If you're restricted to the 6 weeks off school for the summer holidays

[No17CherryTreeLane]

When do you think is the best time to go away?
For ease, let's split it into 2 weeks chunks.
So the first 2 weeks, the middle 2 or the 2 towards the end of the holidays?

I always think the middle 2 works best in theory, but we always seem to end up going for the last option.

I usually spent the first week of the holiday in school, catching up with paperwork and other things that needed finalising. A couple of days during GCSE week and most of the last week after the bank holiday, to get a head start on the new term.

So realistically, the second and third, or third and fourth were the only possibilities.

We had to go away at the start of the holidays this year as it was the only time we could both get time off work, and tbh it feels like we haven't been away now as feels so long ago! Would much rather go in the middle or towards the end. Maybe the week 4 and 5, as I like the last week at home to sort stuff out make sure we've got everything ready for school etc. It was nice to all finish school and work, and be straight off on holiday, but like I said the kids seem to have forgotten we even went away now 😄

I like a week to get organised, do deep clean of the house and go second week. Then still have time to do few days out in the end of the holidays.

I've always found the last two week best value.

Week 4 and 5. A lot of drama/sport clubs round here only run in the firsr half of the holidays.

Then you still have a week to do last minute school shopping.

I like the first weeks because you get more daylight, assuming in UK/Europe

We did the first two weeks this year - literally collected child from school with car already packed up - and really enjoyed it. OK, there are less clubs etc as you hit the dog days of August but they aren't all shut.

The first week of August and either 1-3 days at the end of July or the Monday, maybe Tuesday at a pinch of the second week of August if there aren't any IT upgrades rendering everything unusable that needs to be fixed/forgotten updates, etc, etc. It's the only time of year I can even hope to have more than a couple of days off at a time other than Xmas Eve - Boxing Day, as I always have to be in or at the very least working (assuming that the remote access or server hasn't been switched off/the PAT bloke hasn't switched everything off again/somebody hasn't decided we don't need a particularly vital system or service contract to be renewed without mentioning it to anybody in advance, etc...) for at least 3 days a week in holiday periods.

As soon as school finishes we are off ;)

I like to go as close as possible to the start of the holidays, otherwise I feel like I spend the weeks leading up to the holiday buying/packing and then the 6 weeks are over once we're back.

We are going for the first 2 weeks, I am really ready for a holiday by then, it's a lovely start to the holidays.

We always go away the first two weeks and then when you get back it feels like ages until school starts again. The last two weeks seem really stressful as it's almost straight back to routine and work.

I think I’d be a fan of the split holiday - leave the day or day after school finishes to give a hard deadline for finishing work (teacher). Go for a week, back for two then go away for one more again. More expensive I suppose but I think two weeks often seems too long for me and I love. A seven night holiday.

I personally prefer to go in the middle.

The last three years I’ve gone in the last week- not my choice but was going with a majority, last two years I’ve gone with a group of six girlfriends (who aren’t teachers) and they like that as, due to the august bank hol, it means they only need 4 days annual leave, not 5. I’m already the difficult one by restricting them to school hols so absolutely don’t begrudge this. Three years ago I went with another friend who had already booked a fortnight in Spain with her boyfriend, but he ended things a couple of months prior, so I took his place, it was already booked so I again obviously had no choice in when to go.

Of course I’ve thoroughly enjoyed these holidays these last three years, but have never been in love with being away in the last week. I get really
excited for holidays and end up wishing my summer away, waiting for the holiday to come around. I’m a real autumn fan and usually feel a bit “done” with summer weather by this point and just want to embrace autumnal goodness, and get rid of the summer clothes. I find it’s a faff getting back the day, or two days before going back to work and having all the washing to do etc, at the same time as getting back into the mindset of going back to work/getting things ready for that.
I appreciate all of these are very minor reasons, and nothing to get in a spin about, it’s just my preference.

I like going in the middle as it gives me a couple of weeks beforehand to relax into the holidays, socialise etc, do my hol shopping, write packing lists etc and get everything ready. And then when I’m back it feels nice to have a couple of weeks off to still enjoy.

First two as it helps puts us in holiday mode for the rest of the summer and no nagging from the kids about "how long until we go in holiday" etc.

Yes the last week of the holiday with the Bank Holiday is usually the cheapest.

We've mostly gone away on week 5 so have the final week left to reset and get ready for the new school year.

We went away in week 3 and I only just started to feel relaxed by this point. It takes me a while to wind-down from school life.

We aim for week 1 and week 4!

My kids get 5 weeks total so we go away week 4, breaks it up and when we get back only have a week to go so feels much more manageable. I take the first week as annual leave, we do clubs and family childcare for weeks 2 and 3 then I do part year working so am off for weeks 4 and 5 - works really well. We fit in a couple of camping trips too but mainly go away towards the end. Tends to be cheaper than the beginning too.

We go straightaway for 10-14 days then have a short break around the late august bank holiday

We’ve always tended to split it, partly because DH finds it hard to take two weeks off consecutively. So one week soon after the end of term, end of July/first week Aug. Then another week in the second half of Aug. At least one will be in the UK so we aren’t doubling up on plane fares etc. They aren’t always whole weeks either, this year we did a week in the UK in late July and have just had a 4 day city break abroad.

First week is usually cheaper. I need to be around for a level and gcse results days, so that kind of limits too. End of August would be cheaper still, if I were back in next Wed like my kids, but I'm not.