Black Sea

Think you’ve missed the boat on a summer beach holiday, or that it’s too pricey to even consider? Travel Mum Jen Carr knows just the trick for getting a travel bargain – even during the school summer holidays

From the golden sands of Spain’s Costa Brava to the surprisingly affordable shores of Bulgaria, there are plenty of destinations offering value for money even during the school summer holidays, if you know where to look.

Whether you’re craving short flight times, child-friendly resorts, or self-catering spots that make dining with little ones easier, Jen has five of the best last-minute summer deals from sun-soaked countries like Spain and Italy for families in 2025.

Costa Brava, Spain

Just a short flight from the UK, the Costa Brava offers sandy beaches, safe shallow waters, and great-value accommodation. Towns like Tossa de Mar and Lloret de Mar have family hotels from under £400 per person, including flights. Many beaches have play areas, and local restaurants are super welcoming to kids.

READ MORE: ‘I visited the UK’s most photographed road, what I found there terrified me’

Turkey

A great destination for a family holiday. The Antalya Coast and Dalaman area offer tons of family friendly hotels at great prices. TUI have a last minute deals page with lots of great options for August. Turkey hotels are brilliant at catering to bigger families, with many hotels offering rooms to fit up to 6 people. You can holiday in Instanbul in August from Luton airport from just £299 per person.

Bulgaria’s Black Sea Coast

For a beach holiday with a difference, and some of the cheapest prices in Europe, Bulgaria is a hidden gem. Sunny Beach and Nessebar offer golden sands, water parks, and plenty of family-friendly restaurants. Accommodation and food are super affordable once you arrive and you can fly from London Stansted to Sofia Bulgaria for £303 with a room only option.

Corfu, Greece

Corfu remains one of Greece’s best islands for families, with calm beaches, charming villages, and warm hospitality. The food is amazing and you can find some great package deals to stay in areas like Sidari and Aghios Georgios. I recently helped someone book a 7 night stay in August for under £380pp with flights, luggage, transfers and hotel!

Sicily, Italy

Italy and budget don’t always go hand in hand, but Sicily can be an exception. Not only is it beautiful and culturally rich, but there are surprisingly affordable apartments still available this summer. Add in family-friendly beaches, delicious food, and warm welcomes from the locals and it’s a winner. Look at flights to Trapani and find an apartment rental in the town. You can currently fly from London STN to Trapani for a week in August for £144pp.

Tips for booking holidays on a budget:

• Be flexible with your dates – mid-week departures are often cheaper.
• Use comparison tools like Skyscanner and Google Flights to find cheap flights for DIY bookings.
• Consider flying from regional airports or into alternative destinations. If you can fly from Scotland in August you will save a fortune.
• Look at self-catering options to save money on meals.
• Set up deal alerts or use sites to find last-minute bargains.

Don’t assume you’ve missed the boat just because it’s July. With a bit of flexibility and the right approach, you can still enjoy a sun-soaked family beach holiday this summer, without the eye-watering price tag, for more tips check out https://thetravelmum.com/family-holiday-deals/.

READ MORE: Amazon Prime Day deals see up to 55% off 4k TVs from Hisense, Samsung, Fire TV and Toshiba

Lexie Limitless, a US YouTuber who became the youngest person to visit every nation in the world at the age of 21, has named her four least-favourite European countries

A globe-trotting YouTuber who has visited every country in the world has shared her thoughts on the 44 nations in Europe, saying there are four she would not return to. American Lexie Limitless holds the impressive title of being the youngest person to visit every country in the world at just 21.

In her latest video, ‘I travelled to every country in Europe so you don’t have to’, Lexie reveals some of her favourite “hidden gems” from the continent – including Slovenia, Mostar in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Cesky Krumlov in Czech Republic.

However, she also discusses four nations that didn’t quite hit the mark for her.

Lexie said: “Alright, it’s time to talk about one of my least favourite subjects, and I got to say in advance that travel is so subjective. Places that I’ve been that I didn’t necessarily connect with might not be the same for everyone.

“Everyone’s preferences are different, but I think that the countries that didn’t really leave as much of an impression on me as some of the others in Europe would probably be Belarus, Slovakia, Moldova and Bulgaria.”

She continued: “If I had to name a few specifically, I think it was just that in those countries, in particular, it’s so important to know a good local who’s going to show you around and show you all the best spots.”

Lexie believes travel is “mostly about” the people you meet along the way. As she didn’t know anybody in these countries, she had a “really difficult” time obtaining “unique experiences”.

She added that it’s almost “unfair” to compare smaller nations like Moldova or Bulgaria, to a country like Italy, as they have some “advantages” geographically, noting the “diversity” in their “environment“.

The seasoned traveller also stated that she tries to “avoid” naming specific countries that she may not necessarily recommend and would “absolutely love” to go back if she had “more of a purpose” or reason to be there beyond sightseeing.

Belarus, a former Soviet republic, is a landlocked nation in Eastern Europe that shares its borders with Russia, Ukraine, and Poland, among others. Since 1994, it has been ruled by President Alexander Lukashenko, who has been dubbed “Europe’s last dictator.”

Situated within the heart of the continent, Slovakia borders the Czech Republic, Austria, Hungary, Poland and Ukraine. It was formerly part of Czechoslovakia until the so-called “velvet divorce” in 1993.

Meanwhile, Moldova, another landlocked country and former Soviet republic, is nestled between Ukraine and Romania. The BBC reports that two-thirds of its population share Romanian roots, highlighting their shared heritage.

Bulgaria, situated in the eastern Balkans with a coastline along the Black Sea, is predominantly Slavonic-speaking. Since the fall of Communism, it has been steadily transitioning towards a market economy.

On December 15, 2024, a powerful storm swept through the Black Sea. Two Russian oil tankers were wrecked in the Kerch Strait, spilling vast quantities of fuel oil into the surrounding waters. Within days, the thick black substance reached the shores of Russia’s Krasnodar region, annexed Crimea, and the Sea of Azov.

Evening reports from Greenpeace warned that the incident could mark one of the worst environmental disasters in decades. Yet, over six months later, key questions remain unanswered: how much fuel oil was on board, how much has spilled, and how much continues to leak? Russia has released no official data, and the opacity surrounding the incident has alarmed environmental observers across the region.

Scientists fear the worst. In the absence of containment, oil residues may soon reach the coastlines of Romania, Bulgaria, and Turkey. The Nikola Vaptsarov Naval Academy in Varna, Bulgaria, has been monitoring the situation closely. While no immediate threat has been detected in Bulgarian waters, local experts are cautious. The pollution zone, they say, could expand rapidly with changing winds and currents.

The Ukrainian Scientific Centre for Marine Ecology has published several projections showing the slow eastward spread of the slick through the Black Sea. Ukrainian Greenpeace confirms that oil traces have already reached the Odessa region and are approaching Romanian maritime boundaries.

Meanwhile, Russia’s official response — or lack thereof — has drawn sharp criticism. Unlike the Norilsk diesel spill in 2020, when a federal emergency was declared and Norilsk Nickel was fined billions, the Black Sea disaster has triggered no significant federal action. It is worth noting, however, that in the Norilsk case, the company went on to carry out extensive remediation, including full-scale river cleanup and contaminated soil removal.

In contrast, in 2025, volunteers are still collecting fuel oil from Russian beaches by hand. The companies responsible continue to dispute their liability in court. No fines, no cleanup mandate, no transparency. Only silence.