Do "most" people really have an annual foreign holiday?

[PreservativeFree]

Reading on here how many people feel their annual getaway is essential, I'm surprised.

In my imeadiate circle, I'd say less than half go abroad every year. My parents haven't been abroad in years, although they do travel a lot in UK and could certainly afford it if they wanted to.

My closest friends occasionally visit family in France but generally don't like to be away from home.

My sister goes camping in France about once every 3 years, when they can afford it.

We're at a fairly comfortable stage in life and have had foreign holidays but quite often choose the Lakes instead.

My boss, on a six figure salary, has a camper van and usually stays in UK.

My young adult children are more likely to do an activity holiday with friends in UK than a lads beach and booze holiday.

I also know quite a few people who won't fly for environmental reasons.

Obviously, I do know people who go abroad too, but in my circle I don't think "most" people go abroad every year, even those who comfortably could if they wanted to.

I've tried to find some stats, but failed. Does anyone know?

Everyone in my social circle in the UK does. In other coutries, not. We do go every summer (always to the same place for last 15 years, we are buying a plot of land there and will build a holiday house eventually).

"I also know quite a few people who won't fly for environmental reasons."

You don't have to fly to go abroad!
I always take the train to the continent.
I fly sometimes, but maybe once every 5 years.

We go to Jamaica every November, and tend to do a short haul in February (Morocco/Canary Islands).

I don't see it as "essential" though! And certainly have not moaned about not being able to go. It's a pandemic - tough shit!

Most people I know do go abroad every year.

I live in a low income area and most my friends have never been abroad, about 1/4th have but certainly not regularly some have only been once or twice in their life - no one from my circle has been long distance either just spain/portugal/france etc...

I do know old collegues and more middle class aqaintences that have been to places like thailand, australia and india but even then I dont think its annual.

I hadnt been abroad at all until my mid 20s and nothing has been 'annual', I took my kids away twice (one city break weakend, 1 for a week), took my husband away for his 30th (biggest holiday ever had) and had medical treatment in another country because the NHS didnt offer it and UK private care was far too much money and not very good.

We go for weekends away in the UK a lot though.

I usually go away in the UK in a caravan or lodge a couple of times a year at least, then to Germany in December, and have a proper two week international holiday every 2 or 3 years (Florida or South Africa usually). I used to work 3 jobs (and so did DH) to pay for our holidays, but over the years I have progressed in my career and don't need to do that. Since being widowed it's just me and (adult) DS so it's a lot cheaper, I don't think we could have done it if we had more children.

@Gwenhwyfar

I live in a small country on the continent. Most people I know go to a foreign country (of course to us that can just mean a train over the border with no checks) MULTIPLE times a year.

Foreign holidays from the UK have been cheap since the 70s. For a single person with no car, they are MUCH CHEAPER than going by train to another part of your own country and long coach journeys are hard for some people so I disagree with those who think a foreign holiday is a luxury. I can afford Ryan Air more easily than a British train.

Sadly this is true. And it's not just the travelling costs that are higher within the UK; the same applies to prices for accomodation, food and attractions. Yesterday at a National Trust café: £3.50 for one meagre sausage roll. I'd rather have a nice plate of tapas in Spain for the same amount of money.

"Another thing about mumsnet holiday threads is that everyone is a "traveller" who loves exploring & experiencing new cultures. No one fesses up to being the holiday maker that lies on the beach for 2 wks!*

Ha! We will do maybe 2 day trips in Jamaica, and the rest of the time we are lazy slobs. We grab an ice cold beer around 11am, and play all of the silly games that are laid on. Nice lunch with some wine. Then a nap on the sunbeds. Cocktails in the afternoon with some beach games. Then get ready for a night of fun. The Jamaican entertainment is fantastic, normally a really good show, an outside disco on the beach, then a nightclub is open till the small hours. Most guests are from the UK, Canada and America. We always make new friends.

Vast majority of people I know would go abroad at least once a year, if not more.

We would typically have a 1-2 week summer holiday and a weekend away in the winter, usually somewhere with Christmas markets.

Yeah, I'd say most people I know do go abroad for their annual holiday. They range from self-catering to AI but non-UK is much preferred to UK. Weather, cost, being somewhere different/foreign, the sense of travel.

Obviously, not this year. We've done our share of UK breaks and I'm running out of places I'm really interested in visiting. We camped in France as kids as well as my dad refused to holiday in the UK.

Sadly this is true. And it's not just the travelling costs that are higher within the UK; the same applies to prices for accomodation, food and attractions. Yesterday at a National Trust café: £3.50 for one meagre sausage roll. I'd rather have a nice plate of tapas in Spain for the same amount of money

I agree. FIL has a villa in Spain, in a non touristy town. He has 6 Tapas and 6 glasses of wine every Friday night - cost .....7 Euro! A bottle of wine from the supermarket starts at 39p. The cost of stuff in the UK is ridiculous. Our local restaurant is fabulous, but FFS, a bottle of wine starts at £19. I can see why people retire to Spain.

@Bluedeblue

"Another thing about mumsnet holiday threads is that everyone is a "traveller" who loves exploring & experiencing new cultures. No one fesses up to being the holiday maker that lies on the beach for 2 wks!*

Ha! We will do maybe 2 day trips in Jamaica, and the rest of the time we are lazy slobs. We grab an ice cold beer around 11am, and play all of the silly games that are laid on. Nice lunch with some wine. Then a nap on the sunbeds. Cocktails in the afternoon with some beach games. Then get ready for a night of fun. The Jamaican entertainment is fantastic, normally a really good show, an outside disco on the beach, then a nightclub is open till the small hours. Most guests are from the UK, Canada and America. We always make new friends.

I’m happy to say I’m not a “traveller”. 2 weeks of being horizontal in the sun is my idea of heaven, and I’m not ashamed of it

I’m happy to say I’m not a “traveller”. 2 weeks of being horizontal in the sun is my idea of heaven, and I’m not ashamed of it

Good for you, I enjoy it too. Absolutely no reason to be ashamed, no idea why others put it down. I'm just as happy doing nothing but concentrating on the tan as I am trekking.

Before I’m called ignorant I know a Pompey hence the auto correct.

I booked Pompeii of course blush

Not knowing anything about Mary Beard, or her work, seemed just as likely you’d book a visit to historic Pompey. That’s actually what I thought you meant!

Having family abroad means holidays / annual leave I would
Prefer to travel and see them but can't afford to do that annually. The cost of a UK holiday looks a similar price without that the guarantee of
Hot weather. We usually don't go anywhere but if we manage Europe it is an all inclusive booked at the last minute

In my circle yes most people have a holiday abroad most years.

In my work team the only person who doesn't is the most senior, they have a couple of UK breaks but go abroad less frequently. They also have three school age kids which probably explains it. The others vary from cheap all inclusive sunshine holidays for young families or single 20 somethings, more glamorous luxury breaks for the couple with a grown up child, some fairly full on activity holidays and cultural sightseeing holidays.

My parents go away more than once a year, health permitting. My sister goes abroad once a year most years. We normally have one abroad holiday and one UK.

My friends vary from the one who has access to a family property abroad and typically goes away 3 or sometimes more times a year to others who rarely leave the UK. I would say those who go abroad at least once a year are the majority though.

Travelling is a big priority for me. DP has a very time consuming hobby which takes up several weekends every year (in normal times, obv) so I usually go away to city break type places. I love travelling on my own with nobody to please but myself.

We also usually take two ‘proper’ foreign holidays each year, one in May or June and one in September or October. Next on the list when the world gets back to normal are Calabria / Sicily and Boston / Cape Cod. We don’t like resorts or places which are full of British tourists.

Of course all this costs money, but there are lots of things that other people spend fortunes on that IDGAF about, eg interior decor, fashion, beauty treatments, handbags, spa days, shoes, the latest iPhone etc etc.

Yes. Also most friends, family & colleagues too. I'd say most go on at least one holiday abroad some go on a few. We used to go 2 holidays abroad before the kids but usually just one since the kids came along pre covid.

We usually go 3 times a year

I don’t know about most people but we have three
Couldn’t afford more than one with children to pay for
We only managed two last year and I’d happily settle for one uncomplicated one this year

@AgeLikeWine

Travelling is a big priority for me. DP has a very time consuming hobby which takes up several weekends every year (in normal times, obv) so I usually go away to city break type places. I love travelling on my own with nobody to please but myself.

We also usually take two ‘proper’ foreign holidays each year, one in May or June and one in September or October. Next on the list when the world gets back to normal are Calabria / Sicily and Boston / Cape Cod. We don’t like resorts or places which are full of British tourists.

Of course all this costs money, but there are lots of things that other people spend fortunes on that IDGAF about, eg interior decor, fashion, beauty treatments, handbags, spa days, shoes, the latest iPhone etc etc.

Agree We have cheap cars House is nice but not flash Spare money goes on sheer enjoyment, including travel

@dorangme

I’m happy to say I’m not a “traveller”. 2 weeks of being horizontal in the sun is my idea of heaven, and I’m not ashamed of it

Good for you, I enjoy it too. Absolutely no reason to be ashamed, no idea why others put it down. I'm just as happy doing nothing but concentrating on the tan as I am trekking.

People are just so happy to be judgemental! Including a friend of mine who enjoys lying in the sun for two weeks who tells me I can't have had a 'proper holiday' with all the walking and sightseeing I enjoy when discovering a new place, so it works both ways. I love lying in the sun too, just not all day every day, so it's a balance for us. Each to their own, holidays are meant to be relaxing and enjoyable and that means different things to different people.

interior decor, fashion, beauty treatments, handbags, spa days, shoes, the latest iPhone etc

But then again, for those who don't have the money, they won't have been buying those things either...

I know families who go abroad for most of the half term holidays and at Easter plus two weeks in the summer and often at Xmas too ( they are very wealthy though) It seems the norm to go away at least three times a year in my social circle.

We usually have a holiday abroad during either Easter or May half term and October half term.

DS has gone skiing in Feb half term with school twice now so the rest of us went away somewhere hot while he was away.

We do a two week camping trip in the UK every summer though because we love it. Off to Wales this year.

We don't do all inclusive when we go abroad as we've found we don't enjoy it - we can usually find cheap easy jet flights and some basic self catering accommodation in a gorgeous quiet location so we keep the costs down that way.

Travel is a top priority for us so Covid is making us very miserable indeed.

@AbsolutelyPatsy

whatever subject there are always posters taking offence, bah,

Then don't make stupid generalisations.

OP, to answer your question, my annual holiday abroad is the Primavera Sound music festival in Barcelona - not only does it always have a decent line-up, but Barcelona is one of my favourite cities. It got moved to 2022 because of COVID, I'm really hoping it'll go ahead next year. There are a few countries I'd like to visit but it depends on money and, of course, COVID.

Other than that, I don't really go abroad on my own much as it's a bit stressful trying to organise everything. I went on holiday with my mum to Munich a few years ago though.