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?

I feel the same as soreen. We’re doing it this year, for obvious reasons, and we’ve so far lucked out with the weather but it’s not what I want from a holiday personally. Though I tried to do a Sainsbury’s shop to emulate posh hotel breakfasts abroad, so I can at least open the fridge to find posh Greek yoghurt, fresh juices, good bread etc. I ought to keep this up at home, it’s been lovely.

It'd take me 6 hours to drive to Cornwall, about the same to the Lakes. Then driving everywhere and extortionate parking when you get there .

No thank you!

Also, minor issue of a global pandemic aside, in the time it takes me to get to the Lakes, Pembrokeshire or Dorset I could be on a beach in Crete.

Obvs if you live in beautiful countryside then a holiday cottage in the country is less appealing, but for the 80+% of us who live in cities it’s a big deal. And I find takeaways and ready meals in a holiday cottage significantly less stressful on holiday than eating in a restaurant with children for 21 meals on the trot.

Cross posted but there you go

Kent (from London) - just about worthwhile. The Lake District??!

I live in a fairly affluent area. Nearly everyone I know goes abroad at least once a year, a lot go away most school hols. It's like a ghost town in February half term as half the population have gone skiing. (We occassionally go to a caravan in France but havent been for 4 or 5 years)

[quote name8793]@soreenqueen21 agree, it's a completely ignorant view. I have a wonderful life, nice house and enjoy my job, but exploring the world is what life is all about for me. I absolutely love experiencing new places, food, etc, just staying in the UK would be a very small life for me. It's not about escapism, it's about exploration and new experiences.[/quote]
I totally agree as well. There is absolutely nothing missing in my life but for me holidays in the sun have always been my priority and I would rather spend money going away than on anything else.
I have no interest in expensive cars, fancy restaurants etc - for me the whole chilled out laid back long sunny days and evenings eating and drinking al fresco is heaven on earth

The thought of a holiday trapping round the UK looking at scenery and eating at the same sort of places I can eat at homes really holds zero appeal to me at all

Living in London and the SE all of my life, I hadn't really thought about the airport proximity being a factor as I suppose pre COVID I just took it for granted that I had 5 airports within an hour or so's drive from my house so plenty of choice

It's probably about a quarter of people I know who go away every year.

Airport proximity has never been a thing for me. I will drive 5 hours to an airport if it means a cheaper (over all) flight or a more direct route. I quite like staying over the night before. We live an hour from an airport but would never confine a search of flights to that airport only. Actually haven't flown from it since we moved here, usually opting for London instead for various reasons.

@MaloInAnAppleTree

But a cottage in the Lakes/Pembrokeshire/Dorset is a week with no work, no school, all fun, everyone relaxed and happy in the admittedly not desperately hot sun, seeing things you don’t see in your everyday life, reconnecting with nature. What on earth is grim about that?

Not grim. But it sounds exactly like being at home, just without work/school. I live in a country village already. Can't see my family who live abroad, can't go to the lovely beaches in the sun, no Boulangie over the road for warm pain au chocolat and baguette, no moules frites, no French markets, no virtually guaranteed good weather, no massive campsite full of friends for the kids to play with. And three times the price.

@XiCi

I don't feel desperate for an escape. Isn't there something wrong if you do? It seems alien to me to spend 50 weeks of the year longing to be somewhere else It's not difficult to understand though that life can be quite stressful. That most people work really fucking hard most of the year to pay mortgages and bills and on top of that have children they are running round after and parents that need more care as the years go by. Day to day life for most people is pretty full on. Doesn't mean there's anything wrong at all in feeling that need to take a few weeks out and recharge the batteries, wherever ir whatever that entails. And it doesn't mean you're not happy with your day to day life. It's just about achieving a balance.

@XiCi

Nailed it.

My DH pre pandemic worked away in Europe Monday to Thursday, when the mortgage stopped hurting we made it a priority, the lap top got left behind, his OOO went on and he was all ours for a few weeks.

Added to which a top up of Vitamin D can only be a good thing.

We can afford it, we do it, easy as.

The holiday starts when we leave the house, we go through duty free and we can all buy one bottle of scent, max £100 which we then have for the rest of the year as a reminder, we have access to the private lounges, so we head in there and order a glass of fizz and keep an eye on the departure board, we generally fly Club Class so more theatre on board.

Driver to meet us.

What is not to like, it keeps us going for the rest of the year.

We travel abroad on a Tui style holiday every other year, and on the alternative year we visit family abroad. We live in one of the UK tourist areas and want to escape it for a week or two. We have enjoyed holidays in the UK but the costs are too high and often works out cheaper to travel abroad. I do work in aviation though so I respect I may/do have some bias towards international travel.

But the UK has some world class scenery, and I personally find a holiday cottage where you can spread out and bring your own stuff without being tied to what you can carry on a flight, and constant worry about heat, sunburn and migraines, significantly less stress inducing

But isn’t that incredibly expensive. I looked at what we would normally rent when we go on holiday and only one option came up at an eye watering £745 per night

My 3 yo son has flown on 19 flights. This was stopped cuz of COVID.
I’d say 75% of my friends do an annual trip abroad and sonríeles twice at least

@name8793

Airport proximity has never been a thing for me. I will drive 5 hours to an airport if it means a cheaper (over all) flight or a more direct route. I quite like staying over the night before. We live an hour from an airport but would never confine a search of flights to that airport only. Actually haven't flown from it since we moved here, usually opting for London instead for various reasons.

Me too. My nearest airport is East Midlands but if there are cheaper flights or ones with better times I'll travel, plus you can't fly to many long haul destinations from there.

I've flown from East Mids, Birmingham, Manchester, Bristol, Gatwick, Heathrow, Luton and Stansted.

But the UK has some world class scenery, and I personally find a holiday cottage where you can spread out and bring your own stuff without being tied to what you can carry on a flight, and constant worry about heat, sunburn and migraines, significantly less stress inducing

I just can't enjoy that scenery unless the weather is nice, it's far more stressful planning for unpredictable weather IMO especially when bad weather can make the whole holiday a damp squib. I certainly do not constantly worry about heat, you take sun lotion and the host country has everything else you need to enjoy a hot holiday as they are set up for it. Unlike the UK where if you are miraculously lucky to have booked the one week of the year we get a heatwave, it's insufferable due to lack of air conditioning.

If I am booking anything in the UK it tends to be last minute, the weather just has too much of an impact if it's relying on outdoors. I HATE the weather in this country so much. I would emigrate if my job was more transferable.

@AbsolutelyPatsy

are foreign holidays very white middle class/workign class?

This sketch reminded me of your post 😂 m.facebook.com/SBTV/videos/munya-portugal-news/521111795557466/

There’s nothing “wrong” with holidaying in the U.K. The U.K. is brilliantly interesting and diverse. But it’s very overpopulated . Anywhere good will be spoilt by the natives or thousands of tourists,

We live within spitting distance of a continent that has other ways of doing things, isn’t as busy, consistent good weather, lovely food and cheap wine. And it’s not hard or expensive to get there. Why not?

Also.
If you drive through Europe you get a lot of different holiday for the money . We spent a night at Dachau saw the camp the morning. Had lunch in Austria in the mountains. Dinner in north Italy and went to bed in a bloody fabulous hotel overlooking Florence.

In the U.K. you’d get wet in Scotland, stuck behind lorries down to Brirmingham, get wet in Birmingham. End up in some overpriced hotel in St Ives after several near misses on the tiny roads.
It’s not the same

name8793 @soreenqueen21 agree, it's a completely ignorant view. I have a wonderful life, nice house and enjoy my job, but exploring the world is what life is all about for me. I absolutely love experiencing new places, food, etc, just staying in the UK would be a very small life for me. It's not about escapism, it's about exploration and new experiences

Exactly this ^. There is a whole world out there. The UK is great, but it’s a small country and it’s where I already live. I’m not trying to escape from anything - I’m just experiencing different places/people/foods/cultures - all those things that enrich my life.

We normally spend £1k ish on holiday accomodation in uk (weve had caravans quite a lot cheaper)
Occassionally weve gone to a caravan in France, and gone on the ferry.
While accomodation is often cheaper abroad, usually the "cheap" flights during school holidays are a few hundred each.(another £800+ for a family of 4) Add to that if a child (or adult, but obviously less frequently) needs a new passport and I really don't see how foreign holidays are "much cheaper" as half of MN insist that they are. (Admittedly we dont go to luxury holiday cottages but neither do we go to the most budget ones)
A friend told DH they were going to either turkey or Cyprus as it was cheaper than staying at home. It turned out they spent 5k!

We normally go abroad at least twice a year.
Now our children are late teens we like to be more adventurous so we've been on safari, been to the Far East etc. This year we were supposed to go to Borneo and our next holiday will be a trip to see Macchu Piccu etc.
We normally have a short holiday in October where we go to Cyprus or the Caribbean.
We also go glamping in the UK every summer.
We love our holidays.

I think it really varies. I have friends who go abroad every year at least once, I have friends who never go on holiday at all.
My Dad is retired, and until recently went away at least three times a year.
We can't generally afford to go abroad every year, so we tend to do camping/caravan park holidays most years, with a week abroad every three years or so which we save up for.
This year would have been a caravan holiday in Cornwall but the prices have shot up so we won't bother, we'll have a couple of weeks somewhere lovely (and hot!) next summer instead.