The Perfect Family Holiday- For Less

Looking for the perfect family holiday without breaking the bank? Laura Dixon, associate editor at i-escape.com tells all...

I know well enough that finding the perfect holiday is easy – you just have to have a bottomless pit of cash and a job that allows you to take plenty of time off to indulge yourself whenever you want. Back in the real world, finding that perfect holiday isn’t easy, and when you have kids it gets more difficult.

Don’t panic though – there is a solution. It’s a bit of a secret though, so keep it under your hat. At I-escape.com/kids, we’ve got a selection of hip yet affordable hideaways that won’t break the bank and will give you everything you’re looking for. Here are three of the best; if you want more, use our advanced search, clicking ‘£’ and ‘Recommended for families’. If you’re looking for a good value holiday for summer 2012, I’d recommend booking in January. We wish we could help with the fact that prices shoot up during summer holidays but that’s out of our hands…sorry.

From £86 per night: Casa das Penhas Douradas, Portugal

This chic Portuguese mountain hideaway has had rave reviews from family visitors and is very family friendly. It offers a kids menu, baby equipment and free food for under 4s, as well as plenty of places for outdoorsy kids to play. The owner Joao can tailormake hiking programmes for your family so you can explore the Serra da Estrela together, along with its mountain streams and swimming lakes, and he can pick you up half way in his jeep if little legs can’t quite make it back. There’s a spa at the hotel too, perfect for tired mums.

 Rooms sleeping 2 adults and 1 child from £86 per night

From £79 per night: Brilliant Apartments, Berlin

One of the things that teenagers have said to me is that holidaying with their parents in a hotel can be a bit claustrophobic. And I’ve certainly found that city breaks are more fun when you have the chance to live like a local. These apartments in the funky Prenzlauer Berg area of Berlin should please parents and older kids – you can cook in, or bring takeaway back with you, and there’s plenty of space. Berlin, incidentally, is a great spot for Christmas shopping as a family – the twinkling lights and warming gluhwein in the markets really amps up the Christmas spirit.

 Apartments sleeping 2 adults and 1 child from £79 per night, or for up to 4 adults from £91 per night.

From £77 per night: Dolphin Beach, Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka is one of the world’s best value long haul destinations, and these comfortable and stylish tents on Kalapitiya beach in the northwest of the island are a real steal. They seem romantic, adventurous and fun at the same time, and as you’d sleeping in a bed, not a sleeping bag on the floor, they’ve got a real touch of luxury to them too. Just offshore you can watch dolphins play, and being off the beaten track means that you’re not harassed by beach sellers. It’s a great place to get back to nature and spend quality time together as a family; the food served here is fresh and child-friendly too.

Family tents sleeping up to 6 from £77 per night.