Teacher-friendly holidays

Our travel expert Melissa de Villiers has found some great getaways to suit every taste and pocket. So not only do you get to unwind without breaking the bank, you'll be the star of every staffroom holiday post-mortem going. And what's more, they're all still bookable at the time of writing... happy hols!

KID-FREE BREAKS

1 Shore thing
Croatia's unspoilt Adriatic coastline and more than 1,000 offshore islands offer all the sunshine and antiquity you'd expect if you took to the sea off Greece or Turkey. Ferries make island-hopping easy and the lack of sandy beaches means fewer families intruding on your holiday space.
What's the damage? Bond Tours (01372 745300, www.bondtours.com) offers a 12-night, two-centre island break, self-catering,  plus two nights in Dubrovnik, from £719 per person in July. Includes return flights into Split and transfers, but not ferry tickets.
Other operators: Simply Croatia (020 8541 2214, www.simplytravel.com); Holiday Options (0870 0130450, www.holidayoptions.co.uk)

2 Out to grass
Prefer to retreat to a quiet Cornish cottage?  Classic Cottages (01326 555555, www.classic.co.uk) has Little Oak Barn in a pretty village bordering Bodmin Moor, with good walking. It sleeps two and has a garden.
What's the damage? From £477 a week in July
Other operators: Ecosse Unique (01835 870779, www.uniquescotland.com) for cottages in Scotland; Hideaways (01747 828170, www.hideaways.co.uk); The Lakeland Cottage Company (01539 530024, www.lakeland-cottage-company.co.uk). Also, other interesting properties from the National Trust (0870 458 4000, www.nationaltrust.org.uk) and the Landmark Trust (01628 825925; www.landmarktrust.co.uk) 

EDUCATIONAL VALUE

3 Spain at your own pace
With the fascinating capital of Madrid at its hub, the heart of Spain is crammed with cultural must-sees and it's an easy region to explore by rental car, train or bus, with plenty of good-value accommodation. Madrid's summer heat persuades the locals to leave for the cooler coast, leaving the city quiet and relaxed for exploring. Highlights are the Prado museum — one of the world's great treasure houses — and the city's vibrant nightlife. Within a day's drive, there's Philip II's bizarre folly, the enormous, forbidding monastery of El Escorial; the magical old city of Toledo, the capital of Visigothic Spain; the dramatic Roman aqueduct of Segovia; the ancient town of Alcala de Henares, birthplace of Cervantes, Spain's greatest writer; picturesque Patones de Arriba; and Buitrago de Lozoya, where there's a Picasso museum.
What's the damage?  Return flights to Madrid from £69 with British Airways (0870 8509850, www.britishairways.com). Also, Iberia (0845 601 2854, www.iberiaairlines.co.uk) or easyJet (0870 600 0000, www.easyjet.com).
Hire car from about £125 per week (www.holidayautos.co.uk or www.avis.co.uk). For accommodation and train information, see www.spain.info

4 Pyramid Schemes
No longer the preserve of the bridge-playing brigade, modern Nile cruise ships boast gyms, pools, Jacuzzis and saunas as you drift through the world's biggest outdoor museum.
What's the damage? Discover Egypt (020 7407 2111, www.discoveregypt.co.uk) has two-week trips, including a seven-night full-board Nile cruise with excursions, and seven nights in a five-star Luxor hotel (B&B), departing 26 July, from £698 per person based on two sharing. Flights included.
Other operators: Thomas Cook Signature Holidays (0870 443 4448, www.tcsignature.com)

5 Pizza the action
Let someone else do the driving... take a trip in an air-conditioned coach. Be prepared for breathtaking lake and mountain scenery, ornate gardens, historic cities and excellent local wining and dining. If you really want to relax while culture-soaking, look no further.
What's the damage? Titan Tours (01293 455 345, www.titanserver.co.uk) has a nine-day trip to Lake Garda, Verona, Bergamo, Lake Como, Lake Maggiore, Stresa and Locarno from £1,095 per person in July.
Other operators: Shearings (www.shearingsholidays.com); Leger Holidays (www.leger.co.uk)

FAMILY-FRIENDLY

6 Wave goodbye
The laid-back atmosphere on the 1,624-passenger Ocean Village (www.oceanvillageholidays.co.uk) is perfect for families, with dedicated areas for each age group. Plus there's 'Base Camp' — an indoor play area with adjoining deck and paddling pool. Here, tweens (7-12) can show off their talents at karaoke, while teens get to hang out at their own disco.
What's the damage? A seven-night 'Palaces and Paella' round-trip cruise from Palma de Mallorca on Ocean Village costs from £839 per person in July, including flights and transfers, meals and tips. Highlights include stops at Tunis, Rome and Barcelona.
Other operators: Island Cruises (0870 850 3927, www.islandcruises.com); Thomson Cruises (08700 602277, www.thomson-holidays.com)

7 Loiter within tent
The joy of a traffic-free campsite means that you get to relax while your offspring head for the pool or the ping-pong table to practise their Franglais. Canvas Holidays (01383 629000, www.canvasholidays.com) runs clubs for children aged between four and 11 at more than 70 sites around Europe, including France, Italy and Spain. Wildlife couriers organise environmental sessions and there is an organised programme of social events for teenagers.
What's the damage? A week in a two-bedroomed, two-toilet mobile home in the Camping la Palombiérre near Sarlat in the Dordogne costs from £1,124 in July, including ferry crossings.
Other operators: Eurocamp (08703 338338, www.eurocamp.co.uk); Keycamp (0870 700 0123, www.keycamp.com)

ON A SHOESTRING

8 Bunk up
Enjoy a multi-activity break in Derbyshire's Peak National Park, with caving, canoeing, climbing and abseiling, for just £11.80 per night for a comfy double room. The catch? You stay in a youth hostel — the Edale Activity Centre. Call the YHA (0870 770 6113, www.yha.org.uk).
More information: The YHA has taken on 12 regional food champions to develop a scheme known as 'Eat the View' as an affordable alternative to self-catering.

9 Euro star
Slovenia's train service (www.slo-zeleznice.si) may be slow, but it's an efficient, good-value way to explore this new EU nation that's a low-cost version of Austria and Switzerland. Highlights include the baroque capital, Ljubljana, the scenic Julian Alps in Triglav National Park and beautiful Lake Bled.
What's the damage? EasyJet now flies regularly from Stansted to Ljubljana from £16.99 without tax. A locally purchased rail pass is good for unlimited travel for 10, 20 or 30 days within a two-month period.
More information: Slovenia Tourist Office (0870 225 5305, www.slovenia-tourism.si)

ACTIVITY BREAKS

10 Pedal power
Cycle between hotels while your luggage is transferred for you. Prices don't generally include transport from the UK, but most companies will arrange flights, rail and ferry travel.
What's the damage? ATG-Oxford (01865 315678, www.atg-oxford.co.uk) can arrange an eight-day self-guided cycling trip through Umbria from £445 per person in July, including B&B accommodation in three-star hotels (excluding flights and cycle hire).
Other operators: Cycling for Softies (0161 248 8282, www.cycling-for-softies.co.uk); Discover Adventure (01722 718444, www.discoveradventure.com

11 A bigger splash
Minorca Sailing Holidays (020 8948 2106, www.minorcasailing.co.uk) has windsurfing and dinghy sailing in the Balearic Bay of Fornells. This RYA-recognised centre offers levels 1-4 certificate courses in either sport, so it's perfect for beginners and intermediates. Children's tuition available.
What's the damage? In July, a two-week break costs from about £1,506 per person, including flights and transfers, sailing tuition and use of equipment, and self-catering accommodation.
Other operators: Sunsail (0870 777 0313, www.sunsail.com); Mark Warner (0870 770 4222, www.markwarner.co.uk)

AROUND THE UK

12 Narrow the options
Britain's canals and rivers are a passport to peace. Choose the Avon ring if you fancy taking in a play at Stratford, or cruise the lock-free Norfolk Broads, checking out the brews at the waterside pubs.
What's the damage? A week touring the Cambridgeshire waterways in a narrowboat for four costs from £1,184 with Blakes Holiday Boating (0870 238 9703, www.blakes.co.uk).
Other operators: Hoseasons (0870 902 3113, www.hoseasons.co.uk); Willow Wren Cruising Holidays (01788 562183, www.willowwren.co.uk)

13 Art attack
With locations chosen for their capacity to inspire, painting breaks enjoy stunning settings. You can look forward to being with like-minded people but there's usually a chance to escape them, too, when it comes to finding a quiet spot to paint.
What's the damage? Coombe Farm Studios (01803 722 352, www.rileyarts.com) offers painting, pottery and printmaking courses in Devon in converted stone barns around a pretty courtyard. Five-day courses cost £445.50 full board in July.
Other operators: Wye Valley Arts Centre (01594 530214, www.wyeart.cwc.net); Stable Studio (01544 230871, http://stablestudio.co.uk)

LOOK LIVELY

14 Diamond geysers
Iceland's volcanic landscape is apocalyptic enough to have inspired a thriving club scene in its capital, Reykjavik, which rocks around the clock. Recover with a swim in the Blue Lagoon thermal pool, then try white-water rafting or glacier-bashing in a 4x4.
What's the damage? Iceland Holidays (08700 110565, www.icelandholidays.com) has a 10-night Icelandic tour kicking off with three nights in Reykjavik from £895 in July, including return flights and B&B accommodation in standard guesthouses, but not car hire.
Other operators: Discover the World (01737 218 800, www.discover-the-world.co.uk); Arctic Experience (01737 218801, www.arcticexperience.co.uk)

15 Cork's popping
Fed up with Blighty's mock-Oirish theme pubs? Skibbereen, West Cork, is the perfect antidote. This little market town buzzes during the summer, when it welcomes ex-pats home along with a mixed crowd of local musicians and artists. You don't need a formal invitation to join in the craic - just the head for a fortnight-long session.
What's the damage? Irish Country Cottages (0870 197 6552, www.irish-country-cottages.co.uk) still has some availability — but book fast. A traditional stone cottage sleeping two just outside Skibbereen costs from £756 per week in July, including ferry crossing. More information: Tourism Ireland (0800 0397000, www.tourismireland.com)

WORKING HOLIDAYS

16 Rolling those sleeves up
Bored with the Caribbean? Suffering from pleasure sickness? Then why not pay to work on your summer hols by joining a UK outdoor conservation project? In return for building dry-stone walls, repairing footpaths or dredging ponds, you get meals and basic accommodation thrown in for a pittance.
What's the damage? Try your hand at habitat management in the beautiful mountains of West Wales for £180 for 14 days (31 July-14 August) with the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers (01302 572 244, www.btcv.org).
Other operators: the National Trust (0870 429 2428, www.nationaltrust.org.uk)

PUSH THE BOATS OUT

17 Spa trek
Looking for the ultimate? The Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Kuda Huraa offers 'barefoot luxury' and a top-rated spa on its own island.
What's the damage? Steppes East (01285 651010, www.steppeseast.co.uk) offers seven nights' half-board from £2,205 per person in July, for two sharing (including flights/speedboat transfers).
Other operators: Elegant Resorts (01244 897000, www.elegantre sorts.co.uk); Seasons in Style (0151 342 0505, www.seasonsinstyle.co.uk)

18 Voluntary action
Have friends and family pay for your holiday by asking them to sponsor you on a working holiday as a volunteer assisting scientists on environmental projects. You can choose from dozens of schemes around the world, from Vietnam to Alaska.
What's the damage? Spend two weeks surveying the bogs of northern Belarus with Earthwatch (01865 311 383, www.earthwatch.org) in August for £995 (includes meals and accommodation, but not airfare).
Other operators: Discovery Initiatives (01285 643 333, www.discoveryinitiatives.com)

SOMETHING DIFFERENT

19 Trading places
Why pay to stay when you can swap your home for a couple of weeks for a comparable property in Europe, Australia or the US? You get a great-value base from which to explore a new country — for the price of an airfare.
What's the damage? For an annual fee of £95, Homelink International (01344 842642, www.homelink.org.uk) will display your listing on their website and provide advice and support on your homeswap holiday.
Other operators: Exchanges Worldwide (01756 693605, www.exchangesworldwide.com); Home Exchange Network (0141 571 8068, www.home-exchange-network.com)

20 Living in a box
So you really need to get away from it all? On Alderney's little sister Burhou, the least-known Channel Island, you can stay in a three-bedroomed hut for £10 per night. Bring drinking water, a sleeping bag and a shovel (there's no loo). Just the place to finally get down to penning that novel...
More information: Contact the Harbourmaster, Alderney Harbour, on 01481 822620.

WORTH REMEMBERING

• "It can pay to book flights yourself if you can be flexible about departure times. For low-cost airlines, book as soon as their summer schedules become available to snap up the best deals
• "For hotel rooms, book on the Monday for the following weekend as many places dump unsold rooms cheaply
• "Travel to places in the summer that are popular for spring or autumn short breaks (accommodation in Prague, for example, can be cheaper in the summer)
• ...and don't forget some operators discount their end-of-summer package holidays, which coincides rather nicely with October half-term."

Opinions expressed are those of the author and not the Department for Education and Skills

This content was published in July 2004 and may not reflect current policy