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Original poster

Family holidays

65 replies

SweetPeaPods · 10/02/2019 09:33

I was close to putting this in AIBU but probably more of a moan.
How to families afford to go abroad? DH and I both work full time. Both earn professional level salaries (read middle bracket) and we haven’t had a proper holiday since before we had the dc 6 years ago. Don’t get me wrong I know some great holidays can be had in the UK and the dc as yet have nothing to compare too. But I would love a week away in the sun, and we just can’t justify the price. Am I looking in the wrong places? DH insists he will not pay £5k for us to have a week in Spain but we are restricted to school holidays. Is it better savings throughout the year and booking years in advance?

OP posts:

SimplyPut · 10/02/2019 10:54

Nursery fees are a huge drain on finances.why not have a small break this year then a bigger one when nursery fees are no longer part of the equation?

minesthecutest · 10/02/2019 10:56

We went to Valencia last may for 4 of us for 6 nights and it cost £2000. we stayed in a very decent hotel and ate out everyday.
It doesn't have to cost a lot and to be fair I'd have been happier in a smaller hotel room as long as it was clean!
The holiday was about seeing Valencia and having fun on beach.

minesthecutest · 10/02/2019 10:57

posted too soon. we get cheap flights because is it worth paying a lot more for 2 hours on a plane? no. use that money you've saved towards the hotel or days out.

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Holidays

SimplyPut · 10/02/2019 10:58

Jet2 are worth a look. Price includes luggage and transfers.

SerendipityReally · 10/02/2019 10:59

We don't spend anywhere like £5k. £3k for a smaller AI place with local miniclub and excellent food reviews on Tripadvisor. We went a bit cheaper last year, £2.5k AI in Majorca and that was a bit more 'brits abroad' but we still had a nice time. We get a 1 bed apartment, not a shared hotel room, always AI, and we buy package deals, so we're being v mainstream and not doing anything clever. We are really careful with dates - last time I saved £700 by travelling back on an INSET day. We've found May half term tends to be more expensive than summer hols.

If you are looking at the holiday village type places, that's a bit more, but most hotels have some stuff going on without paying the premium and we prefer slightly less british-dominated places.

You're right though, we only stretched to holidays abroad once our youngest was about 6 and we'd recovered from paying years of nursery fees.

Gribbie · 10/02/2019 11:00

I know you didn’t want self catering but how about centreparcs Europe or Eurocamp and eat out a lot?

mizu · 10/02/2019 11:00

We are going on holiday abroad for the 1st time in 12 years this summer 10 days.

We don't earn a huge amount but have managed it by putting some away each month for the last year. Had already booked the flights by Jan and have just booked accommodation. Has cost about £2000 so far but we are going further than Europe. To be fair, the accommodation is now on the credit card (£600) but will pay off £200 a month now for 3 months.

I am squirrelling away a bit each week - leaves me with not much at all for extras.

No idea how people afford it every year, I just presume they earn more than we do.

Depends on lots of things, I'm quite savvy with money but we bought our 1st home last year and the mortgage is more than our rent ever was. Don't know if we'll be able to go on another holiday abroad next year.

Original poster

SweetPeaPods · 10/02/2019 11:00

May half term is same price as the week in the summer I’m looking at.
Sadly all airports around are the same price. Just some have slightly better flight times or availability.
Might try again next summer and see if we can borrow a friends caravan in Yorkshire then we’ll just need site fees and hope the weather isn’t really bad!

OP posts:

Lookingforadvice123 · 10/02/2019 11:01

Following for the holiday tips

Notthatsimple · 10/02/2019 11:10

I HEAR YOU!

And we have three DCs. And we don’t want to have anyone sleeping on a bloody sofa in the lounge.

eatingtomuch · 10/02/2019 11:13

We went al inclusive to Cuba in the school holidays for £3000. Never paid £5000 for one week. Where are you looking!

merrybloominchristmas · 10/02/2019 11:19

We've got 4 if us going to a villa with a private pool for 2 weeks in Greece for 3 .5k

You need to do more research

mnahmnah · 10/02/2019 11:22

We go at Easter. Easter hols are different for each LA so can be cheaper if you go for 10 days and look around different days and airports. Jet2 are good price wise

PenguinPandas · 10/02/2019 11:22

I can understand wanting to go AI with 2 nursery age kids, we did at that age and made things very easy. You should be able to get 2 weeks AI for that price with TUI / First Choice etc in the summer especially if go right at the end. The holidays are to places like Spain and are not great cultural experiences (though can do trips out) but are about kids having fun and adults having a break - in summer they are very hot so go somewhere with good pools. The First Choice Holiday Village range is good at that age. Magic Natura is nice - there's a wildlife park and waterpark on site.

We are going to Norway this year and flights with Ryanair even adding in 2 suitcases and seating both ways are around £350 for all 4 of us. Novosol has houses for around £100 a night for 4 some with 14 nights for price of 10. You can also fly in and out of Bergen for bit more which is right on fjords - staying in Bergen is serious money but if you stay 1 hour out around say Tysse like we are, we have one for £100 a night, view of fjords, own boat, trampoline etc and that's 14 nights for price of 10. There are reindeer, moose etc and beautiful train and boat rides - Flam etc. Its somewhere I would go when kids are older but just to show you there are different things out there. I do wonder if you have more of a husband problem than a holiday issue though . Somewhere warmer we did Porto Mare Apartments in Maderia which has pools and food on site, can do dolphin watching etc, botanical gardens.

treadcarefull · 10/02/2019 11:23

Where a have you got 5k from?! Have you looked at child free places? Also, why are you restricted to school Holidays? How many & how old are your DC?

mnahmnah · 10/02/2019 11:24

Posted too soon. We’re doing 10 days all inclusive in Gran Canaria this Easter, two adults two children. £2400. Same place we went last year so we know it’s great. East Midlands cheaper than Manchester, going on the Tuesday cheaper than the Wednesday etc.

PenguinPandas · 10/02/2019 11:24

May half term tends to be vicious for prices as there's only one week and a Bank Holiday and good weather in Europe. Easter is much better value but summer going into first week of September often offers very good value.

Knackeredmommy · 10/02/2019 11:25

Booked this summers hol in September last year. Jet2 to Canary islands for 2K. That's all inclusive 1 teen, 1 child. The earlier you book, the better.

thismeansnothing · 10/02/2019 11:26

£5k sounds alot.

We've only had a couple of holidays abroad but each time paid around £1500 for a European all inclusive for a week for me DH and DD. We tend to go may holidays when it's a bit cheaper, taken later in the day flight times makes a difference too. We don't reserve seats and never had an issue of not sitting together. We also book a good 12-18 month in advance so we can spread the cost out.

PenguinPandas · 10/02/2019 11:27

Or how about going without the husband, that will keep both costs and moaning down?

Mmmmbrekkie · 10/02/2019 11:27

What’s your income?
Because I’m baffled you can’t afford on your OP

I’m taking my two primary children to Caribbean next week. 2 days off school (unauthorised but headteacher wished us a lovely holiday). 7 nights five star, all inclusive, BA flights - £3120

Then 6 nights bang in school holidays in menorca in beautiful 2 bed apartment - £1200 for flights and accom

ZenNudist · 10/02/2019 11:29

Im flying friday to Tuesday and Wednesday to Sunday for the 2 hols i booked this year. I choose whole month on skyscanner then look for cheapest flight days. I dont do inconvenient times. I am flexible around where im going to choose best flights.

Are you teachers? Otherwise no way would i go in school hols with preschoolers. Enjoy the cheaper hols whilst you still can.

Original poster

SweetPeaPods · 10/02/2019 11:33

Ds1 is in year 2. I don’t have the annual leave to go on holiday out of term time as I would still need to cover the school holidays for child care.

OP posts:

Nearlyadoctor · 10/02/2019 11:34

If you’re middle income bracket and 1dc is at school , the other has 30 free hours childcare I assume you must have an above average mortgage / clearing debts to not be able to afford to go abroad ( not necessarily 5K worth) From reading your pp it sounds like you’ve got your heart set on a particular hotel etc in Spain as other posters have pointed out lots of other options it’s not only 5K or a borrowed caravan in Yorkshire that are on offer .

DisgraceToTheYChromosome · 10/02/2019 11:42

We did a fortnight in Malta SC for 3k for 4 adults, and that was flying out of Heathrow in daylight. The only thing was ate indoors was breakfast. Even with DSIL's appetite, we probably didn't spend more than another grand while we there.

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