It’s only a month to go before February half-term, and already the smug mums
are swapping boasts outside the school gates. “Courchevel, actually. Friends
have got a rather nice chalet ... ”; “Barbados again for us.
Booked it months ago, of course.”
All of which is rather sickening for the rest of us, who now have to explain
to little Jack and Emily why they’ll be stuck at home while their friends
are skiing red runs or getting sunburnt on tropical beaches.
What’s needed to save the day is a generous pile of family holidays with good
availability and low prices. And, wouldn’t you know it? That’s exactly what
we’ve found. Egypt, Cyprus and the Canaries are all good value, with
lashings of sunshine. Not forgetting the UK, where you can rent a cottage or
stay on a farm, hike coastal paths or go riding in the woods. Because
schools across the country can’t agree on when to break for half-term, we’ve
chosen a selection of holidays beginning on both February 9/10 and 16/17.
None will break the bank, and none will require an extra day off school.
Unless stated, prices are based on a family of four sharing. Holidays
abroad include flights from a London airport, unless indicated
CLOSE TO HOME
In south Devon, overlooking the sea at Thurlestone Sands, Court Barton
comprises 12 family-sized cottages newly converted from 18th-century barns.
Each has beamed ceilings, a modern kitchen and a DVD player, and they share
an all-weather tennis court, a croquet lawn and a heated indoor swimming
pool. A week’s rental starts at £320, with plenty of availability over the
half-term weeks. Pets are welcome. Book with Toad Hall Cottages (01548
853089, www.toadhallcottages.co.uk).
A farm stay is a great way to introduce city kids to the countryside, but how
will you spend your days if the weather turns sour? Knowle Farm (01364
73914, www.knowle-farm.co.uk), in
the South Hams, has a heated indoor pool, indoor and outdoor children’s play
areas, table tennis and a pool table, along with a tennis court, lots of
animals that need feeding, and 44 acres of countryside to explore. A week in
a two-bedroom cottage costs £505.
Close to the Blue Flag beach of Porthtowan, in north Cornwall, Rosehill (01209
891920, www.rosehilllodges.com)
is a new eco-retreat with 10 cosy lodges set in three acres of woodland.
Each has a log burner, a grass roof, an outdoor spa bath, WiFi access and a
DVD player; sand dunes, rock pools and clifftop paths are all on your
doorstep. A two-bedroom lodge costs £390 for four nights or £620 for a week.
If you’d prefer the comforts of a hotel, try the four-star Bedruthan Steps
(01637 860555, www.bedruthan.com),
overlooking Mawgan Porth beach, between Padstow and Newquay. It has
supervised kids’ clubs, a butterfly farm, an indoor pool, an assault course,
a games room and a soft playroom. Winner of a raft of environmental awards,
the hotel has a spa offering organic treatments. Half-board rates start at
£83pp per night (under13s £55, under7s £41).
Southwaite Green, in the Lake District, is a new development of four
carbon-neutral cottages set in 10 acres of meadows and native woodland where
children can spot badgers, deer, red squirrels and the resident barn owl.
The buildings, crafted from reclaimed local stone, feature all things green,
from solar panels to eco-paint. A two-bedroom cottage costs £430 for either
half-term week, with Cumbrian Cottages (01228 599960, www.cumbrian-cottages.co.uk
).
One of the best places to spot dolphins in the Moray Firth is Chanonry Point,
a small spit of land near Fortrose where there’s a lighthouse, a shingle
beach and a lone house. Chanonry Point Cottage sleeps four and is available
in the weeks beginning February 9 and 16 for £355 with Unique Cottages
(01835 822277, www.unique-cottages.co.uk).
In Pembrokeshire, Coastal Cottages (01437 772760, www.coastalcottages.co.uk)
has more than 200 properties available in the weeks beginning February 9 and
16. For families, it recommends Ivy Tower Village, near Tenby, where 19
privately owned apartments and cottages share a heated indoor pool, a sauna,
a solarium, a gym, a children’s play area and a tennis court. One of the
best family attractions in Wales, Heatherton Activity Park (www.heatherton.co.uk),
which has go-karts, archery, clay-pigeon shooting and riding, is within
walking distance. A cottage sleeping six costs £447.
Want to escape Britain without flying? Hop across the Channel for bracing
walks on the beaches of Brittany. VFB Holidays (01452 716830, www.vfbholidays.co.uk)
has a wide selection of self-catering properties in northern France,
including a cottage with sea views in Audierne. It sleeps six and costs £531
per week from February 9 or 16, including ferry crossings with car.
GETTING WARMER
To enjoy the best of the Mediterranean weather in February you need to head
south. Cyprus is a solid bet, particularly because most hotels have enough
facilities to amuse children on rare cloudy days. The Palm Beach Hotel, in
Larnaca, has indoor and outdoor pools, floodlit tennis and a leisure club.
With Olympic Holidays (0844 499 4448, www.olympicholidays.
com), a week, B&B, departing on February 9 costs £362 – reduced by
£154 – and one child under 12 sharing goes for just £124; the February 16
departure costs £380/£142.
Prices are also down at the five-star, beachfront Le Meridien Spa &
Resort, in Limassol. A week, B&B, departing on February 16, can be had
for £479 – saving £166 – and one child sharing goes for £125, reduced from
£264, again with Olympic Holidays (0844 499 4448, www.olympicholidays.com).
The hotel has a supervised club for children aged 3-12.
Another option is to head over the border to northern Cyprus, where Direct
Traveller (0845 123 5383, www.directtraveller.com)
has a number of deals, including a week, B&B, at the four-star,
family-run Piabella Hotel, in Kyrenia, for £379, flying on February 9 or 16.
Under13s go for £345, under4s £309.
The Mediterranean coast of Turkey should be warming up nicely in February. An
all-inclusive week at the five-star Beach Club Doganay, in Alanya, flying
from Birmingham on February 10, is selling for £399 (under11s £369) through
Lastminute.com (0870 443 9902, www.lastminute.com).
At Lara Beach, near Antalya, Metak Holidays (020 8290 9292) has an
all-inclusive week at the Lares Park Hotel from £439 (under12s go for £239
if sharing their parents’ room). The hotel has a children’s club, an indoor
pool, tennis and a Turkish bath. Flights from Manchester (February 9 or 16)
or Stansted (February 10 or 17) are included.
There is a good chance of sunshine on the Algarve, although, to be on the safe
side, it’s worth staying somewhere with access to sporting facilities or an
indoor pool. With dozens of flights to Faro from across the UK – try EasyJet
(www. easyjet.com), BMI Baby (0871 224
0224, www.bmibaby.co.uk) or Jet2
(0871 226 1737, www.jet2.com) – this is a
good destination for independent travel. In the western Algarve, Parque da
Floresta is a self-contained resort bordering the Costa Vicentina national
park, with a spa, an 18-hole golf course and indoor and outdoor pools. A
family of four renting a two-bedroom house will pay £638 for a week,
including breakfast, car hire, three kids’ club sessions per child and 40%
off green fees, but not flights, through Vigia Resorts (01223 307088, www.vigia-resorts.com).
If you want a package with flights, how about a week, self-catering, at the
four-star Rocha Brava Apartamentos Turisticos, in Carvoeiro, where amenities
include three pools, four tennis courts and a nearby 18-hole golf course?
The price is £245pp, including EasyJet flights on February 16, with Expedia
(0871 226 0808, www.expedia.co.uk).
In Albufeira, Cosmos (0871 423 8560, www.cosmos.co.uk)
has seven nights, self-catering, at the Clube Praia da Oura apartments,
flying from Manchester on February 10, for £318 (children £279), based on
four sharing a one-bedroom apartment.
Alternatively, rent a villa with a pool. Vivenda Tobias, a five-star-rated
house in Carvoeiro with three bedrooms, landscaped gardens and WiFi access,
costs £433pp, including flights on February 9 and car hire, with Meon Villas
(0870 901 4011, www. meonvillas.co.uk).
Cough up an extra £120 and you can have the pool heated.
Farther south, Tunisia offers good value. Thomson (0870 160 4513, www.
thomson.co.uk) has seven nights, half-board, at the beachfront Hotel Riu
Imperial Marhaba, in Port el Kantaoui, flying from Birmingham on February
17, for £275 (under12s £205). The hotel has an indoor pool, tennis courts, a
fitness centre and a sauna. Seven nights, half-board, at the four-star Chich
Khan hotel, in Yasmine Hammamet, cost £259, flying from Gatwick on February
10, with Thomas Cook (0845 070 2530, www.thomascook.com).
One child goes for £244, a second for £239.
PACK THE SUNSCREEN
On the Red Sea coast of Egypt – where sunshine is nigh-on guaranteed – kids
can dive free with Explorers (0845 094 3367, www.explorers.co.uk),
which has a week, B&B, at the three-star Ocean Club Hotel for £449
(under12s £328), flying on February 10 or 17. Beginners aged 10-16 get a
free two-day Padi course worth £115; or, if they are qualified, a four-day
dive pack. Under10s can take a free Bubblemaker class.
Splash out a little more and you can get seven nights, all-inclusive, at the
four-star, beachfront Prima Life Rehana Hotel. Adults pay £529 – a reduction
of £61 – and one child under 12 sharing goes for £359, flying on February
10, with Olympic Holidays (0844 499 4448, www.olympicholidays.com).
Along the coast at Taba Heights, you can bag a week, half-board, at the
five-star Marriott Beach Resort for £659 (under12s £569), based on four
sharing a room and including flights on February 9 or 16, with Peltours (020
8371 5200, www.peltours.com).
If you want more space, rent a villa in Orlando. Two adults and two children
under 10 sharing a three-bedroom house with private pool, flying on February
10 or 17, would pay £2,259 for a week, including car hire and seven-day Flex
Tickets to all five Universal Studios theme parks, with American Sky (0870
904 0920, www.americansky.co.uk).
Alternatively, try a week, room-only, at the three-star Quality Inn Maingate
West, flying on February 17, for £439pp (under12s £299) with Hayes &
Jarvis (0871 664 0246, www.hayesandjarvis.
co.uk).
The Canaries may lack glamour, but the weather is reliable and prices are
affordable. A week, self-catering, at the four-star Sands Beach Villas, in
Costa Teguise, flying from Gatwick on February 10, costs £252pp, based on
four sharing a one-bedroom apartment, with Teletext Holidays (0845 264 0727, www.teletextholidays.co.uk).
In Tenerife, a family of four sharing a room at the four-star Bahia Principe
Hotel pay a total of £1,498 for seven nights, all-inclusive, flying on
February 17, with Thomas Cook (0845 070 2530, www.
thomascook.com).
Madeira is also worth a look. A week, B&B, at the four-star, clifftop
Madeira Regency Cliff, in Funchal, costs £459pp, flying from Stansted on
February 9, with Lastminute.com (0870 443 9902, www.lastminute.com).
Two children under 11 go for £269 each – and get their own room.
Half-term on skis
Fancy taking the kids skiing at half-term? Then put the paper down as soon as
you’ve read this, and get to work. To nonskiers, February half-term may seem
like the holiday that fashion forgot, but in the mountains it glows
white-hot, with many of the best chalets booked up last summer. What’s more,
the fabulous start to the season in both the Alps and North America has only
added to the demand. I’m afraid you’re going to be dining on scraps.
The good news, however, is that some of those scraps are pretty tasty. One
area that still has availability isAndorra. It hasn’t done as well as the
Alps or North America but it did have some snow again last week. Soldeu is
the best resort – and Inghams (020 8780 4433, www.inghams.co.uk)
has a week at the Sport Hotel from £957pp, half-board, including flights
from Gatwick, arriving on February 10.
There’s also availability in the western resorts of theUSAandCanada, which
have been having excellent seasons. Of the two half-term weeks, February
9-16 has more availability, and doesn’t clash with the US Presidents’ Day
holiday (February 18). For both weeks, however, you may have to fly Friday
to Friday rather than at the weekend. Ski Independence (0845 310 3030, www.ski-i.com)
reports that there is still availability in smaller Canadian resorts, such
as Sun Peaks – and in Breckenridge, Colorado, too. One week in the latter,
arriving on February 8, will cost £1,079pp for adults and £808pp for
children, based on four sharing a two-bedroom apartment and including
flights.
If you can drive down toFrance, you can still get family-friendly apartments
and chalets. For example, Peak Retreats (0844 576 0170, www.peakretreats.co.uk)
has a large self-catering apartment (sleeps up to 10) available in the cute
village of St Martin de Belleville, which links into the Trois Vallées lift
system, for £389pp, including Eurotunnel crossings, arriving on February 16.
And Erna Low (0845 863 0525, www.ernalow.co.uk)
has a mezzanine apartment in the well-designed village resort of Arc 1950
(part of Les Arcs) for £322pp, based on 10 sharing and including Eurotunnel
crossings, arriving on February 9.
For a good overview of what’s left in February, contact a specialist ski
travel agent or tailor-made tour operator – try Iglu Ski (020 8542 6658, www.igluski.com),
Momentum (020 7371 9111, www.
momentumski.com) or Ski Solutions (020 7471 7700, www.skisolutions.co.uk).
