Have a look at holiday-rentals.co.uk for accomodation

Flights to these 2 places are reasonable outside school hols

We've just come back from Albufeira (4 of us), 1st time in Portugal.
Quite nice with lots of bars restaurants etc. We found it a little expensive compared to Spain to eat out and stuff. However, we would go back.
We booked TravelRepublic.co.uk and got a 1 bed apartment in Tropical Sol apartments, we paid £1200 s/c for 2 weeks in August, and got the flights in March/ April for £800 (Monarch- if I'd booked earlier I could have halved that!)

We usually have a hire car but I was concerned that it would be a nightmare to park in August so we used taxi from airport (40 - 50 Euros) and to waterpark (20 - 25 Euros).

This was nice with grassy area around pool and within 10 5 mins walk of bakery, supermarket, taxi rank, wally trolley. We used beach a lot (2 beds and parasol = 10 Euros per day) and this was a 20 min walk, although there was a free minibus run from hotel. One word of warning, taxis are cheap (3-5 euros to old town) but not many of them so late night queues can be quite long.

tropicalsol.pt.com is the website I think.

Oh yeah, we went to Menorca a few years back and vowed never again. W stayed in a place called Son Bou, very little in the way of bars restaurants etc, overrrun with ants, pool got cloudy after a day or so, our flight out delayed for 5 hour. I know of people who love Menorca one bloke that worked at my place even had a villa their. It goes to prove "each to their own"

Went to Portugal in 2005 for 2 weeks and stayed at the Balaia Golf Village Resort just outside Albufeira. It was very good, we found the resort on Expedia and rented a 2 bed ground floor apartment. It had a good sized kitchen with all mod cons and maid service 2 or 3 times a week. All the resort is low rise and the blocks usually have large grassy areas between them. There are about 7 different swimming pools and you're also within walking distance from the beach. Staff are usually quite willing to swop apartments if you're not happy with the one you've been allocated.

We have 3 young children and they loved going for walks along the narrow paths to a different swimming pool!

There are a couple of restaurants which are pretty good and several shops including a supermarket nearby and a Drs surgery.

The next door apartment was owned by a Portuguese family who came every year from Lisbon. You don't have to play golf but you can and there are also several tennis courts and gym facilities too.

I recommend it!

Susan

I didnt like portugal one bit!!!

We stayed in a villa in Guia, seemed very remote.

Didnt find the people friendly at all.