Holidays are just not worth the money

Nobody "needs" to go overseas. Rent a cottage in the UK. Let the children run free. Take ready meals with you so you don't have to cook all the time. Be beside a pub so you can have an odd pub meal. @Phonicshaskilledmeoff

Haha that too.

I love travelling and think my trips are worth every penny. I spend ages planning and researching places to go.

But that's me. There's nothing wrong with thinking differently.

Your problem is obviously that your dc like holidays. If you want them to have that experience perhaps look at the positives about the holiday. If it's really just that you don't think they're good value for money try to look at what they get out of it. Sounds like you have lovely dc who like to travel. I'd say the cost is well worth it to encourage that.

Ah, I've told this little anecdote on here before (so quick name change!) but it's one of my favourite memories and has become a family saying...

my little one at 2 years old splashing about in a pool on a family holiday. He turns to me and with a big happy sigh says 'Oh! We is having a lovely time"

We was having a lovely time (I mean, we were at Disney, which might be the 5th circle of hell to some tbf!), but those memories shape you (even if he can't actually remember the specifics!)

No, a holiday is a trip abroad. I have a day off coming up, because I have an appointment. That’s not a holiday is it?

A trip in the UK is just that. A trip in the UK. Perfectly nice, but not a real holiday.

For my family there is nothing that disposable income can buy that is more valuable than travel.

Can’t say we agree in this house! We are going to Turkey in two weeks what I paid for it is expensive to me maybe not to others but it’s a week of pure relaxing, no choices being made and not being hounded for ice creams and juice because they can just go and help themselves.

Eurocamp on the other hand wouldn’t be worth the money. It’s too much work.

I agree op. I’m not a fan. Don’t like it too hot, don’t see the point of flying miles away to sit around a pool don’t like the beach.
Like sightseeing though.
Id like two weeks at home in my own.

a holiday is a break from work.

Because that’s what a holiday is? A trip in the UK just isn’t the same

Cost is the main reason we've never had a family holiday abroad but this year we've cut back and saved and we're off in the summer (self catering, 2 weeks, x5 of us and it cost £5k 😮)

No way we'll be spending £500 a day though, that's insane!!

We've waited until the kids are at an age they'll be able to appreciate it (and not moan about the heat / need constant 1:1 supervision) so hopefully it will be a break for us too.

I don’t know. I love holidays abroad. For me sweet spot is 5K for a week for family of 4, above that should be REALLY worth it. Eg ski holiday.

I just don’t live spending money on Uk holidays 😀😀😀

Strange post. School children are allowed far more than 2 weeks of each year already - 6 weeks in the summer, 2 at Christmas, 2 at Easter, 3 half terms.

You mean 2 weeks off in term time as well dont you? With some sketchy idea of the parets "catching the child (yeah right)@. And why would the teacher need 2 months notice unless you're expecting them to bend their teaching schedule around the arrangements of every family who decides to take their child out?

OP try adding up what you spend in a normal summer holiday week in the UK and subtract that from the cost in your head, I find that helps!

Too late now, but in future have a separate savings pot dedicated to holidays that you try to forget exists.

I agree that even the cheapest holidays (Ryanair flights, euro camp accom) are coming in £3k+ for the summer, it is a lot but the memories are worth it.

As the thread shows, by the time you pay for flights and accommodation for a family of five, especially if it’s a package, the total cost can easily mean you’ve effectively paid £500 per day of travel.

We were broke for a long time when ds was young, essentially his school years until he was 14. We did family rooms in youth hostels and camping. We had some really, really good times. We did once save up for three years to go to Rome for a week, and it was really amazing. But there were only three of us. Still, I’d say do holidays that don’t make you sick with the cost because they do still exist, just about.

I assume op means the total cost being 500 per night. Rather than spending money.

I've booked something expensive this year and am trying not to think about it that way.. we can afford it, so spend a % of our income doing things like holidays.

this. why does holiday=abroad?

It sounds like you all have a good time so you do see the value in that sense. Do you think you could be concerned about finances generally or with the price of things rising?

Seems to me you pick the wrong sort of holiday. Loved ours when dds were young, but they were water babies so anywhere with warm sea and a warm pool was their heaven. (Dh and I loved the sea, too.).
We didn’t do ‘culture’ when they were children.

The trouble is that uk holiday weather is so unpredictable which is why people go abroad. Such a shame really as there are some Beutiful places to visit many of which outshine some of the places we have been when abroad. But Greece here we come in September!

Oh I'm the total opposite I think they are worth every penny. We all love holidays and the break away from the normal daily grind of work/school and cleaning/cooking. We have a great time together.

Don't be so sure! My DC are all adults now, and there's not been a year yet that I haven't been away with one or all of them and GC too. The combinations might change, so city break with just DS2, big extended family with everyone, DD, me and DGC etc. But the foundations of travel being enriching and a family bonding experience have lasted. DD and I talk about the cruises we will go on when she's retired and I'll be in my 80s!

“Going on holiday” is like saying “eating out”, there are infinite ways to do it and not all of them involve sitting in a villa. Surely the key is to find the things you enjoy doing and do that! For some people that will involve climbing up Mount Etna and for others it will mean flopping by a swimming pool. Holidays are about history, culture, cuisine, exercise, geography, wildlife, architecture, whatever you want them to be.

My parents used to take us youth hostelling or camping, even once on a road trip in the USA where we slept in dodgy motels, all on a shoestring, and it opened my eyes to a world beyond our Home Counties cul de sac.

This can’t be real - who the fuck spends £500 a day during a holiday?

We had a number of AI holidays when our kids were young that were a total waste of money. Sunbed wars being the absolute drain of the holiday in particular. I’m sure the kids enjoyed it but kids will enjoy anything.

I think camping or caravanning is probably the cheapest and best thing you can do for primary aged children. They love it. Although it’s hard work for the adults.

Hot holidays work better the more exclusive and the more you pay. Agree with the villa suggestion but again, that requires villa money.

I totally get you op.