Sitting at the park in the beautiful sun, I'm feeling pretty blessed at the nature we have around us. The girls are finding animal homes, listening for bird calls and just generally flourishing in the nature around them. As the weather is finally changing, we are finding ourselves outside more, the thought of heat and exploration keeps popping holidays into the girls heads and I've been asked multiple times if we are going on 'a holiday with a pool' soon? Bless Naminé she even keeps asking if we can make it 'to Disney tomorrow'! - not quite sweetheart, but let's keep dreaming...

The thing is, with them asking, it's kind of got me excited and with my excitement I've started to search the web for amazing travel deals for a quick spring break. - I guess looking for great deals is something I got off my mum. As much as the girls would like to get away in a caravan, after the harshness of winter I could really do with a nice warm sun break and looking around there is plenty to choose from.

Working out what holiday to look for

There are so many different breaks to choose from and even narrowing it down to a sun holiday still leaves me with a million choices. But I have to say, when it comes to holidays over the year, I've become a little fussy. A £99 break to Ibiza just won't do anymore - believe me, we had a holiday from hell!

These are the things I've learnt to love over the years and are all things I won't skimp on now:

• A pool for the girls - there's nothing better for them than hoping in and out in and out of the water... all day! It's something I loved to do as a child and I know they do too.


• An entertainment programme - when we need a break from the sun, something to do after dinner or something just to break the day up, an all round entertainment programme is a must! From colouring and dancing to raft building and high ropes, we are sure to find something to join in with.


• Plenty of room - with the girls getting bigger now, having more room is important. They need their space and we need ours. A room with a bit more space means we can all have a break if we need too.


• All inclusive! - I know, I know. This one sounds a bit much; but if I'm honest I really don't like holidays that don't have food/drinks included. In as little as 3 days you can easily start racking up the same amount of money you spent on the holiday in the first place! Plus going away with food and drinks included means really being able to enjoy yourself and not having to say 'no' to the kids!


• A good star rating - again this one probably sounds a bit snobby of me, but those extra stars really do make all the difference. The beds are nicer, staff are friendlier, food is far better quality and the whole holiday just seams that much more WOW!

How I find the best travel deal

Look for Last Minute!

Last minute holidays seam to work really well for us. As a home educated family, we have the ability to get off when we like and because of this we managed to book our holiday just a few weeks before we left last time! This means we can get a great deal and have more time to play around with. Just set a budget and get searching!

Consider the Extra costs!

Just because your neighbour Sally got a great deal doesn't mean you are too. Take caravan breaks for an example. Many people book a Sun or BreakFree Holidays and then later realise it's £20 admin fee, £40 for gas and electric, passes are not included and your cheap £40 break ends up costing over £100. Looking at the caravan site itself the same caravan can often be booked on the same weekend including the passes, admin fees etc for £80 meaning you've already lost out before you've got there.

Travel early!

This one sounds strange but think about your journey to the airport. For early flights, it's often cheaper to leave the day before and book an overnight hotel. A great example of this is our family traveling to London. A peak return for a family of 4 costs £184.20 but to travel peak times the day before and stay in London for the night only comes to £160. That £25 saving gets us a good nights sleep before we travel and an extra night of holiday!

 

What do you look for in a holiday? Do you have any top tips to add?

•This is a collaborative post*

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