Holidays are just not worth the money

If you can afford it without it impacting your life, fine. If not, no

We do day trips instead which is so much cheaper although we do only get to see one smallish part of the country. A week at butlins would cost around £2000 all inclusive but a day trip there would be £60 plus whatever we would spend on lunch.

We didn't go on holiday or do anything when I was a kid because we were poor. It was fine, we had a happy childhood and made our own fun.

My children adore holidays and I spend a lot on experiences. I don't think it's a waste of money. Spent 5k on our summer holiday, for this year which will be a mix of pool and cocktails, beach and sight seeing. It's a lot but you can't put a price on snorkeling in the sea and seeing an octopus or experiencing different cultures and languages. I also spend a lot on theatre tickets and just paid an eyewatering amount for tickets for Olivia Rodrigo. DD will scream the house down when I surprise her with them. I can afford it, we get one life and the money isn't bringing much joy when it's sat in the bank.

Easily, I took DD to Paris for her birthday a few months ago. Lots of walking about and sight seeing. Breakfast was around £25pp but included this was added in as part of the hotel stay. Add in a nice fresh smoothie from a deli which were about £6 each. Easily spent more than £60 throughout the day stopping for coffee/drinks , pastries, chocolate shops etc. Then lunch was around £60 for just me and her, Dinner was around £70. This was stopping at nice places, really nice hotel with balcony and view of Eiffel tower so I definitely spent more for 2 nights in Paris than I do for 7-10 nights AI (especially factoring in the shopping and Jelly cat cafe 😅) There were cheaper options but we weren't particularly on a budget.

Edited to add didn't spend as much on alcohol as I was solo with DD but did have wine with dinner and the odd g&t

I totally share your feelings about value for money, OP. I absolutely hate the feeling of being ripped off and can’t enjoy myself as a result.

We only started taking the kids abroad once they reached secondary school and I have to say that I think a nice (not fancy) AI hotel absolutely IS value for money. It costs a fortune to feed these teenagers at home, never mind in a restaurant. Going to a water park is extortionate in the UK, especially if you factor in some snacking. Even having an ice cream or a cold drink at the beach is pricey. So to get all of that INCLUDED in the price seems great to me.
The teenagers are also constant shower people, so I switch off the hot water at home before setting off and think of all the money I’m saving while I’m away using the hotel facilities. And I also think of all the petrol I’m saving while I am living at a hotel village instead of driving about.
Im probably kidding myself but the cost of a holiday feels justified in my miserly little mind!

I agree a complete waste of money although we did holiday when our children were young. I
just don’t enjoy them anymore. Hate the whole airport experience, hate being stuck on a plane always with random man beside me who falls asleep and leans on me.

YANBU. When I see people taking their small kids on multiple foreign holidays per year and ngaf about their air miles, I sometimes wonder how treasured those memories will be once the kid grows up and has to live with the consequences of the climate crisis... I don't have kids, but I was taken on many holidays as a child and I can see the benefit I gained from it to an extent, but I also have well-rounded, imaginative, well-informed and intelligent friends who didn't have those opportunities and who have gained everything they could have taken from foreign holidays through other experiences.

I'm not trying to judge anyone who still flies - I used to take several holidays per year. However, we do all need to tread more lightly on this earth and holidaying in the UK is also a beautiful and very varied experience.

To me holidays are definitely worth the money, we have a great time having fun together in a different location and can get away from the normal business of work, school, nursery, household chores etc

@Tink3rbell30

hmm i dunno… no one I know does this

Oh gosh I live for holidays, I just love them & it's my biggest expense (other than the cost of running our home). We've done it all: camping, seaside caravan breaks, cottages, bell tents, Centre Parcs, cruises, city breaks, villas & 5* all inclusives and I've enjoyed every experience. My 18 year old son will tell you camping & Centre Parcs were his favourites.

It's very popular for some reason.

You don't, and I've had some wonderful UK breaks. I love a British holiday.

But... if you like the sort of holiday that OPs DC are asking for, which is warm sea and outdoor pool, it's by no means guaranteed. I still do UK breaks anyway, and have one planned for this summer, but no getting round that sometimes you do need to go abroad to make a particular type of memory.

I’m with you. I used to love holidays more than anything but find them an expensive anxiety fest these days. I have 2 ND children and trying to find something that suits everyone is impossible. DD is desperate for a holiday but my last trip abroad with her was difficult and I don’t really want to do it again. DS doesn’t really like travelling, and requires so many accommodations for his autism that is becomes a logistical nightmare. I end up making so many compromises that it’s me who has a shit time.

Yes, unless someone's specifically asking for advice on how to save money on holiday, the relevant point isn't whether they could do it cheaper, it's whether they're going to. AI very much does work out cheaper in some cases, particularly if you've a DC who would be eating off the adult menu in restaurants but still gets charged as a child/young person in an AI.

I agree!! Some of my best childhood memories are doing simple things that were either free or didn’t cost much. You don’t need to go abroad to make memories.

But that's for a family of five, presumably flights rake a chunk out of that

@Hayley1256

so you would spend £30 on snacks plus £30 on patisseries and also ice cream - all on top of three meals a day?! Nah, I don’t believe you!

My favourite holiday memories from childhood are staying in a caravan in North Devon, spending most days on the beach, eating sandy sandwiches & drinking orange squash.

We would have fish & chips on the last night (usually paid for by my grandma who used to come with us) and “easy teas” in the caravan the other nights. Grandma would also treat us to an ice cream or lolly most days.

Holidays for us are about rest, relaxation, seeing other parts of the country/world and having a break from everyday life. Me, DH, DS1 & DD went camping in Devon in May half term & had a fun week. Granted, even camping is much more expensive than it once was, but certainly more affordable than many holidays.

Ha yes, we did quite a lot of international holidays but the one they talk about most is when we went to Donegal in Ireland and they spent the whole afternoon digging a massive hole on the beach.

You definitely don’t need £500 a day. You might not like a pool or a beach holiday but I can guarantee you they will. You don’t need to eat out all the time. Bread, ham, cheese and tomatoes are usually easily available, as are croissants and pastries, and simple meals like pasta and sauce are devoured. A few nights out in local restaurants will cost money, but there are always pizza places and tavernas. Throw in an ice-cream every day and they’ll be as happy as clams.

We would eat and drink about the same (bar the chocolates). I don't go on holiday to cook and clean so even SC we would eat out all the time. It sounds like OP has priced up an AI holiday and I do think they work out better value

Some of our best family holidays have been in the UK either in a holiday cottage or caravan park. We have done luxury abroad, Disney etc but honestly we have amazing memories from some of our cheap and cheerful UK breaks.

That’s including total cost of the holiday.

eurocamp is not cheap as chips unless you are actually camping.
we just paid 1500 Euros for 5 days in a similar camp with aircon. That doesn’t include cleaning, transport to get there, or food or entertainment. Before you know it will be 3K for a week which is pretty much 500 per day

Right so not £3k plus spending £500 a day!

How are your mini breaks not holidays??

I feel like this too at times. I never seem to be able to find a holiday that suits us all for less than £5000 more if the older DC come too.
We don’t want to camp, drive, cook or share a bedroom. It’s expensive.