Budget family break during school holidays?

smithyjules

Hi all,

Hubby and I have been together 9 years now and have had one short break during this time (which was our honeymoon and first family holiday with dd).

We have 2 children now (6 and 2) and would love to have a short break mon-Fri) in the Devon or Dorset area during the May/Oct half-term holidays. School is very strict about time off for Holidays and my Hubby is at University so funds are incredibly tight.

Camping isn't an option, but happy to consider most other ideas. I know prices rocket during school holidays so any tips from other families who manage to affoard a break would be great.

Many thanks.

onlyroz

What is your budget?

Tiddlywinks

Do you know anyone in the area who you could do a temporary house-swap with?

How about a B&B - they are cheaper than hotels and are good for short breaks. they tend to be agreeable to young children sharing the room in sleeping bags or put-me-ups.

Why not camping?

Seanymph

Youth hostels - youth hostels - youth hostels!!!

They are brilliant with youngsters. I took mine all over the country in them

Tiddlywinks

Seanymph wrote: »

Youth hostels - youth hostels - youth hostels!!!

They are brilliant with youngsters. I took mine all over the country in them

Is that true? Adults can use them as long as they bring along some children? I always assumed they were for young adults and not young families.

jayII

YOuth hostels are for everyone.

With such young children I'd look for hostels with a family room or small 4-6 bedded rooms that you can book in full. Some (if not all) of them have minimum ages in the main dormitories, which might rule out your 2 year old.

The only downside is that hostels aren't as cheap as they used to be. Have a look at the YHA website, it's very informative.

Seanymph

Tiddly anyone can stay in youth hostels!

My MIL goes alone and stays in shared rooms - it's cheaper than a hotel.

I used to take my children, they are teenagers now and i took five teens and myself and booked a six bedded room to take them all to Alton Towers for a weekend.

Many hotels do 'family rooms' or four bedded rooms which you book exclusively (that's all I'd do to be honest).

You take your 'food box' with you, one of the square plastic ones, and your fridge stuff.

They have everything else you need in the kitchen, so with smallies you cater for yourself, take your box into the kitchen and put it under the counter - put your things (labelled) in the fridge, and you are home from home.

Most have a drying room/laundry facilities.

They provide bedding - and although some have shared bathrooms often they have ensuites in family rooms anyway.

You can order breakfast and dinner at some...... or you can self cater.

I found with two young children the opportunity to self cater (take frozen bolgnese, it thaws out in the car on the way, perfect first night dinner.) was priceless. No expensive eating out - packed lunches - picky eaters catered for.....

You find very laid back people, family games, other families - I've done everything from learning to juggle in a kitchen at Cheddar Gorge to sharing a hostel with a family story telling by gaslight in the depths of Wales with no running water or electricity (we lit the fire).

They are in brilliant locations (Jordans near London is great for Legoland and whichever theme park it is there).

You can't beat them - they are cheaper because you self cater - but more comfortable with more space than say caravanning.....

we toured scotland for six weeks when they were babies - and stayed in castles, student accomodation in the heart of edinburgh.

Truly, have a scooty through their website - with cihldren you can't beat them.

thegirlintheattic

I second youth hostels or bunk houses.

Purleygirl

House swaps? My brother and his family do it and they love it, all you pay is air fares or if it's in UK the travel fares. Stay in someone else's house and they get to stay in yours. Just google house swaps. Yes we used to be fans of Youth Hostels too. Although they are very basic, depends on what you want really. Could you house swap with a family member? We did that years ago with my sis in law, she stayed in our house when we lived in Somerset and we stayed in her house in Essex, it was great for the kids and a break for us. Canal boat holiday? Holiday let Home owner sites are very good, you can always negotiate. But if your budget is tight I'd go down the family/friends home swap, we did it so many times when our kids were young and we always had fun.

RAS

I would second:

Youth Hostels - left my youth behind a long time ago but still use them. A lot do 4 bed family rooms. Situations in England vary from Black Sail to central London.

Check out which have self catering facilities - some of the posher Scottish ones more or less expect you to take breakfast and have very little self catering stuff.

House swap - your does not have to be posh but obviously will attract more people if you are near some sort of attraction (sea, visitor attraction, major city, national park). or you might just happen to be close to someone else's relative?

Bunk barns are great if you can get a small enough one or they book by the person - some rent out the whole venue only but can be great if you have two or more families going - tend to be 8-20 beds.

katiechoc_2

Do you have a Tesco Clubcard and any points? They have some offers on holidays, we've booked a cottage for a week using the £100 off reward -

http://www.tesco.com/clubcard/deals/browse.aspx?N=4294967191+4294964658