stuck for ideas?

Planning family travel often starts with one question: where could we realistically go this school holiday? We’re a family of three, travelling independently with a school‑aged child since he was 6 (now 9) — and this page shares the destinations, itineraries and planning insight that have actually worked for us.

WHERE TO GO for may or october half term HOLIDAYS?

MALAGA, SPAIN

From segwaying around the city to meeting the monkeys of Gibraltar and walking the stunning Caminito del Rey.

ITALIAN ROAD TRIP

Ancient ruins, pizza‑making, and gelato breaks make Rome and its surroundings an ideal half‑term escape.

TENERIFE, SPAIN

Kayaking, Siam Park, cave exploration, and warm May or October sunshine make Tenerife a fab half term choice.

Half term is perfect for a short, well‑timed break — especially if you’ve already used most of your annual leave or budget on bigger trips. It’s a great opportunity to catch the start or tail end of summer sunshine without committing to a long holiday.

We love using half term to explore closer destinations, such as Europe, or staying closer to home and enjoying what the UK has to offer. If you’re chasing guaranteed warmth, Egypt works brilliantly for a week and can easily be paired with a short overnight add‑on to visit the pyramids, making it feel more adventurous without extending the time away.

pLANNING TIPS

When to Book

We usually aim to book our long haul trips around a year in advance, as soon as flights are released. This gives the best choice on flight times and routes, and often better value on family‑friendly hotels. Medium, short haul is a bit more flexible but typically the earlier you book the better price you tend to get on popular destinations.

Booking Tools

Start with comparison websites like Trip.com to review the latest flight, hotel, and route options. For long‑haul travel, it’s worth considering a short connection, which can significantly reduce costs. If your itinerary allows, a multi‑city flight can also make sense — for example, flying into one city and out of another, as we did in the USA (into Denver and out of New York), then booking internal flights to travel between destinations.

Trip.com is also a useful place to look for car rentals, hotels, and pre‑booked airport transfers in one place. That said, for accommodation we personally tend to favour Hotels.com and Expedia, mainly because their loyalty schemes have consistently worked well for us on longer trips.

Finding Things to Do

Start with our country‑specific blog posts, where we share activities we recommend based on our own research and personal experience travelling as a family. We focus on things that genuinely work well with kids, not just the headline attractions.

You can also browse platforms like Get Your Guide and Viator to explore tours and activities — they’re a great way to see what’s available, compare options, and build an itinerary that suits your family’s interests and pace.

How to Budget

We always start with a realistic budget for each destination and build the trip from there. For every major trip on the site, you’ll find a full budget breakdown showing exactly what we spent and where — flights, accommodation, activities, transport, and extras — to help families plan future trips with fewer surprises. Find them on the destination pages.

What to pack

Over the years, we’ve learned a lot about what’s worth packing — and what never leaves the suitcase. That’s why for every big trip we share a practical, family‑tested packing list, designed to help you pack smarter, lighter, and with confidence for the destination you’re heading to. Find them on the destination pages.

A quick note on links: some of the links in this post are affiliate links. If you choose to book through them, we may earn a small commission — at no extra cost to you.

We only ever share places, tours, and experiences we’ve personally used and genuinely enjoyed. If you’re planning your own family summer trip, feel free to use these links as a starting point — they’re the same ones that helped us plan efficiently, avoid unnecessary expense, and cut down hours of searching.

half term BLOG POSTS