Has anyone's views on holidays totally changed as they got older?

[twoglassesplease]

I used to charge about ticking off sights and have definitely, preciously, twattishly said that I could never do a beach holiday.

Now I will do one or two sights in the morning, by the easiest way possible, thoroughly enjoy a big open top bus, and spend my afternoon reading.

Funnily enough my mum has gone the other way!

No, I like seeing sights, always have and probably always will.

I could stay home and read books for free!

I wouldn't say it's totally changed as I would still prefer to go abroad. But when I was in my 20s I would never have entertained Scotland but now I'm really drawn to it and looking forward to exploring one day.

It's so different reading outdoors in the heat though. Glorious!

I used to be very focused on travel abroad and never felt like holidays here were 'proper' holidays. (I know I was a twat).

But lockdown, lack of money, 3 out of 4 of us now having expired passports (which means more money) and I'm not really that bothered about going abroad anymore. We've had some cracking holidays in the UK the last 3 years. We did a lot of abroad holidays when my eldest was small and it was fine. I never felt like it was hard work, but it is so much easier in a lot of ways to stay in the UK.

Yes, I actually go on them now! I've been single for about 20 years and there are so many places I wanted to visit but didn't, because I was worried about going on my own. Last year, I just thought, why the hell shouldn't I? So I did, and now I'm working my way through my wish list 🙂

I've had some good holidays in the past - Australia, France, Spain but nowadays I don't go on holidays unless I'm really forced to. I just don't want to be away from my home if I can help it. I prefer days out instead.

I want to do them all. An utterly uncultured holiday where I lie in the sunshine enjoying the view of mountains and sea in between reading my book and sipping a cocktail. A city break where you walk miles every day taking in lots of museums, galleries and historical sites. A UK break where you wear three layers on the beach (even though it's July) and eat fish and chips in the rain and go and visit completely bizarre tiny little attractions like a pencil factory or something. All the holidays, all the time please.

Yes! I used to be really snotty about sun & swim type holidays and now I think they are absolute bliss.

I don't care at all about going abroad any more. Too much aggro, expense and hassle with dog. Haven't had a passport for over 10 years.

I really fancy Cornwall but it's so bloody dear. I still have that 'HOW much for a week in the UK?' but I'm trying to chip it away.

I dont think its changed too much, I had lots of holidays when younger but I always looked forward to getting home. Now it is such a huge expense that we just can't justify them, sadly...I am still quite a homebody though so I stress quite a bit before going and look forward to going home.

No, my view that I had from my twenties, that holidays are best taken as a solitary activity has not changed.

Unfortunately with children and DP and limited time my chance to fulfill this view has vanished.

I spent most of my 20's backpacking or on 18/30 clubbing holidays, briefly worked abroad and occasionally stayed in hovels. Next came the dc so child friendly stuff- center parcs (which will still do with dc every single year), Disney/Universal theme parks, AI hotels with waterparks, cruises with kids clubs, city breaks with a beach.
Now the dc have grown and we've spent a few years doing long haul luxury, sightseeing and more cruises. We're retiring this year so have some more adventurous stuff planned - riding our motorcycles far and wide, lots of long campervan trips, yet more cruises and also looking forward to going for a few weeks at a time to more exciting destinations abroad in the next 10+ years.
We'll probably finish off with bus tours to the UK seaside in our 80's 😁

‘A UK break where you wear three layers on the beach (even though it's July) and eat fish and chips in the rain and go and visit completely bizarre tiny little attractions like a pencil factory or something’

Someone has been watching Sightseers? …..good film!

When i was in my twenties i wanted adventure, wild nature , remoteness.. high altitudes, long hikes with the fewer people te better.
Bit now I’ve got kids and they don’t like long hikes… and i don’t like being so far away from everything anymore, what is something happens, a child gets sick.
Last summer we were in Brittany and we had the wild coast to hike but also the swimmingpool at the campsite to relax. It was a good compromise.

Bus tours to seaside resorts I hear you get free cups of tea and suchlike on them and that is beginning to sound appealing...

I am getting to the point where I find the travelling: getting to the airport with time to spare, the queues, the shuffling through security, hanging about, delays, all that, completely enervating. Last year I was on a Greek island. It took over 12 hours travelling door to door to get home. I think I might give it a miss this year and do a few day trips from home instead. Not that long ago, that would have been unimaginable.

@species5618

why don’t you want to be away from your house?

I used to wonder why they hell you would go all-inclusive when the whole point of holidays is to explore and try new places/foods each meal.

Last few (all-inc) holidays we haven’t left the hotel 😳

Used to relish the adventure of a 5am flight and an exotic destination. But it’s not the same with three kids in tow. Currently holidays are ferries and not a particularly warm European destination that I just have to survive wit a few token nice moments! I would kill for a pool holiday. But on my own or with the girls. Not with the kids!

And fish and chips 😊

I am currently still ok with airports but I must have a clear route out.

In my younger days I would have taken a train, a bus and walked to the hostel. A nice coach transfer will do me nicely now and I dream of a private car transfer.

I can't be arsed with them now. The four of us stuck in a smaller, shittier version of home for a week, the constant asking for money for crap, traipsing about in the heat, the unending discussions about sunscreen.

Then you get home knackered, do 11 loads of washing, and go back to work the next day, shattered and skint.

Would honestly rather be at work.

There's no place like home.

Not really, but the effort-to-enjoyment ratio definitely shifts as you get older.