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.

So you are comparing an all-inclusive hotel holiday abroad, with a 'remote' self-catering UK!.
You could have booked an all-inclusive UK, or a hotel on the beach, or self-catering close to the beach. There are family style hotels with childrens activities in the UK.
The main difference being that due to the weather, we do not usually have the swimming pool culture, but this week would be fine for the beach, as the weather has mainly been very nice.

In fact self catering these days is much easier than in the past (when my children were growing). In the past one had to take the sheets with you, and make up the beds on arrival!
My worse moment was self-catering in Scotland, when we were actually 10 miles to the nearest shop, when forgetting something was so important. To me, the worse thing about self-catering was the 'thinking about it' jobs. ie What are we eating today? etc.

Nowadays, the beds are made up, and there is often a 'welcome pack' of tea, coffee, milk and sugar, etc. However, I admit, I now take enough with me for 2 or 3 days, so my experience in Scotland is never repeated.

So, I would aim for lunch out, then a light tea/microwave something in the evening. Cereals for breakfast.
I would not necessarily place all sandy clothes in the washing machine every night. Do you do this while abroad? Hang up to dry and a shake outside would be sufficient, unless really nasty.

We usually self cater abroad. Something about being in a totally different environment puts me in holiday mode. I enjoy shopping in the supermarkets with different produce from home. The change of the usual rountine, DH is less likely to answer that work call etc. For me though its the mostly predictable weather, knowing what to pack. Last year we really enjoyed our UK breaks, we had good weather and it was a novelty. This year I yearn to go to Europe.

You still have to do the planning, shopping and cooking

No you don't. What "planning" needs to be done? Why can't you get any input from the rest of the family? Why does it just have to be you who does this?

When we go away we all contribute to "planning", shopping, cooking and stacking the dishwasher.

I live in Cornwall and it is terrible down here currently

Way too busy, really weird vibe and petty crime galore

We are thinking with a last min all-inc to Greece!

Yeah op - basically I agree with you, the only holiday for a patent is an all -inc really

I think its harder because the weather can throw all your plans out of the window!

Then it's so much dearer to do stuff when it's wet.
When the sun shines, its fine!

@Frazzled2207

Surely this isn’t a uk hols thing? It’s a self catering cottage thing. We’ve done self catering hols in France and they’ve been pretty stressful too.

This. It’s perfectly possible to emulate a foreign holiday in the UK. Just stay in a hotel.

There are some really snooty posts on here about foreign holidays

There are such a wide range of possibilities it’s very difficult to make such sweeping statements. Yes there are awful all inclusives. But we stayed in an AI hotel in Ischia Italy, which had about 100 rooms, spa and swimming pool, small kids club. Food was amazing- all Italian and completely fresh. Watermelon for kids for deserts, they’d prepare anything they wanted. Wine about 7 euro a bottle, waiter service. Buffet only for anti pasti. Whole holiday cost less than £2000 with a night in Naples for 4.

That was a hassle free holiday (even getting ferry/ taxi to island was easy and really cheap).

There are lots of good value, high quality and easy options for families in Europe that simply aren’t available in the U.K.

@Labradabradorable

We are on holiday in Norfolk. It’s not hard work at all. Yes, some spots are busier than normal but head ten minutes off the beaten track and you get the beach to yourself. For a day paddling, swimming, kayaking and gilly crabbing. Yesterday we foraged for samphire and cooked it on the beach with local bangers and beer. It’s been wall to wall sunshine here age all feels a bit idyllic. We’ve booked a couple of meals out, but when we’ve not fancied cooking, the local lobster shacks, fish and chip huts and wood fired pizza have served us well. I also love a picnic, and mine take three minutes to pack, with lovely local fruits, cheese and deli products.

I’ve never done an all-inclusive holiday so maybe don’t know what I’m missing. But my U.K. holiday has been a joy.

Sounds fabulous. But how much does a lobster or wood-fired pizza lunch cost for a family of five?! Obviously there are ways of having a stress-free and enjoyable UK holiday - especially when the weather is kind, but it's usually at significant cost.

@Blossomtoes nah it’s really not. Well not the kind of hotels I stay in abroad anyway (local small family run). U.K. hotels are expensive, sub par food, no childcare or children’s entertainment (I have searched for them and the few that exist are expensive!). Very little included. Eg in Italy we get free shuttles to beach and local town. That’s unheard of in U.K. hotels. You need to pay for everything!

Personally I think Premier inns are the best value for money hotels for families in the U.K. but food is terrible so you need to eat out.

It is also not very common to have swimming pools in U.K. hotels, unlike abroad where most hotels (except those in cities) will have a pool or at least access to one.

We make our self catering holidays easy.

A supermarket delivery arrives an hour after we get there, bringing things for nice breakfasts and snacks and the odd lunch.

We always eat out for at least 1 meal and do not go in for big cooking…perhaps 1 bbq and 1 pasta dish. We have takeaways and eat out. We get delicious local fruit and bread on a whim when we see them.

A key thing for us, is we go with friends. This in itself makes it special. Especially with small children, it shares the load of looking after them and some lovely evenings can be had when they go to bed. It’s also vital that all adults help with the few basic jobs which do need doing. It doesn’t work if one person says ‘it’s my holiday’ and doesn’t do anything, which means the other adult has to do it all.

Choosing location is important too. For me, I do t choose rural that requires a car for every pint of milk, but go for beautiful large houses which are central to towns and beaches….then a quick 3 minute walk to the beach.

There is a definite knack to self-catering…..but. Large house in a beautiful location can be wonderful in terms of it being away from the hoardes and so very flexible….. it it all depends on what you like. If what you want is to lie in the sun a no eat and drink and not much more, I can see why AI abroad appeals.

The ages of your children are a big factor in my experience, the younger the children the more it feels like a busmans holiday. Also staying in a self catering apartment/cottage brings some of the same chores you need to do at home and if you can’t/don’t want to/can’t afford to eat out it’s just an extension of being at home, depends what you are happy with.

OP, you are not comparing the same kind of holiday. I would never do all inclusive myself, but see the attraction for many people.

I hope when you do return abroad on holiday, you do speak some of the local language, even just a few words.

oh dear, we booked in january to go to north cornwall in august with 3 teenage boys , said on news today that people should take a test before they travel to cornwall as hospitals are full.was foolishly optimistic that travel restrictions would be lifted so it wouldn't be very busy there. am staying in a village

Holidaying in the UK is fantastic when nobody else is doing it. Holidaying here in the height of summer when huge numbers of people are “staycationing” is just a reminder of how overcrowded and expensive so much of what is on offer is, how utterly unreliable the weather, and how loathsome English traffic jams are. You can’t get very far at all in the UK without being held up by roadworks and general congestion at numerous points in the journey. And if you are still trying to avoid spending too much time indoors because of covid, your options for activities are further limited, anyway, and hugely affected by the unreliable weather.

I love English holidays, but preferably not at the height of the tourist season and preferably not trying to replicate the sort of swimming and relaxing holiday that is far easier to enjoy overseas, where you can be sure of air conditioning, lots of cheap restaurants with good fresh food, well tended swimming pools that are warm enough for swimming in without being artificially heated, and other luxuries far harder to source in the UK for a reasonable price in a location you are also wanting to explore.

I find UK holidays easier! I converted from abroad to UK long ago!

We spend less time travelling, have the car so can chuck everything in it, we know the language and culture so its easier to find our way around and organise stuff and everything.

UK has absolutely everything I want from a holiday and its so stress free .

I may never go abroad again!

Surely this isn’t a uk hols thing? It’s a self catering cottage thing. We’ve done self catering hols in France and they’ve been pretty stressful too And this. All inclusive is my idea of hell. I love self catering.

@Lapsidasicle Sounds absolutely lovely! Do you mind sharing what the hotel is called?

I completely agree with you op. A holiday in the UK, just isn’t a holiday in my book, might as well stay at home. It’s overpriced comparatively to the European trips we take. Even a drive to a gite in France, is usually cheaper than a week in Devon.

@Walkaround

Holidaying in the UK is fantastic when nobody else is doing it. Holidaying here in the height of summer when huge numbers of people are “staycationing” is just a reminder of how overcrowded and expensive so much of what is on offer is, how utterly unreliable the weather, and how loathsome English traffic jams are. You can’t get very far at all in the UK without being held up by roadworks and general congestion at numerous points in the journey. And if you are still trying to avoid spending too much time indoors because of covid, your options for activities are further limited, anyway, and hugely affected by the unreliable weather.

I love English holidays, but preferably not at the height of the tourist season and preferably not trying to replicate the sort of swimming and relaxing holiday that is far easier to enjoy overseas, where you can be sure of air conditioning, lots of cheap restaurants with good fresh food, well tended swimming pools that are warm enough for swimming in without being artificially heated, and other luxuries far harder to source in the UK for a reasonable price in a location you are also wanting to explore.

Honestly don’t come to Cornwall as it’s terrible at mo! We are only going for swims early morning or about 8.30 pm and even then it’s busy

Although it’s now windy and normal temp so maybe will feel less crazy now

The proximity of a washing machine was one reason I refused to use self catering cottages and we stuck with our folding camper . With the FC there was no need to constantly clear up the sand and general detrius as it was our space! No washing facilities so sandy and wet beach stuff got dried off in the car overnight and reused next day. Took enough clothes for a week but only changed anything other than underwear if it was practically walking and did masses of washing when I got home (which kind of defeated the object of a holiday but hey ho).
Cooking always fell to me but that was because I hate washing up so sent Dh and children to do it whilst I had a break. The cooking (meal for 5 on 2 small gas burners) was the easy part for me! We also didn't have to worry about accidentally breaking or damaging anything

[quote ChocolateRiver]@MrsFin no we go all inclusive with beach towels etc provided. Don’t have to do a thing.[/quote]
You can do that in the UK too. But it would need to be a hotel by a beach not a converted barn.

What I dislike about all inclusive, no matter how good the hotel, is being tied in to mealtimes rather than being able to go out and about and eat when we want. I also like the extra space in self-catering cottages, including having a garden for the children to play in.

@Labradabradorable

We are on holiday in Norfolk. It’s not hard work at all. Yes, some spots are busier than normal but head ten minutes off the beaten track and you get the beach to yourself. For a day paddling, swimming, kayaking and gilly crabbing. Yesterday we foraged for samphire and cooked it on the beach with local bangers and beer. It’s been wall to wall sunshine here age all feels a bit idyllic. We’ve booked a couple of meals out, but when we’ve not fancied cooking, the local lobster shacks, fish and chip huts and wood fired pizza have served us well. I also love a picnic, and mine take three minutes to pack, with lovely local fruits, cheese and deli products.

I’ve never done an all-inclusive holiday so maybe don’t know what I’m missing. But my U.K. holiday has been a joy.

This has to be one of the most Mumsnetty posts ever!

The idea of all inclusive, lie by the pool all day and eat your bodyweight in food holidays doesn't do it for me at all. Even when we go abroad we self cater so the packing up for the beach, picnics, sandy cars are normal for us and I love it! I am always on the go though and like it that way.

We go to Norfolk for a week soon and I can't wait. You just need to be organised and plan ahead.

@Noterook

You can get all inclusive style holidays here, not sure why you would pick a holiday where its evident you'll have to do a lot of stuff you hate doing on holiday

Can you? I did not realise this. Where are they? Can you recommend any?

Generally I agree. I now have a 5 year old and a just turned 2 year old. We have booked an all all inclusive holiday this year, pool towels, meals, snacks and ice creams on demand - less of an issue with waiting for food and fussy kids changing their minds. Entertainment, pools, water slides, parks and mini golf on tap. We live in the frozen north too so a sunny UK holiday would take longer to travel to and would mean driving.