Easter is one of the trickiest times to plan a family outing. In most of the Mediterranean it is too early for guaranteed sun. It's getting a bit late for skiing and it can be expensive too - as so much demand is funneled into the two weeks when the schools are on holiday.
But with careful planning and smart timing, it is still possible to find affordable and attractive destinations, even during peak hours.
We've looked through the available options and picked 10 great packages to suit different budgets and preferences - from a week in the countryside to a cultural city break or three nights at Disneyland Paris. With the school holidays quickly approaching, airfares will only increase from now on. It's time to get your Easter holiday chicks lined up.
Egg hunting in Somerset
National Trust properties across the UK offer plenty of family fun during the school holidays. From March 23 to April 7, Montacute House, a 16th-century mansion near Yeovil in Somerset, is hosting an Easter egg hunt in the grounds with activities aimed at younger children spread throughout the gardens (£3 per child). Book a stay at Odcombe Lodge, at the gates of the 260-acre estate, with a fireplace, private garden and two bedrooms for up to four people, plus two dogs.
National Trust Holidays (0344 800 2070) offers a two-night stay at Odcombe Lodge from £233.50 per person, self-catering, based on full occupancy, including free entry to Montacute House. Excluding travel. From April 1st.Disney push for France
Paris Disney Magical breaks (0330 880 5001) offers a three-night stay at the four-star Paxton Hotel Spa Paris Marne la Vallée with spa, pool, bowling alley and free shuttle to the Disney Parks from £444 based on a family of four sharing a duplex room , traveling with Eurostar. Departure April 2.Join Mickey and friends for an action-packed Easter holiday at Disneyland Paris. Special events include illuminations over Sleeping Beauty Castle and a nighttime drone show and colorful pixie dust decorations on Main Street (until May 5). A three-day ticket for two adults and two children (aged three to 11) for Disneyland Park and Walt Disney Studios Park costs from £899 during the Easter holidays.
EasyJet holidays (0330 551 5165) offers a three-night stay at the four-star Suites Barrio de Salamanca, near the shopping streets of Serrano and the Sorolla Museum, from just £501 per room, based on a family of four sharing a standard family room with separate living room. Excluding transfers. Departure April 1.The story continues
Cityscapes in Madrid
Ski solutions (020 3504 3411) offers stays at the three-star Bouton d'Or Hotel in Courmayeur from £1,295. Departure March 30.Enjoy the Easter atmosphere in the Spanish capital, where in addition to traditional religious services, street parades and parties take place. See the Velázquez and Goya collections at the Prado, stroll through Retiro Park, shop along Gran Via and introduce the kids to a traditional breakfast of churros dipped in chocolate.
Sovereign luxury travel (01293 324 702) offers five nights at the Barcelo Corralejo Sands Hotel in the seaside town of Corralejo, with two pools and a kids' club, from £1,070 half board, based on a family of four sharing a room. Departure April 1.Easter ski in Italy
Tui (0203 451 2688) offers a five-night stay at the four-star Riu Tikida Garden from £1,083 all-inclusive. Departure March 28.Take a quick Easter break before the season ends in April. A combination of a short transfer (one hour from Geneva) and high, snow-sure slopes makes the traditional mountain village of Courmayeur, on the Italian side of Mont Blanc, a good choice to maximize time on the slopes while minimizing travel time.
Mark Warner (0845 322 5037) offers the mid-range Chalet Hotel L'Ecrin in Val Claret, located on the slopes, with heated swimming pool, from € 949,- half board, based on two double rooms, for families with two children up to 15 years old. Five full days at Kidz Club cost £380 (including evening childcare). Departure April 7.Although best suited to confident intermediate skiers, the resort is suitable for all levels, with nursery slopes and some challenging off-piste areas. Positives include the first-class restaurants and vibrant nightlife around the pedestrianized Via Roma.
Headwaters (01606 218 838) offers the self-guided walk of Cyprus's Akamas Peninsula from £1,299. Daily departures in March and April.Beach bunnies on Fuerteventura
Families worldwide (01962 302 062) offers a six-night Pharaohs, Feluccas and Pyramids tour from £1,745 per adult, £1,445 per child under 11, full board. Departures on March 23, 30 and April 6.Enjoy the early spring sun in the Canary Islands, where temperatures reach 22 degrees Celsius in April. One of the archipelago's largest, Fuerteventura has some of the region's best beaches, including long stretches of pale sand in the protected Parque Natural de las Dunas de Corralejo on the island's northern tip.
Spa hotel in Marrakech
To discover (01252 240 703) offers the 14-night Family Cuba Discovery from £1,679 per adult, £1,499 per child under 11 (prices include a saving of £120 per person), including some meals. Excluding flights. Departure March 30. This story was first published in March 2023 and has been revised and updated.Maximize the four-day holiday by treating your older children to a short break to Morocco, leaving on Maundy Thursday and returning on Easter Monday. The minimum age for guests is 16 years old at the Riu Tikida Garden hotel and it has four outdoor and one indoor pools and a choice of restaurants. On-site facilities include a wellness center with hammam, gym and steam room. There is also a program of games and activities, plus cooking classes and fitness sessions.
Family fun in Tignes
Take advantage of longer days and warmer weather to introduce young children to skiing or snowboarding during the Easter holidays. Tignes is one of France's snowiest resorts, with high-altitude slopes and a season that doesn't end until early May, so it's a perfect choice for this time of year. Of the five villages that make up the resort, Val Claret at 2,100 meters offers the easiest access to the glacier slopes, as well as plenty of restaurants and shops to fill the time off the slopes.
Walk and talk in Cyprus
Make the most of the pleasant temperatures of early spring - usually around 19 degrees Celsius - to explore Cyprus' quiet and undeveloped northwestern coast. The trails are mostly along paths and paths, through vineyards, olive groves and orchards, and past beaches, medieval churches and small fishing villages. Choose from longer or shorter routes each day, depending on energy level, with accommodation in comfortable 3-star hotels.
Feluccas and pharaohs in Egypt
Bring the classroom to life - and make new friends - on a small group trip to Egypt, with a choice of two Easter holidays organized by Families Worldwide, aimed at adults traveling with children aged 10 and over. The action-packed itinerary from Cairo includes the Great Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx, the temples of Abu Simbel and Philae, and an overnight felucca journey along the Nile. When you arrive in Luxor you will have the opportunity to visit Tutankhamun's tomb in the Valley of the Kings.
Adventure in Cuba
Create special memories this Easter with a tour of Cuba in the company of other like-minded families. Adventure operator Explore offers an active fortnight for a guided group of up to 20 adults and children aged seven and over.
After a city tour of Havana in 1950s American cars and a salsa lesson, the tour takes in the spectacular Viñales Valley, the white sandy beaches of Cayo Levisa Island, a zipline course in Las Terrazas, the colonial towns of Cienfuegos and Trinidad, and the Topes de Collantes nature reserve. Accommodation mainly takes place in comfortable hotels, often with swimming pools.
Prices quoted are per person for a seven night stay including breakfast, flights (from London airports) and transfers unless otherwise stated and are subject to availability.
