On the 3rd worst holiday ever - pity party

[BlowDryRat]

TLDR: we are in Cornwall, staying in a caravan with walls so thin I can hear the DC breathing at night. All the pre-planned, booked months ago activities have been cancelled because it won't stop F-ing raining. Everywhere else is rammed or fully booked and wonders why we didn't book months ago We resorted to taking the children to the cinema on Tuesday, then to an English Heritage place exactly the same as every other English Heritage place that doesn't take me 5 hours to drive to. Today we are at the Eden Project. DD keeps trying to steal leaves and flowers and whining for ice cream. DS just wants a rest or to go on the zip wire,which is fully booked and I didn't pre-book because we did zip wiring last week. I'm allergic to all the rare plants and keep sneezing. All the ice cream is made with weird stuff.

I've paid a grand to live in a caravan, doing things that I could do within an hour of home. I can't wait to go home. I know lots of people are 'going on holiday' by camping under their imaginary dining table this summer but

I don't know why people can't have sympathy for those who pay the same amount for a rainy cold week which restricts their activities as those who go on a great week and don't need to go looking for indoor activities, with all the extra expense that brings.

Cos I've literally been in Cornwall this week, the weather hasnt been that bad - there's been blue sky and showers albeit windy (including blue skies today), ive been kayaking, ive eaten out, ive been to not busy places and i really don't see why you need to be indoors at all. Just take a fucking coat and get the fuck on with it. The countryside is beautiful.

Its just people whinging cos they didn't have their bloody Spanish holiday in Cornwall.

Oh and when ive eaten out, ive sat outside anyway. We also ordered a bbq from amazon, got it delivered to a lockup box and had that one night. Jobs a goodun!!! So please don't tell me the weather was so dreadful it was impossible to do anything. Bloody soft sods.

Have you been to Mousehole or Hayle or St Ives ?

Oh that's awful a lot comes down to the poor weather. The week before it was glorious sunshine so annoying when that happens!

I promise I've done my best to experience and enjoy the 'Cornish way of life', per a PP. It's a bit different when you live somewhere, can look out of the window and write a day off as a jigsaw and movie day. That's not really an option when you're trying to make the most of a 7-day holiday. It's disappointing when you've planned meticulously, all the plans get scuppered by the weather and there are no alternatives available because they've all been booked up months in advance by similarly organised people. We did the bracing beach walks in the rain, rockpooling, crabbing etc. My misery rant yesterday wasn't for lack of trying or planning. I was looking forward to doing things here that I can't do at home and are unique to Cornwall, somewhere I've never been before but had heard lots of good things about. Feel free to continue berating me for poor planning, unrealistic expectations, being boring, slagging off the whole of Cornwall etc. though

The storm last night was noisy but once I was asleep I slept right through it. Today has been gorgeous weather-wise. We put the chocolate factory and ice cream farm to the vote and the kids went for Roskilly's. That was a definite hit - they ate an amazing amount of ice cream, I picked up some lovely glass art, the food was scrumptious (if pricey!) and we had a good wander through the animal paddocks. Amazingly, the coasteering was on and as brilliant as I'd hoped it would be. We saw lots of sea life, explored a cave, the scenery was breathtaking, the guides were great and we finished by spotting a double rainbow over the sea. Amazing and not something we can do at home.

We head home tomorrow but we're sticking around until later in the afternoon as I've managed to find a last-minute space on a seal-watching boat tour. Yay!

Falmouth is good for a day out too, there is a great little crazy golf place on the outskirts, get a ferry or boat trip from one of the piers to St Mawes or just a pootle around the harbour.

If you are heading up to Exeter on the way back then Teignmouth or Exmouth is worth a look

Glad your stay in Cornwall has improved! Hopefully you will spot a seal tomorrow - loads about so shouldn’t be a problem 😊

@LifesTooShortForYourNonsense

Please go home and let the locals enjoy the holidays, we’d quite like it if you all buggered off

I was a bit concerned about coming across hostility like this from the locals, having seen this sort of thing quite a lot on MN. So far, everyone we've met has been welcoming, kind and helpful.

I felt like a seal in my wetsuit today. I have a nice layer of blubber too

We're stopping over in Exeter to break up the drive. The DC are off to camp on Monday though so we've got to get home early-ish on Sunday to start on the mountain of washing and drying. We had a week in Torquay last week though and that was great.

[quote FrozenWillow]You paid a grand? Did you book through haven, parkdeans or some other holiday company?

We went to Haven in Ayr a couple of years ago now and it was brilliant. But I tracked down a private owner.

Honestly for anyone thinking of caravanning in the UK in the future - book through a private owner. Ok you have to pay for your passes and book them in advance but it cuts down the cost dramatically. This is how I found my private owner and honestly would do it again.

It's rubbish when you have a rubbish holiday. Scotland has been glorious this whole month of July. Apart from slight drizzle the last couple of days which was welcomed.

I hope you can manage to enjoy some of your holiday at least.

www.ukcaravans4hire.com/caravans-in-scotland.html[/quote]
It's a small independent site and it's really quite lovely. It has a pool and a laundry, pretty gardens, is 5 minutes from the beach and the caravan is spotless. Or was, before we lived in it... We will leave it spotless too though, don't worry. It was a lot cheaper than anywhere else I found by the beach for a week but I paid the highest rate for a top-end caravan and we didn't book until June when our planned holiday abroad got cancelled.

I'm not a stranger to UK holidays. We've had some good ones in North Wales, the Peak District, Yorkshire and Norfolk. Sometimes it's been rainy but it's been possible to change plans last minute and go down a mine or visit a cave. This time, absolutely everything like that is fully booked. A rainy beach visit is a fun novelty when it's only one day and there are other options!

Only popping on for those who have booked cornwall and are now worrying. We're in cornwall having a wonderful time! My dd is a bit younger so easier to entertain I guess. Weather forecast so far has been worse than the reality. Today was a lovely day.

It sounds like you are down the bottom of cornwall (only scanned your posts not read any other suggestions)

Wendron pancake barn
Roskillys
Lula shack (hayle)
Park at lelant and walk to St Ives, can then get the train back if needed
www.rollersrollerdisco.co.uk/ourshop/prod_7358621-All-Roller-Disco-Tickets-Here-All-Sessions.html Still availability here (not my thing but it’s inside)
Pick your own fruit at trevaskis farm
Crazy golf at cornwall gold
Go to heartlands
Explore the mining trails, the great flat lode
Rent bikes I would go to less popular places
www.visitcornwall.com/things-to-do/cycling/west-cornwall/portreath/coast-to-coast-cycle-hire

This is a lovely walk, with a national trust cafe 3/4 of the way around, it’s shuts about 4 though so don’t miss it. www.iwalkcornwall.co.uk/walk/the_loe The beach is not for swimming though.

I live in cornwall and the only way to leave the house and do things is to embrace the weather. Get wet get cold, have hot chocolate and cake in a cafe. Hope you enjoy the rest of the holiday.

I live in Cornwall

Sounds rubbish op! I've been on annual leave this week. Typically last week I was stuck in my stuffy makeshift home office during the heatwave, minute I finish work for the week the weather is awful! Tried to make the best of it with trips to the cinema/meals out etc but it has been a bit miserable.

I would just give up and come home ! I’ve had many a shitty holiday like this when kids were younger and always ask myself why I bothered in the first place as something always seemed to go against whether that be bad weather or illnesses

I went to Spanish village with my now ex husband to stay with his relatives (elderly )
4 year old
It rained all time no toys nothing
He drank and played cards all day
Our one day out was to supermarket near Benidorm in the rain
Feeling your pain

Which is why we haven't been away the past 2 years. I won't holiday in this country. Far more expensive than going abroad and the weather you cannot guarantee.

Just back from Cornwall and - reading this thread - I think we were incredibly lucky with the weather. Yes it rained on us a few times but never got cold, and the rainstorms we got caught in were dramatic but over in minutes, the rest was Cornish mizzle. Rain really does feel different in Cornwall (summer rain anyway) - the coastal mizzle, and the sudden let-downs, and then five minutes later it's sunny. I do appreciate the last 24 hours were shite though. By then we were packing up and lay in bed listening to Storm Evert, who buggered off hours earlier than forecasted.

We didn't book ANYTHING before we went. I didn't fancy Eden (being stuck in a biome with school holiday crowds in a pandemic? nope) though would love to visit any other time of year. We did a castle which was a walk-in. We hired a self-drive boat on the Fowey river for a bit (booked the day before but you could book on the day for later on). The rest of the time we spent walking along the coastal path to out-of-the-way beaches, and I'd be the first to say that would have been bloody miserable in the rain! We also drove for hours and hours (does anyone visit Cornwall in summer without getting stuck on the A30??) to look at some archaeology inland near Lands End, and though we took in Sennen, and ice cream at Moomaid in St Just (recommended) that was too far to drive really - the congestion getting past St Ives/Penzance was something else and I'd hate to live there in summer and just want to get normal chores etc done. The best advice given to me was, try to aim for smaller beaches that take a bit of getting to if you want to park/avoid crowds. And I can recommend mooching around Fowey and the ice cream at Ruby's. Parking up on the top of the hill, or try Caffa's mill car park near where the Boddinick car ferry goes to, at the end of the town.

Glad to say that everyone we had dealings with was lovely, helpful, friendly and welcoming. I didn't see any of the hostility some tourists apparently experience, or see here.

But that said, we dodged some bullets this week. Sorry OP, I totally get your disappointment that you've looked forward to something after this shite year and it's just a wash-out.

I remember years ago as a young child, we went camping in Ilfracombe in north Devon. It rained once- started when we got there and stopped when we left. We ended up leaving early and going to the new forest instead where it was lovely.

These threads always have people suggesting hot chocolate, board games, and going to the beach in the rain (the'-there's no such thing as bad weather, only inappropriate clothing' brigade). I am glad some people are happy with that kind of thing, but I'm bloody not! I have had my fill of soggy camping holidays, trudging around shit so-called attractions ( I'm looking at you Pencil museum in the Lake District!). Never again! My holidays now have to be in a decent hotel and have guaranteed good weather as an absolute minimum, so I totally sympathise with anyone having a shit time, fingers crossed for you for next year!

I went to Cornwall about 6 years ago in a caravan. Did an online asda shop to pick up which they were baffled at and my DH came back without any of my meat and had to go back. It pissed it down all week. We were just outside of Newquay by the sea and I walked onto the beach with a double buggy and my 2yo in a SNOWSUIT and he played on the beach. The same snowsuit my DH laughed at me for packing. The same 2yo pissed himself all week. Soft play was the best when he legged it under the door naked just as a woman was entering the toilets. Cornwall was shit.

So glad your holiday improved! Well done for battling through. Cornwall can be miserable when it’s rainy but increasing your calorie intake usually helps! (So much gin here now🙂) hope you haven’t been put off visiting in future most of us that live here enjoy people coming down as long as they embrace the place.

I am going to Somerset and paid nearly 1700 4 2 weeks. I am not looking forward to it don't no y I booked it now x

The Exeter exit on the m5 northbound was absolute murder yesterday. No accident, just sheer volume of people. We came off there for the services and it took 30 bloody minutes to get past the exit roundabout! So, if you can avoid that exit, I would.