Holiday advice

[Feasty]

Coming up to April Easter holidays and I have the opportunity to take my daughter away for a holiday - just the 2 of us.
I'd like a cheap break, preferably somewhere warm. I've been looking into offers by the usual holiday companies and coming up with 4-7 nights self catering for around £600-£800 for both of us in places like Spain or Portugal.

Anyone got any advice/recommendations on getting better deals, or different places to go? Ideally want to be near the sea so we can go swimming.
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Previous: Aprilia Habana Retro 50cc (beauty), Yamaha SR125 (fell apart), Honda XR125 (nippy little commuter), Honda SLR650 (Geewhizz), Yamaha Diversion 900S (Smoooooth) written off courtesy of a stupid escaped horse.
(7 year gap), BMW F650 (Relaxing ride). Aprilia Caponord ETV1000 (Big and bold). Yamaha FZS600 (got me in trouble too quick!).
Current: Yamaha TDM 900 (Comfy, light but big, power when needed).

[grr666]

Avoid Turkey. Lots of cheap deals for there but not a place I'd like to take a daughter to.
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[MarJay]

[stinkwheel]

I went to Portugal recently and stayed in Faro itself instead of heading out into the Algarve resorts. People fly into Faro for golfing holidays but go off for the big sandy beaches and resorts in ther algarve itself so there are regular cheap flights out there. It was a nice wee town but people don't stay there because it doesn't have a beach front. instead it hads the rio fomosa which is a tidal estury/marsh area teaming with wildlife. We went on a guided MTB tour round it and explored in in sit-on-top kayaks. If you want a sandy beach, you can get opn a bus to the beach, get a boat out to one of several "desert islands" or paddle out to the mouth of the rio.

Lots of nice places to eat in the town. I would also highly recommend the walking food tour which takes in the fish market and several hidden gems of places to eat.

Also hires an enfield from a company called "soulful bikes" for a couple of days and explored up in the nearby mountains and high sierra.
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“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[MCN]

Long Haul Flight but Canaries are great and you can aye find a cheap family deal.

Flailing that, ask at a travel agents. Sometimes the folk in those places can find you a good deal too.

Murika Florida... Long Haul again.

Or fly up to Glasgow and stay in your hotel for a week. Like Scottish folk do coz the weather is Driech.
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Disclaimer: The comments above may be predicted text and not necessarily the opinion of MCN.

[hellkat]

How old is your daughter? (for the purposes of this thread )
I havent been to Turkey (yet) but I agree with Grrr to some extent.
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Not nearly as interesting in real life.

[Feasty]

Yeah I've not heard good things about Turkey either.
Italy city Centre's is another one that comes up with the cheap deals - think we'd rather be nearer a beach though.

My daughter is 14 and not quite left the 'can only eat chicken nuggets and chips, anything naturally grown is evil!' phase yet. So though I love the idea of food tours and trying restaurants, I think we'll be sticking to the basics. Canaries would be ace!
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Previous: Aprilia Habana Retro 50cc (beauty), Yamaha SR125 (fell apart), Honda XR125 (nippy little commuter), Honda SLR650 (Geewhizz), Yamaha Diversion 900S (Smoooooth) written off courtesy of a stupid escaped horse.
(7 year gap), BMW F650 (Relaxing ride). Aprilia Caponord ETV1000 (Big and bold). Yamaha FZS600 (got me in trouble too quick!).
Current: Yamaha TDM 900 (Comfy, light but big, power when needed).

[MarJay]

I'd say Canaries and the US will be too expensive. What you really want is Greek islands, maybe Balearics? Greece is cheap because the EU has done them over for debt so they are desperate for foreign cash. The Euro vs the £ hasn't helped, but things there are generally reasonably priced in Euros to try to entice tourists.
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Remember kids, bikes aren't like lego. You can't easily take a part from one bike and then fit it to another.

[Tracey Suntan-King]

Well I’ve got to suggest Cyprus innit - seeing as we live here.

Paphos or Ayia Napa cater for tourists particularly families. Plenty of beaches, tavernas, restaurants, shops, water parks etc. Sea won’t be all that warm but the weather will be at Easter.
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[Polarbear]

Galicia, Spain. Not a tourist destination so relativly cheap but it's a sea foody heaven place with lots of history.

I'm not sure what packages you get for round there but you could get a ferry from Portsmouth to Bilbao if you wanted to drive and book a hotel yourself. I love A Coruna and it's also a short hop to Portugal if you have a car.
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[grr666]

[P.]

Would discount America unless you have another 1k minimum to add to that 6/800.

Tenerife is a nice break but it's not really teen catered. They do have a water park and they do have basic food, but short of that it's more 30s fun.

South of Spain is always a good call but personally I prefer Florida, it's been my only destination for so many years, but it costs a bit more.

[stinkwheel]

A quick search on travelsupermarket shows you'll get 4 nights all inclusive in a hotel on Malta or Cyprus for around that much flying out of Manchester.

I suggest these because they will be warm, they're all inclusive and they will very much cater for a picky 14 year old who doesn't want to eat foreign muck. They also widely speak English. English being one of the official languages on Malta.
____________________
“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[Nobby the Bastard]

Fun fact about Malta, the whole island was awarded the George Cross.
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[MCN]

[arry]

Ordinarily I'd say Kefalonia as it'll do everything you want. Easy and cheap to fly to, lovely beaches everywhere, cheap accommodation, cheap food / beer, and loads to go and see relatively cheaply. But the weather might not be what you want it to be, at that point in the year. May it'll be in the 20's, April it's generally a bit cooler - usually around the 17's in the day.

[Rob Fzs]

We went pula in Croatia last May and it was great, not particularly cold (might be warmer near Split) and the people weren't begging you at every corner like you get in Turkey/ Greece occasionally
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[hellkat]

Fucking hate beggars
I'm afraid I get a bit up-meself when it comes to beggars.

In London they're a plague
But I would still give a fiver to the right person ... if it suited me.
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Not nearly as interesting in real life.

[Rob Fzs]

[MCN]

Beggers in Prague at the Tourist Haunts.

Take the biscuits.

Kneeling down on the pavement with their heads bowed down on the ground.

I was always concerned that I'd accidentally hoof one of them when walking past them.
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Disclaimer: The comments above may be predicted text and not necessarily the opinion of MCN.

[hellkat]

[MCN]

[Polarbear]

Egypt takes the biscuit for beggers/thieves/scumbags. My most hated country in the world I have been to.

Going through the Suez canal the boatmen used to try every cabin door to find stuff to nick. Just going ashore in the bum boat used to cost you 200 fags or they would totally ignore you when you wanted to come back (this was after being paid by the ships agent.

Airports, hotels, taxi's 'baksheesh, baksheesh? You have present for me?'

Wifie wants to go see the pyramids. I told her she can go with friends as the only reason I'd have going to Egypt would be to plant a nuclear device in the middle of Cairo and do the world a favour..

Scummy scummy country.
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[hellkat]

[Feasty]

Such a shame some countries are so off-putting, I've seen and heard of begging problems in Egypt and the like - that's why I avoid them too.

I found a hotel in the end in Benidorm, seemed ok but by the time luggage, transfer, insurance etc was added I was looking at £1k for 4 nights all inclusive. I could get another Fazer for that!

So ended up booking a Centre Parcs for half the price instead, and it means I actually get some much needed exercise. Just need to find a roof rack for my Fabia now so I can take the bikes!
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Previous: Aprilia Habana Retro 50cc (beauty), Yamaha SR125 (fell apart), Honda XR125 (nippy little commuter), Honda SLR650 (Geewhizz), Yamaha Diversion 900S (Smoooooth) written off courtesy of a stupid escaped horse.
(7 year gap), BMW F650 (Relaxing ride). Aprilia Caponord ETV1000 (Big and bold). Yamaha FZS600 (got me in trouble too quick!).
Current: Yamaha TDM 900 (Comfy, light but big, power when needed).