Family holidays are about creating memories that last a lifetime — the shared adventures, the first time your child sees the sea, the afternoon you stayed in the pool until dinner. Planning the perfect family holiday means balancing what works for the adults with what keeps the children genuinely happy, finding accommodation that suits all ages and booking at a price that doesn’t require a second mortgage. Search4Sun helps families across the UK find the right destination, the right resort and the best deals for their next family holiday.
The best family holidays match the needs of every age in the group. Toddlers need shallow pools, early dining times and short transfer times; teenagers need activities, Wi-Fi and independence; grandparents need accessible rooms and quieter areas of the resort. Most modern family resort hotels are designed with this range in mind — but it’s worth checking that your chosen hotel specifically caters for your children’s ages before booking.
Consider the practicalities: how long is the transfer from the airport to the hotel? Is the beach within walking distance? Are there medical facilities nearby? Are the kids’ club hours compatible with your family’s routine? These details separate a smooth family holiday from a stressful one.
Majorca is consistently voted the UK’s favourite family holiday destination. The island combines reliable summer sunshine, excellent sandy beaches, well-developed resort infrastructure and direct flights from virtually every UK airport. Resorts like Alcudia, Puerto Pollensa, Cala d’Or and Magaluf (for older children) each offer a distinct character, with hotels purpose-built for families and a wide price range from budget apartments to five-star resorts. Family holidays to Majorca are well-understood, well-priced and reliably enjoyable.
Tenerife‘s southern resorts — Costa Adeje, Los Cristianos and Playa de las Américas — offer some of the most family-friendly holiday infrastructure in Europe. Year-round warmth (the Canaries’ biggest advantage), excellent waterparks at Siam Park, good beaches and a huge range of all-inclusive hotels at every budget make Tenerife a natural first choice for family holidays. The island also offers Teide National Park and whale-watching excursions for families wanting to mix beach with adventure.
Turkey offers exceptional value family holidays, particularly in the Antalya region. Large five-star all-inclusive resorts with multiple pools including children’s splash areas, kids’ clubs for different age groups, extensive buffet dining and sprawling grounds are the norm in Belek and Side. The price-to-quality ratio on Turkish family holidays is genuinely outstanding — a five-star all-inclusive family holiday in Belek often costs less than a three-star self-catering equivalent in the Canaries.
Corfu and Rhodes are the most popular Greek island destinations for family holidays. Corfu’s lush green landscape, Ionian blue water and welcoming resort towns like Sidari, Kassiopi and Kavos suit families of all ages. Rhodes has an excellent hotel infrastructure, a long season running into October and superb beaches in the quieter southern half of the island. The combination of genuine Greek culture, good food and reliable sunshine makes Greece a rewarding family holiday destination.
The Algarve is Portugal’s prime family holiday region, with golden sand beaches backed by dramatic cliffs, outstanding seafood, excellent water parks and a reliably long, warm season from May through October. Albufeira, Vilamoura and Lagos offer the widest range of family hotels and apartments. Family holidays to the Algarve suit children of all ages and offer slightly more cultural depth than pure resort destinations.
All-inclusive family holidays remain the most popular choice for UK families with younger children. The ability to eat, drink and snack freely throughout the day eliminates a constant source of expense and negotiation. Look for family all-inclusive resorts with dedicated kids’ clubs, children’s pools with slides, family-friendly buffets with recognisable food for fussy eaters and evening entertainment for children as well as adults. Turkey and Majorca offer the best value all-inclusive family holidays at this specification.
Under 5s: Prioritise short transfer times, shallow pools, high-chair and early dining availability. Tenerife and Majorca are ideal — short flights, sea-level resorts, baby equipment hire readily available. 5–12s: Kids’ clubs, waterparks and beach activities are the priorities. Turkey’s large resort hotels and Majorca’s established resort towns deliver best. Teenagers: Independence, watersports and activities matter more than the kids’ club. Rhodes, Ibiza (family resorts away from the party area) and the Algarve all work well. Multi-generational: Choose hotels with lifts, accessible ground-floor rooms and quieter areas alongside the main pool — Majorca, Tenerife and Cyprus are well-suited.
Book early — the best family rooms, interconnecting suites and ground-floor pool-access rooms disappear quickly for peak summer dates. Check the children’s ages for pricing — many hotels offer free places or significant discounts for under-12s or under-16s if they share a room with parents. Read the kids’ club minimum age carefully (many require children to be at least 4); some resorts charge for kids’ club beyond a certain number of hours. Book transfers in advance for car seats if travelling with infants.
Family holidays should always be booked with ATOL and ABTA protection to safeguard your money if an operator fails. For last-minute family holiday availability and deals, check LastMinute.com.
Search4Sun works with leading ATOL-protected tour operators to bring you the widest selection of family holidays at every budget. Use the search above to compare family holidays by destination, date and price.
Majorca is consistently the UK’s most popular family holiday destination, followed closely by Tenerife and Turkey’s Antalya region. All three combine reliable sunshine, direct flights from most UK airports, purpose-built family resort hotels and a wide price range. Majorca suits families who want a European culture alongside the beach; Tenerife excels for year-round warmth; Turkey offers the best value for money at the four- and five-star all-inclusive level.
Family holidays are most expensive during UK school holidays — July, August and half-term weeks command a significant premium. The cheapest times are the shoulder weeks immediately before and after school holidays: late May half-term (go the week before), September (just after schools return) and October half-term itself if you book early. Easter family holidays can be good value if the Easter break falls late (April). Many operators offer early-bird family holiday discounts in October and November for the following summer.
All-inclusive family holidays are almost always worth it for families with children under 12. The elimination of daily food and drinks costs — which can easily run to £50–100 per day for a family of four — quickly offsets any premium over a self-catering or bed-and-breakfast package. The convenience factor (no searching for restaurants, no arguments about snacks) also makes all-inclusive family holidays significantly more relaxing for parents. For teenagers who eat a lot, all-inclusive remains good value; for very young children who eat little, the saving is more modest.
