After 12 years of marriage and having done the family holiday, I had to do the single parent holiday. All I can say is I had one of the best holidays with my kids. We booked a Thomson Holidays the reps were wonderful and it also meant I could have some me time whilst the kids were in the Kids Club. I made friends with another single parent so just go for it and have fun. We did self catering in a large complex so I had a kitchen should they not want to eat what was on offer and was really good for Breakfast.

When you have to do it you can.

For my first time away I did do a week

thank you - good idea! Will look into it in future for sure (just looking at summer hol at moment but appreciate advice)

Me and the children recently went to glasgow for 3 nights, and the other week to birmingham for the weekend. We stayed in a budget hotel called ETAP and only paid just over £30 a night on a room only basis for the three of us, birmingham was slightly more at £35 a night! Yes it is a budget hotel, though it was modern and very ikea like in the room and with an ensuite! You pay for breakfast for about £3 for toast, cereal and tea etc. There are more of them around to. So much to do in glasgow and the open top sightseeing buses are great as you can jump on and of for 24 hours for about £15. Using your family railcard ( i know i have harped on about this before) will give you great savings in getting there to! Out of the two the glasgow one was better and about a 15/20 min walk to the town centre or a fiver by taxi.
An idea!

Thank you for that - have looked at website. Might give that a go one day. We had a couple of great days out at local dads club recently - memories for life etc. Pushing them to do similar things - like holidays next.

Oops, it might help if I mention the website - it's www.singlewithkids.co.uk.

Libby

Hi,
I've recently been camping with Single With Kids, they only set up in December but are growing rapidly - there were over 90 adults and children on our weekend ! Their trips are the cheapest I've seen, we paid only £20 for the weekend and I've booked on quite a few more throughout the summer including some day trips. I can't believe no one's mentioned them yet, they've been a life saver for me and my daughters and even my little ones are nagging to go back for more.

I found it really hard getting the courage to go away with a group, I've had some awful battles with my Ex and my energy and confidence really is at ground zero (confounded by health problems too) but I've got to say I'm a convert now, it really is therapeutic spending time with others who understand what you're going through.

Libby

This could be best place for you - TLH Leisure Resort www.tlh.co.uk I went there last year (am a Single Parent too - Father & young son) Very child and single parent friendly www.tlh.co.uk Train station close by and reasonable prices
It's got everthing you need for a great holiday day and night - rain or shine - we were lucky weather was wonderful
We played outdoor tennis every day, went swimming in the indoor pool, joined in the fun games on offer at local park organised by staff. Son made friends there at the adventure playground and pool. we enjoyed the shows in the evening. Lots of adults to talk to for me too, which was a bonus. The resort itself (outside the complex) is fantastic too - lots to see and do. Kids will have fun, make friends and you will get time to both relax and have fun with them. Food and staff were great too - although I appreciate it depends what you are used to.

would definately go again - just looking for somwhere new this year- prefer UK too (but will be hard to find somewhere better)
There are 4 hotels to choose from (2 and 3 star) - we stayed in the Derwent as it had the most children. Wherever you go - have a great time - I know it can be tough but I've always got lucky in choosing a good location and I'm sure you would enjoy it at this resort too
Its not easy finding the right place but the effort is worth it if you do. Know anywhere else good, let me know

A Single Parent Holiday Club would be a great Idea. That way we could all support each other and the kids could go and do their thing. It would be good all round.

I've got two boys as well & took mine to Tenerife last year the day after New Year (when it's very cheap). They were 6 & 9 at the time & I booked flights with Monarch & an apartment through ownersdirect.com in Puerto Santiago, plus car through Avis.com with my Tesco vouchers. Anyway, we had a really really lovely time as it was quiet everywhere. We went up the volcano right to the top & out on a boat spotting dolphins with another mum we met who wasn't single but was there without hubby. It was half the price of a package deal (where you get charged for your lack of a partner - oooh the cheek of it!) and we had a car, which was great, and no hordes of package tourists. The apartment was gorgeous. We're going to Nerja in July this year doing the same thing for £700 for 3 of us for 8 nights, which I reckon is an absolute bargain. It's much easier when you don't have to worry about housework & nursery / school - you'll have enough time to do things with them. It's good fun, honest!

I do go on holiday with my children on our own but they're older than yours so we can all eat together and find the same things fun. I think if mine where little like yours then I'd be tempted to either do a package with childcare thrwon in so you can lounge and get some sun and a break as well as enjoy playing in the sea lunch etc with them. It might sound daunting going on your own but it's not uncommon and I don't think you'd feel lonely or different to anyone else. I'd be careful about who I went on holiday with because you can find that even your closest friends have very diffeent ideas about what's a good holiday and what they'll let their children do etc. But then I'd rather be on my own as I dont feel like I get enough fun time with the children - it's all school runs, work etc! I make sure the children and I get a week or 2 a year together and not always abroad but they also go on holiday with their dad so they are certainly not missing out on the holiday front as a result of us splitting up. How about the children spend a week with dad one school holiday and you go away to the sun? A long weekend to the sun with girlfriends? that sounds to me liek the break you need.

Love emily

Dear Pink

Next stop for Kate and Emily could well be setting up holidays to cater for people just like you! We have that many people asking us about how everyone can get a good holiday . But do be brave , you can do it and both you and the children will really benefit from a break. Now is the time to be thinking about summer holidays , Emily goes away on her own with the children and I join in with other family member or and families , not necessarily with the same age children , but I go with them on the same package and take full use of the kids clubs , which although my children hate , they do end up enjoying and I get to lounge and read . Why not find another single mum from nursery or school and book together ?This is one great benefit of meting and mingling with other single mums . Failing that have a look
at this article I have cut and pasted which is pretty good at explaining what is out there , at the end you get to the Mark Warner /Neilson all inclusive deal which is the type of holiday we have had the best feedback from

Websites claiming to cater for lone parents tell me the oddest things about what I want and need. One site explained that the time I most need support is when I’m unpacking. In my world unpacking is not an issue: unpacking is the gradual deconstruction of the luggage as and when stuff is needed.
What I need is a place where my children will be happy, engaged and safe and I can relax and have fun with my children and with other parents. Evenings can be the most tricky. My teenage children, like most in their age group, prefer not to have to spend every evening with me. Which can leave me, alone, at a restaurant table pretending that I love sharing a bottle of wine with my book while my children find the most hair-raising entertainment available..
The best single parent holidays I’ve been on have been a mixture of couples and singles on an activity holiday where everyone plays togather and eats together. That gives a chance for children, and me, to spend the evening with our own age groups after a day’s skiing/sailing/swimming together.
So how can you single out a good lone parent holiday? I’ve gathered a few addresses below and I’d like to hear what you think of what's on offer. Have you sampled any of these holidays? Also, can you recommend any sites specialising in lone parent holidays? And what do you want from lone parent travel firms? Let's hear your comments on the fiorm below, or you can email me at yoursay@timesonline.co.uk
RELATED LINKS
• Travel without tears. Or without kids
Lone parent holiday websites:
Acorn Adventure

Low-cost adventure holidays in UK and Europe with daily planned activities. Great for sporty families. Parents, single or otherwise, get plenty of opportunities to socialise during the activities and later
Single Parent Travel Club
Join this club and it will put you in touch with other lone parent families who want to go on holiday. Great idea if you get the right family. For a joining fee of £7.50 you get the chance to connect with other families in the same position. Holidays range from days out in the UK to Kenyan safaris – it’s down to you to decide.
Single Parents on Holiday

A new travel company offering holidays in Austria and Croatia, specifically for lone parents and their children. The hotels booked are child friendly, and a range of children’s clubs catering for all ages are available. Activities on offer include pony trekking, torch-lit walks and farm visits. Crèches spaces are also provided. Activities for parents include Nordic walking, hiking, mountain biking and golf, or just relaxing. Guests tend to eat together and half board is usually included in the price…although I was stumped when it came to finding the actual cost of each holiday
Eurocamp
The company offers discounts to some lone parents…and help with unpacking.
Responsible Travel

This agency selects travel companies it consider to have low environmental impact. It then categorises the holidays by destination and type – including dedicated single parent holidays. At the bottom of every entry Responsible Travel explains why each respective company has been deemed ecologically responsible.
Mango

Mango is a young company is run by two single parents who are now partners in both senses of the word. They have clear ideals about holidays: ‘We believe they should be for quality time with the children and so we avoid hotels with kids clubs. We have our values and that’s the advantage of running your own company: you can impose them on other people,’ says MD Jackie Lewis. She and partner, Steve Barber, have four children between them. They arrange group holidays for single parents led by a co-ordinator, usually either Steve or Jackie, and based in the UK or Europe. Fathers tend to go for the action holidays like skiing or climbing while the mothers opt for gentler option like seaside trips.
HELP

This charity specialises in helping any single parent in need of a good deal, support and company. Armed forces’ wives whose husbands are away, prisoners’ wives, grandparents and many more have been making use of their low budget holidays for the last 28 years. Janice Davidson, the secretary, first came to the charity as a single mother of two. Since then she has forged cut-price deals with companies like Pontins as well as checking holiday sites to make sure single parents and their children are getting a good deal.
The Adventure Company

The Adventure Company is a regular travel company specialising in adventurous worldwide trips for families with some departures reserved for single parents. Lone or otherwise you get to adventure and eat together so there’s never the sense of parental isolation so familiar to single parents.
Small Families

Small Families cater for single families with holidays in the UK and Europe. In fact they cater soley for single parent families with an annual party and planty of tried and tested destinations. usually based in small, family-run hotels, in the UK and abroad
Crystal
Chalets encourage après ski friendliness and some Crystal chalets have discounts for single parents.
Single Parents on Holiday
This began life in 2005 when Andrea Robinson grew tired of taking her children on holiday and finding herself without any adult conversation in the evenings. They arrange holidays for exclusively for loan parents. Most are half board and most have kids clubs and various activities for parents and children non of which are compulsory. Destinations are limited to medium sized hotels.
FINALLY
Neither Mark Warner nor Sunsail make any big claims about catering for single parents but their friendly reps and full-on activities (from skiing to tennis to sailing) make most of their holidays great for children and their parents, single or otherwise. Most guests sail/sky/play tennis in ability groups. Most guests eat together, too, making these holidays sociable events for every age group and every type of family.
I have used the holiday company Neilson before which is a bit of a Mark Warner job and was good for all of us

Good luck , it does sound as though you do all need a break , you to get used to your situation . 2 little boys are quite full on and although Tescos can be pretty frantic getting on the plane without the help of another adult can be a bit of a do so top tip rope in your Mum and Dad , friends or family or else go for something specifically aimed at the single parent . Whatever book something soon , it is great to have something to look forward to