Has anyone else not been abroad in years?

[ilovesummerdays]

It's been 9 years for me. Due to a mixture of money (and taking on a mortgage and ploughing money and overpayments into that), and changing jobs quite a few times so not planning ahead too much. I've been on holiday once in the UK in that time.

I'm not sure when I will go abroad again.

I haven't been abroad since I got my first dog, over twenty years ago. I prefer dogs to going abroad so probably wont go again.

5 years for us, we have been saving though and will be going abroad this year. We used to live abroad and travel a lot, but we really enjoy the area we live in and spending our free time doing things here.

Not since before covid. When travelling opened up again we had other expenses, but we are going this year, and I can't wait.

Not.since before COVID. But we are going to France this year - very excited!

You can take a dog abroad 🤷‍♀️we've driven with ours through Europe many times.

Last time I went was 2018 Ds and I went skiing.

Since then I've been paying school fees, then Covid, then I got BC and travel insurance wasn't easy. Then I had to pay for a new bathroom, and still paying school fees.

DS has been on GCSE German trip and skiing with the school but I've been stuck at home 🙁

I might manage it this summer. DS will finish his GCSEs and I'm three years clear since diagnosis so I was thinking maybe Portugal or Spain.

I could do with a rest and some sunshine.😎

We rescue and unfortunately we haven't had good travellers up until now. OH doesn't want to take our current dog abroad (his idea of a holiday abroad is all inclusive by the pool rather than something that would encompass taking the dog) so I don't see it happening.

We haven't had a holiday abroad for 5 years. It's looking unlikely we'll have another any time soon, if ever (we'll be too decrepit before very long!), due to a change in family commitments.

25 years for me..... just can't afford it now x been raising children for the last 19 years lol

20 years. Travelled quite well before. Mixture of money and having to go in summer hols because of husband's job and son. Always gone away though once a year mainly 5 days in caravan or hotel in UK. Odd nights away. Feel a terrible mom to son as knew would love a big pool and kids Club etc. Weather never great on UK so could not use out door pool. Think he enjoyed them though. Hoping take him on a plane to a city for a few days for 18th next year.

Another not since Covid. My DC are now grown and I have realised I went to give them new experiences. They are now going off on their own trips without me. I travelled a lot when younger and have lived abroad so have no yearnings.

I work FT so thoroughly enjoy any time off already and am in London so plenty to do on a staycation. Plus there’s always some shit show at airports or ferries these days. Plus would rather retire early than spend 1000s on a couple of weeks.

When I retire I will travel slowly, off peak, on my own. Couple of months in SE Asia kind of thing.

Its been 5 or 6 years for us, i actually forget. Its just too expensive now.

But I'd love to go. Anywhere!!

just over ten years, just can’t afford it really, been happy with staycations though, and doing day trips to local tourist spots, also have a dog now so not really practical.

Nine years for me too - lack of money and Covid restrictions. Because of getting older and with world events, I’ve been thinking of how short life is, so I may be doing a bucket list trip in November to Los Angeles, solo. Priced it up and it’s £1,600 including spending money.

Not been abroad, or on holiday anywhere, not even a night in a Travelodge since 2010.

No money.

Then again, I didn’t go on holiday until I was 28. My first time on a plane too! Travelled extensively for 3 years, then never again.

Life is short, if you want to go abroad, I'd stop over paying the mortgage and get abroad whilst you're healthy enough to do so. Assuming you want to of course, but you never know what is around the corner, Covid showed us that. I've never understood the "throwing everything at the mortgage" mentality. Why restrict yourself now to be financially free-er at a time you may struggle to spend the money, there's a balance, and for me that balance is not overpaying the mortgage unless it still leaves me with enough disposable income to enjoy life now (and going abroad is very much part of how I enjoy life).

I want to say not since 2010. But I honestly can't remember. My DH is not great about travelling too far from home, panics on public transport and can't stay at home overnight on his own, so that's the main reason. It's just a lot of hassle to sort him out as well as making plans to go solo.

DS is 5 now, though, and I do want him to experience new things, so we're going to Paris next month for two nights and my DH will stay with family. I am soooooo excited!

We haven’t been since our honeymoon in 2011. I’d love to take my girls abroad but we’d all need passports and going during school holidays is so expensive. We can barely afford a uk holiday every year and even that costs £1000 that I pay in installments through the year so would have to forgo that one pleasure to save up for an abroad holiday which at the minute I don’t think is worth it.

Been over 25 years now since I went abroad. Cant say I'm particularly bothered. Passport ran out years ago. I may get another one day but I hate flying so unless i was going on a massive adventure, I wouldn't bother.

I haven’t had any sort of holiday in over 12 years.

Not since a family cruise to Norway in 2018, we now have a dog so holiday in the uk. We are currently staying in a lodge, which is very nice. We do miss cruising, but don’t miss flying or beach holidays.

It's seven years for us. OH was diagnosed with cancer in 2017 so was too unwell to travel in 17 and 18 due to chemotherapy and having no immune system after a stem cell replacement. We thought about it in 19, but OH still wasn't really fit enough and didn't like the thought of the airport chaos. Then covid happened which meant, first, no holidays allowed and then seeing all the chaos of security queues, delays, etc., we just couldn't face it. Now we just don't even think about it after so many years not bothering. He's still immunocompromised so it just seems too much of a risk to be in close proximity with so many people in the airport queues, on a sardine plane, etc.

It's a shame as we were very frequent travellers for 30 years prior to that, travelling abroad 2/3 times per year, America (north and south), Canada, Egypt, Israel, Africa, and throughout Europe many times. We'd always wanted to do China and Australia but the cost and work got in the way. We thought we'd do them in retirement, but OH's cancer, treatment and compromised immunity have ended that idea!

I went 2017-2023 without going abroad, because of covid and young DC. Got a week in Spain as a family last year which was nice at least. Staying home this year as we have a relative in poor health so didn't want to be a flight away.

It's really bothering me tbh. Pre kids we would've had at least one holiday abroad a year, often long haul. I've flown twice since late 2017. DH travels a bit for work including at least one long haul trip and I'm wildly jealous. I fantasise about mooching around an airport.

2019, we usually go overseas a couple of times every year but had two years off because of covid. We went on a UK holiday in 2021 and decided to do this again as we enjoyed it. We also reevaluated many things due to two friends dying so have had a couple of years of hard saving and a good return on investments means we have decided that we will be retired earlier than anticipated, DH will be retired by next year age 56 and I have already retired at this age.

Me - I developed a fear of flying ( I now think related to perimenopause). We have a camper van & love exploring the UK.