My tips for a perfect Place in the Sun…
LAURA HAMILTON has presented Channel 4’s A Place
In The Sun since 2014, helping couples buy a property in sunnier climes. Here are her top travel tips…
CHECK YOUR FLIGHT OPTIONS
The first thing I do is click on the fares comparison website Skyscanner to find out which airlines fly to that destination and see how the costs compare. It’s a competitive market now and the big airlines have to compete with the no-frills carriers. You’d be surprised at how often other airlines are cheaper than Ryanair.
TRAVEL LIGHT
Avoid checking in suitcases, not only because checked bags add at least €50 per person to your return fare but because they mean you have to wait for them at the carousel on arrival. Everybody packs too much. Lay out what you want to take and then cut it by half.
MONEY WELL SPENT
To help my son Rocco, four, and daughter Thalia, two, travel quickly through airports, my husband Alex and I bought them each a Flyte Scooter – a case that turns into a scooter.
KEEP IT SIMPLE
Travelling with small children doesn’t have to be difficult. With an iPad or tablet they can watch films or play games – it keeps them occupied. Both of mine have travelled since they were three weeks old – in the first 11 months of her life, Thalia had been on 21 flights.
Things will change from September when Rocco starts school, which means we will be restricted to school holidays.
But their trips so far have given them a sense of adventure which will stay with them all their lives.
Travel is an education in itself; recently we were in Corfu, where the Greek woman looking after them taught them some Greek words and they had a chance to try different foods – they now adore olives!
MY TOP DESTINATIONS
I really like Majorca – it is family-friendly and flights take only a couple of hours. Fares are very reasonable because there is so much competition between the airlines. I like Illetas, just outside the capital Palma. There are cheap flights from Dublin to Bergerac in France, starting at around €88 return. The Dordogne is full of good campsites – my children are desperate to go camping. It’s what I did growing up and I loved it. I also adore the Algarve – the beaches are superb. If you’re going long haul, I’d recommend Florida – the children have been to Orlando twice and had a fabulous time.