my advice to anyone with kids would be to go AI...as for us, we have only had 1 S/C holiday in the last chuff knows how many years and we spent a fortune just eating out all the time and supplying the boy with drinks/ice creams/chips/goodies etc. AI holidays are generally worth the money, but i guess it depends where you stay. We had one bad experience in Lanza but the rest of them have been fantastic and worth every penny..

My only grumble i would guess is that with AI, as soon as a child reaches 12, they get charged as an adult (but they don't get adult facilities) whereas with S/C, you can get away with paying child prices until they are 16.

We had this problem for next year and our son will be 13 but one of the AI for dominican goes to 14 before it charges adult price so for us it was a huge saving.
I love going AI for us it is right choice i know of others who hate it but each to their own.

Me too, did AI it for the first time last summer after years of self catering in 1 bed apartments paying huge under occupancy-supplements and eating out 24/7.
I can't imagine why I never tried it before, don't think I will ever go self-catering again whilst the kids still come away with us. Even Half Board seems an attractive option now. I also have to pay for one child as an adult but it still seems good value. The food we had last year was excellent, if you can afford it a 4* AI is probably better as I think the thing they economise on is the food. From what I read on here the evening entertainment seems to be naff in most hotels regardless of their star.

Last year we went to my mum in laws apartment in spain we thought as we only had flights and spend to sort that it would be really cheap but we hated the budgeting so we are looking forward to this year even more so.

Paying adult price is a bit naff isnt it, as there were 8 of us we had to have 2 rooms, therefore paying adult prices for 2 of the kids, although one was 15 whilst on holiday the other is only 12, but thats the way it goes, also the 4 year old didnt eat enough to feed an ant, nor eat icecream, mainly had pop, but not much!!!!
Michelle, who wont go self catering ever with kids

We have done 5/6 all inclusives and never had a naff one. As has been said tho over and over is do your research - thats the best bit of advice anyone can give . Probably our worst one was los zocos in costa teguise and that was still pretty good . We generally like to go a bit further now prefering Turkey - went to Egypt this year . but if you dont want to travel too far with young children San miguel beach club and hotel in northern ibiza is very good . northern ibiza is beautiful thomsons do this one - its right on the beach, food is fab.

We also really wouldnt do it any other way while our childen still holiday with us . and god hope thats a few years yet. time goes so fast
we have 3 children so always used to have to find somewhere that had rooms to take 5 which was a struggle but now our older 2 are 15 and 13 and have to pay adult prices anyway we get two rooms and i cant say we have noticed much difference for what you pay taking into account the suppplements they charge for family rooms, infact sometimes it works out cheaper to get 2 rooms if your children are old enough to be on their own.

lyn

we got 2 rooms in March when we went to Gran Canaria and we really had to argue the toss for it with Thomsons. The boys are 13 ( 14 next month) and we asked if we could have an ajoining room as it said the family rooms only provided camp beds for kids up to 12..and there was such a huge supplement ( £14 pppn) which we weren't impressed with. we were told they were too old to share our room as it is 3 beds and a camp bed..again not an option and they said only up to 12..so we asked if they could have their own room next door to ours and they said not until they were 16 as they were not adults, but were still being charged adults prices!! So i sort of spat the dummy out a bit and asked if they were adults or not and said i would ring the hotel direct and umpteen other things. Anyway, the upshot was the the boys did get their own room, next door to ours ( Taurito Princess Hotel, thank you) and they did not let anyone down with their behaviour ( i wondered if that was why they couldn't get their room, you know teenage lads etc) and we even got complemented on how pleasant they were. We payed for 4 adults really and although it was expensive, the holiday and hotel was great and we are taking the rest of the family back in November ( 11 of us).
I have this problem until 2008 when laddo's turn 16..does anyone know why companies charge like this?

Crazy isn't it. I've also noticed that sometimes it is cheaper to book 2 rooms with 4 adults rather than a family room and pay the supplements!

we started doing ai 2 years ago cant imagine going back to sc again unless we go to america, i think it adds to the relaxation not having to think how much money youv got to last the duration and its annoying when the kids have to keep asking for drinks icecreams etc, another good plus is the kids can try things and get something else if they dont like it.

regards Louise

14 weeks off to Taba Red Sea Riviera

One of the added bonuses for us is that all 4 of us can go in the pool together for as long as we want, rather than either someone staying by the sunbeds to look after the 'stuff' as we call it, or all going in but trying to keep an eye on your purse from the sunbed.

I know its a small thing, but it made us happy.

val or rob - not sure why you had that problem - we havnt yet and we have had 2 rooms for the last 2 years . my eldest is still only 15 and it has never been queried . even when i have clearly said at the time of booking that the 2 oldest will have to go in there own room . i never actually asked if they could tho. booked with eclipse last year and portland (thomsons) for this years. TNeither of the hotels at the other end have queried it either (turkey and Egypt). maybe its a spanish rule or something.

lyn

ps. the year before last we went to sun city hotel in olu deniz - first choice and eclipse wanted a massive £3500 for all of us in a family room in may. or £2800 paying 4 adult prices in two twin rooms. I eventually booked with Tulip holidays and paid £2500 for the family room. these rooms are unfortunately where the large tour operaters are making their money . The family pays again as if school holiday prices arent bad enough

lyn

lyn westie..thats exactly what we did, got the 2 rooms and didn't have to pay a supplement, but we had to kick up a fuss to get it. I have no idea if it was a hotel policy or a Spanish Policy, but that is exactly what we will do in the future, get 2 room without a supplement if poss. besides, the lads don't want to be anywhere near us if they can help it anyway and apart from that, we all want our own space and sometimes these family places can get a little cramped with 4 "adults" in one space.

The only thing i do want tho is when we have paid adult prices, then i expect them to be treated like adults..ie a real bed, their own space and if possible, their own room. The policy i do agree with is the no alcohol one for them..they will have plenty of time for that later!!!!

Yep its actually so much easier now and we can book any hotel we fancy now without scanning the brochures for the ones with rooms for 5 - my lads also dont want to be anywhere near us especially once they have made a few mates. I normally still wake them up for breakfast and make sure they have their sun-lotion on then leave them to it for the day. but i still find it difficult to leave them with their mates when we go to bed. im such a control freak and usually embarrass them like hell when its bed time :shock:. i really ought to chill a bit more .on the few occasions we have left them out their back in their rooms half an hour later

lyn

Hi val and rob

I think we must have also got lucky in Egypt, we had two rooms rather than a family room and my children are only 13 and 11 and nobody said anything about the fact that they were in a room on their own without adults. We were in the room next door though. It was brilliant and much better than being in a so called family room for 4.

I never even considered the thought of booking a room with both the girls names on, i just booked each room with one adult, and the older child paying the second adult price, then paid for 2 kids in each room, we just swapped around when we got there, have to agree though things need changing, and i think more hotels need to consider not all families are 2 adults and 2 kids, marriage breakups being what they are today, some have double the kids. like us we have to many LOL.
Michelle

i agree with the family thing..family life has changed so much these days and hardly any family meets the criteria any more. I guess that is why it is so difficult organising holidays now. Rob's daughter is almost 17 ( and hasn't been on the last 2 holidays..her choice) but if she were to come, it would be difficult getting a room because she couldn't go with us and wouldn't want to be sharing a room with laddo who is almost 14..and a family room would have a huge supplement. However you book holidays these days, there is always some hidden charge...

hi lyn...i have booked sun city as well this year,and the same thing is going on with prices....first choice wanted £3500 for 1st 2 weeks in june...we booked with cosmos £2250!!!!

oops...i meant august

hello,
the last time i went all inc was about 8 years ago and since then always gone sc. i was pricing up for summer 2007 to got back to the galeon playa in lanza i nearly died 2300 for 2adults 2kids self catering, i now booked to go all inc to club caleta dorada in fuert for 2800 thats with a lids room with tv/ dvd/ and ps2.
is it worth booking sc when all inc are so cheap,