£110Stay two nights and get the third half-price at
£140 Save 20 per cent on a week starting July 19 at Tiddy Barn in
£180 Take advantage of a 20 per cent cut in rates to spend three nights’ B&B at The Old Registry in Haworth,
£200 Stay overnight at the three-star Quality Hotel in Stoke on
£217 Book four nights’ B&B at the South Causey Inn near Stanley, Co Durham, starting August 1 and you’ll receive a 30 per cent discount on room rates plus a free riding lesson or trout fishing session. Details: www.bookdirectrooms.com
SHORT HAUL
£110 A week’s self-catering at the Villa Byzantino in
£251 Spend two nights at the Chopin Hotel in
Details: www.ba.com or call BA Holidays on 0844 4930758 (add £15pp for phone bookings).
£360 Save £150 on a seven-night trip to
thomson.co.uk, 0870 550 2555.
£489 Fly to the Greek
£549 GO walking in
LONG HAUL
£699 Spend a week at the five-star Loews Royal Pacific Resort at Universal in
£979A week’s B&B departing August 31 at the five-star Coco Palm in the
£1,259Seven nights’ B&B at the Blue Waters in Antigua with British Airways flights from Gatwick costs £1,259pp, departing July 19 to August 14 (
CITIES
£607Take advantage of three nights for the price of two at the five- star
FLIGHTS
£44Fly from Gatwick to
£299Book by July 15 and pay from £299 for return flights to
-YOU’LL fly for free to Portugal and back if you book four or more nights at the Sheraton Algarve between July 27 and August 22 as the hotel will refund the cost of your flights when you check in. Bed and breakfast costs £185pp per night when two share. Go to www.luxurycollection.com/algarve or call 00351 289 500 100.
-WHILE you’re there... ride a new BMW motorbike on the open roads of Portugal with Hertz. There are roadsters and off-road beasts for hire. Prices start at 68 euros per day (about £56). Go to www.hertz.com.pt or call 08708 448844.
-KIDS-go-free holiday places are still on offer at Butlins resorts in August. And it cuts the cost of a three-night break between July 18 and August 29 to £360 for a family of four – a saving of £116. Go to www.butlins.com or call 0845 070 4730 for details.
-EVEN an airport hotel can go green. The Sheraton Heathrow is trying to reduce its carbon footprint by offering guests owning hybrid cars up to 15 days free parking. Rooms start at £59 per night (less than £30pp). Go to www.sheraton.com/heathrow
-CAR hire for less than £13 a day is being introduced by a new rental firm called Economy Car Hire. The price takes the cost of a week’s car hire in Spain to £90 and the US from £88. See www.economycarhire.com or call 0845 450 0877.
Cities
£196 - Stay five nights in Prague from £196pp at the three-star Jasmin Hotel with breakfast and flights from Stansted on July 20.
Details: www.flexibletrips.com, 0870 160 9192.
£469 - Four nights in Toronto start from £469pp when staying at the three-star Delta Chelsea Hotel from November 1 with flights from Heathrow.
Details: www.tcsignature.com, 0870 443 4447.
Long Haul
£649 - Head off on an eight-night holiday to Thailand for £649pp with return flights from Heathrow on July 16. The deal includes a room-only stay at the Holiday Inn Resort Regent Beach Cha-am and private transfers.
Details: www.hayesandjarvis.com, 0871 664 0246.
£755 - Save up to £215pp on seven nights at the Sheraton Sand Key Resort, Florida between August 22 - October 31 if you book by July 15. The £755pp price includes BA flights from Gatwick and car rental.
Details: www.funwayholidays.co.uk, 0844 557 0770.
Short Haul
£333 - Fly to Turkey from Manchester on July 11 for seven nights all-inclusive at the four-star Hotel Guler Resort for just £333. Gumbet Details: www.lowcostbeds.com, 0871 221 9048.
£735 - A seven-night walking holiday on Sao Miguel in the Azores now costs £735pp including flights from Gatwick, B&B and five walks with maps. THe deal is valid throughout July.
Details: www.sunvil.co.uk, 020 8758 4747.
£914 - Singles can enjoy a two-centre break on Sicily. Leave on August 27 for an eight-day break including flights and seven nights' half-board plus visits to Taormina and Mount Etna.
Details: www.justyou.co.uk, 01858 581980.
UK
£89 - See the smash hit Jersey Boys midweek in London from now until October and make the most of a theatre package from Superbreak which offers a Grand Circle ticket and one night’s B&B at the three-star Royal National Hotel from just £89pp.
Details: www.superbreak.com, 0871 222 3055.
£100 - Stay in Newcastle upon Tyne at the Hanover Mill, Quayside, in an apartment with river views for £100 – a saving of £140 per night. Details: www.wotif.com/hotelW54899, 0845 458 4567.
£125 - Hoseasons holiday parks are offering a four- night break in Clacton from £125 for a family of four, staying at the Seawick Holiday Village from July 14.
Details: www.thomascook.com, 0844 412 5962.
Flights
£102 - Take a flight from London City to Geneva from just £102, providing you book by December 31 and fly by March 31, 2009. Details: www.travelocity.co.uk
£107 - Spain is still in party mood after its success in the European football championship so there could not be a better time to jet off to Barcelona. Flights start from £107 from Heathrow on July 23.
Details: www.opodo.co.uk, 0871 277 0090.
As soon as the school bell rings at the end of the summer term, the cost of family holidays shoots up. Yet if you start your break just a couple of days earlier you could save yourself a fortune.
Of course you need to get permission from your children’s school but they are likely to be flexible if your children are only missing a day or two of winding-down in the session before the end of term.
And it’s not too late to bag a bargain family holiday package this month…
TENERIFE… save £470
Like it hot? Take the children for a week at the Playa Olid apartments in Playa De la Americas on Tenerife in the Canaries.
School holiday price: A week’s self-catering flying from Gatwick on August 6 costs from £1,626 for a couple and two children – £454 per adult and £359 per child.
Before the end of term: The same holiday flying from Gatwick on July 15 costs from £1,156 for the same family – £314 per adult, £264 per child, a saving of £470.
Contact: www.monarchholidays.co.uk or call 0871 423 8568
BENIDORM...save £576
Take the kids for a week’s self-catering holiday on the Costa Brava at the three- star Buena Vista in Benidorm. There you’ll find good beaches, cheap family restaurants and loads of child-friendly attractions.
School holiday price: Jet off on August 5 from Gatwick and a holiday for a family of four will cost from £1708 – £502 per adult and £352 per child.
Before the end of term: Fly from the same airport on July 22 and the cost is £1,132 (based on a family of four sharing) £382 per adult, £184 per child. That is a saving of £576.
CONTACT: www.airtours.co.uk or call 0844 871 6636.
TURKEY....save £360
Spend a week with the family on Turkey’s Turquoise Coast in Marmaris, staying at the three-star Lunamar Apartments. The resort has a good beach, very cheap restaurants and good shopping.
School holiday price: Fly from Gatwick on August 1 for a week’s self- catering package and you’ll pay from £1,772 when four share, which works out at £482 per adult and £404 per child.
Before the end of term: A self-catering break with flights from Gatwick on July 21 costs from £1,412, based on a family of four sharing, – £377 per adult, and £329 per child – a saving of £360.
Contact: www.thomascook.com or call 08450 702530.
CYPRUS...save £980
Travel with holiday company Sunset to Cyprus and spend a week at the three- star Cosmelenia Apartments in Nissi Bay.
School holiday price: Fly from Gatwick on August 3 for a week’s self- catering and you pay a hefty £2,224 for four people, working out at £573 adults and £539 for children.
Before the end of term: Fly on July 20 and pay just £1,244 total when four share, equal to £363 per adult and £259 per child, a saving of £980.
Contact: Sunset on 08450 7722 88.
FLORIDA...save £160
Stay seven nights at the three-star Disney All Star resort in Orlando, flying from Manchester or Gatwick. The deal with Virgin Holidays also includes hiring a car to get around all of Orlando’s amusement parks.
School holiday price: Fly in early August and this holiday costs from £3,448 for a family – £1,089 per adult £535 for the first child and £735 for a second child.
Before the end of term: The same holiday flying before July 18 costs £3,288 per family - £1,069 per adult, £475 for the first child and £675 for the second child, a saving of £160.
Contact: www.virginholidays.com or call 0844 5573 875.
EGYPT... save £612
Snorkel in the Red Sea and take the children for a camel ride when you spend a week at the Reef Oasis Blue Bay
Resort and Spa in Sharm El Sheikh.
School holiday price: Jet off from Gatwick on August 14 and the holiday for a family of four costs £2,968, working out at £925 per adult, £509 for a first child and £609 for a second.
Before the end of term: Grab your passport and pack your bags fast and the same holiday flying off on Thursday costs just £2,356 – a saving of £612.
Contact: www.thomson.co.uk or call 0870 550 2555.
JAMAICA...save £860
Trade up to a four-star resort and spend a week at the Sunset Jamaica Grande Resort and Spa on Ocho Rios going all-inclusive.
School holiday price: Leave on August 1 and you’ll pay £4,116 per family – £1,259 per adult and £799 per child.
Before the end of term: Travel on July 11 and pay £3,556 per family – £1,189 per adult and £589 per child. That is a saving of £560.
Contact: www.virginholidays.com or call 0844 5573 859.
ZANTE, GREECE ...save £244
MAKE sure of the sunshine with a week’s self-catering break at the Planos Bay
family complex on the island of Zante.
School holiday price: Fly from Gatwick on July 29 and you’ll pay from £1,754 per family.
Before the end of term: Depart on July 13 and you’ll pay £1,510 for a family of four – a saving of of £244.
Contact: www.firstchoice.co.uk/greece or call 0871 664 9011.
PORTUGAL... save £640
Spend a week half-board at the Pestana Dom Joao II beside the soft, sandy beach of Praia d’Alvor in the Algarve.
School holiday price: The holiday departing on August 14 costs £2,188 for a family of four.
Before the end of term: Fly on Thursday and the holiday will cost you £1,548 – a saving of £640
Contact: www.thomson.co.ukor call 0870 550 2555.
Cities
£148Spend two nights in Bruges at the three-star canal-side Hotel Bryghia, departing July 4 with B&B and return Dover-Calais ferry crossing for passengers and car. Details: www.inntravel.co.uk, 01653 617910.
Long haul
£649Thomas Cook Signature is offering seven nights in Dubai from £649pp for B&B at the three-Star Metropolitan Hotel and flights from Heathrow on August 12. Details: www.tcsignature.com, 0870 443 4447.
£749Spend eight nights in the Maldives at the four-star Bandos resort. Fly from Heathrow on July 14. Details: www.hayesandjarvis.com, 0871 664 0246.
Short haul
£55 Stay at the newly-opened four-star Embassy Hotel in Vienna which has reduced its room rates from £385 to £55 per night including breakfast. Details: www.wotif.com/hotelW56741
£405 Travel to Tunisia on July 6 from Bristol and stay at the four-star Hotel Primasol Golden Beach in Skanes from just £405pp on an all-inclusive basis. Details: www.lowcostbeds.com, 0871 221 9048.
£522 A seven-night break from July 4 at KeycampÕs Les Mouettes site in Carantec in France costs £522 for two adults and up to five children in a Supernova mobile home with Dover-Calais ferry crossings. Details: www.keycamp.co.uk, 0844 406 0319.
£640 See where Mamma Mia! the Movie was filmed on the Pelion Peninsula in Greece. Stay at the Damouchari Hotel, where a seven-night stay with brekkie costs from £640pp in July, flights from Gatwick. Details: www.sunvil.co.uk, 020 8568 4499.
£644 The four-star Schloss-hotel Rosenegg is a 16th Century castle in AustriaÕs Tirol region. Eight daysÕ half-board starting July 30 costs £664pp includingÊa show, guided walk. Flights from Birmingham, Stansted or Manchester. Details: www.travelsphere.co.uk, 0800 191418.
Staying at home
£56 The three-star Roundhouse Hotel in Bournemouth, Dorset, has rooms from £56 per night on two-night stays. This pet-friendly hotel is a short walk from Bournemouth beach. Details: www.hotels.co.uk
£77 Stay at Honeysuckle Cottage near Bideford in North Devon. A week's stay for up to -six people from July 5 now costs £460 down from £512. Details: www.holidaycottages.co.uk, 01237 459889.
£110Take a two-night break in a log cabin with a sauna on Hayling Island, Hants. Sleeps four. From July 19. Details: 01234 756945 www.holidaylets.net/prop/22567
£270 Stay at Middlethorpe Hall outside York for £270pp for a two-night break in July and August. Price includes a one-day York Pass, dinner and breakfast. Details: www.prideofbritainhotels.com, 0800 089 3929.
£675 Pembrokeshire Coast Holidays are offering two-bed apartments at Smoke House Quay in Milford Haven from £675 a week between July 18 and August 22. Details: www.smokehousequay.co.uk, 01437 763732.
Flights £105 Go from Gatwick to Majorca on July 1 for a seven-night stay priced at £105 including taxes. Details:www.monarch.co.uk, 0871 423 8564. £125 Fly to Milan from London City Aiport with Air One from £125.ÊValid until August 31.ÊDetails: www.lastminute.com days out. Go wild on a bike in the Scottish Borders
ENGLAND
TODAY: Celebrate Dunwich Heath's 40th anniversary of being in the care of the National Trust today. The heath in Suffolk is staging a party with an appearance by Trusty the Hedgehog, performances by the Barley Brigg morris dancersÉ and lots of cake. The party runs from 10am until 2pm. Go to www.national trust.org.uk
SEPTEMBER 14-28: Two weeks of music, talks, walks and events are planned for this year's Windsor Festival. ThereÕll be guest appearances by Esther Rantzen, Kate Adie and I'm a Celeb winner Carol Thatcher. Go to www.windsorfestival.com or call 01753 740121.
UNTIL SEPTEMBER 28: Go for a ride on the new Greenwich Wheel in London, which opens this week in the grounds of the Old Royal Naval College. Tickets: £7 adults, £4.50 children under 16. Open from 10am until 10pm. Tickets at the wheel or online at www.greenwichwheel.com
JULY 6: Find out about the role horses played in daily life in the 19th Century during a day out to Blists Hill Victorian Town in ShropshireÕs Ironbridge Gorge. Open 10am-5pm and a passport to all 10 of the Ironbridge Gorge museums, valid for a year, costs £48 for a family of two adults and three children up to 18. Go to www.ironbridge.org.uk
WALES
UNTIL SEPTEMBER: Take the kids for a free day out to Cardiff BayÕs ÒThe TubeÓ Visitors Centre.
The current exhibition at the centre is Baywatch, which looks at the wildlife in the area.
Open 9.30am to 6pm, go to www.cardiffharbour.com Ð and if youÕre making a weekend of it, stay at the Cardiff Central Travelodge from as little as £19 per night for a family room (£5pp per night). Go to www.travelodge.co.uk
ALL SUMMER: Join a boat trip off the Pembrokeshire coast to look for dolphins this summer. Trips last two-and-a-half hours and call in to the RSPB island of Grassholm. Boats depart from St Davids ÐÊ£55 adults, £30 kids. Go to www.thousandislands.co.uk
SCOTLAND
JULY 5-6: Muddy fun is promised at a mountain biking and adventure sports festival in the Borders. Dirty Weekend in the Borders includes the ACE Adventure Race, Polaris Mountain Bike Challenge and the Dirty Dozen, a 12km trail run. Go to www.dirtyweekendadventure.com
AUGUST 23-24: Chefs compete for audiences against entertainers this year in a foodie Edinburgh festival. The Sheraton Grand Hotel and adjoining Festival Square will play host to Foodies At The Festival. ThereÕll be classes and demos from top Scottish chefs Martin Wishart and Tom Kitchin. For info go to www.foodiesfestival.com
AUGUST 29-31: Gomez, The Young Knives and DJ Dave Clarke top the bill at Hydro Connect at Inverary Castle in Argyll. ThereÕll be yurts and tepees, a Red Bull Forest Party and cabaret. The weekend music festival costs £140 adults and £70 kids, inc camping (www.connectmusicfestival.com).
-KENT’S Isle of Thanet has swept the board in this year’s Blue Flag awards, so take the kids for a bucket and spade holiday on beaches guaranteed to be clean and safe. Stay at the four-bed Waitemata (named after Auckland’s harbour in New Zealand). The Victorian villa sleeps up to 10, has sea views and is near the beach at Ramsgate. A week from July 19 costs £900 total (£90pp) through www.holidaylets.net/prop/29871
-FIGURE out your route before you leave home through an interactive road mapping service launched this week by car hire firm Holiday Autos. The 3D view lets you see the route from several angles and find handy petrol stations. It will cover more than 1,000 destinations worldwide. See website at www.holidayautos.co.uk/route-planner
-BOOK four nights at the five-star Grand Luxe Castillo Hotel Son Vida in favourite holiday island Majorca and you can stay a fifth night for free. The deal booked through www.Castaways.co.uk can save you up to £165pp.
-THUMB your nose at flight surcharges by taking the coach for a two-week holiday at Lake Balaton in Hungary. The peak season holiday gives you 12 nights’ half-board – five of them at the four-star Hotel Ramanda Balaton – plus sightseeing trips through the scenic lakes and mountains for a total £635. Go online to www.consorttravel.com
-YOU won’t need too much Money, Money, Money to stay on Skopelos, setting for the new Abba movie Mamma Mia. A week’s B&B at the three-star Dionyssos Hotel with flights from Gatwick on July 23 now costs £579 through www.manos.co.uk
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