How Do Mark Warner, Neilson and Club Med Compare for Family Holidays - and What Are the Alternatives?

As active family holiday experts, we’re always being asked how Mark Warner, Neilson and Club Med compare with one another and which is best.

It’s hard to say! With our assistance, you’ll choose the right operator and resort for you based on a number of factors, including the ages of your children, how active each of you likes to be, what you particularly want to do, and your budget.

All three offer beach and ski holidays including childcare/teen clubs, with numerous water and land-based activities on offer at the beach resorts. All have a good reputation, with resorts averaging above 4 out of 5 on TripAdvisor.

Mark Warner and Neilson 

Both are British companies serving mainly UK families in the Alps and Mediterranean (Neilson offers Mauritius too), although some properties are now a British/Scandinavian mix. Most, but not all, meals are included in your holiday price. Drinks are extra, as are some activities. Neilson has resorts in more countries and also offers stays of 10/11 days in addition to the more standard 7/14.

Club Med 

Club Med operates all-inclusive resorts all over the world, which reflects in the price and means you know in advance exactly how much you’re paying. They cater to customers from all over the world, with a high percentage in European resorts being French or mostly French/Continental European. Our advisors can help you choose a Club Med suited to your tastes and needs, taking into consideration the languages spoken in the kids’ clubs and so on. Club Med can offer flights from most UK/Ireland airports, and there is no constraint on arriving on weekends or other set days. You also have complete flexibility on duration, as long as there is availability.

Price Match Guarantee

We're here to help you find the perfect holiday and guarantee to match or beat the price you'd get if you book a Mark Warner, Neilson or Club Med family holiday. Contact us to arrange your next family holiday. 

Read more about our favourite Mark Warner holidays, Neilson holidays and Club Med holidays, with links to individual resort pages and our first-hand features about some of them.

Alternatives to Mark Warner, Neilson and Club Med

Mauritius

This Indian Ocean island is now often no more expensive than the Med, especially in July and August when there are often very good deals available, and has a vast array of family-friendly resorts with kids’ clubs and activities, including water sports. Key is to find a resort that offers water sports tuition rather than just facilities for those who can already do them; these include the several Beachcomber resorts. Club Med also has two Mauritius resorts; La Pointe aux Canonniers and La Plantation d’Albion. Neilson has one resort in Mauritius, The Ravenala Attitude.

Sani and Ikos, Mediterranean

Named the World’s Leading Family & Beach Resort and the World’s Leading Luxury Green Resort in the World Travel Awards 2020, Sani is a famous 1,000-acre Greek estate embracing an eco reserve and five properties within walking distance of each other and close to its vibrant marina and vast array of restaurants. Its wealth of sports and activities include a Rafal Nadal tennis academy, Chelsea FC football academy for kids, Bear Grylls Survival Academy for families and biking club. Find out more about Sani Beach, Sani Club, Sani Dunes, Porto Sani Village and Sani Asterias Suites.
 
Originally also Greek (mainland, Kos and Corfu) but now also launched in Andalucia, Spain, the multi-award-winning luxury all-inclusive Ikos resorts are contemporary retreats hugely popular with families for the likes of football academies, kids’ clubs for all ages and even childcare on the beach. Properties are the Ikos Aria in Kos, the Ikos Oceania and the Ikos Olivia, both in Halkidiki, the Ikos Dassia in Corfu and the Ikos Andalusia.

Seafarer Sailing Holidays

This company caters for families in several ways: with Beach Clubs in Greece, complete with dinghy, windsurfing and powerboat courses plus dinghies, windsurfers and catamarans to suit all ages and experience levels, sea kayaks and day yachts; with bareboat yacht charters; and with flotilla holidays following a one- or two-week itinerary with the guidance and support of a lead yacht crew. Call us for more information.

Beaches, Caribbean

These Luxury Included® resorts in Jamaica and Turks & Caicos are the child-friendly sister of the couples-only Sandals, located on some of the Caribbean’s best beaches and including a huge variety of kids/teens activities, and water and land sports in your holiday price. Expect snorkelling, sailing, windsurfing, paddleboards, kayaks and aquatrikes, with tuition where required. There are also Caribbean Adventure Tours - the likes of canopy/zipline tours, 4X4 and dune buggy adventures, dolphin encounters and bobsledding. Find out more.

Small Group Adventure Holidays

Organised family adventure holidays – including safaris – are a great opportunity for parents and children alike to enjoy activities in spectacular locations allied with a sociable vibe. Travelling in small groups sharing the same itinerary, your kids get the benefit of sharing experiences with other kids of around the same ages and hence having instant friends at hand. And you will probably make new friends too! See our handpicked family adventure holidays.

To find out more about any of these holidays and/or to book your active family holiday, give our family travel experts a call on 020 3633 0653 or enquire online.