The long-haul summer holidays that are cheaper than a week in the Med
Enjoying a summer holiday in Europe has become almost prohibitively expensive. Flight costs have spiralled while demand for the best hotels and villas, coupled with high inflation, means accommodation prices have soared over the last few years too. Meanwhile, summers are hotter than ever – 2024 was the warmest year on record on the continent.
It's therefore no wonder that those with kids are venturing further afield. Tour operator Kuoni reports that long-haul family bookings are significantly up this year, with Mauritius and Thailand among the most popular destinations.
With prices to Europe ballooning, far-flung trips suddenly look like better value. There are good deals on packages for 2025, while added perks (such as villa staff or all-inclusive meals) should be factored into any comparisons. Then there's the cost of living on the ground, which remains low in many popular long-haul destinations, including Sri Lanka and Mauritius.
Venturing out of Europe can be a risky business in the school summer holidays though. Seasonal weather events – such as the monsoon in India and hurricanes in the Caribbean – are best avoided. Meanwhile temperatures can be unbearable in the Middle East and it's winter in South Africa.
'We know from our Travel Trends report that travellers are seeking value, and these long-haul destinations appear cheaper than usual as they're in their 'off' season which aligns with UK summer. This is reflected in prices for flights and hotels for long-haul destinations, making them more attractive than they are during their 'high' season,' said a spokesperson for the comparison website Skyscanner.
'However, travellers visiting these long-haul destinations during off-season should keep in mind that they may experience seasonal tropical weather patterns.'
With that in mind, where is worth considering? We've crunched the data to come up with the best options and set them out below.
For a boutique getaway
Living costs are down in Sri Lanka. The Post Office's annual Long Haul Holiday Report found that they'd fallen by 14.8 per cent year on year during 2024. It makes the island an even better choice for a holiday in boutique-style accommodation, because it comes with a plethora of small hotels and villas that seem to have jumped from the pages of glossy magazines (minus the extortionate prices).
August is a good time to go. It's far less hectic than peak winter season, with temperatures in the high 20s. And, though there are likely to be some dramatic downpours between the sunshine, that equals a lush landscape scented with frangipani and glossy with foliage.
Hidden away on a slice of south western coast bordered by overblown jungle and palm-backed beach, some of the boho-style villas at Sama Retreats come with private pools. Nearby, there are plenty of activities to tempt older kids, from kayaking through the mangroves to exploring temples and spotting monkeys and porcupines in the rainforest. A week costs £2,296 B&B for a family of four in the summer holidays via Booking.com. SriLankan Airways has flights from London-Colombo from £950pp.
In 2025, demand is high for similar accommodation in Europe. Only one per cent of hotel rooms with private pools are available in Crete during the last week of August according to Booking.com – and it's reflected in holiday prices. They're almost double those at Sama Retreats for equivalent accommodation: a week at Elounda Palm Hotel & Suites in a connecting family suite with private pool costs £4,203.
For fantastic family hotels
Mauritius is one of Kuoni's top picks for summer holidays with kids in tow. 'It is particularly good value and has cooler summer temperatures so appeals to families,' said its spokesperson.
It may be winter on the island during August, but that can be a bonus for those not used to the heat: expect highs of around 25 degrees with some overcast days (though it's always warm enough for a splash in the pool).
One of the attractions is a profusion of family-friendly hotels, with multiple pools, kids clubs and calm, sandy beaches. These can be pricey, but local chain Attitude has three and four-star offerings dotted around the island which offer better value, as well as one of Mauritius's most inventive set-ups for children.
In the north, at the edge of a lagoon, Zilwa Attitude comes with bright family rooms, a spa that's open to all ages and pirate-themed treasure hunts just offshore on the island of Gran Zil.
Kuoni has a week's all-inclusive for a family of four for £6,244, including flights from Gatwick, during August (0800 092 4444, kuoni.co.uk). Note that it's worth looking at a few different airports to find the best value: the cost of this holiday soared by almost £2,000 when we looked at alternative flights from Heathrow or Manchester.
For a basic fly-and-flop
With a flight time of around eight hours, Cape Verde is sometimes classed as mid-haul, which puts it on par with Dubai or Egypt. Unlike these two, however, it's pleasantly hot rather than unbearably sweltering in summer: expect temperatures in the high 20s. August marks the start of the rainy season but, as the islands have a dry climate, that should only mean a few short showers.
Post-pandemic, this group of African islands is making efforts to get on the tourist radar. In summer 2025, the Royal Horizon Ponta Sino opens a few steps from the sprawl of sand at Kite Beach, with kids clubs, two pools and a profusion of bars and restaurants. It's all you need for a fly-and-flop trip and a week with EasyJet holidays costs from £4,726 all-inclusive.
In Europe, the prices for similar hotels skyrocket in summer as families make for the seaside. The cheapest similar offering we could find in Cyprus, for example, is the far less glitzy (but same star-rated) Venus Beach Hotel in Paphos at £4,615 – where it's likely to be a little more sticky because summer temperatures on the island can soar to 37 degrees. All other available Cyprus options were more expensive than the Cape Verde holiday, rising to an eye-watering £8,625 for a week at the Atlantica Mare Village Paphos.
For adventure
The rainy season puts India and Thailand out of the picture for summer, but central Vietnam stays dry and warm with temperatures hovering between the late 20s and early 30s. It's a country that's been increasing in popularity post-pandemic so prices are going up, but Hoi An still placed third in the Post Office's 2024 list of best-value long-haul destinations.
Adventurous families will find the cost of exploring far cheaper than in Europe. A four-hour fishing expedition and cooking class, including shopping for ingredients in a local market, costs from £23pp through Viator, while a basket boat trip along the Thu Bon river starts at £4pp: compare that to a similar cooking activity in Taormina, Sicily, from £80pp and a two-hour boat trip to Isola Bella from £46pp.
If you prefer your activities included, opt for a family-focused itinerary such as Rickshaw Travel's 12-night Culture, Crafts and Castaway Shores trip, which has been specially designed for the summer holidays.
Costing £1,725pp excluding flights, it comes with junk boat trips, street food tours, a day with a local family in Hue, a cookery class in Hanoi and time on the beach to finish (01273 322398). Explore's week-long Family Activity Holiday in Sicily may be slightly cheaper at £1,555pp, but it's also significantly shorter.
For brilliant beaches
Europe's best beaches are often trimmed in its most expensive accommodation (think Mallorca, Ibiza and Sardinia). Things are different on Mexico's Riviera Maya, where 120km of coastline means there's enough powdery sand for everyone, from beach bungalow dwellers to five-star luxury seekers.
In summer, that sand is home to turtle hatchlings while whale sharks swim offshore. It makes it the best time to see the local wildlife, while there's plenty more to see among the region's Mayan temples and cool inland cenotes.
Go as early in the holidays as possible though: Caribbean hurricane season intensifies in August and September and, though the very worst of the weather rarely hits this coast, it can cause tropical storms.
A profusion of hotels working with big tour operators (who also run charter flights) help keep costs down in the region. For 2025, there are good deals with Tui, including a week at the four-star Catalonia Yucatan Beach in Mexico for £1,159pp all-inclusive, including flights (020 3451 2688). A similarly-rated all-inclusive holiday in Mallorca, at Iberostar Cala Domingos comes in at £1,180pp.
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