Red, White or Blue – What’s the Choice for You?

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School break, in our experience, has always been quite difficult to plan. It’s a holiday, so naturally one wants to take the family away, but for a holiday it’s just not long enough. So, what does one do, and where does one look, when planning a break to de-stress from the New Year? Let us share with you some of our insights…

White is for Skiing!

A great bonding experience for active families, with endless outdoor thrilling adventures! However, it may be over budget as 80% of skiing families actually book 8-months or more in advance, and now it’s really tricky to get good value for money.

Checking on 1st January 2014, we found availability for 15th February 2014: Chalet Les Arcs on ‘chalet board’ from £1,108.00pp, so about £4,432.00 for a family of four. And that excludes ski packs and passes! (Allowing for £1k to £2k…)

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Blue is for the Caribbean!

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Again holidays to the region are at the high end of the budget, but there are ‘value’ buys out there. For example, a deal for a family of four:

Date: 15th February 2014 Resort: Smugglers Cove, St Lucia Details: 7-nights All Inclusive, departing from Gatwick Price from…£8,031.00 total

You can also include a ‘Learn-to-Dive’ Package from £320.00pp or a 5-Day Dive Package from £230.00pp. The weather makes it a popular choice with average water temperatures of 23°C, air temperatures at an average high of 27°C and an average of 1.9 inches of rainfall.

Unfortunately, charter flights to the more affordable Caribbean destinations are mainly midweek. So, if you have to travel at the weekend, some of the best and most affordable destinations are ruled out like the Dominican Republic and Cancun, which are half the price of St Lucia!

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Red is for the Red Sea!

Everything is ‘good’ here: price, Sun, the lack of rain…To give you an idea, take a look at the following example for a family of four:

Date: 15th February 2014 Resort: Sharm Resort Hotel, Sharm-el-Sheikh Details: 7-nights All Inclusive Price from…£2,100.00 total

As for the weather, in Sharm the average water temperature is 21°C, with an average air temperature of 25°C. For the sporty families, you can also include a ‘Learn-to-Dive’ Package from £255.00pp, or dive packages for the more qualified from £135.00pp.

The biggest issue is country stability, however despite the upset over the last two years, all is back to normal. There are no travel ‘advices’ in operation.

So, what’s the problem?

The Red Sea has ‘fallen from grace’, as it were; the disturbances in Central Egypt and all the news about ‘The Middle East’ has caused prices to drop drastically. 4* and 5* hotels on prime dates are selling at ½ the price of Ski holidays (before adding ski packs), and a ¼ of the price of a comparable Caribbean holiday – and they are available.

There is ample choice here, with resorts to suit every need – we explored ‘like for like’ holidays, comparing the Red Sea against other destinations. So, if you want simpler; more rustic, or can travel midweek? We have some really good deals – just enquire!

Check back in two weeks for our next blog: Family Scuba Discovery Options – a review of the best and affordable destinations to take kids for Learn-to-Dive.

See you then!