2 adults, five children need a cheap holiday abroad!

Missy_F

I am starting to look for a holiday abroad for next year 2015 for my hubby and five lively boys who will be aged between 6 - 14. Am really looking to go in the school summer holiday. We have a tiny budget of £2,500 absolute maximum for everything! Absolutely any ideas would be appreciated. Never been abroad with the family but I know I only have a few summers left of holidays with my eldest before he starts going away with his friends (boo hoo) and would love to get them all abroad if possible.
Will consider anything!

PeacefulWaters

Camping in France.

Caz3121

which airports are you able to travel from?

Missy_F

Thank you peaceful waters. I have looked into that and it looks good.
Thank you Caz3121 - We can travel from Stansted, Luton, Heathrow, Gatwick and Southend airports.

zagfles

Look at going late August - it'll likely be a lot cheaper. Doubt you'd get a package for your budget - look at campsites, either camping or renting a static caravan in somewhere like France or Spain. A caravan is so much better for a larger family that a hotel/apartment, you get the space outside and usually a BBQ...loads of entertainment etc.

Have a look at the likes of siblu, eurocamp etc, but also look at booking direct with the campsite - these days going direct seems to be a lot cheaper.

Consider driving, it's likely to be a lot cheaper with 7 of you, presuming you have a car than can take 7 plus luggage.

Obviously_the_best

You could look at a villa, if you can get the right deal on flights, it should be within budget. Take a look at somewhere like Italy Northern Italy or Croatia.

MrsC....tobe

We used to go as a family of 7 (2 adults and 5 kids) driving from south west Scotland to the South of France, every summer with the first few years taking a short crossing then driving all the way through France which involved an overnight stop. Then we started taking the long sailing and did the crossing to the north of Spain. Yes that meant 2 cabins for us all and then meals etc, but you can take your own food on with you in cool boxes to save costs and everyone can relax and enjoy the crossing and entertainment that's put on. We did static caravan holidays at Camping Le Ruisseau which was a brilliant site. The likes of Keycamp and Eurocamp have tents and static caravans on site aswell as other companies. You're only a couple of miles from the nearest supermarket so you can regularly stock up and eat in the van/tent, have bbqs etc, and great beaches nearby too.
I'd definitely recommend something along these lines, or a villa holiday somewhere you can possibly drive to aswell as even budget flights will take up a huge chunk of the budget (eg we checked budget airlines for last October holidays for 4 adults and 3 kids and it was going to be over £1200 for flights alone before we add on any form of car parking at airports, accommodation, possible car hire or transfers etc etc. We ended up getting an all inclusive holiday for the 7 of us for £2400, but as I say that was October and probably cheaper than July/August.

ldeadman1980

I have a big family holiday every year, 9 of us altogether, we always go in the October school break & have never paid anymore than £350pp AI, the last few years we have been to Turkey, Tunisia, Ibiza & Portugal & thankfully the weather has been great on every trip So can defo be done I always book DIY to save money, First thing i would do is start looking at flights with the usual low budget airlines, once you have found some cheap ones, (i always have a few places) & get on Travel Republic to find hotels & compare the cost! Happy Hunting

PeteDoff

Don't do it!

Missy_F

Thank you for all your responses. Will definitely look into camping in France or Spain and driving there. Will also look at going to a hotel in October half term - that could suit us and seems to be cheaper. Looking at villas too. Thanks again. I will get the family abroad somehow!!!!

Mr_Wang

Fiona_Morrall wrote: »

Thank you for all your responses. Will definitely look into camping in France or Spain and driving there. Will also look at going to a hotel in October half term - that could suit us and seems to be cheaper. Looking at villas too. Thanks again. I will get the family abroad somehow!!!!

People instantly suggest camping thinking it's cheap accommodation, whilst putting you in one of the most expensive countries in Europe (which incidentally is one of the most (if not the) expensive continents on earth)

Consider costs of being somewhere.

For example, an evening meal in France might cost £12 each, yet in India this would be about £3, in Nepal £1 and in the USA £7.
Flights during summer would likely negate the USA, but you can grab returns to India for around £380 plus a hefty £100 visa fee.

SE Asia (Thailand & Malaysia) will give you hotels at around £12 per night and food at less than £2 per head. Stretch this to Indonesia (not including Bali) and you'll have a £450 return flight, hotel costs of £8 per night and an evening meal around £2 per head.

There is a real tendency to think within the box when people talk about travel, yet they completely forget that once in say Indonesia (Java) you've got guaranteed sun, cheap prices, world class beaches and are free to roam rainforests and scale volcanoes without having to pay more than a few pence.

http://thesummerholidayofalifetime.blogspot.co.uk/