Holidays 2006

[shaky]

I am planning a holiday abroad next year with my friend and our children. One will be 3 at the time, and the other 4. Please can anyone recommend any places/resorts?

[Gus]

Hi,

If you wanted to go abroad, I can really recommend either Spain or Portugal for your holidays! I have lived in both and know them to be very child-friendly (regardless of age) and still reasonably cheap to visit.

I guess you could either get a cheap package through an operator or book the flights and accommodation yourself - it kind of depends what you're after. The Algarve (Portugal) is fantastically organised for (British) tourists - there are water-parks and beaches, markets and shopping galore, and everything's close enough to Faro airport to avoid long car journeys. There are private villas or apartments to rent

(http://www.ownersdirect.co.uk/Portugal.htm)

or beachside hotels and self-catering where everybody speaks English. In that website above, there are links to villas in the eastern Algarve (villages like Moncarapacho) where you'd probably need a car to get around, but where the lager louts of the western Algarve and the border towns haven't yet penetrated. Tavira is a lovely old city with lots of things to do.

Kids are spoilt and looked after here - the locals love them!

Can't tell you much about the Spanish bit - we just book flights and car-hire and disappear into the interior where we have family waiting with open arms. Should be easy enough to find what you're looking for on the Net though! It all depends on your budget and if you actually want to spend time with your children or not!


Hope this helps...

[shaky]

Thanks Gus!

Has anyone been to Alcudia in Majorca? Thats where we were planning. Its supposed to be really good for children with plenty for them to do.

Whats the situation with the Kids Clubs? Are they safe enough? I dont really fancy the thought of leaving them with strangers in a strange country.

[toodiemac]

Just don't go to the Bellevue apartments in Alcudia!

[shaky]

Why?????

[golach]

Shaky get loads of brochures select what you can afford then check the Apartments/hotels/locations on here I always do

http://www.holidays-uncovered.co.uk/

[dragonfly]

We've been to Alcudia - Hotel Jupiter/Saturno. good for kids, HUGE complex, and its all-inclusive. Meals are a bit like a soup kitchen, but it has a variety and is good enough and there are seperate kids meals if they are fussy and will only eat chicken nuggets etc.

Alcudia beach is great - big beach which goes way out without getting too deep, perfect for wee ones and very clean too. Jupiter/Saturno is just outside Alcudia but the hotel ran a free shuttle bus to the beach and the town at nights and its not too far to walk if you have a buggy for the wee one.

This year we went to Pefkos in Rhodes and would highly recommend there, we stayed at Lindia Thalassa apartments which were excellent.

[brandy]

we are off to majorca soon taking a 2 and 1 year old.. we are staying in can picafort at a family resort that is built for young familys.. so will let you know what its like when we get back

[Fran]

I have been to Alcudia and Cala Bona, both lovely places, but alcudia has a lovely sandy beach, but a busy main road, unlike Cala bona which is quiter.
I would recommend Thompsons gold, they have great child facilities where you can leave your children to play with british reps who do a great job.
thompsons have great offers on just now, either through their web site, teletext or Sky.
Have a great holiday.