Dh has just suggested we have a few nights away in the summer holidays, somewhere cheap.

[Florencenotflo]

Oh how I laughed...🤣

Cheap... Summer holidays. The year after a pandemic where the majority of people are staying in the UK, it would seem. I'm aware we have well and truly missed the boat this year.

Just showed him a lovely caravan holiday in Wales. The most basic accommodation, 7 nights is over £1000.

Any suggestions of where I could look before I shatter his dreams of a summer holiday?

@DogDaysNeverEnd thank you so much, that is very nice of you. It's not available on the dates we need but it looks lovely!

Camping! If y

Youth hostels - some are cheaper than others and many are well located with tons of indoor and outdoor space. You save more by using their kitchens and smuggling your own booze!

@Blueshimmer sorry, I feel like I'm just pissing on peoples parades 😂 we live about an hour from Greenwich and go there quite a bit. We've done most of what you've suggested, but I agree they are all brilliant things to do with kids!

He is also having a look @BarbaraofSeville but not getting far. I think he thought he was looking in the wrong places, but no. They are really all booked up or out of our price range.

Package holidays, also a no go. The kids don't have passports and abroad anywhere would definitely be over our budget!

I'm looking at somewhere near the New Forest at the moment, that's looking promising!

Oh he's hilarious sometimes @balalake 🤣

You mentioned Wales, there is a premier inn in Caernarfon which looks about £500 ish for five nights end of July. Good little town with a castle, and lovely beaches and Anglesey not too far away. There's also a couple of theme parks aimed at younger kids in the area.

@DeathMetalMum thank you, I will have a look! I've never been to Anglesey but I've always wanted to. £500 plus food and activities might be a bit much but we might be able to do 3 nights!

Staycation. For a few hundred you can do loads of days out, eat at nice places, do some national trust visits, etc. I bet there is loads within an hour or so of your house. We did this the last two years during the pandemic when we couldn't be arsed with all the testing needed for travel and really enjoyed it. We went to the beach, visited castles, went to funfairs, etc.

TUI does last minute deals if you have flexible dates. Can go abroad for £300 or less pp

We stayed in the East of England in a Premier Inn and just drove to the beach/places of interest - it was something like £35/room/night ! The "holiday homes" were 5 gazillion pounds a night for a shed...

I wouldn't rule it out even with kids.

New forest show is at the end of July - good for a day out & if book tickets ahead it’s a bit cheaper www.newforestshow.co.uk

Premier inn St David’s Pembrokeshire, just over £500 for a family room last week of July. Absolutely fab location, fab beaches and places to eat.

I’ve just booked 5 days in the Netherlands in August with Huttopia. It was under £400 & my Tesco club card made the tunnel under £100.

I love how your DH suggested it and you’re the one now having to organise it

Have you looked at Youth Hostels? You can get a family room reasonably inexpensive, and then you have use of the shared sitting room and kitchen. Often in good places! We have stayed in Snowdon, near Pen-Y-Fan, Littlehampton... couple of others too I think.

Oh sorry wolfieandboy - I see you've already suggested it.

Is East Sussex too close to you to be interesting?

This place is lovely, a walk to a great, interactive science museum, in a different direction a walk to a great pub. The Tipi's are comfy 😊

www.bigskytipiholidays.co.uk/

How about a staycation. Just go out every day, do all the castles in Kent (get an English heritage membership). Port Lympe zoo, Wingham Wildlife Park near Canterbury. Dymchurch, good old fashioned day at the beach, mini ‘fun fair’, Romney Hythe and Dymchurch railway (not cheap), steam railway Bodiam, etc etc, Kent has sooo much to offer. Eat out every day, be organised so house is tidy before you go, be out all day. Daleacres west Hythe, camping pods? Caravan and Motorhome have other non caravaning accommodation, think there are wooden pods at Brighton. You can stay at port lympe buts it’s not cheap.
pop up to London and do some of the museums.

Have you looked at stayplayexplore? I booked a long weekend in Leicester, yes that's right, Leicester the place you never knew you wanted to visit! It includes trips to local attractions for about the same price as a hotel. Not sure about summer hols prices though. Clearly I have a penchant for the places noone else thinks of visiting.

Near York. Has availability end of July £560

www.sunsetcottages.co.uk/

North Wales is fabulous, we've just been for half term and had a wonderful time. We found the accomodation very expensive though, particularly on the coast. Lots to do with kids though, I want to go back!

If you wanted to go to Liverpool there is a nice premier inn called Warrington north east. It's got a nice pub attached and the food is lovely.

We stay there for a cheap date night now and again as we are quite local to it.

It's close to Manchester and Liverpool for days out.

@Florencenotflo You are so positive about all the suggestions! You sound lovely.

www.boltholesandhideaways.co.uk/anglesey-holiday-cottages/brynsiencyn/ysgubor-wennol?date=Fri%2029%20Jul%202022&nights=7&sleeps=4
lovely cottage from 29th for less than 1k and far nicer than caravan. Also cheaper 2br cottage in Beaumaris. Anglesey is wonderful for kids. Beaches, weather normally good, better than mainland and exciting castles and mountains just over the Menai Bridge.

Camping is like £20 a night round my way.