband swears that I have more fun planning the holiday than actually going on it since we started going abroad. So I'd advise you to have a look on tripadvisor as I spend half my life on there & the other half on here - enjoy!

Rolandtheroadie

Went to Mexico in 2009 with the 4 kids, but 2 wernt born yet so saved on that.
I've been looking recently as well, thinking of buying passports in February (so they're still valid for 6 months June/July 5 years down the line).

Destination? Anywhere warm. Anywhere all inclusive. The cash you can splash out on drinks/ice cream/snacks/entertainment alone for 4 kids make the extra AI cost worth it.

The other consideration is accomodation. I'd like us all to be in the one room/apartment. Not many can accomodate that.

Villa? Probably need a hire car. The costs involved in something to take 6 would be expensive. Might still need to taxi the luggage back and forth from the airport.

Floridas not my idea of a holiday, but you could do a 2 stop break (a week at the parks and a week on the gulf coast to recover).

mummytofour

My kids have 100% attendance but I do take them out of school each year for a week or two. Be it authorised or an authorised. I think that holidays are so important but so expensive. OP I would really consider that your 5k will go a lot futher out of school holidays. We always go away at the end of May at the weather is good but its not too hot. If you did florida out of school hols you would get more for your money. I would rent a villa with a pool that way you can do as little or as much each day but the kids will still have things to do. Kids grow-up so quick IMHO. Whatever you do, make it a realy holdiay of a life time :-)

JimmyTheWig

scotsman4th wrote: »

Destination? Anywhere warm. Anywhere all inclusive. The cash you can splash out on drinks/ice cream/snacks/entertainment alone for 4 kids make the extra AI cost worth it.

This is another of our dilemmas.
My wife thinks that all inclusive must be the best value.
But as neither of us really drink any more my thinking is that by paying for all inclusive we'll be paying over the odds.

Any opinions on all inclusive for non-drinkers?

JimmyTheWig

mummytofour wrote: »

My kids have 100% attendance but I do take them out of school each year for a week or two.

I don't understand this sentance? How can both be true?

In general we're not opposed to taking the children out of school, especially if it means they get to experience something that they otherwise wouldn't get to do.
But it will be SATs year (year 6) for our eldest, which makes things trickier.

LilacPixie

JimmyTheWig wrote: »

This is another of our dilemmas.
My wife thinks that all inclusive must be the best value.
But as neither of us really drink any more my thinking is that by paying for all inclusive we'll be paying over the odds.

Any opinions on all inclusive for non-drinkers?

Well I can maybe answer some of that. I have 3 kids, 5 3 and 7 months. We are not big drinkers but we go abroad 1-2 times a year. Personally i find AI to be good value for us, in many cases soft drinks actually cost more than alcohol in a bar or restaurant. We are off to Majorca in July for under £1600 for us 5 AI. Self catering holidays for same time on same flight was coming in at over £1300. We would be spending more than 300 in 10 days on juice, ice cream and meals for all 5 plus IMO a holiday is a holiday for me too, i don't fancy wandering around a Spanish supermarket looking for meal ideas to go back to apartment to cook.