A family with three children finds that in any popular summer vacation destination, Spain, Italy, France, Croatia, a trip to the beach with three children requires “selling a kidney” and asks for advice on a travel group. What were the best tips?
Thassos remained a destination for all budgets in 2025. PHOTO: Shutterstock
Prices are getting higher and higher not only for everyday expenses, but also for vacations. Inflation in Romania rose to 5.11% in November 2024, on the back of the increase in the price of food, non-food products and services. The holiday vouchers were reduced to 800 lei, provided the employee provides a co-payment of 800 lei.
Romanians note that the prices of holidays abroad have also increased a lot.
A member of a travel Facebook group pointed out that summer holiday prices are extremely high and asked for advice: “how could I go on vacation to the sea with 3 kids and not sell a kidney?”
“Any location I put (Spain, ItalyFrance, Croatia, the ones we can go by car) only the accommodation costs us for 9 nights about 2000 euros… And I searched… (Booking, Airbnb, various sites, directly to some owners…). By plane it’s expensive… 5 tickets, so it’s out of the question… (destinations like Greece, Turkey, on the islands…). If I select 2 adults and 2 children it’s half price for everything I searched for. How do I put a 3-year-old baby… How the price doubles!”, supports it
Destinations with good prices
The tips and hints were not slow to come.
Alexandra recommends contacting the property directly: “Often the Booking algorithm is not very smart”.
Cristian also recommends other destinations: “In addition to Spain, Italy, France, Croatia (expensive destinations where accommodation for 2 adults + 3 children for 200 euros / night is something natural), you also have Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Poland, etc.”
Mihaela claims that Croatia has really become more expensive in the last 2 years: “They are priced above Germany.”
Bogdan does not agree, he believes that in any destination you can find good offers: “it depends on the area, but I still find ok prices for accommodation, obviously it depends on the area, but I can easily find an apartment under 300 lei per night … I even found one in Makarska for under 2,500 lei in June for 13 nights. And last year I was in Croatia, actually in Pag, it was cheaper (200 lei per night), and in Brac I paid about 300 or so lei per night I think.”
Mihaela claims that she was referring to rising prices in popular destinations such as Dubrovnik, Split, Zadar, Rijeka, even Pola: “Of course there are many cheaper places in smaller locations. It depends on what everyone wants to see. These seem to me to cover most claims. If it’s just sun, sunbeds and a pool, you don’t even have to go that far.“
Even Greece has become more expensive, claims Maria. Bogdan answers again: “it depends on the areas. 2 years ago for a room in Lefkada I also paid 40 euros, of course it was in the mountains but I wasn’t interested because the view was gorgeous and anyway we drove around, so I wasn’t interested in being 3 steps from the sea . You have to search, but you can certainly find ok prices, in fact in Kefalonia I paid 60-80 euros per night. In the islands it can be more expensive than on the mainland.”
Mariana claims that in Thassos they have prices “more than decent, we’re coming back for the third year. You find the best prices at the end of June.”
Tip for reservations through Booking
Ramona came up with a tip for reservations through Booking: “We also suffered the same if we were putting the child, who is now 2 years and 4 months old. Do this: check the property’s policy up to what age the child is accepted for free, and if it falls within the range, don’t put it on the reservation. After booking for the remaining 4, message and say you also have a 3 year old sleeping with you. They will accept without problems. I did this at every accommodation. Even when we went through the agency, the lady did the same thing, because if she asked the child (who was under 1 year old at the time) she would only search for triple rooms or apartments. Which we didn’t want.”
Cătălina claims that for 3 adults + 2 children, in a 7-day stay, in recent years, the costs were around 4,000 euros, good locations: “Try Bulgaria, Duni Royal Resort (the name has changed a bit) but I don’t think you can go wrong with 3 kids. They have the offer until March 15-30. if you can’t find anything else by then… it’s a good option for the quality-price ratio”.
Ana-Maria recommends Poland: “last year we rented accommodation for around 100 euros per night, apartment with 1-2 bedrooms and parking included (2 adults and 3 children). Ok prices at restaurants. The kids really liked it (…) It’s easy to get to from Romania, we’re stopping overnight in Oradea, one of our favorite cities in Romania.”
How to Eliminate Airline Costs
Alex states: “the total cost of the vacation has 2 components: plane tickets and accommodation. I think that in your case the high final cost of the holiday is caused by the fact that you have to buy 4 plane tickets where there are no discounts for children. To keep costs down, maybe you should go somewhere by car. For example, Bulgaria, Greece, Croatia, etc”.
Raluca recommends: “Take accommodation for 2 adults and 2 children. The little one sleeps with you anyway. See when you get there if you need to pay anything extra. On websites children are usually taken as people, age doesn’t matter. In Sicily I think you will find apartments at still decent prices”.
Nico recommends: “You can try to do the simulation in a period with human prices, for example June, obviously if you put July or August the prices are much higher… have you tried an apartment on airbnb? There is also the option of an agency, but you can still look for an apartment… and in the search you can put 2 adults and 2 children, you exclude the 3rd one and just write to the host afterwards that he does not need an extra bed (there are apartments that set the limit of 4 pers although theoretically they can also accommodate 5 if the little one sleeps with you or you have your own travel cot). But Italy and Spain are expensive for accommodation, I think you have better chances in Croatia, Greece and cheaper options would be Bulgaria, Albania, Montenegro (although here too they have become a bit more expensive)”.
Diana recommends Crete: two adults and four children – 13 years, 10 years, 3 years and 1 year, 4200 euros, all inclusive. “Air transport, airport transfer, beach hotel, 5 stars, two double rooms with sea view. It’s a lot of money, but compared to how many of us there are and how much vacations cost lately, it seems like a very good price to me. We were also last year and were very satisfied with the conditions. Ideal water for snorkeling, never get bored.“
“Prices in the last 3 years have risen extremely high all over Europe”
Elena recommends a holiday in Greece by car: “I chose Lefkada even though I’ve been before and I don’t like the road, but I found a good price for accommodation, but Thassos, for example, is fantastically expensive this year”.
Marius recommends Romanian destinations, Slănic Moldova, Băile Felix, Băile Herculane, Maramureș, Bucovina or Greece.
Nicoleta found good prices in Thassos: “last year with 3 children I was in Thassos at a hotel on the beach, Zafira Hotel, price ok, 100 euros per night, period 31 August – 05 September. I emailed the hotel directly, they received us all in a room with a double bed and sofa, the children were 14, 9 and 4 years old. And in Barcelona I watched Black Friday and in June I got plane tickets for all 5 at 500 euros. For accommodation, I advise you to place only 2 children, I do so, and for the little one who is 4 years old as she was last year, I return by email to the hotel, and mention that I have a reservation and if it is ok”.
Andreia claims that most of the time school holidays have very high prices: “We tried as much as possible to adjust the period. In the summer if you choose the end of June you have much better prices than August or July. Sometimes you still find ok prices at the beginning of September. This year we chose Malaga in June. I found a pretty good price for the plane and I booked the accommodation during the winter holidays when the prices were lower. We are 2 families, 7 people in total and it cost us 9000 lei for 9 nights. It’s more than decent. Last year I chose Thassos starting in July, and I had very good accommodation (the property was in its second year of operation) and the price for a studio for 4 people was 110 euros per night. But the reservation was made ahead of time. If you like Thassos, I can give you the contact details. I booked directly with the owner. Prices in the last 3 years have risen extremely high across Europe. ”
Diana suggests looking for apartments, not hotels: “besides the fact that it is easier to travel with children in an apartment, it saves you some costs. Because at hotels I have to book 2 rooms for 2 adults plus a 4-year-old child. And possibly only looking for 2 adults + 2 kids as several people above said. And go in the off-season, June or September. I haven’t been, but I’ve only heard good things about Albania, it has beautiful beaches and good prices. Unfortunately, everything in tourism has become more expensive, there were not these prices a few years ago”.
What a cheaper solution
Elena claims that even with 4 people she cannot find prices of 2,000 euros: “What we would like, and we were not looking for anything exorbitant, wow, but something decent, normal, it comes to 3,400 euros, which seems huge to me for 7 days…”
“Me too.. How much can some children eat.. Mine just nibble… Oh, I’m so disappointed that I can’t find anything at an earthly price” – claims Irina.
Elena finds the cheapest solution: “We don’t leave in the end and go to our grandparents in the country and that’s it!”
