What does a family adventure holiday look like to you and, more specifically, your wallet?
When it comes to planning a family adventure holiday, a few key factors tend to shape your decisions: destination, duration, time of year, and let’s not be coy here, budget. It may not be the done thing to discuss all things financial, but the fact is that holidays are expensive, and you need to know how far your hard-earned pounds will carry you.
Fortunately, providing accurate advice on the cost of family holidays is our superpower.
Holidays in Europe can be ‘oar-some’ – and self-driving helps keep holiday costs down
We’ll always be careful to align our suggestions with your specified budget to make sure that you get the most out of your holiday. If finances are tight, you’ll be glad to know that we closely track flight costs and have lots of tricks up our sleeves to allow us to keep pricing manageable without sacrificing quality. If luxury is key, then you’ll be delighted with the little extras that we can add in throughout your trip, whether that’s a private meet-and-greet to whisk you through an airport quickly, or a little-known, gorgeous boutique hotel with in-house butler service.
All this is best discussed on the phone, but here’s a quick guide as to what’s possible within your price range, and what a family holiday might cost, (prices are based on a family with two adults and two children).
Tailor-made family holidays £10k and under
We offer exciting itineraries and destinations that aren’t financially ruinous
If there’s one factor that can push a family adventure holiday up a price bracket, it’s flights. When it comes to long-haul holidays, flights can easily top the £1K per person price point, which puts most destinations in Asia, Australasia, Sub-Saharan Africa and the Americas out of reach for a £10k budget.
In this case, Europe and the Middle East provide the answers to your holiday dilemmas. Budget airlines are key, with cheap flights to Morocco and most of Europe making these all firmly within reach. Slovenia, Greece and Montenegro are all great options for keeping the budget low (and we’ve got handy tips such as knowing which of the Greek islands offer most bang for your holiday buck). Egypt and Jordan are also just about doable if you are looking for a half term break, and have the added bonus of being cheap when you get there.
Bear in mind that you can also save money by choosing WHEN to travel. It will come as no surprise that prices for Europe are at their peak during the summer holidays. Travelling in shoulder season, during the Easter holidays or May or October half terms, makes it considerably more affordable. Croatia and Turkey are great examples of this, with high summer prices putting some budget-conscious families off, but offering great discounts at other times of year.
And, without wanting to state the obvious, choosing HOW LONG to travel is perhaps the biggest cost-saving factor after flights. The following destinations are all easily done in a week to 10 days, making them particularly half-term friendly!
In a nutshell:
For a sub-£10k budget, you need to think short flights (ideally with a budget airline), shorter duration holidays and consider avoiding peak season
Where?
Morocco, Slovenia, Croatia, Greece, Montenegro, Oman, Egypt, Jordan, Madeira, Portugal, Turkey
Tailor-made family holidays £10-15k
South East Asia is one of the best value destinations on the planet, meaning you can still afford to push the boat out!
Again, flights are the financial factor which pull the purse strings tighter, but once the budget stretches into the £10-15k range, long-haul destinations start to be in reach. South East Asia, North and Central America as well as some African destinations can all work this this budget.
Rooming tends to be key here; if you are looking at the Americas, then to keep sub-£15k you’ll probably need to be looking at all being within one room. The room will have two double beds, so this works brilliantly for families who don’t mind all being in together; but not so good for families with a strong need for personal space or teenage boys who would rather sleep in the bath than in a bed with their sibling!
In Asia, rooming is usually more flexible, and we’ll be able to find mid-range properties with connecting rooms that allow for a bit of parental privacy.
Mode of transport is also important in this price range; self-drive is invaluable in keeping costs manageable and works well in South Africa and Namibia, as well as Costa Rica, Mexico, the USA and Oman. We’ll advise where and how this works.
If you are keeping an eye on budget, also keep in mind the costs when you get there. Generally speaking Asia is inexpensive, although this does not apply when staying in a secluded luxury beach hotel, so this is important to remember when choosing a place for R and R at the end of a trip. Central and North America are more expensive for eating out, but a budget-savvy family can still keep control on spend by self-catering for lunch and then keeping restaurant meals for the evening only.
If you are thinking closer to home, £10-15k will give you a great holiday pretty much anywhere in Europe, including some of the more expensive Northern European countries like Norway and Iceland.
As always, we’ll be able to steer you to your perfect holiday, advising on where it’s worth spending and where to consider saving.
In a nutshell:
Long-haul is possible if you choose your destination carefully and travel in a budget-friendly manner (sharing rooms, perhaps self-drive). Short-haul, the European world is your oyster.
Tailor-made family holidays £15-20k
The world – even the other side of it – is your oyster in this price bracket
Once you enter into this price category, then almost all destinations are open to you. Looking East, the imperial wonders of Japan, the tea plantations and beaches of Sri Lanka and the jungles of Borneo are now within reach. Head west and you will find that the phenomenal beaches, landscapes and culture of Brazil, Colombia, Guatemala and Belize are all on the cards. As are the Andean highlands of Peru and the majesty of the Rockies further north in Canada.
Or you can journey, literally, to the other side of the globe to enjoy life Down Under in Australia and even further away, New Zealand.
If safari is your thing, Kenya may just be in reach (but don’t expect luxury), and certainly the remote landscapes of Namibia and the game reserves of South Africa are within budget. Tanzania is probably still out, however, as are Botswana, Zimbabwe and, over on the other side of the world, the Galapagos Islands.
It’s worth noting that in some destinations, £20k will bring you a pretty high level of luxury; in India you’ll be living like a Maharaja, in Sri Lanka you’ll be taking tea on the terrace of a gorgeous tea-planters bungalow and in Cambodia you can relax on the white sands of the country’s finest beach resorts. But elsewhere, whilst £20k is absolutely do-able, you won’t be in luxury properties; in Brazil for example, where a decent chunk of the budget will be spent on international and domestic flights, you’ll be able to tick off all the highlights in charming mid-range properties, but funds won’t stretch to a high-end wildlife lodge in the Pantanal or Amazon for example.
As ever, this is where we will be able to provide you with the best advice; if luxury hotels are a must then we’ll direct you to countries where this will be possible. If it’s the luxury of rich experience that you are after, other options will come up.
As an aside, most destinations in this bracket will still require the use of economy flights; the minute you are looking at premium economy or business, you need to go up another level.
In a nutshell:
Most of the world (except luxury wildlife destinations) will be accessible, with variations in accommodation standards depending on destination choice.
Where?
Sri Lanka, Borneo, China, Japan, Mongolia, Brazil, Guatemala & Belize, Peru, Kenya, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Namibia
Tailor-made family holidays £20k and above
For a grrr-eat trip of a lifetime, consider an African safari
Once you’re happy to spend upwards of £20k, most destinations are within reach. However, at risk of stating the extremely-obvious, there’s still an awful lot of financial variation between, say, a £20k and a £100k holiday.
So, let’s start with some basics and look at flights. To most long-haul destinations, economy flights during the school holidays are likely to cost £1,000 per person, give or take.
Up that to premium, and you’re likely looking at £2,000 per person.
For business class, it’s more like £5,000 per person, so if you’re looking for a family of four to travel business class to most destinations in Latin America, Africa, Asia and Australasia, you’ll be spending £20k on flights alone. So you then need a sizeable additional budget to then pay for your trip.
If we stick to economy flights for now, a £20-25k trip will get you an exciting, relatively luxurious trip in most of Asia, North and Central America and Europe. We’re not talking the Four Seasons (add another £5-10k for that), but we’re talking gorgeous luxury boutique hotels in wonderful locations and a range of fabulous activities.
If you are looking at a safari, £25k will get you a good safari in Tanzania and Kenya (with excellent family-friendly properties), but you’ll need to be north of £30k to start looking at more exclusive (whether that means remote or luxurious) properties. In Botswana and Zimbabwe, £30k will cover a mid-range trip, but you’ll need to be closer to £35-40k for a higher level of comfort.
Over in the Galapagos, a £35k budget will cover a week on a yacht cruising between the islands and then time on the mainland as well.
In a nutshell:
The sky is the limit, literally. The important thing is to have a frank discussion about budget and expectations so that we know what we are working with…remember that luxury for some is premium economy flights; for others it’s a private jet.
Where?
Argentina, Chile, Galapagos, Botswana, Tanzania, Kenya, Zimbabwe
Find the right holiday for you and your family
There’s so much variety in Asia, there’s a perfect destination for everyone!
We’ll look after all the details for you throughout the planning stage, ahead of travel and while you are on holiday. We are always delighted to chat through ideas with you, ensuring your holiday plans work for all the family, and help you get the maximum bang for your buck. So please do get in touch to start planning – ring us at 01728 752 751 or email us using our website contact page.
For exciting outdoor adventures in cooler destinations, consider northern Europe
Whether you’re dreaming of a short break or a globe-trotting journey, we’ll craft the perfect tailor-made family adventure holiday just for you. Let’s make it happen!
