I tried to book a family holiday for half term – this is where ￡2,000 can take you
Now that the children are back at school, I am wondering what happened to summer. A disappointingly grey August has only stoked my pent-up desire to travel. Fortunately, things are looking up. Firstly, the Government has overhauled its travel restrictions, resulting in reduced testing costs and holidays hopefully becoming easier. Secondly, the October half term, when the new holiday rules apply, is fast approaching.
Demand is high though, so, as a helpful guide to booking, I have assessed which travel restrictions remain in place and what sorts of holidays are still available for a family of four with a budget of around ￡2,000. As flight prices have rocketed, I have also included a pricier half-term option for each destination too.
Vaccinated travellers (plus children aged five and above) should only need to take a lateral flow test when returning from the below destinations at the end of half term, as the Government has said it aims to remove its current requirement for a day two PCR test at that point.
Turkey
Finally off the red list, Turkey is a good choice for some late sun. However, British travellers aged 12 and above still need a negative PCR test in order to enter the country, which could add another few hundred pounds to the cost of a family trip. Turkey is well suited to adventurous family-friendly activities alongside leisurely beach breaks. TUI is offering a seven-night break from October 23 at the two-pool Majestic Hotel in Olu Deniz, not far from the Blue Lagoon, for ￡2,681 for a family of four, including flights from Manchester.
Splurge: Elsewhere on the Turquoise Coast, Vintage Travel has a comely two-bedroom villa, Luna, with a pool and sea views from above Kalkan for a very affordable ￡698 for a week, starting October 23. Flights over half term are looking pricey though. Turkish Airlines currently has return seats to Dalaman for ￡538 per person from Saturday to Saturday.
Sicily
Now that Italy is no longer asking vaccinated travellers to isolate on arrival, families who have been jabbed just need a negative lateral flow result 48 hours prior to arriving, with children under six exempt. Embracing country living by staying in an agriturismo is great fun for kids. There are plenty of rooms in farmhouses across Italy and, with hearty home-cooked meals included, they can be wonderful value too. Villa Dafne, inland from Cefalu, has a split-level family room and a large pool from ￡1,005 for a week from October 23. Direct flights are scarce but Ryanair has non-stop return flights between Stansted and Palermo for ￡245 per person on those dates.
Splurge: Alternatively, an autumn family deal for five nights at the luxury Verdura Resort, a Rocco Forte Hotel, with tennis courts, a spa and kids’ clubs, costs ￡3,836 for four from Saturday to Thursday, excluding flights.
Crete
The sea is still swimmable in Crete in October and there is lots for children to see and do, from archaeological sites to watersports. Along with the rest of Greece, it is proving highly popular during the October half term, however. All visitors over 12 years old need proof of vaccination, a negative Covid test, or evidence of recovery from Covid to enter. As with other sunny villa destinations this half term, if you want to avoid spending most of your budget on flights, try booking your villa for periods shorter than a week. Ryanair has return Sunday to Friday flights to Chania from Stansted for ￡399 per person, while James Villas has a good-value deal for those five nights on the three-bedroomed villa Pasiphae I, which has a pool and is also in Chania, for ￡369 in total, based on four sharing.
Splurge: For flexibility to match available flights, look to one of Crete’s hotels for stays of less than a week. Cretan Malia Park, for example, is a chic and modern new family-friendly hotel, with gorgeous interiors and a junior suite for ￡236 a night, towards the end of half term.
Istria
Autumnal pleasures await in Istria: cycling and walking in the hills, eating truffles snuffled out of the woods – plus pizza and pasta for the kids. The Roman amphitheatre at Pula is sure to spark imaginations and half-term flights arriving here are a steal compared to others on this list, with easyJet currently offering Saturday to Saturday return flights from Luton for ￡171 per person. Croatia requires visitors aged 12 and above to present a negative Covid test taken pre-arrival, no matter what their vaccination status. A week in Villa Seada, which has a pool and three bedrooms, costs ￡841 from Oliver’s Travels, starting October 23. Holiday Autos has an economy car priced at ￡140 for the week.
Splurge: Deep in the countryside, near truffle country, Villa Montecolori is available for a week from Saturday, October 23 for ￡1,083. It has modernist stylings, a pool and two bedrooms. See above for flights.
Morocco
A little further afield, Morocco welcomes vaccinated travellers while requiring children aged 12 and above to show a negative PCR test instead. However, flights cost at least ￡400 return each on various dates within the week. A master suite at pretty Riad Miski, in Marrakech’s medina, is priced at ￡110 a night during half-term, while Chez Mamouchthka – is a memorable taxi-ride away in the Atlas Mountains and has a family suite for ￡90 a night, with opportunities for hiking and stargazing.
Splurge: A week’s guided Family Beach and Marrakech trip with Fleewinter, starting October 23, costs ￡2,080 for a family of four, not including flights (see above). It involves four nights on the coast in a villa and three nights in luxury tents on the outskirts of Marrakech, with a day trip into the Atlas Mountains. Flights with Ryanair to Marrakech cost ￡638 per person currently, for Saturday to Saturday dates across half term.
Conclusion
My research led me to rule out Kenya (which is being taken off the red list) for half term as it currently asks Britons to quarantine for a week on arrival, and also Oman, for which flights are currently more than ￡700 each and which asks for Covid-related insurance cover. Of the above, it's Istria that comes out on top. The views from its hilltop towns will look lovely at this time of year and, with some of the most affordable flights, there is more money left over to spend on the villa, plus expensive truffle dinners.
Overall, travel is easier than it has been for a long time but half-term trips cost more than they would normally. While villas and hotels are still available, flight options to most destinations are few and far between. Be flexible with dates though and you may still find a family holiday to create some much needed positive memories for 2021.
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