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?

@FoodieToo

OP you’re being a bit silly . So you think that people who adore holiday and travel hate their lives??? Ridiculous! We travel a lot and really look forward to it . But we have very , very happy lives . The two things are not mutually exclusive!!!

No that's not what I said. I specifically said it's different if you want to "go" somewhere, but a lot of the posts here are about how desperate people are to get "away" rather than that they want to see or do something. I do think that's a shame.

When people say their holiday abroad is "essential" I just can't get my head around that. It's just what you are used to, I suppose. I had one holiday as a child, and that was to Norfolk. I dont mean one a year, i mean one holiday in my whole childhood, when i was 8 years old. Now I have a young child of my own, we usually have a week away at the seaside every year, in the UK. So in my eyes, my DC is very lucky to have that. We all have different priorities in life I suppose.

We’re not desperate to get away and never have been. We used to do centre parts in Europe because it was cheaper and more exciting. Mainly we did U.K. holidays because we couldn’t afford to fly anywhere. We also combined U.K. trips with my husbands work so the children got to see much of UK and do interesting things.

Now it’s just us usually, we do like travelling. It’s still often combined with work, but further afield.

My parents used to go 3+ times a year before the pandemic and illness got in the way.

We used to go once a year, but more recently we've had domestic holidays because of cost and the fact the only time we can go abroad is during the summer holidays when the Med is ridiculously hot. We are not very good in very hot weather.

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!

We love to travel! We usually have between 3-4 holidays abroad per year. Everyone we know goes abroad a few times a year too. I guess it really depends on who your circle is. I grew up travelling a lot too and want to keep this up for my kids.

We’re getting married this year and hoping for a honeymoon abroad by the end of the year once travel resumes.

Majority of people I know go abroad every year, but it might be a shorter break abroad and a longer break UK. I think holidaying it the UK seems more popular than when I was a kid - but I think people take more breaks - when I was little it was 2 weeks in France/Portugal etc. Uk holidays seem just as expensive as Europe, so I don’t think people stay here to save money, just hassle, and it has become fashionable. I am talking from a middle class POV, I know.

We usually go away twice per year, most of our friends and family do the same. God I miss travelling.

Abroad I mean!

In my circle of friends, most don't. I usually go on an international holiday each year.

Pre Covid we went abroad 3 times a year.
Usually just to the Canary Islands though, my son is autistic and anything longer than a 4.5 hour flight would be too much for him.

The holiday threads on here amaze me, I haven't been abroad for nearly twenty years (only been twice in my life) and no UK holidays for over 10 years. Several reasons, money primarily but also the fact we have pets which complicates the whole thing and we also have a history of car breakdowns and other holiday disasters which have put me off if I'm honest. I genuinely don't understand the concept of 'I need a holiday', I always seemed to come back needing a holiday to get over the stress of the holiday!

My friends are a mix.

Some stay in the UK.

The rest of us tend to have multiple foreign trips each year - my usual holiday pattern is skiing, regular trip with one particular group of friends in May, big holiday in September, European pre-Christmas jaunt November/December....

I last travelled abroad in Jan 2020. This is the longest I’ve been in the UK continuously since the 1990s.

We stayed in the UK when the DC were smaller as saw no point travelling abroad until they would remember places and be old enough to actually enjoy them. We don’t go every year as dislike beach/AI holidays and like a different place every time with lots of places to visit.

It’s nice to travel but it’s certainly possible to have a break or down time from work without doing so and we won’t contribute to the spread between countries so will wait now until it’s safe once again.

Yes, since 2015 (tho not in 2020) at least two foreign holidays a year and most years a city break as well. Appreciate that probably makes us very fortunate.

In normal times I go abroad 2-5 times a year for pleasure trips. I love exploring the world and going on city breaks etc.

And yes to ask the people saying it's cheaper to go abroad than stay in the UK. For 5 of us it's £900 for a crappy bronze standard caravan in the uk with sirens on top. We can get a week in Portugal, Corfu or Italy for that! Self catering is great for us and we always hire a car if it's outside a city.

@didireallysaythat

I couldn't plant enough trees in my garden to offset the carbon for a flight abroad every year. I suspect I'm the only one who enjoyed the quiet blue skies, free from airplane trails in the first lockdown.

I'm not anti travel but I think trains might be the best way...

But you don’t have to plant them yourself, or on your own land! There are lots of credible carbon calculators and organisations where you can sponsor tree planting to offset your flights, for instance. Obviously, you need to be choosy about the organisation and be sure it’s not greenwashing , but I use Vita, an Irish not for profit which focuses less on planting trees than on stopping them being cut down in the first place by developing cheap, adaptable, fuel-efficient stoves for firewood-dependent communities in the developing world. A d this rewinding project www.wolfgangreforest.ie/our-mission/

In usual times yes, we go abroad at least once. I love travelling.

Most my family tend to stick to UK holidays with the occasional trip abroad every so often.

I do have some family that do try and get abroad at least once every year.

As for friends, most of my friends don’t even go away in the UK. If they have leave they tend to stay at home and just plan days out. A lot of our friends just can’t afford holidays either abroad or the UK.

I do have friends that do annual UK/ abroad holidays. I do also have a couple of friends that go on multiple holidays abroad and over the UK.

We do try and get away but don’t do it every year and if we do we tend to stay in the UK/ local. We haven’t been abroad but not since having kids. The logistics of it all just put me off.

I'm the eldest of three, and we had a foreign holiday for about ten days every year usually Spain, Greece, Portugal, France and once to Florida. Now we're planning on going abroad as a huge family in 2022 as Covid has stopped travel.

Usually 3 trips a year. We are keen travellers though and have no problems roughing it when called for.

Typically one long haul for a few weeks, and two shorter trips/city breaks.

Never book packages and dont have kids.

Yes - my friends who are single usually went abroad 2-3 times a year- I have had an annual abroad holiday for the past 5 years. My friends like to explore the globe and I just want guaranteed heat whilst not having to cook/ clean :)

but a lot of the posts here are about how desperate people are to get "away" rather than that they want to see or do something. I do think that's a shame
It's not a shame. It's a consequence of having been basically confined to your house for over a year. Some people have been staring at 4 walls with no garden for 15 months. Does it really take much of an imagination to realise some people are desperate for a real change of scenery? You come across as so patronising.

I've never found it cheaper to go abroad for a family holiday. Maybe when I was young free and single, but not in school holidays paying for 4 flights.

When DC were about 10 & 12 I thought maybe it was time to "experience" one of these AI Mediterranean holidays that are such good value. In school holidays, it worked out about 4 times the cost of our usual break in the Lakes, even including the cost of eating out and some paid activities. And that was to stay in a one bedroom apartment with a sofa bed, rather than a rather nice 2 bed cottage.

We had a caravan in France instead which was also more expensive than what we usually do in UK, but seemed a bargain in comparison to the "cheap" AI deal.