The summer is almost over, but you can get a great price on a last-minute summer holiday by cutting it fine! We’ve picked out ten top last-minute holiday and hotel deals for families before school starts again in September, with cheap getaways from Dublin, Cork, Knock and Shannon.
*Note that prices are based on return flights for a family of two adults and two children.
Cheap family holidays for August 2019
1. Dublin to Palma, Mallorca from €340*
If you’re after a day at the beach with the kids, hire a car and head to Port de Pollensa in the north of the island, which is Mallorca’s number-one destination for families. In addition to shallow, calm waters, the beach has a playground and plenty of opportunities for water sports, as well as various operators providing guided boat tours of the bay. Back in town, Palma Aquarium has the deepest shark tank in Europe and some 700 different marine species on display.
Where to stay in Palma
The Hotel Joan Miró Museum is an excellent budget hotel just a few hundred metres from the beach. It’s decorated throughout with work by the famed Catalan artist Joan Miró.
Discover more of Spain’s must-see destinations. We ‘ve picked out some of the top things to see in the country’s most popular locations.
2. Dublin to London, UK from €160*
The British Museum (open daily 10am–5.30pm; free) in London has its fair share of oddities that are sure to fascinate kids – not least the mummy of a cat and a mysterious crystal skull. But in fiction it’s also the headquarters for Alan Moore’s League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. You can browse their adventures in Gosh Comics in Soho, one of London’s premier comic shops (and all-round geek paradise). Even better, the Cartoon Museum (now in its new location in Wells Street, near Oxford Circus) is home to fascinating exhibits tracking the history of British cartoons from the eighteenth century.
Where to stay in London
The Z Hotel City is a converted office block in an amazing location on Fleet Street, just down the road from London’s theatre district.
Check out our guide to London hotels for every budget.
3. Dublin to Brussels, Belgium from €200*
Belgium is synonymous with chocolate, and Brussels has a museum dedicated to the stuff. The Choco Story (open Monday to Sunday 10am to 5pm) offers live chocolate-making sessions, an exhibition about the history of the cocoa bean – and a chance to sample the goods, of course. Once the kids have satisfied their chocolate cravings, they’ll want to make a beeline for the Comics Art Museum (open daily 10am to 6pm). The museum is home to a permanent exhibition on Hergé, creator of Tintin, while it also offers a look at the origin of comic strips.
Where to stay in Brussels
The Hotel Park Inn by Radisson Brussels Midi is a comfortable, modern hotel that’s centrally located by Gare du Midi railway station.
Find cheap flights to Brussels
4. Cork to Bordeaux, France from €352*
Bordeaux is home to a plethora of first-rate museums and galleries including the CAPC Museum of Contemporary Art. But its name is synonymous with wine. If you have time on your trip, make sure to head out to one of the region’s famous wineries. In addition to wine tastings, Chateau d’Agassac offers iPad-guided treasure hunts for kids, while Chateau Soutard has ‘safari treks’ through the vineyards in which children hunt for local wildlife.
Where to stay in Bordeaux
The ivy-covered Citotel Le Chalet Lyrique in Gradignan, just outside Bordeaux, is a great budget option.
Find cheap flights to Bordeaux
5. Dublin to Paris, France from €200*
Paris has absolutely tons of things for kids to do, from ogling giant whale skeletons at the Museum of Natural History’s Palaeontology and Comparative Anatomy Gallery (open daily except Tuesdays 10am to 6pm) to exploring the wonderfully quirky Magic Museum (open Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday from 2pm to 7pm), which boasts a collection of more than 100 bizarre mechanical figurines as well as all sorts of curious magic knick-knacks.
Meanwhile, Parc de la Villette is home to the mother of all playgrounds in the form of the Jardin des Dunes et des Vents. This urban garden features giant hamster wheels, a zip line and all sorts of things for kids to clamber over.
Where to stay in Paris
Hotel Henriette is an Art Deco-style boutique hotel in the Latin quarter, a stone’s throw from a range of fantastic restaurants.
A trip to Paris is also a great option for a family getaway during the school Holidays 2019.
6. Dublin to Amsterdam, The Netherlands from €200*
Bicycle rental shops are scattered across Amsterdam, with the most famous probably being Yellow Bike, and taking to two wheels is the perfect way to explore the city’s canals. But if the weather turns, head indoors to NEMO, a science museum housed in a bizarre green building that resembles the bow of a ship looming over the docks. Children are encouraged to don a lab coat and start experimenting in the ‘Hands-on Chemistry’ sessions, and there are plenty of things for kids to fiddle about with, from a mini water purification plant to a parcel-sorting machine. Now head this way to explore some more of Amsterdam’s best attractions.
Where to stay in Amsterdam
Hotel Vondel is an 83-room hotel in a great, central location for Amsterdam’s museums. But because it’s on a quiet side street, there’s barely any noise.
Now head this way to explore some more of Amsterdam’s best attractions.
Find cheap flights to Amsterdam
7. Knock to Milan, Italy from €480*
The glass-domed Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II arcade is one of the world’s oldest shopping malls, dating back to 1867, so you can explore some history while buying shoes. But the beautiful white-marble cathedral in Milan – the Duomo – is undoubtedly the city’s highlight.
The building dates back to the fourteenth century, but construction took an astonishing six centuries. It was only officially finished in 1965. That’s not surprising if you consider its size. At 160 metres long, this huge edifice is the fifth largest church in the world and the second largest in Italy (the largest is of course St Peter’s in Vatican City at an impressive 220 metres). The cathedral is open daily between 8am and 7pm.
Where to stay in Milan
Nhow Milan is a very funky 246-room hotel in Via Tortona – make sure to admire the brightly coloured designer furniture.
8. Cork to Madrid, Spain from €584*
Parc de Atracciones, located in the Casa de Campo park in west Madrid, attracts 2.2 million visitors per year with its rollercoasters and water rides. The Abismo is a 49-metre-high, 100 kilometres-per-hour beast of a rollercoaster, while La Lanzadera features a freefall from a height of 63 metres. But it’s not all thrill rides. The Nickelodeonland zone features plenty of gentle rides suitable for parents and children, all based on characters like Dora the Explorer and SpongeBob SquarePants.
Where to stay in Madrid
Catalonia Puerta del Sol is an excellently located hotel right near Plaza Mayor, with friendly staff and a great restaurant.
9. Cork to Malaga, Spain from €480*
Málaga has plenty of amazing historic sites, from the eighth-century Castillo de Gibralfaro, which provides stunning views of the city from its ramparts, to the eleventh-century Alcazaba fortress. But if the kids get bored with all that history, there’s always Tivoli World, an amusement park just a short train ride away. And of course, Málaga is the gateway to the beautiful beaches of the Costa del Sol.
Where to stay in Malaga
Novotel Suites Malaga Centro is a modern hotel that’s great for families – and it’s in a fantastic location, right in the city centre.
Now, if you’re mad about beaches, here are eight beaches from around the world that will blow your mind.
10. Shannon to Faro, Portugal from €520*
The Algarve is awash with beautiful beaches, and Faro is a good base for visiting them. Ilha de Faro is just out of town near the airport, but it can get very busy. Praia da Falésia further west tends to be quieter and offers a long stretch of sand and some wind shelter thanks to its high cliffs.
East from Faro is the enormous Parque Natural da Ria Formosa. This protected area is home to a string of sandbank islands that can only be reached by boat, hence these golden beaches remain relatively quiet compared to the rest of the Algarve. Armona Island is around 20 minutes by ferry from the coastal town of Olhão and hosts miles of unspoiled sand.
Where to stay in Faro
The Aquashow Park Hotel is in Quarteira, just down the coast from Faro. It boasts an impressive water park with enormous slides – perfect for the kids.
Discover more amazing locations this summer with our guide to 5 beautiful beaches near Faro in the Algarve.
*Updated April 2019. All flight prices mentioned in this article are estimates of the cheapest prices as found using Skyscanner’s flight search tool, for return flights in August, 4 people, economy. These are subject to change and were correct at time of writing on 11th April 2019.
Skyscanner is the world’s travel search engine, helping your money go further on flights, hotels and car hire.
