I hate our holiday and want to go home

This morning get on bus to Guildford £2 . Go to Dapdune wharf for the Easter egg hunt and then walk to Stoke Park for the play area and huge area of grass.
You are right next to Normandy which has a fantastic soft play every Wed and Fri.
There is such to do around here. Your planning is poor.

@RainStreakedWindows where do you go on your holidays? Corfu? Formentera? Brazil? The Maldives? Or two weeks in Aldershot at a squaddie base?

My bother, wife and 3 kids come over once possibly twice a year from America to see me, DH, DS and parents. Parents and I do a lot to make the trip as easy as possible. Rent cars to pick up at airport, I have a child at our house each night so they get some alone time with me and their cousin. But… they plan! They are coming in June, they have booked tickets to the opera, museum exhibition tickets and 3 days in coppenhagen. Their trip is always packed! Yes, expensive but it’s a great experience for the kids to see family and have lots of learning experiences and are pretty much the only ones of their friends to have been to Europe. The UK, like anywhere is what you make it. Incidentally, I live near Farnham which is a beautiful town. I’m also American and hate the American mentality of everything is better over there because a) it isn’t and b) then don’t bother leaving!

so whilst I do feel for you, you are also moaning about something completely in your control. Next time, plan ahead. Book outside the uk school holidays for cheaper rates. Book ahead. Book an airbnb. Go to museums. Go to the theatre. Research what events are on and plan around that. Come in May/ June when there is better weather and more going on.

Sadly OP's in-laws probably can't think of anywhere shitter to move, to put them off coming over again.

How can people be so mean and grumpy for absolutely no reason? Especially when the sun is out and it's chocolate for breakfast. Take a day off.

To all those trying to claim Hampshire is somewhere worth holidaying - have a day off will you. OP may be miserable as sin and pining for her Maine 'shootin' gang, but realistically, Aldershot is ALWAYS a terrible idea. That list of things they've done is absolutely woeful. 'Whipsnade, Woking, Windsor Fleet and Guildford'? WTF? I don't care whose car they drove in. Overall, it sounds like OP & her family didn't travel with appropriate funds to the UK? Unless they've been living under a rock back home in Maine, the UK's 'cost of living crisis' has been very well publicised. That aside, I make a point of not rocking up in countries I do not reside without any cash/plans, that's just plain foolish. Sadly OP's in-laws probably can't think of anywhere shitter to move, to put them off coming over again.

DH was offered a job in the US, which didn’t work out. One of the reasons I wasn’t keen is I knew all our holiday would be spent visiting MIL and various relatives who weren’t really interested in seeing us anyway and would never come and see us (or have in fact seen us when we live 4 hours away).

if OP is British then she should have realised you need to book trains/hotels in the U.K. especially in the middle of school holidays. I mean we do the same when we go abroad.

I think lack of planning/thought isn’t the fault of MIL/SIL, as kids get older especially they will love seeing London/York wherever as well but might need some planning.

Thirded! If it’s the ‘Rat, I’ll be devastated 😩

Then your partner visits alone. It can't be fun for him or MIL as your disdain for being here is palpable, even via the internet.

You sound homesick OP - has it just hit you that instead of feeling like you're going home to the UK - you actually left home behind? So many complex feelings about returning to the parental home - so much anticipation and expense - it's hard for it not to feel like a let down especially when it feels your money could have been better spent elsewhere. Over the years our trips home have dwindled - we've changed the way we do things, making sure we don't spend any longer than 3 days at home - all my siblings are scattered around the world too - and they have experienced similar.
Hope you can salvage what's left of your trip and enjoy some of it. Do it differently next time.

Seconded!

Gagging even.

@NovemberAutumn come back and tell us where your in-laws live, we're gaging to know.

I was thinking less of her than everyone else!

Nah, the OP thinks it's fun to take her little kids out to shoot animals.

'Victoria's most dodgy town' is a valid derail.

So you haven't been stuck in the house not doing anything.
You sound really rude, moaning about SIL house and that she comes home early from trips to pick her children up. She is hosting and chaffuering you. You could be more grateful.
If it's that bad don't come. Tell DH fly with the kids. I've done a, lots of people do. Or make a plan and use public transport.

Wonthaggi
Traralgon.

Exactly, I was going to mention that in a sort of derail apology to all the Brits! 😄

Hire a car, get on a train, use the buses. If you sit around expecting to be ferried everywhere, it's not surprising you're bored.

This why we Aussies are biffing the ball of shite places to live in Victoria back and forth.

I wonder if OP will bother coming back ...

@Ihearyousingingdownthewire 👏👏👏

I remember when Moe was said to stand for Moccies On Everybody. Morwell I mostly associate with pollution.

Mind you I couldn't talk, I lived in Pakenham for years!

@dayswithaY Yep, a day out in Woking isn’t going to dazzle.

Nonsense. Most people would say that a trip to Woking is pretty memorable 😉

It’s not the fault of the U.K. that you only get a measly 3 weeks holiday allowance. That’s the US for you.

You could rent a car, and done all sorts. You’re near theme parks, train to London etc