Katy Holland: Finding a bargain family holiday online

Are we there yet? We're spending more time surfing for bargain family holidays than ever before

Parents, listen up. When it comes to wasting time on the internet, we're nearly as skilled as our Facebook-addicted offspring. We're spending more time surfing for bargain family holidays than before, if a new survey from kayak.co.uk is to be believed.

Right on cue, I got an email this morning from Sabrina Day, an exhausted mum who spent a total of 18 hours on the internet last weekend in a fruitless quest for the perfect family holiday deal. Sabrina, you're a lightweight. I have been known to spend entire weeks searching for that elusive holiday, only to end up booking nothing. But let's not make it into a competition.

Is there help for us out there? Well, the best I can offer is a quick fix or two. A good place to start is the new School Holiday Offers link on the Association of Independent Tour Operators website (aito.co.uk). It features hundreds of deals during the school holidays from a large range of tour operators. (Sabrina, how does £417 for a week with Just Sardinia over May half-term with free child places sound?) Other sensible starting points include takethefamily.com, which features reviews as well as exclusive bargains.

Best of all, though, is addictedtotravel.com, a brand new portal with hundreds of family holidays to choose from. With any luck, it'll satisfy those cravings for a bargain holiday without all the time-wasting.

k.holland@independent.co.uk