Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Flip

1 2

Original poster

29 and have never been abroad

45 replies

SouthMan28 · 26/02/2022 12:30

Do any of you think this is strange? Everyone around me has been abroad and growing up my parents couldn't afford it and so I can't either!

Has anyone else never been abroad?

OP posts:

pradavilla · 26/02/2022 13:31

I do as I don't know anyone that is an adult and hasn't been. Oh well their was my nan before she died but she was nearly 90 and just wasn't interested. A bit scared of flying too.

If u can manage a cheap getaway even for a few days then do it. Ryanair flights are super cheap and if u avoid school holidays u cld find something fairly cheap too.

Nothing like a holiday in the sun by a pool or the beach. Even a city break is lovely too it's nice to visit new places and experience new cultures.

ChatterMonkey · 26/02/2022 13:36

Look at ryanair flights, especially when they have sales. If you arent too fussy about location you'll get cheap flight to some european city.

Before covid we did that and got flights to berlin. Sorted out a hotel on booking.com and just went with no firm plans!

Dont worry about language, we dont speak any german and managed fine.

In regards to the different money,, set yourself a daily budget in ££, then work out the equivelant in €€ and use that as your budget.

CharacterForming · 26/02/2022 13:36

Start with a budget for what you can afford - including the cost of a passport which is seventy five quid and will last you ten years. Don't forget the cost of getting from your home to the airport and from the airport to your destination at the other end. There will also be taxes to pay on top of your flight.

Remember that getting a passport can take several weeks (currently about five but up to ten), so plan ahead.

What do you fancy doing? City break? Sunny beach? Exploring? Lakes and mountains?

Money isn't too difficult: as a PP said just remember (or write a note) of a few benchmarks "Ten Euros is eight quid fifty, twenty euros is seventeen quid, fifty euros is forty two quid fifty" and you won't go too far wrong.

User0610134049 · 26/02/2022 13:37

If you want to make it happen then you can. You can get very cheap flights now especially if not tied to school holidays. And you needn’t worry about language going to European cities really.
It’s just how much you want to experience it.

4kinell · 26/02/2022 13:40

I'm 52 and I've never been abroad , or on a plane . You got plenty of time yet !

dottydodah · 26/02/2022 13:41

I dont think it is unusual No .TBH around 17% of the UK dont have a PP, and of those who do not everyone goes abroad. Would you like to travel or feel you "ought"to? There are still cheap breaks on the continent . Or UK has some stunning places as well. I often think we are fed a diet of MC people who have fairly expensive cars ,holidays abroad and so on by the media.

Schools2023 · 26/02/2022 13:47

What sort of thing do you fancy, city break? Beach holiday? Are you going by yourself? We can help if you narrow it down a bit

WildImaginings · 26/02/2022 13:49

I've been abroad lots but I was very lucky to have grandparents who took me on holidays when I was young. My mum wouldn't have been able to afford to take us without them.

The love of travel has stuck and so now most of my disposable income goes on holidays- well, pre covid anyway, but I'm ready to get back out there!

Some things to consider:
Which airports are close to you, how close and how would you get there? If you're happy to travel further then how would you get there? For example, I'm very close to Cardiff airport but some of the places I like to visit you can only fly from Bristol. It's really easy to arrange parking at the airport.

Do not worry about the language or the currency. In most places you'll find that people can speak varying levels of English. In the places I've been where people don't (mainly certain countries in Asia) then we've managed to get by between us with a lot of pointing, miming etc!

Currency- when you change currency they will usually give you a little currency conversion slip. In terms of how much things cost and how long you will need do take etc it's super easy to research online.

Where would you like to go? Will you be travelling alone or with friends?

I'm aware this already a super long post but just some things to think about! I'm happy for you to PM me if you like. I'm no expert but I love booking holidays and have some useful tips saved on google docs for certain destinations!

BrieAndChilli · 26/02/2022 14:00

I think only 75% of the U.K. have a passport - that means 25% don’t so can’t go abroad! Some of those may have had a passport in the past but then some of the people that do won’t have used it to go abroad so probably evens out.

JuergenSchwarzwald · 26/02/2022 14:08

If you are worried about language, go to Ireland or places where English is widely spoken like Denmark or the Netherlands. Also agree that everyone speaks English in Dubrovnik too.

In terms of money you don't really need to worry these days as you can just use a card in lots of places and not need currency. Sadly the £ is worth only fractionally more than a euro, so you can more or less calculate one to one, and will just have a slightly nice surprise when you get home that you didn't spend quite as much as you thought you had.

FreyaMaya · 26/02/2022 14:10

I'm 42 and never left the uk

ChillyAvocado · 26/02/2022 14:16

I don’t think it’s unusual as such, one of my friends never went abroad with their family. She has been away as an adult a handful of times.

As a PP said, IMO it is sooo worth saving if you can and getting out the country for a while. Perhaps if you don’t want to fly, you could do Eurostar to Paris (but Paris can be a little expensive) or Amsterdam!

Also if you are travelling alone - Lisbon is supposed to be extremely safe, it is also cheap to eat well and you’re pretty much guaranteed to have some nice weather!

If you want to go on a plane, I would also start with a smaller airport if you can rather than Heathrow for example as it can be very busy and maybe a little overwhelming. The most zen airport I’ve flown from is Bristol - but I guess it depends where you are and what’s close by to you.

I find even a few days away in a different country can really clear your mind and reset you. I almost can guarantee you won’t regret it!

jarviscockatiel · 26/02/2022 14:16

I never went abroad until I met DH at the age of 34. 15 years later I've been to more than 60 countries. There's lots of time to travel ☺️

Suprima · 26/02/2022 14:17

It’s not uncommon, but it is quite sad- particularly your worries about not being able to get by in English, not knowing what to do with money.

If you are flexible about when you go- you’d be able to get an easyJet flight and a hotel for £150 for the weekend. Then cheap eats when you are there. Lots of tourist attracts are cheap or even free on the continent, or you can just enjoy walking around.

If you need more structure- you could book a solo package type holiday with a mix of beach/city where you will have transfers to a hotel, a rep to help and everything ‘on site’, just so you can try the plane travel and being ‘abroad’ in a controlled environment. You’ll be able to pay monthly until your holiday which can be quite economical.

I would take the advice of people on here to plan a trip- I think it would be really good for your confidence and life experience.

PotteringAlong · 26/02/2022 14:21

I do think it’s a bit unusual, especially if you want to go! Budget airlines, budget hotels all mean it can be done relatively inexpensively.

Where abouts in the country are you (for example, if you are anywhere near the north east the DFDS ferry from newcastle to Amsterdam is great. 2 nights on the boat, a day in Amsterdam.

www.dfds.com/en-gb

bruce43mydog · 26/02/2022 16:20

I couldn't think of anything worse than getting on a plane to a hot part of the world. I get home sick and would rather holiday in the UK. Especially Cornwall.

bruce43mydog · 26/02/2022 16:22

UK holidays all the way for me

emmathedilemma · 26/02/2022 16:24

I never went abroad with my parents until I was an adult and had already been on my own with youth groups and friends. Get yourself a cheap Ryanair flight to Dublin, it feels quite foreign but at least they speak English to break you in gently!

danadas · 26/02/2022 16:35

I'm 38 and have never been abroad. It doesn't appeal at the moment but I imagine as I get older I may think about it more. I don't actually have a current passport either, I had one when I was 20 to buy the house but never bothered to renew it. I'd probably pick somewhere I could get too on a train like France for the first time. Air travel looks too stressful.

CMOTDibbler · 26/02/2022 16:46

I never went abroad with my parents, in fact we didn't do any sort of holiday apart from go to my grandparents. By the time I was 28 I had been on a school day trip to france, a week in France by ferry with then bf and his family, and dh and I had a week in Italy on honeymoon. I'd never been in a taxi till I was at university either.
I've travelled for work a huge amount since then, and the first time I had to fly by myself it was scary, but someone will always understand you enough to let you cope, and Google translate is a wonderful thing

Flip

1 2