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Original poster

Is it wrong to never holiday abroad?

71 replies

chickenflicking · 06/08/2019 10:32

We always take our DC on holiday every year to somewhere in the UK. However, they are becoming more aware that their friends go abroad on planes, and they want to do that too. I'm starting to feel guilty, as I know that when I was a child, we never went abroad and I always felt that I was missing out.

I don't particularly like going abroad (the heat, but also because I'm quite a boring homebody) but I am willing to take them. We have savings, but when I look into it, I find holidays for upwards of £3000 and I find it hard to justify how long it took to save with one week in the sun!

I think I should do it to give the DC the experience and memories, so I need a different mindset about justifying the cost! A lot of people spend this every year on a holiday, after all, don't they? Please give me your opinions - I sort of need to be persuaded that it's worth it!

OP posts:
JoJoSM2 · 06/08/2019 16:13

No point in the summer holidays as the U.K. is warm anyway. Maybe October or Feb half terms?

We used to go to the south of Spain in the spring and it was cheap as chips + there’s lovely sightseeing to do too.

WitsEnding · 06/08/2019 16:17

I stuck to UK holidays for mine because I wanted them to have that experience and love of the English countryside and coast. They wanted to go abroad too, but they never wanted to go abroad instead.

BarbaraofSeville · 06/08/2019 16:20

Of course it's not wrong. If you can't afford it, you can't afford it.

But you could get a foreign holiday for well under £3k, but you have to think outside the 'week in the sun in a AI hotel' box. A city break or self catering would be substantially cheaper.

Or if they just want to go on a plane, you could fly to Ireland, or somewhere like the Isle of Man, or the Channel Islands. And you wouldn't need passports, which is a big expense and presumably the DC at least don't have?

(If you do go to Ireland, check the passport situation, because while I think UK citizens can go to Ireland without a passport, you probably need one if you're going there on Ryanair - or the adults will at least).

Yodude · 06/08/2019 16:20

It would be much better for the environment and for the next generation's future if everyone holidayed somewhere close to home. If you don't want to go abroad don't go flying your whole family about because you feel you should.

coconuttelegraph · 06/08/2019 16:24

Of course it's not wrong, that's obvious isn't it?

You can afford what you can afford, your dc have their whole lives to work hard to pay for their own holidays, the world isn't going anywhere

Chocolatedaim · 06/08/2019 16:57

We go abroad every year and never spend that much money. We will go out of six weeks though, so I’m May, Easter or October half terms. Tend to go to south of France, we often get flights for Biarritz for as little as £40 each, book an air bnb and do some cooking for our selves.
Ever other year we then go somewhere long haul, and then we spend about £3k on flights and accommodation

timeforakinderworld · 06/08/2019 17:00

It's not wrong of course but I do think children benefit from seeing foreign countries. We don't fly though so haven't been that far!

megletthesecond · 06/08/2019 17:02

I've not taken mine abroad. Due to cost and food allergies.
I feel like they are missing out and we should at least visit Paris and Rome but I don't know if it'll ever happen.

Pinkout · 06/08/2019 17:02

Nope not wrong but a lot of UK trips are equally as expensive as ones abroad imo. We spent a week in the Lake District last week and that was 100% as much as we’d spend in a European city.

notacooldad · 06/08/2019 17:03

Yanbu for not wanting to abroad.
Your reasons for not wanting to go are flawed though.
I struggle in the heat and I havent spent that much on a family holiday apart from long haul ones to see family.

maddy68 · 06/08/2019 17:05

It's certainly not wrong but it depends on your type of holiday. I do think that children benefit from mixing with other cultures and cuisine but an all inclusive hotel in Spain is unlikely to offer that so swings and roundabouts

Mrsbclinton · 06/08/2019 17:08

I didnt go abroad till I was 18.

Growing up we holidayed in our country and honestly I dont feel I missed out. My parents didnt have the money to bring us abroad.

Once I started earning I went on loads of trips and holidays.

You are bringing your kids on a holiday so they are experiencing a holiday.

There are loads of places/ types of hoildays you could manage on a budget of less than 3000, if you really want to bring your kids abroad.

Kanga83 · 06/08/2019 18:20

I've not taken mine abroad, they love the UK and it's always an adventure as we mix the week away up. Also and the insurance for the health is ridiculous. I see no need to take small children on a plane then expect other passengers to be sympathetic to their noise etc. the UK has so many wonderful places to visit. The money we save by not going abroad we use on weekends away throughout the year/clear some extra mortgage off.

whingeygingy · 06/08/2019 18:37

Lived in a seaside resort that lost a caravan camp due to lease not being renewed it's a ghost town now😰😰

Chocolate35 · 06/08/2019 18:48

It’s obviously not wrong, you holiday as you please. I’ve holidayed in the UK but IMO it doesn’t compare to our holidays abroad. Yes, they are expensive and we literally save all year to be able to afford it but I think it’s worth it. But I love the heat and life experience has taught me that you can’t rely on the UK for hot weather. I want around 35 degrees, a nice beach and pool and no cooking. Each to their own.

Pillowcased · 06/08/2019 18:55

I don't particularly like going abroad (the heat, but also because I'm quite a boring homebody) but I am willing to take them. We have savings, but when I look into it, I find holidays for upwards of £3000 and I find it hard to justify how long it took to save with one week in the sun!

Of course it's not 'wrong', and it's commendable from an environmental POV. However, your mentions of heat and 'a week in the sun' suggest that you see 'going abroad' solely in terms of a sun holiday somewhere hot. It's not compulsory, you know -- you can keep it cheap and go to cooler places. I've lived all over the world and I've never done a beach holiday, because it's really not my thing, and I also don't care for heat.

You could get the Eurostar to Paris (or indeed several other destinations) cheaply if you book long enough ahead for a non-peak time, or investigate cheap flights to German Christmas markets. One set of friends friends have just taken their teenagers to Copenhagen on an apartment/house swap, and another set are going to Oslo soon with their children. We had a brilliant family holiday in Amsterdam in an Air BnB and then toured around the Netherlands by train a couple of years ago. We've also done walking holidays in France, and in Switzerland, and our son's favourite place is Berlin, which is also nice for surrounding nature and lakes, if you don't want to spend all your time in a city.

BenWillbondsPants · 06/08/2019 18:55

Of course it's not 'wrong'.

Neither of my kids particularly like the heat and would be bored stiff sitting on a beach or by a pool so that kind of holiday is a definite no for us.

It's nice to experience other countries and cultures of course but it's not an essential part of life. I didn't go abroad until I was 20 and have since been to many fantastic places, though still prefer to holiday in the UK.

reluctantbrit · 06/08/2019 18:58

A week in the sun is not the only way to do a holiday aboard.

We do one every year in addition to holidays in the UK. If the main one is a UK one we do a city break abroad or the other way round.

We had lovely holidays in Germany and France. Before kids DH and I would go to Italy, Greece, Denmark and Sweden, I had lots of holidays in the Netherlands and DD and I had a great city break in Amsterdam.

Friends swear that a cruise is a great way to do it, my idea of hell but everyone is different.

We went long haul as well as I think it is good for children to see other cultures. AI is more for convenience as we always get out and see and do things.

Nextphonewontbesamsung · 06/08/2019 19:10

Try not to let "being a boring homebody" restrict the experiences you could have as a family. Your dc might possibly resent you for that in the future. I have also found that UK holidays can be just as expensive as going abroad.

SunflowerKitty · 06/08/2019 19:16

I didn't go abroad much as a child. We mostly went to places in the UK, and I have lots of lovely memories of those.

Your kids are not missing out - there's plenty of time when they're older to go abroad. I've been to almost 40 countries in the last 15 years or so since leaving home.

museumum · 06/08/2019 19:25

How olds are your kids? I didn’t go abroad till I was 17 and I wish I’d gone sooner. I think I’d have had more interest in languages if I’d been to France or Germany. I’d like to have been on a plane with my parents first (at 17 I went with the scouts). If I could afford it I’d take the kids at around age 10/11 to at least see France (doesn’t have to be hot).

StarlightLady · 06/08/2019 19:31

It’s not wrong, it’s your oersonal choice.

But should you decide to go, don’t just look at packages. Look at flight only prices and hotel price comparison sights. You could save yourself lots of money.

Also if you are in the South East, look at Eurostar and ongoing connections.

bebeboeuf · 06/08/2019 19:33

No not wrong at all
I prefer Uk holidays though.
And I actually find Uk holidays cost more than going to Europe

HermioneWeasley · 06/08/2019 19:38

It’s not “wrong” but I think it’s a shame for kids never to experience other cultures, to hear foreign languages understand how rich the world is.

As others have said, you can do city breaks quite cheaply via Eurostar or cheap flights which will give them the experience

Witchend · 06/08/2019 19:54

We have only done UK holidays. In fact we looked this year at one a bit further afield and had an outcry form the teens who had ideas for Uk places.

I don't think they miss out though. As far as I can see it means going and sitting by the pool in a different country, which gives you not an awful lot of culture, and ours would rather go somewhere and do lots of different activities.

We usually get a last minute holiday for 5, self-catering for less than £300. There's still plenty of places in the UK we'd like to go at some point.