When thinking about your summer family holiday, it can be quite daunting. For example, where do you book? What kind of property are you looking for? What type of holiday do you want? There are so many variables, especially with the current climate, that booking your family holiday this Summer might seem a bit too much. I have put together some tips to help you get this done like a boss!

Start from the beginning

For me, booking a family holiday this summer is all about sun and water. Water is essential. The bigger the pools, the more slides there are and the proximity to the beach are my only essentials. Don’t get me wrong, vegetarian food is a close contender to the list, but I know the kids will not be happy unless there is a lot to do in the pool. So, I use holiday websites to sift through all the holidays with my essential criteria: waterparks, pools and beaches. Because everything else is just a bonus I can be flexible about the location, the package details etc. It means you can find great holiday deals that you wouldn’t have expected, perhaps to a country that you would never have booked before. It is a great place to start, and you will soon get a feel for the kind of holiday you are looking for. I used On the Beach to find our perfect holiday, it was easy to filter in the search and I could save hotels I liked the look of.

Booking flights separately?

One way of booking a family holiday is to book the flights and then book your accommodation separately. There is a little more uncertainty in this kind of booking, as you might not know where you are staying until the time of your trip. But this could be a real advantage if you want more of a family adventure. For example, Pegasus Airlines have some fantastic deals on amazing locations across the world.

Finding cheap accommodation

When you get to your location you can find some really great places to stay. When we went to Langkawi, Malaysia, we didn’t book any accommodation and just went with what we saw when we got there. After exploring the various locations, we found a tree house on the beach and it was the most amazing accommodation I have ever stayed in, it cost us about £5 a night. It was amazing. I would never have been able to book that beforehand, namely because I didn’t know it existed!

Pleasing the family

Make sure the holiday has something for everyone; Mummy wants the sun; the kids want water parks and pools. Daddy also wants the water parks and pools! Identifying the essential list means you can prioritise your holiday and use the right filters to find your holiday. It can be quite daunting if you are too vague and too specific, so try to find something in between. Something like: Any London airport (if you are near them), Any location, Specific Dates (with +3 flexibility) and filters like All-Inclusive and must have a Water Park. This will help narrow your holiday down quickly, but give you offers and holidays you might not have ever considered otherwise!

Book your excursions there

When you get to your hotel, have a look around and then book your excursions. We have found, countless times, that our hotels charge a lot more than the local businesses that operate. We walked into Sarigerme when we went to Turkey and booked a fantastic boat trip with the local company, it saved us a lot of money than booking directly from the hotel. The kids enjoyed their boat trip too, I love this photo of our trip:

Get a refund on your flights

With the current climate and over 10,000 flights being cancelled this summer. Martin Lewis has some great guidance for ensuring you get a refund on your flight or an alternative option. This is something that I would never normally think about, but it is so important to protect your family. Martin Lewis explains why flights are being cancelled and what to do if your flight is cancelled.

Rebook your hotel

Did you know you can check to see if your hotel is cheaper than when you paid for it, and rebook it? So, the caveat to this great trick is that you must have booked your original hotel room with no cancellation fee, otherwise, you will be paying to cancel your original booking. Do a search for your hotel nearer to the time of your trip and reserve the room if it’s cheaper. Lots of people have saved over £100 by doing this, it’s a great tip when booking holidays over the summer. Thanks again, Martin Lewis!


Do you have any fabulous tips for booking your family holiday this Summer? I would love to know in the comments below, or on social media at @mummyconstant. Every little tip can help…Check out my other travel posts too for more inspiration.

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3 Comments
  • Sam Osborne
    Monday, December 12, 2022

    Thanks for the tips

  • Margaret Gallagher
    Monday, March 27, 2023

    Wasn’t aware of rebook to save money – definitely worth a try next time I’m away

  • Wendy Lam-Vechi
    Monday, March 27, 2023

    You are incredibly to leave things so last minute. I think I tend to pre-book everything before I leave (sometimes months ahead) so I can get it out of the way and not have to worry about it anymore. But it seem like you have much more of a adventure travelling like you do and a lot cheaper