AIBU to think fewer work hours mean I no longer need abroad holidays

@zymbiotic don’t overthink it.

Working 80 hours a week likely made you feel that you deserved an extravagant holiday with all the hours you put in, otherwise what’s it all for.

Working 50 hours, you now can enjoy a work / life balance without the need for excessive trips constantly. Staycations give you just as much enjoyment now as overseas ones did prior.

How about a different type of holiday? I love visiting European cities, going to museums and galleries. Seeing the sights.

It depends what you want from a holiday. I like the sea, swimming and rockpooling, but I don't want to spend all the time sitting by a pool reading and drinking.

I like walking around looking at countryside or interesting buildings, and going round castles, museums, galleries. I'm currently on holiday in the UK, and I've been round one castle and two museums today - this would bore some people, but I'm doing things I like. I do the same sort of thing in other countries, too. (Just haven't renewed my recently expired passport.)

Life would probably be rather dull if we all wanted the same thing.

I only work 25 hours a week and go on holiday as often as possible

No one needs foreign holidays and it's not linked to how many hours a week you work

Unemployed people can want and enjoy them as much as anyone with a job

If you don't want to go abroad then don't go, you don't need permission

Nothing wrong with UK holidays, better for the environment and less airport hassle. Don't see why you shouldn't relax just as much wherever you go.

If that's what your expecting for yourself its likely to be true. Hopefully your finances will allow you a holiday when you need/want it regardless.

Personally, a big change for me was buying my own home rather than renting. I've put so much time and effort into making it nice that I genuinely enjoy a week of annual leave spent at home rather than travelling sometimes.

Also, we can just change as we get older, so that travelling or anything you once loved may have less appeal.

I think it’s probably also to do with the fact we had such a hot summer here. So you could reliably do a few days on the coast here and it would be lovely.

Regardless of how many hours I work if we have a rainy and dreary autumn and winter I’ll be craving a bit of sun at some point. I wouldn’t find a rainy British holiday relaxing so worth the flight for me.

I appreciate if we keep having hot summers my view on this may change but it’s unlikely we will.

I’m the same. I stay in the Uk and go abroad. Abroad is a holiday, the UK is considered a ‘Break’. To me I have to be somewhere completely different. Not necessarily language but just somewhere not British. It is the only way I can truly relax as when in the uk I can’t switch off from the stresses of normal life.

Gosh I live for my 2 - 3 week break a year and only do a 40 hour week. I have to get away to somewhere far far away. But everyone is different so do whatever works for you.

45-50 hours is in excess of full time so I wouldn't ever work that many anyway

YABU because how relaxing a holiday is isn't dependent on where it is whether it's in your own house, away in your own country, a nearby foreign country or the other side of the world. Any type of holiday can be relaxing or full on. It's all a break from work and mostly a change of scene.no

Nor is an overseas holiday necessarily more expensive than one in the UK. We generally go to Europe for a mix of sightseeing, activities and beach/sea swimming and its probably cheaper than similar holidays in the UK.

Have the holidays you want but no need to justify them or not according to irrelevant criteria.

Nobody needs to go on holidays abroad. Maybe you no longer feel the urge to go because you’ve cut down your work hours, maybe you would have become less interested in them anyway. I used to love travelling but have completely lost interest in going abroad over the last five years or so, in my mind it feels like more hassle to get there than it’s worth. At some point maybe I’ll be interested in holidaying abroad again but right now I’m happier staying in the UK. If you’re happy with how you
spend your days off then that’s all that matters.

It's a preference.

I NEEDED my expensive overseas hols even on maternity leave, I don't need to have a job to NEED my holidays 😂

Other people believe holidays and going abroad is a chore. It's just preference.

I love going abroad but some of the best holidays I have had have been UK ones. Of course you do have to be lucky with the weather. I'm sure they sell rose in Norfolk. You could almost certainly hire somewhere with a private pool.

For me, the big difference is having children. I still work long hours (although not as long as early in my career) and I’d love to spend every day of annual leave on holiday, preferably abroad, but it’s not really practical when you need to cover school holidays etc. I still feel it’s a waste if I take a day of annual leave and spend it at home!

Why are you working such long hours still? How many does your contract say? Is it all overtime? Do you need the money? Id be cutting hours right back so you have more free time. 35-37 is normal, full time.

We all find different ways to relax, mine involves getting on a plane

Depends so much on where you live and whether you like your life. I like traveling but I actually like where I live, people actually pay to come and stay in my town, we have the things people pay to travel to right here so I don’t feel the same need to get away and can enjoy most the aspects of holidays bar weather (this summer was great though) and different things/cultures/sightseeing opportunities.

we take fewer nicer holidays basically

45-50hrs is still a punishing workload, but yanbu. Tbh I find the stress of getting somewhere overseas in order to RELAX is very stressful and I much prefer a UK break in an airbnb where I can get a familiar selection of meal-prep deliveries and don't have to navigate the complexities of life in a foreign country

I work 35hrs and still dream of holidays.

To me a holiday is not in the UK. I spent my childhood on UK holidays. A holiday involves a villa, a private pool and a fridge full of Rose.

But if you are happy with Norfolk go for it!

This switched for me when I moved house from somewhere that was “fine” to somewhere I really love and am able to relax in, so I didn’t feel the need to go away to relax.

Why do you work such long hours? I work 35 hours and still enjoy holidays abroad. Maybe you are burnt out.

It's more than full time but whatever works for you.

Each to their own. However 40 - 50 hours is still a lot - I work 35 hours and very much enjoy both abroad and UK holidays.

However I go holiday to explore and discover - I have a toddler so relaxation is very limited. If you have relaxation in mind, I would find a staycation more comfortable than the stress of long haul travel.

45-50 hours a week is loads!