There comes a time at the end of January when you have listened to the hairdressers’ Christmas trip to Barbados (“No shopping to speak of, but they do sell diamonds”), and you want to wow beyond your carbon-neutral correctness. Welcome to the world of Familymoons. They have all the luxury of honeymoons or babymoons, without the weeks away.

Of course Familymoons have to be taken in the school holidays, and therefore will require digging a little deeper into the family jam jar, but, because they are typically short breaks, they seem all the more affordable.

And while they might not have the cachet of the Caribbean at Christmas, they are mostly 5 star – so you will at least get to drop spa details into your next cut and blow dry.

1. Half Term Puffin pleasures near Holy Island in Northumberland A week in Church Cottage, Beadnell offers a private home, sleeping 7, from £500 per week, with enclosed garden for the kids and views over the village green. It also offers some of North East England’s best beaches, boat trips out to see seals, puffins and the famous Holy Island, not to mention the magic of Harry Potter at Alnwick or Bamburgh Castle perched on its basalt outcrop.

10 top family holidays

Here's some cracking ideas to keep the kids interested and you relaxed on holiday this year

• Six family adventure holidays

BACKGROUND

• A family action break in Cumbria

• Family caravan holidays in Cornwall

• Single parent breaks to escape Christmas

• Disneyland Paris by train

• Yoga for the family in Le Marche

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2. Celtic Manor, Wales for an Easter Sweets Treats Package Host venue for The Ryder Cup in 2010, the five-star Celtic Manor Resort is set in more than 1,400 acres of parkland at the gateway to Wales. With two hotels – a 330-room luxury Resort Hotel and an historic 19th century Manor House with 70 rooms – two spas, two state-of-the-art health clubs, a shooting school, fishing, tennis courts, mountain biking, walking trails and five restaurants.

Over Easter, they are hosting Easter Sweet Treat packages specifically geared to the kids, with Easter Egg hunts and crafts from Good Friday to Easter Monday at their Hideaway club for 0 to 11 year-olds. Easter Sweet Treats Package from £222 per night for two including breakfast and three-course dinner For more information on Easter breaks or to book, contact Reservations on +44 (0) 1633 410 262 or email bookings@celtic-manor.com

3. Eurostar to European capitals for sophisticated specials Spend the Easter weekend (21-24 March 2008) in Paris, Brussels, Bruges or Amsterdam. Or head south and spend the Bank Holiday in Nice, Cannes, Venice or Rome. Set off from the brand new St Pancras station, stopping for a glass of fizz at the longest champagne bar in Europe before heading off to one of the European capitals for a family-friendly break. Stay in Paris, for example, for as little as £219 including railfare in the chic 4* Marcheau Bastille. Look at Railbookers website for the deals, including Valentines Day and Mothers Day packages, or call 0844 482 1020

4. Children’s Etiquette course in Germany I couldn’t resist this 5-star hotel package at the Regent Berlin because it includes a children’s etiquette course while the parents’ feast in a Michelin starred restaurant – a feat which only our German friends could achieve. I would happily pay 59 Euros for my children to be taught table manners, how to lay a fine dining table, filet a sole, or make a (non-alcoholic) cocktail while I was drinking the inclusive bottle of Laurent Perrier, a few feet from the Brandenburg gate.

It’s only one night away for £487 for two (no flights or travel included) but if the kids will be offering me silver service at breakfast hereafter – it’s worth it.

5. A Budget Scottish Easter Getaway for the Sporty Family For families who love a bit of urban design and contemporary lines, the four-star Harbour Apartments in Edinburgh ideal for a short break. The loft style apartments overlook the Firth of Forth, many with floor to ceiling windows and balconies, and the complex has great spa and sports facilities including indoor and outdoor pools, tennis and squash courts. The streets of Edinburgh are only a 15-minute shuttle bus away, for shopping, dining, shows and entertainment and prices start from only £50 per night for a twin apartment. Stay three nights and pay only £45 per night.

6. Luxury Family Easter Egg Hunt at Woolley Grange, Wiltshire Luxury Familiy Hotel Woolley Grange hotel in Wiltshire is offering 4-days of fun and relaxation from 20th to 24th March. Younger guests will be entertained with Easter-themed activities, with the Sunshine Clowns and the Easter Bunny and a Grand Easter Egg Hunt. Prices start from £350 per room per night and include breakfast, dinner and entertainment, children are accommodated free of charge paying only for meals.

7. Four Nights in a Fairytale Hotel in Lake Garda, Italy For only £373 per person, based on four (two adults and two children) sharing a quadruple room in the 4* Gardaland Hotel Resort, Verona is a good deal. Especially when the hotel is housed in a fairytale property within three kilometers of four theme parks. The special includes return flights with British Airways from London Gatwick to Verona on 20th March 2008 and use of the hotel’s own water park and supervised kid’s club, and daily shows and activities.

8. Driving a Devon Boat for Six over Easter We had one of our most successful UK short breaks ever on a barge in Wales, when the sun shone, the ducklings swarmed, the swans glided, and the children were entertained jumping off and on boats for three days. Holsworthy in Devon is equally picturesque, and Holiday Lettings have this boat which sleeps six and is available for £450 for a week, or less for a couple of nights. Guaranteed to stop warring siblings from fighting, the water makes even the most irascible family member tranquil.

9. The Old Beams in the Peak District for a Chintz-free stay It comes at the fairly heft price of £1,200 for half term week and Easter week, but The Old Beams is only 5 minutes from Alton Towers, and is tastefully furnished for city dwellers fed up by chintzy curtain/sofa combo that most holiday lettings offer. The Peak district has plenty to keep children busy - cycle trails of the Manifold Valley, ramblers paths, china factory tours, the Waterworld swimming pool, indoor skiing and bowling to name but a few. For those who like their chintz strictly tasteful country house-style, you can also visit the great houses of Shugborough Hall, Little Moreton Hall and Chatsworth.

10. Check in to a Czech Chateau with baby for two nights Chateau Mcely offers 24 individually designed suites and rooms, a restaurant, a medieval Alchemist Club, a 2,000-volume library, a roof-top astronomical observatory, a wellness centre, and a patio with custom-designed Jacuzzi. It is also offering a family package for 2 people and a small baby, in a luxury suite with breakfast and dinner (in a candle-lit salon with your own private butler), and a baby massage and 15-minute massage for Mum and Dad thrown in. All for £750 without flights.

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