Summer holiday 2027
Summer holiday 2027: hotels worth booking early
Next year's term dates are already on the fridge. School breaks up in late July, and so does most of northern Europe. Family rooms by the beach for those weeks tend to go first.
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In short: summer holiday 2027
Most schools in England break up in the second half of July 2027 and return in early September. Family rooms and the busiest weeks go first. Book now with free cancellation and you secure the room without committing. Note the cancellation deadline, and compare the total with a price you recorded earlier.
Our first choice for families: Pine Cliffs Hotel in the Algarve, Portugal. Check availability and prices at Pine Cliffs Hotel
The summer holiday is the trip most families spend the most on. It is also the one where nearly everyone wants the same weeks. From late July, half of Europe is chasing the same rooms by the Mediterranean.
That is why it pays to choose the hotel early, even if the flights can wait. A room with free cancellation costs a little more than a non-refundable rate. In return, you can change your mind right up to the deadline.
When is the summer holiday in 2027?
Dates vary by council, so check your school's calendar. In North Tyneside, for example, schools break up on Wednesday 21 July 2027 and return on Wednesday 1 September. Most of England follows a similar pattern, while Scottish schools break up in late June or early July.
The first weeks of August are usually the most expensive and the first to fill. If you can travel in the first days of the holiday, or in late August, you will have more choice.
Should you book your summer holiday in Black Week?
Yes, if your dates are fixed. Which? found that 73 per cent of the holiday deals it checked on Black Friday 2023 were cheaper than in December and January (Which?). That covers package holidays rather than individual hotels, but the direction is clear.
Note the price for the same dates a few weeks before, then compare the total during Black Week. Our guide to checking travel prices shows you how. More Black Week advice is in Black Friday travel.
Family holidays by the Mediterranean
All the hotels below score highly with guests on Hotels.com and have room for children. For more options, see our guide to family hotels in Europe.
Halkidiki: Sani Beach
Sani Beach is one of five hotels in Sani Resort on Kassandra, the westernmost of Halkidiki's three peninsulas. It sits on a private beach, with five restaurants, six tennis courts and a children's pool. A promenade leads to the marina, where the resort has restaurants and shops. Thessaloniki airport is about 45 miles away.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Sani Beach
Kos: Ikos Aria
Ikos Aria is near Kefalos on the south-west coast of Kos, right above a Blue Flag beach. Everything is included, from the kids' club to meals in the eight restaurants. One evening you can eat at a local restaurant outside the resort, with transfers included. The airport is about nine miles away, so the trip from plane to pool is short.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Ikos Aria
Algarve: Pine Cliffs Hotel
Pine Cliffs Hotel is our first choice for families, and there is more about it further down. In short, the resort sits on the cliffs above Falésia beach, with a golf course and a kids' club on site. The kids' club costs extra.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Pine Cliffs Hotel
Adults only on Crete
Domes Noruz sits on the beach west of Chania. Photo: Hotels.com (Expedia Group)
Summer for two
Travelling without children, you can choose a hotel for adults only. They fill just as fast in summer, especially the rooms with their own pool.
Crete: Domes Noruz Chania
Domes Noruz Chania is an adults-only hotel on the beach a short drive west of Chania's old town. It has three pools, and in one of them the bar stands in the water. The Venetian harbour in Chania is a quick taxi ride away.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Domes Noruz Chania
Rhodes: Casa Cook Rhodes
Casa Cook Rhodes is in Kolymbia on the east coast of Rhodes and welcomes adults only. The rooms are bright and simple, and some have their own pool. It is a couple of minutes to the beach and about half an hour by car to Lindos.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Casa Cook Rhodes
Mallorca: The Donna Portals
The Donna Portals used to be the Iberostar Grand Portals Nous and is also for adults only. It is on the beach at Portals Nous, just west of Palma, with its own beach club and spa. The Puerto Portals marina is within walking distance.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at The Donna Portals
City and beach in one trip
If you want a town to wander in the evening and a beach by day, these three are a good place to start.
Cascais: The Albatroz Hotel
The Albatroz Hotel stands on the rocks above the sea in the centre of Cascais, with a pool and terrace facing the Atlantic. The beach is right below. Trains into Lisbon take about 40 minutes, so you can stay by the sea and have dinner in Alfama.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at The Albatroz Hotel
Dubrovnik: Hotel Excelsior
Hotel Excelsior is by the sea, a few minutes' walk east of Dubrovnik's city walls, with views of the old town. It has its own bathing area, a spa with an indoor pool and three restaurants. In the evening you can walk along the water to the Ploče Gate.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Hotel Excelsior
Nice: Hôtel La Pérouse
Hôtel La Pérouse sits at the foot of Castle Hill, where the Promenade des Anglais ends. From the roof terrace you look across the whole Baie des Anges. The old town and the Cours Saleya market are just behind the hotel, and the pool opens in summer.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Hôtel La Pérouse
A view of the walls
From the terrace at Hotel Excelsior you look across to Dubrovnik old town. Photo: Hotels.com (Expedia Group)
A Scandinavian beach summer
Not everyone wants 35 degrees in August. Along the coasts of Denmark and Sweden the evenings are long and the sea is fresh. Flights to Copenhagen and Gothenburg are short, too.
Skagen: Ruths Hotel
Ruths Hotel is in Gammel Skagen, on the west side of the Skagen peninsula. The beach is close by, and the day can end with sunset over the Skagerrak. It has a spa and two restaurants. The artists' town of Skagen is about two and a half miles away.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Ruths Hotel
Halmstad: Hotel Tylösand
Hotel Tylösand stands on the beach of the same name outside Halmstad, on Sweden's west coast. In summer it stays lively until late. The hotel has four restaurants and its own nightclub. Gothenburg airport is about an hour and a half away by car.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Hotel Tylösand
Helsingør: Marienlyst Strandhotel
Marienlyst Strandhotel has its own beach on the Øresund in Helsingør, a short walk from Kronborg Castle. The hotel has a spa and a casino. The train to Copenhagen takes under an hour, and ferries cross to Helsingborg all day.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Marienlyst Strandhotel
How to book your summer holiday safely
Choose free cancellation: You can book now and cancel if plans change. Put the deadline in your calendar.
Book family rooms first: Rooms for four, and connecting rooms, are the scarcest.
Check the total: Look at the price for the whole stay including taxes and fees, not the nightly rate.
Keep watching: If the price drops before the deadline, you can cancel and book the same room again.
Our first choice for families
Pine Cliffs Hotel
Pine Cliffs sits in a pine forest on the cliffs above Falésia beach, east of Albufeira. Children have a kids' club and their own pool, while adults have a golf course and a spa. With 13 restaurants, you will not need to go out every evening. Falésia beach below runs for several miles. July is the priciest month, so book with free cancellation and watch the price until the deadline.
Summer holiday 2027: frequently asked questions
When are the school summer holidays in 2027?
In England, most schools break up in the second half of July 2027 and return in early September. In North Tyneside, for example, the holiday runs from 21 July to 1 September. Dates vary by council and by school, and Scottish schools break up in late June or early July, so always check your own calendar.
When should I book my summer holiday?
Book the hotel as soon as your dates are fixed, ideally before Christmas. Family rooms and the busiest weeks go first, and free cancellation means you are not locked in. Flights can often wait a little, but keep an eye on fares. Always compare the total with a price you recorded earlier.
Is it cheaper to book a summer holiday on Black Friday?
Often, but not always. Which? found that 73 per cent of the holiday deals it checked on Black Friday 2023 were cheaper than in December and January. Hotel prices vary more. Note the price for the same dates a few weeks before, and only book if the total really is lower.
What happens if I need to cancel my hotel?
If you chose a room with free cancellation, you get your money back when you cancel before the deadline. The deadline is in your confirmation and is often a few days before arrival. Non-refundable rates are cheaper, but you pay for the whole stay even if you do not travel.
Which hotels suit families best in summer?
Look for a kids' club, a children's pool and family rooms, ideally close to the beach. Ikos Aria on Kos includes the kids' club in the price, and Pine Cliffs in the Algarve has both a kids' club and its own golf course. For more ideas, see our guide to family hotels in Europe.