Uk holiday that’s just as nice as going abroad

[Pinkunicorn21]

Help! I’m trying to find a holiday for next year that’s a bit better on the bank balance….! We usually spend around £4k going to Greece but we can’t afford it this year coming, with the cost of living going up we really can’t do it. Is there a next best thing? Something with pools, kids entertainment, near the beach, nice accommodation, clean, spacious? I think we have been spoilt and same for our little one. Is there anywhere in the uk where you have thought this is nicer or just as good as abroad?

What?! There's absolutely tonnes to do in the isle of wight, especially with little ones.

I should add - it does depend on kids ages. If they're younger travelling is generally more stressful and I think the smaller the people the more 'stuff' you need!

Dylan Coastal Resort in South Wales 👌👌

@MumonabikeE5 yep- I'm off to Majorca (again) in 2 weeks- in all honesty I would rather spend £1000 if I had school age kids on 4 nights in a cracking London hotel with action packed fun days plus mid priced meals out every night than camping in the wind and wet - ( unless I lived in London of course) but yes I know that's just me- my son would have preferred that too !

European centre park type places are much cheaper than ours and have good pools. Or as a pp has suggested, fly/ferry to Europe and do Euro camp - lovely places such as Vendée, south of France, black forest or mosel valley. They go to Italy, Austria and Croatia as well as the usual France/Spain

maybe I’m missing the point.
and that deep joy can be found lingering around in drizzle and gales.

@MumonabikeE5 well if you’re missing the point then I’m missing it too. We recently spent 5 days in a UK seaside resort with very mixed weather. This led to a very mixed experience and I’m grateful to be heading to Spain in 3 weeks time. Everyone needs sunshine!

I get what you’re saying - but if you (understandably) don’t want to do wind swept for more than an hour per day, then a trip abroad may be for you!

Watergate Bay hotel in Cornwall is gorgeous and I'd happily go there over Greece!

There's loads to do! You need a car, but then you can go all over the island and honestly there's so much to see and do. The Roman villas is amazing, there's a poo museum! Lovely beaches, Shanklin Chine, dinosaur footprints, the dinosaur museum...

I remember my parents taking us on camping holidays in the UK when I was a child because we had little money. It was usually cold, or damp, or both, and we could never get our clothes dry, and then there was sleeping on the ground, and the inflatable mattresses would also pop, and my mum would complain about the work involved, and the fact my brother always needed the toilet at 3am...my minimum comfort requirements are now a caravan with heating AND AC.

There is much to see in the UK but I need to get my driving license to see it because public transport only gets you so far and it's expensive too.

cove.co.uk/sealbayresort/self-catering-holidays/lodges/luxury-lodges/

Cheaper than going abroad? LOL, LOL and LOL again 🤣

If you want low cost then a caravan holiday is your best bet.
For anything more it will probably cheaper going abroad and guaranteed better weather.

It varies by campsite but for Yelloh villages if you book the 'premium' accommodation you get towels, bed linen and end of stay cleaning included.

Driving to France is expensive once you factor in all the meal stops and overnight stops, plus petrol.

Well I am sure there are hotels where people can drive from an airport to a hotel, find a sun lounge to fight over,, whinge about looking after people's kids, complain about foreign food so stick with fish and chips, pizza and then drive home again maybe on the south coast?

Eurocamp in France - we had many holidays that way when the kids were small.

Germany is hot and sunny and August is cheaper than the UK as schools are back in some regions. We had a lovely time in the Ore Mountains near the Czech border. It’s beautiful countryside with traditional half timbered cottages and forest walks. No other British tourists around!
We paid £850 for a 4 bed self catering house about 1 hour from Leipzig airport. Most small towns have an open air public swimming pool- the one near us was €2 per person and you could stay all day.
Air fares less than £100 per person return with a budget airline.
Food a bit cheaper than UK, we got 3 huge doner kebabs for €15.

Not if you want it cheaply. It's still cheaper overseas and you've a better chance on hot weather. Just be canny with your booking. Keep searching for the bargains. Try up and coming places like Albania or Bulgaria.

Hi @UserNameOfShame would you recommend golden coast for a lively 6 year old boy? Thanks

@KeepScrapingBy totally agree- think sideways -Zakopane in Poland was nice too - as are the Hungarian lakes

Personally OP I would be doing Eurocamp in the biggest mobile you can get and if you can't/ don't want to drive - find one in south of France and fly to Nice- great rail line along the coast -

Take the Chunnel, turn right and find somewhere on the Cote D'Opale, like Wimereaux. Just a bit more likely to get reasonable weather, and incredibly low stress with little ones.

Brittany is prettier but further and more expensive.

I have had lovely UK holidays camping but only do long weekends not a million miles from home, and I chase the sun.