Spain Holiday recommendation

Cpu2007

Hi all

I'd like to go on holiday in august, I'd like a family friendly destination.

What do you think of Barcelona? I heard Costa Brava is family friendly as well and a nice place to visit, which one would you recommend?

I have some posts about holiday packages deals, is it just me or it's normal that I never found anything good on them. I mean the package they provide (flight,accommodation), always turns out to be more expensive than some quick DIY search.

I'll really appreciate if you can give me some advice about the destination or anywhere else that you might think would be better than here.

THanks in advance

DomRavioli

Hi OP,

Barcelona isn't too family friendly with it being a large metropolitan city - there are places where kids are fine but you will find places you won't be as accommodating as the purpose built resorts.

I'd say 99% of spanish resorts (both mainland and island based) are family friendly - and the package holiday provider does have to make money somehow, so sometimes they may be more expensive - you also get ABTA/ATOL protection in with most of them, so if an airline went bust you would be covered.

It honestly depends what you want out of a resort - Nerja, near Malaga is very Spanish, you won't get too far unless you speak spanish as it isn't too big of a brits destination; Fuengirola however is only another 20 mins down the coast and is next to Marbella, both big british touristy resorts with plenty to do for families.

IF you could let us know what you are looking for, specifically, as well as a budget (just a ballpark) and how many are going, then we should be able to give you better advice.

HTH

Cpu2007

Thank you for the reply DomRavioli.
I was just searching and noticed that Malaga it's actually a quiet nice place to visit. It has some nice places like El Torcal Natural Park and Alcazaba.

I am looking for things like the one I've mentioned above(natural scenery, quiet places, close to the beach side but at the same time has some other natural beauties close by) and the possibility to do some activities (for children or family) -- maybe I'm asking too much ahah

7 people are going(including children under 17 and adult of course)

Time is August, possibly around the middle but I'm flexibly during that period of the month.

What I am trying to do at the moment, is look for a flight,book it and then check holiday accommodations available for my dates (as the number of people is quiet high)

The budget I have isn't high, not sure how far I can stretch at the moment.
What I found so far is around £150 pp for flight + £700 for all per stay, this is a general price I found across a few locations that I've requested(this is by doing DIY).
I'm trying to get something cheaper but if the deal is good then I can go a bit higher.

DomRavioli

I would probably say if you can afford it, try one of the canary islands - guaranteed sunshine, really nice beaches, and there is a lot of natural beauty - Fuerteventura is a UN biosphere (the whole island!) so you will love it there; you can pop over to Lanzarote for a day trip and go up Mount Teguise for a change of scenery. Its around 4 hours flight, and there are some good deals out there. There is also some great history on most of the islands; might be worth having a nosey. Weatherwise, its around 30degrees most days in summer, but there's always a breeze.

Nerja might be great for you - its around 20 mins from Malaga, great beaches and some lovely trails locally, but its hot in August (Really hot!) and can be very uncomfortable to walk in for long periods.

Andalucia on the whole is very beautiful, fab beaches, and some great touristy things to do as well; http://www.andalucia.com has some great info, and I'm sure you will be able to find something you're looking for - Spain is pretty diverse when it comes to holiday types

Just as an afterthought, if you're looking for a fairly active holiday, have you considered the Azores? You would usually have to change flights in Portugal but it is well worth it, very temperate climate, the scenery is absolutely beautiful, and there is plenty to do for families.

I would also not book the flights first - you can always find another flight, but its hard finding a hotel if you don't have one and in the middle of peak season - its just not how you do it! You have left it really late to book for this year, so you will need to find both before booking them otherwise you will have flights you can't use.

Check out travelrepublic.co.uk if you want to build your own trip, you can pick exactly where you want, when to travel and gives a good general idea of costs; also hotukdeals.co.uk have a travel section where SunshineStacey has some cracking deals although they might not be your exact requirements they may give you inspiration.

Cpu2007

Thank you for all the information.
I am having a look at them at the moment.

I like the idea of going to Fuerteventura or Azores but I think the flight it's quiet long, on top of that, I just checked it with skyscanner and prices are around £220 pp; ofcourse I haven't checked the accommodation prices yet,they might be lower but I'll keep an eye on that and see if I can find a holiday package maybe.

Just had a glance at Andalucia and it looks very beautiful but it's quiet a drive from the beach(Malaga); I'll consider that if going to the beach isn't a priority for the family.

Nerja sounds good as it's close to Malaga but you're saying it's really hot, no breeze there?:)

DomRavioli

Nerja in August is like walking on the sun! It is pretty hot, only a slight breeze and you have to be on the coast (not near it, on it!) to get any breeze. It is more of an Easter/May half term place as it is still warm then but not tropical at that time; usually late 20's and early 30's which for me is far too hot to be walking in.

You can pick up holidays to the canaries for around £400 per person (usually half board) if you shop around - and never take the transfers, there's loads of taxis outside fuerta airport self catering villas might also be an option as well if you can get the flights cheaper?

Flights are really expensive this year regardless of where you're heading tbh! Its around 3 hours to Malaga, and 4 hours to Fuerta (from Manchester, I don't know where in the world you are!) but an extra hour to me is worth it if it is where you want to go. I've flown with Condor (Thomas Cook european), Thomson, Easyjet and Ryanair to the canaries and all are nice, although Thomson was the nicest for me.

Accommodation in the canaries is cheap, as is food, drink, cigarettes (if you smoke) and taxis. Last place I stayed was a 5 star resort, absolutely beautiful and was £519 for a week in June (half board, included a lot of activities and all entertainment) but I went for the superior suite and the whole shebang so could get it cheaper?

Have you considered one of the Balearics? Around 3 hours from the UK, Majorca has some lovely natural trails as well as family resorts, and Palma is a stunning place. Pretty cheap there, they have some cute little places on all 4 islands.

If you're not too bothered about Spain, have you had a look at Greece? Loads to do, 3 hours from the UK and so cheap. I'm off to Zante in 3 days, and visiting Kefalonia and Athens on day trips, as well as swimming with the Caretta Caretta Loggerhead turtle as they nest in Laganas (club 18-30s resort) and Kalamaki (nice family resort). We're paying £200 for a week self catering in the Amaryllis in Kalamaki, looks really nice for what we have paid. There's plenty of history, and the food is quite nice. Flights are horrible though, always night flights so you get there at 5am their time bleary eyed!

If you want somewhere a little cooler, maybe try Albir or Altea - they are near Benidorm (but far enough away!) and are beautiful towns, you will probably need to drive if you want to go anywhere though and the transfers are an hour isn, but might be right up your street!

The problem with Spain is that it has a lot to offer, so you're spoilt for choice! Hope it all goes well, and if you have any more questions I will try to answer them - I fly pretty regularly and have travelled a lot around Europe

Doshwaster

Cpu2007 wrote: »

Hi all

I'd like to go on holiday in august, I'd like a family friendly destination.

What do you think of Barcelona? I heard Costa Brava is family friendly as well and a nice place to visit, which one would you recommend?

It really depends on what your budget is and what your priorities are. Barcelona is a fantastic city but I don't think I'd go there in August with family. It would just be too busy and expensive.

Personally, I like Alicante. The city itself is lively and retains a Spanish feel as most of the package holiday makers head straight up the coast to Benidorm but there plenty of quieter resorts nearby too.

A safe and cheap choice is always the Costa del Sol. There are loads of cheap flights to Malaga and then just pick a resort along the coast. Malaga is an interesting enough place to visit for a day but I wouldn't stop there.

Whatever you decide you'd better start booking soon. The school holidays and August are fast approaching and last minute deals are unlikely.

AlexMac

Lots of good advice above, but assuming price is a major consideration, and that you don't want a package (?) I'd perm flight options on this website's flightchecker; http://flightchecker.moneysavingexpert.com/ or similar scanning sites
You don't say where you are staring from, but from London Airports you can still get August returns from London/SE under £100 - especially midweek.

Choice of location is infinite- and while I'd agree you should avoid Barcelona city itself, the main choice would be whether to go to a 'Brit' package-style resort - such as those on the Costa del Sol (probably flying into Malaga), or Costa Brava (into barcelona or Girona...). If on the other hand, you fancy a more authentically Spanish resort (with possibly slightly more linguistic challenges but less 'British beer/fish n chips') there are lots of options. Malaga is only half an hour's drive from Nerja (as mentioned above), where we were in Feb, and while its not the cheapest, it is a charming place.

i also had a really sucessful holiday with kids a few years ago in L'Escala, which while on the costa Brava an hour from Girona or barcelona, is very Spanish- beautiful little coves and beaches (look on Google earth & satellite), no lager louts, and Spanish families' kids playing on the beach til midnight (afternoons are much too hot for locals; only mad English sunbathe at 1pm!).
But if you're planning a DIY hol, why not look at less fiercely hot regions. We are currently on the northern Spanish Coast, accessible from Bilbao, Santander or Asturias airport (or Brittany ferries if you take 2 cars or a people mover!). And because it's in the north 'Green Spain' there's a chance of rain, but the kids won't get sunstroke...

Look at the 1st reply by my favourite local expert to a recent Tripadvisor post; http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowTopic-g187483-i1035-k7405413-Cantabria_5_days_in_June-Cantabria.html

Doshwaster

The Spanish north coast is a good shout for somewhere cheaper and different. I once spent a few days between Santander and Bilbao and hardly saw another Brit.

111KAB

Mallorca - fly to Palma - stay in Puerto Pollensa.

holidaysforme

The Costa Dorada may fit the bill. Fly to Reus for Salou, or Barcelona and you could stay in Tarragona, Cambrills or Sitges. The last three are very Spanish and fantastic to stay in, Sitges being particularly nice.
Salou is more a British resort, but with some fab beaches. All of them are a train ride away from Portaventura if that's your thing!
Ryanair fly to Reus, and Easyjet to Barcelona. Flights are usually a fairly decent price, even in peak season.