Where to go during the school holidays, from easy-breezy staycations to far-flung destinations

Halkidiki, Greece
Flight time: approx 3.5 hours

Greece is a failsafe option when it comes to a summer holiday, but choosing the right part of the country can feel like a minefield (there are over 200 inhabited islands surrounding the mainland, after all). If you’ve got children in tow, the thought of a ferry or two post-flight – and an island that looks beautifully, but perhaps impractically, rustic – might not appeal. Halkidiki is on the mainland, and it’s also peppered with a clutch of lovely family-friendly hotels. Flights from London are a manageable 3.5 hours, and they land in Thessaloniki, the second-largest city in Greece. Anyone with a penchant for urban escapades should spend a night here, but if making a beeline for that poolside lounger is your MO, then save it for a trip sans brood.

Where to stay: For all-inclusive effortlessness, consider IKOS Olivia, or one of the Sani properties. The group takes up serious real estate along the coast, and offers the option to flit between hotels at mealtimes so you get a change of scene. Or, trade the promise of an epic kids’ club for something more remote, like Ekies All Senses resort.

Andalusia, Spain
Flight time: approx 2 hours

Malaga feels but a hop and skip from London, and between May and September (specifically during the summer holidays), there really is no reason to travel for much longer if a sunshine escape, good food, and the ease of feeling confident in your accommodation sounds like the perfect formula. Head towards Marbella (hear me out) and you’ll be met with a host of hotel options that kids will simply love. In 2026, OKU’s first family-friendly resort promises a fresh new addition to the line-up, mixing the brand’s established aesthetic with a more relaxed approach to hospitality that sees children welcomed for the first time. IKOS is also here, as well as Marbella Club, which is famous for a reason. We stayed at Puente Romano and would return again and again as the children get older. It’s a resort, and a glossy one, but the restaurant options, village-style layout and many, many pools meant we had variety without having to leave, and could easily dash back to the room whenever we forgot something (which was often). It’s only a few minutes’ walk away from Marbella Club where the vibe is quite different. Aesthetically, it’s beautiful and well worth a visit for the crockery alone. Our tuna tartare came on an enormous colourful fish-shaped platter and the guac was mixed fresh at the table. Perhaps like Crete or Halkidiki, Andalusia is a place you can trust when it comes to finding somewhere family-friendly.

Where to stay: Marbella Club for one of the most reputable stays that you might just be tempted to come back to sans tinies, OKU for a carbon copy of its Greece blueprint in a new location, or Puente Romano for beachside resort vibes with the best breakfast buffet I’ve ever experienced.

Sicily, Italy
Flight time: approx 3 hours

Anyone I know who has been to Italy with children comes back raving about how welcoming the locals were, and what a great destination it was to travel with youngsters. But mainland aside, it’s Sicily that appeals to me the most, not least the idyllic landscape and promise of sensational local food. Accommodation options are plentiful, and range from luxury farm-style stays to classically Italian coastal hotels teetering on the edge of the rocks. Unless you’re here purely for the hotel and its offering, this is the kind of holiday that does need planning. Cobblestone pathways and winding roads through quaint towns aren’t overly suited to prams (so if your children are young, either avoid it completely or come prepared with carriers and backpacks), but teens will be kept busy exploring outside.

Where to stay: You can’t think of Sicily now without picturing the Four Seasons, made famous by White Lotus season two, and a stay here is just as beautiful as it looks. Big names like this will always do ‘things’ well, so no need to worry about what to do or what to feed bambinos if you book a stay here. But topping my list is Braccialieri, Val di Noto in the countryside. It looks like an Italian Soho Farmhouse and the kind of place you can really detach from everyday life, which is the ultimate accolade for any parent, surely. For more inspiration on where to stay, visit our edit of the best family hotels in Sicily.