Every family has a list. You know, the travel bucket list that gets referenced every time you start talking holidays. A list that, until now, was only a possibility in the realms of your imagination. Not any more. We’ve collated the dream bucket list for the ultimate family Holiday Break with tips on how you can save to make them a reality.
Disneyland, Worldwide
The Circle of Life works in mysterious ways. Your parents made peace with the constant singing of ‘Part of Your World’ and reruns of ‘The Fox and the Hound’, so it’s only poetic that the cycle repeats for you – this time with ‘Let It Go’ (I wish) and ‘Moana’. Yet at some point, the whole family has to pack up their storybooks and well-loved Blu-rays and explore the living testaments to Walt Disney’s fantastic imagination in person.
The success of Disneyland Park, which opened in 1955, spurred such a huge demand that a whole new subsidiary, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, had to be created to cater to the crowds clamoring for more parks, hotels, resorts, and, eventually, a cruise line. It’s easy to see why; aside from the lust-worthy locations such as Paris, Tokyo, and Hong Kong, the attractions themselves have a certain magical air about them.
Perhaps the fact that you can’t go longer than two minutes without collapsing into a round of infectious laughter or seeing a child’s dream of meeting Cinderella come true has something to do with it. Complete your holiday by enjoying the tailored hospitality of a Disney Resort or 24-hour entertainment on the high seas aboard a Disney Cruise.
What better way to tour an exotic destination than with a group of other single parents with children of similar ages to your own? Intrepid Travel has a range of Solo Parent Family Holidays where three to five like-minded families travel together and, rather than charge a supplement. Especially if you consider going at Disney for your childs birthday, they would have a birthday celebration that would be remembered forever.
Holiday parks
Keen to keep the holiday closer to home? You could rent a private property through Stayz – home to more than 50,000 properties around the county or if you’d like something with a resort feel but at low cost, Big4 Holiday Parks could be for you.
With a multitude of parks across the country, you can choose the level of accommodation you require (anything from a multi-room cabin to powered sites for tents and trailers) and seek out the kinds of activities that best suits your family.
Myths and magic, Greece
The 60-mile Pelion peninsula, north of Athens, drips with mythology, history, and charm, and is dotted with whitewashed villages with leafy squares in which to munch walnut cake and buy crafts. There are also Byzantine churches, museums in provincial capital Volos and the traditional hill village of Miles, and well-preserved mansions. This is Greece at its best, with excellent beaches to boot. At the Esperos Suites, in Lafkos, nine self-catering villas around an infinity pool sleep three – great for couples with a baby or toddler.
Farm stay, Austria
Austria is an untapped resource when it comes to wholesome family holidays, especially those with scope for lamb-petting and chicken-chasing. Lovely wooden chalets and family-friendly farms are handily listed on the Tyrol tourism website, with scents of fresh cow dung and drying hay to tempt urbanites. Bauernhof Zieplhof has wonderful views over what is in winter ski slopes, plus a large playground, pets, and pony riding (free for guests).
Island escape, Croatia
While all the 20-year-olds hit the bars of Hvar Town, your brood can zip away from the quay in an inflatable speedboat, as guests of The Fisherman’s House on Sveti Klement, a Maldivian atoll lookalike west of Hvar. The Matejevic family, with their dogs, cats, and kids, run a simple six-room pension by the turquoise water of Vlaka Bay, which is ideal for swimming from the pebble beach, hammock swinging, and running wild. Older teens can walk around the island, stopping at beaches along the way – or petition to be allowed a water taxi over to Hvar to party.