UK holidays are hard work

[ChocolateRiver]

We’re on holiday on the north Devon/Cornwall border. Staying in a converted barn on a farm. It’s lovely, the kids are having a great time but it’s such bloody hard work. Getting up early to get a parking space at the beach, making up picnics, putting sandy beach clothes/towels in washing machine, sorting out food, cooking etc, driving everywhere, hoovering up after beach days, tidying up - feel like I’m constantly on the go! And it’s so expensive, can’t afford to have all lunches and teas out. Don’t get me wrong, we’re having a nice time, but it’s definitely not a rest - we’re knackered. We usually go abroad but have stayed here due to Covid, we’ll be off abroad again next year if it’s possible.

We did AI when kids were younger abroad and always got great value for money despite not being big eaters or drinking alcohol. Half board is almost always more expensive than AI abroad, not sure why but suspect it attracts less of a family market and people who have gone for a quieter holiday with less kids which doesn't work for us. We tend to just eat breakfast and dinner AI but the drinks add up to a lot if you go to cafes and don't drink tap water. Mine would hate tap water for all drinks and love unlimited ice cream and are both very sporty and thin.

I've never known anyone get drunk on AI alcohol, it tends to be only the cheapest ones that are free and its very watered down but I don't begrudge anyone a drink after a day holidaying with kids. A lot of the value comes from the activities like kayaking, windsurfing, kids clubs, swimming, waterpark, SUP which we do loads of - a waterpark alone can be £100 a day if you buy tickets. Though different people do use AI for different reasons - you do see some people stuffing themselves silly but their holiday and if that's what they enjoy then up to them.

I'm not a drinker, but i do have teenage sons who can eat vast amounts, so I don't think I'm losing out too much by going AI over half board.

A plus I found with smaller children is they can try stuff and if they don't like it, they can have something else, rather than being stuck with it. It encourages more adventurous eating.

We went AI once, kind of accidentally. I'd planned to book half board but the AI came up as being considerably cheaper as we got a free child place that wasn't available on the half board package. So obviously it made sense to book AI even though we had no intention of using much ofcwhat was included.
But actually it had quite a negative effect on our holiday. Even though we'd vowed not to, we found ourselves saying things like "well we've paid for it so we may as well have lunch here" and by the end of the week we had definitely eaten and drunk more and done far less than we normally would on holiday. We certainly spent far more time in the hotel than on any other holiday we've ever taken.
Of course there is nobody there forcing stuff on you but I did find myself thinking "well it's included, so why not". I don't think I would do it again, but I can see why it's attractive to some families. The world would be very dull if we all liked the same things.

There are hotels in the UK.

If you get fabulous weather like last week you can't beat a bucket and spade uk holiday. Even if it's cloudy but warm, it's ok. If it's raining like it's likely to be next week then frankly it's just to dismal for words.

Be interesting to see how many last day cancellations appear on booking.com.

We went to a cottage 10 mins from a beach (last half term) and whilst I did breakfast and lunch, in the evening we ate out / had a takeaway / had fish and chips on promenade / had a shop bought buffet.

Breakfast was cereal / toast or porridge and lunch was sandwiches / rolls or wraps made before we went out with snacky bits we'd buy out.

I did minimal cooking (DC3 has a special diet so I did have to make a few things for her). We kept on top of cleaning as we went (swept floors, wiped down surfaces, washed up twice a day) and we did a wash every other day.

Still had to do all the basics for the kids - but we split all that. DP would bath them and I'd have a glass of wine in the garden.

I don't think it was the location of the holiday that makes it hard work. More the kids being there?

Although we've never done an AI with them. We had one booked so I'm not being snobby (it was with Thomas Cook so we lost it and never rebooked, but wouldn't have been able to go because of Covid)

Personally I will be sticking to UK holidays for the foreseeable.

@Blossomtoes

I’ve never done a stroke of housework on holiday beyond loading and unloading the dishwasher. Laundry is done at home and we eat out or buy a selection of deli foods and have a picnic inside or outdoors. A change of scene’s what it’s all about though.

Jeez that is a shit tonne more than I have ever done!

Rinse out a glass/mug is pretty much the extent of the house work I do on holiday.

I have been self catering in which case maybe I'd rinse crumbs off a plate but generally B&B is a similar price to self catering and I would prefer B&B with an evening meal out. I have done AI too but it spoils the fun of a walk round to choose a restaurant in the evening.

At least the U.K. is set up for grim weather. I have been at resorts abroad where it has rained for a good chunk of the week and that’s not fun!

@Sirzy

At least the U.K. is set up for grim weather. I have been at resorts abroad where it has rained for a good chunk of the week and that’s not fun!

Yup, we once spent a miserable fortnight in Gran Canaria when it rained every day on and off. Shops/restaurants etc were either closed or too crowded to use because they couldn't spread outside so everything was in cramped indoor areas - even when it wasn't raining, they didn't put things outside again as they'd have to bring it in again when the rain started. No indoors attractions at all either. The only time in nearly 40 years of foreign holidays that we were looking forward to the flight home.

I've never done AI and having all food provided is also something that puts me off going on a cruise. I don't have very good self management so suspect I'd be down at the midnight buffet every night.

OTOH when DS was younger we did a couple of HB trips - one in Morzine with his pal. As it was France the food quality was excellent and as we were doing activities every day - which we just organised through the tour company- it was super to come back to dinner without having to think about it.

We're currently in Whitby and other than breakfast I'm not intending to do any cooking. Shame really as the kitchen is very well equipped.

rookiemere I used to think that about cruises but I’ve been on 11 and usually lose a bit of weight or stay the same. I avoid the buffet and eat in the ‘posher’ restaurant for lunch and dinner. Each course is quite small and consists of good quality protein so I don’t put on weight if I eat for instance a nice piece of fish, veg cooked in an interesting way and rice for my main course. For breakfast I usually get fruit and one of the lovely coffee shops or sometimes go the buffet and have eggs or the posher dining room and order eggs benedict. I avoid the lifts unless it’s more than four floors so my step count is really high. I always have three courses in the evening, a pretty dinner cocktail , sparkling wine with lunch and dinner and something like a baileys after dinner.

At least the U.K. is set up for grim weather. I have been at resorts abroad where it has rained for a good chunk of the week and that’s not fun!

I agree. We had a rainy fortnight in Majorca one year – end of May, beginning of June. Fortunately we had booked a hire car, and kept it for 10 days instead of the original 3, and found that while it was raining in our resort, it was nicer elsewhere. So we saw a lot of the island, and came back with lovely suntans.

We much prefer self-catering to hotels because none of us are huge breakfast eaters, and we like having the extra space rather than being cooped up in a bedroom if we want to relax away from people. I also like being able to make a cup of tea when I want (using PG Tips that I have brought from home )

Actually you are right about being in a beach resort overseas when it rains. I've been in Majorca and Cyprus but that's only ever been pre or post season. Rare in July-Sept I'd have thought.

@Jerseygirl12

rookiemere I used to think that about cruises but I’ve been on 11 and usually lose a bit of weight or stay the same. I avoid the buffet and eat in the ‘posher’ restaurant for lunch and dinner. Each course is quite small and consists of good quality protein so I don’t put on weight if I eat for instance a nice piece of fish, veg cooked in an interesting way and rice for my main course. For breakfast I usually get fruit and one of the lovely coffee shops or sometimes go the buffet and have eggs or the posher dining room and order eggs benedict. I avoid the lifts unless it’s more than four floors so my step count is really high. I always have three courses in the evening, a pretty dinner cocktail , sparkling wine with lunch and dinner and something like a baileys after dinner.

I did the same. Did so much walking on the ship (restaurants at the back, our cabin at the front), that I lost weight. We ate at the buffet for breakfast and lunch, but then formal evening meals. Yes, the formal meal sizes are pretty small. Once the initial novelty of the huge buffets wears off, you easily fall into a routine of not eating much more than normal.

UK holidays are as hard/easy as you want to make them.
We've done two this year so far and they've been fabulous. One was a self catering holiday in a gorgeous converted barn and we're currently staying in a B&B in South Wales.

For us, the trick is to not get stressed about stuff you can't control. Last night we couldn't get into any restaurants or pubs as it was so busy so we just had fish and chips with beer/Prosecco on the beach and did some evening crabbing on the harbour. The kids had a blast.

I do love an AI holiday abroad and I love travelling but a UK holiday can be fun too.

@Kazzyhoward and @Jerseygirl12 that's good to know about the meals on cruises- might put them back on the list for the future.

We went AI once in Majorca and it was OK. Decent hotel, cost 4k for family of 4 for 2 weeks. It was just so busy everywhere. Queues for the buffets. Trying to get a sun lounger. Queues to book activities. Queues to book the a la carte restaurants. The entertainment wasn't our taste. Room was apartment style so we at least had a separate bedroom.

Self catering in a private property is so much quieter, obviously dependant in the location. In our 3 bed Cornish cottage (owned by a friend, not us) we all sleep well and have our own space. Evenings are spent eating simple food, walking to the beach, having a relaxing bath, drinking wine, reading, watching TV.

DH always says, hell is other people and he wouldn't go AI again. I like the idea of a villa abroad and eating out at restaurants, now our DCs stay up later in the evening. Or eating out at lunchtime and having bakery bread, salad, cold meat etc in the evening.

Dependent on the location.
Oops

These threads are always so divided but still, the snobbery towards AI abroad is mad. Just what is a "artificial foreign holiday", anyway?

And for those who maybe haven't been on one or only ever done one, you'll be pleased to know that these days you're allowed out of the hotel complex and many have food on offer all day so you don't have to eat your meals military barracks style.

Is CentreParcs the UK equivalent of AI abroad? I always thought so.

Also some places like Butlins -- must be upmarket other versions of same idea?

@lljkk

Is CentreParcs the UK equivalent of AI abroad? I always thought so.

Also some places like Butlins -- must be upmarket other versions of same idea?

It's not AI, food and activities aren't included, you pay for it all separate.

I think Center parcs is the opposite of an AI foreign holiday.

Hardly anything is inclusive.

Center Parcs was the most expensive and least inclusive family holiday we ever went on. Awful.

@tellmewhentheLangshiplandscoz

These threads are always so divided but still, the snobbery towards AI abroad is mad. Just what is a "artificial foreign holiday", anyway?

And for those who maybe haven't been on one or only ever done one, you'll be pleased to know that these days you're allowed out of the hotel complex and many have food on offer all day so you don't have to eat your meals military barracks style.

Exactly!! When you have small children AI is perfect and as stress free as you can get.

We book hotels close to towns and cities so we have the best of both worlds.