When I booked my first Jet2 villa in Fethiye back in 2023, I had no idea what I was getting into. I’d always been a hotel person—easy check-in, daily cleaning, someone else’s problem if the shower broke. But after pricing up a week in the Algarve for my family of five, the numbers didn’t lie. A three-bedroom villa came in at £1,200 for the week. Five hotel rooms? Nearly £2,800.

Three years and seven villa holidays later, I’ve learned which Jet2 villa destinations genuinely deliver value and which ones look tempting online but disappoint in reality. This isn’t about the cheapest option—it’s about where your £800 to £2,000 weekly budget gets you the best combination of location, quality, and that intangible holiday feeling that makes you want to return.

Why I Switched from Hotels to Villas

The financial argument is obvious when you’re traveling with four or more people. But it took actually staying in a villa to understand the non-financial benefits. Our first villa in Turkey had a private pool that my kids used every single day. Not sharing with strangers. No getting up early to reserve sunbeds. No chlorine-soaked crowds.

The kitchen saved us roughly £300 that week. We didn’t eat every meal out—breakfast on the terrace became a ritual, and we’d pick up fresh bread and local tomatoes from the market. Evening meals out felt special rather than obligatory.

But villas aren’t perfect. That first Turkey trip taught me about hidden costs. The villa was 4km from the beach. Taxis added up—about £15 each way. We ended up hiring a car for £180 for the week, which I hadn’t budgeted for. The pool was unheated (December), making it unusable. And when the Wi-Fi stopped working on day three, there was no hotel reception to call.

The Sweet Spot: £800-£2000 Weekly Budget

This price range is where Jet2 villas make sense. Below £800, you’re often looking at apartments or villas so far from amenities that car hire becomes mandatory. Above £2,000, you’re entering boutique hotel territory where daily service and facilities might justify the premium.

I’ve found the best value sits around £1,200-£1,600 per week. This gets you a well-maintained three-bedroom villa in a decent location during shoulder season, or a two-bedroom in prime summer weeks.

Destination One: Dalaman Region, Turkey (£850-£1,400/Week)

Turkey remains my top recommendation for villa value. I’ve stayed in two villas in the Dalaman region—one in Fethiye (December 2023) and one in Ovacik (May 2025). Both delivered more than I expected for the price.

The Ovacik villa cost £1,180 for a week in late May. Three bedrooms, private pool, air conditioning throughout, and genuinely good Wi-Fi. The location was brilliant—ten-minute walk to Hisaronu’s restaurant strip, twenty minutes to Oludeniz beach by dolmus (local minibus at £1.50 per person).

What made Turkey exceptional was everything beyond the villa. Restaurant meals averaged £12-15 per person including drinks. A full weekly shop at Migros supermarket—meat, fresh produce, local wine—came to £85. The local markets sold incredible fresh figs, cherries, and peaches for almost nothing.

The downside? Flight times. Seven hours from Manchester with two young kids tested everyone’s patience. And while May was perfect weather-wise, our December Fethiye trip was too cold for the unheated pool—a detail the listing mentioned but I’d ignored.

Who it’s for: Families comfortable with a bit of adventure, anyone who appreciates their money going further, travelers happy with longer flights for better value.

Best months: May, June, September, early October. July and August get scorching (40°C+), and many villas lack air conditioning in communal areas.

Destination Two: Costa Blanca, Spain (£1,100-£1,800/Week)

I’ve stayed in two Costa Blanca villas—one in Calpe (August 2024) and one near Benidorm (April 2025). Spain offers the convenience Turkey lacks: two-hour flights, familiar infrastructure, and easy car hire if you want to explore.

Our Calpe villa in August cost £1,650 for the week. Peak season pricing, but the location justified it—800 meters from Levante beach, walking distance to supermarkets and restaurants, air conditioning in every room. The pool was smaller than Turkey but heated, which our kids used before breakfast every morning.

The April villa near Benidorm was £1,250. Similar standard but slightly inland, which knocked £400 off the price. We hired a car (£140 for the week through Jet2’s partner), giving us freedom to visit Guadalest, Altea, and different beaches each day.

Spain costs more day-to-day than Turkey. Supermarket shops averaged £120-140 weekly. Restaurant meals ran £20-25 per person. But everything felt easier—road signs made sense, card payments worked everywhere, and when our pool pump broke in Calpe, the maintenance guy arrived within three hours.

The Costa Blanca delivers reliability. You know what you’re getting. The trade-off is that £1,600 in Spain gets you what £1,100 might in Turkey or Greece.

Who it’s for: First-time villa renters wanting familiarity, families with younger children who prefer shorter flights, travelers who value predictability and ease.

Best months: April, May, June, September, October. August is expensive and crowded—expect villa prices to jump 40-50%.

Destination Three: Crete, Greece (£1,000-£1,700/Week)

I stayed in a villa outside Chania in June 2024. It cost £1,380 for the week—three bedrooms, infinity pool with sea views, and one of the most spectacular sunset terraces I’ve experienced.

Greece sits between Turkey and Spain in both price and character. More expensive than Turkey, slightly cheaper than Spain’s peak areas. More relaxed than Spain, more developed than rural Turkey.

The Crete villa’s location was perfect for us—15-minute drive to Chania’s old town, 10 minutes to Agioi Apostoloi beach, genuinely rural surroundings with olive groves and mountain views. We hired a car (essential—£165 for the week), which let us explore Balos Lagoon, Elafonisi beach, and mountain villages.

Greek food culture elevated the experience. We’d buy fresh fish from Chania’s market, local wine from roadside producers (€5 for excellent bottles), and cook on the villa’s barbecue. Restaurant meals in traditional tavernas cost £15-18 per person—better value than Spain, higher than Turkey.

The villa itself had quirks. Water pressure was weak. The “infinity pool” photos were taken from very specific angles—in reality, it was nice but not quite Instagram-worthy. And the mosquitoes in June were relentless; we bought plug-in repellents from the local pharmacy on day two.

But Crete delivered something special. The combination of genuine culture, spectacular scenery, and that villa terrace watching the sun drop into the Aegean made it my wife’s favorite villa holiday. She’s already asking when we’re going back.

Who it’s for: Travelers who value authentic experiences, food lovers, couples or families happy to hire a car and explore, anyone seeking that perfect balance of value and beauty.

Best months: May, June, September, early October. June had perfect weather (28-30°C) but mosquitoes. September offers warm seas and fewer bugs.

Destination Four: Algarve, Portugal (£1,200-£1,950/Week)

I stayed in an Algarve villa near Lagos in July 2025. At £1,750 for peak summer week, it was the most expensive villa I’ve booked through Jet2. The question: was it worth it?

Yes and no. The villa was superb—four bedrooms (we had friends join us for a few days), modern throughout, heated pool, outdoor kitchen, 15-minute walk to Meia Praia beach. Portuguese efficiency meant everything worked perfectly. The air conditioning was powerful, the Wi-Fi fast, the beds genuinely comfortable.

But Portugal matched Spain’s daily costs without Spain’s convenience. Supermarkets were limited outside major towns. Restaurant quality varied wildly—some excellent, others overpriced and mediocre. And while Lagos is beautiful, it felt touristy in ways that our Crete village never did.

The advantage of the Algarve is golf. If you play, the proximity to world-class courses adds value the numbers don’t capture. We don’t golf, so that £1,750 felt steep compared to what we’d paid elsewhere.

Who it’s for: Golfers, travelers who’ve done Spain and want something similar but different, groups splitting costs (it made more sense with friends sharing).

Best months: May, June, September. July and August prices jump significantly, and beaches get extremely crowded.

What Jet2 Doesn’t Tell You: The Hidden Costs

Every villa holiday has costs beyond the booking price. Here’s what I’ve spent across my seven trips:

Car hire: £140-180 per week on average. Essential in Turkey and Crete, very useful in Spain and Portugal. Only skipped it in our Costa Blanca villa that was genuinely walkable to everything.

Welcome packs: Some villas offer these (basic groceries, wine, toilet paper) for £40-60. Worth it on late-night arrivals when shops are closed. Otherwise, skip and visit a supermarket yourself.

Pool heating: Charged separately in shoulder season (April, May, October). Typically £80-120 per week. Our kids wanted heated pools, so we paid. If traveling without children or visiting in high summer, you won’t need it.

Security deposits: Jet2 takes £250-300 deposit that’s refunded after checkout inspection. Never lost it, but factor it into your cash flow.

Air conditioning: Usually included, but I’ve seen villas charge £70-100 weekly for A/C in Greece and Portugal. Check the listing carefully.

Cleaning: Final clean is typically included, but mid-stay cleaning (if you want it) costs extra. £60-80 in my experience.

Villas vs. All-Inclusive Hotels: When Each Makes Sense

I love villas, but they’re not always the right choice. After seven villa holidays and twenty-something all-inclusive hotel trips, here’s how I decide:

Choose villas when:

• You’re traveling with 4+ people (the math works)
• You enjoy cooking some meals or want the flexibility
• You value privacy and space over amenities
• You’re happy to be more self-sufficient
• You want to experience local markets and neighborhoods

Choose all-inclusive hotels when:

• You’re a couple or traveling solo (villa costs don’t split well)
• You want complete relaxation with zero effort
• You drink a lot (all-inclusive bars make financial sense)
• You prefer evening entertainment and social atmosphere
• You’re traveling with teens who want hotel pools and activities

Our August Spain villa trip would’ve been cheaper at an all-inclusive hotel. Just two of us, and we ate most meals out anyway. The villa cost £1,650 plus food, drinks, and car hire—probably £2,200 total. Comparable all-inclusive hotels were advertising £1,800 for two people that week.

But our six-person Crete trip? The villa at £1,380 split three ways (two couples, two kids) was unbeatable value.

My Ranking: Best Jet2 Villa Destinations by Value

After seven stays, here’s my honest ranking for the £800-£2,000 weekly budget:

1. Dalaman Region, Turkey (Best Overall Value) Your money goes furthest here. Spectacular villas, low living costs, genuinely warm hospitality. The longer flight and cultural differences might not suit everyone, but for value-conscious families, it’s unmatched.

2. Crete, Greece (Best Overall Experience) Balanced excellence. Not the cheapest, not the most expensive. Stunning scenery, wonderful food culture, authentic village life alongside beach access. Needs car hire, but that opens up the island.

3. Costa Blanca, Spain (Best for First-Timers) Reliable, familiar, easy. You pay more, but everything works. Short flights, good infrastructure, plenty of villa options. The safe choice that rarely disappoints.

4. Algarve, Portugal (Best for Specific Groups) Excellent if you golf or travel with friends who’ll split costs. Beautiful region, good villas, but expensive for what you get compared to alternatives unless you’re using those golf courses.

Booking Tips I Learned the Hard Way

Book at least six months ahead for summer: Peak season villas (July-August) get snapped up. I left our Spain booking until April for an August trip—slim pickings and inflated prices.

Read every word of the listing: That “sea view” might require binoculars. “Walking distance to beach” could mean a 30-minute uphill trek. “Air conditioning” might only cover bedrooms, not living spaces. The photo of the massive pool might be the resort complex pool, not your private one.

Check the location on Google Maps: Street View has saved me twice. One villa advertised as “quiet residential area” was next to a major road. Another “near amenities” was genuinely isolated.

Travel insurance that covers villas: Standard policies might not cover private villa stays. Check you’re covered for things like accidental damage, emergency repairs, or if the villa becomes uninhabitable.

Message Jet2 with specific questions: Their customer service is genuinely helpful. Ask about pool heating dates, exact distances to beaches, car hire necessity, Wi-Fi reliability—whatever matters to you.

The Verdict: Are Jet2 Villas Worth It?

For the right travelers, absolutely. I’ve saved thousands compared to equivalent hotel stays while getting better experiences—private pools, full kitchens, space to spread out, and genuine insights into local life beyond tourist resorts.

But villas demand more effort. You’re managing your own holiday rather than being managed by hotel staff. When things go wrong (and they will occasionally), you’re the problem-solver. Some people find that liberating. Others find it stressful.

The £800-£2,000 weekly budget is the sweet spot where Jet2 villas deliver genuine quality without extravagance. Below that, you’re making significant compromises on location or condition. Above that, boutique hotels start competing effectively.

My advice? Start with a villa in the Costa Blanca if you’re nervous—familiar, reliable, easy. If you love it, try Greece next for more character at similar cost. Then, if you’re comfortable, tackle Turkey for the best value you’ll find anywhere.

I’m already eyeing up villas for late 2026. The hotel life still has its place, but there’s something about having your own terrace, your own pool, and the freedom to eat breakfast in your pajamas at 10am that I’m not ready to give up.