Has anyone else completely lost the desire to go on holiday?

[TrueCrimeFanatic]

When I was young I travelled a lot. First with my parents, then as a young adult. I travelled far and wide, to the USA in one direction and the far east in the other. I loved it and lots of places inbetween. After I met and married DH and had kids we settled into the Mediterranean style 2 weeks in the sun style holidays and breaks in the U.K.

we're now in our 60s, been retired for some years and just gone completely off holidaying, home or abroad. We think about the hassle at airports, the crowds in the cities at both home and abroad. The rain and general bad weather in the U.K.

We are away right now in England and it rained a lot of the day yesterday so we only went out for a couple of hours, did a museum and a cafe at a seaside resort, returned to our lodge and just sat and read. It was quite boring. Infact we are returning home today, a day earlier than planned.

Discussing it last night we realised we’ve both lost the desire to holiday, we miss having our stuff around us particularly as all our hobbies are quite creative. ( can’t exactly take a piano on holiday)

Have others reached this point where they just have no desire to holiday any more. Am I abnormal? Just curious if others have come to this conclusion or have opinions on this?

I love holidays, the airports aren’t hassle if you get a lounge and we just pick adult only hotels in nice places so they’re not crowded either. I don’t like going on holiday in England though, I agree that I’d rather be at home with my stuff rather than sitting in someone else’s house.

I relate op. I was a big traveller as a young woman and our holidays have followed a similar trajectory as yours.

We have retired friends who boast and brag about all their holidays and I look at their photos and I’m just relieved it’s not me. Packing, busy airports, sitting cramped for hours on a flight to see some random temples or landmark I have no affiliation with - no thanks. Or worse, sitting on a beach trying to avoid skin cancer. If I won a competition and the prize was a holiday I’d probably give it away.

I do like the odd city break for a couple of days just to get a culture fix but other than that I could not be bothered.

I’ve decided I don’t want to take short-haul flights any more, mostly because of the environmental impact but also because the whole experience is stressful and shit. Trains and ferries instead - yes it takes longer and costs more but it’s more enjoyable too. I used to spend the last couple of days on holiday anxious about the flight home whereas now I look forward to the return trip. It’s also still cheaper than holidaying in the UK, which is ridiculously expensive.

It means my destination options are relatively limited if I’m only going away for a week but I’m fine with that. It’s surprising how far you can go with overnight trains.

Edit to add that yes, I did lots of travelling around when I was in my 20s so perhaps that’s part of it. But also the crowds these days put me off.

I am with you OP, I haven't much enjoyed holidays for a long while. We go away for a couple of weekend breaks each year which is plenty.

Love a holiday! Love it. This year I have realised I want more and life is short so just booked a month away next year. As I get older the more I want to see and experience things. Makes me happy to have adventures.

I’ve no desire to holiday in this country, the places I’ve stayed in the past haven’t been the greatest, despite costing plenty. And one time in Wales we also came home early.
I prefer cruises now, getting on at Southampton is a breeze and I deliberately choose smaller ships.

Of course just sitting in the rain is boring. It is wherever you are.

I go to places with interesting places to visit. There are so many places ai haven't been yet.

Doesn’t rock my boat in the way it used to, before I wished the holiday was longer now I look forward to coming home v much.

I’m a bit younger but am looking forward to DH retiring in about 3 years so we can travel more. We are fortunate with healthy pensions and also have a holiday home abroad. We want to spend more time there and use it as a base to explore further. I’ve been looking at interrailing too. And I’d like to go further afield. Some late 50s friends are currently in an extended holiday in South America and it looks amazing… doing it on a budget and having done incredible experiences. Last year I did a cycling trip in Vietnam and met quite a few people in their late 60s having a fab time.

each to their own OP but I’m definitely not in your camp!

Thanks, you sound just like me even down to the feeling relief you’re not on someone else’s holiday and feel no envy or jealousy.

we do plan to go to London for a couple of days next year as DH wants to see the Bayeaux Tapestry (big history buff) and I want to see the Crown Jewels but we’ll be on the train home after that. Good to know it’s not just me,

Me! I don't care if I never go on holiday again, I've never been big on them in the past and I am even less keen now.

The thought of any type of travel fills me with dread so I am better off not bothering. My lack of enthusiasm doesn't impact on anyone else so I am quite safe in not going anywhere.

Who knows, I may change my mind one day but at the moment, no way.

"Boast and brag". How lovely
Slightly hypocritical to eye roll at others' travel since you say you travelled a lot when younger

Maybe your friends didn't get the opportunity to travel much when younger. Maybe you got the travel bug out of your system when you were younger. Does that make you superior to them somehow ?

I am travelling long haul once a year nowadays because I spent the middle 20 years of my life with a husband who wont fly and an autistic child who cant cope with holidays so have had very very few ' successful or enjoyable holidays in that time

I am enjoying my holidays again, even if only once a year as I work still, and it is wonderful

I'm the same. Haven't felt like going away for a few years now.
Have no desire to be herded round airports, scanned and sat next to someone's screaming toddler on a flying bus to sleep in a bed a million other people have slept in that's nowhere near as comfortable as my own.
Just not for me anymore.
Someone once said to create a life you don't need a holiday from and so that is what I am aiming for. For the cost of a single holiday I created a lovely outdoor lounge area in my garden with covered pergola that I enjoy all year round. The following year I bought my dream sofa instead of a holiday. And this year I bought an infrared sauna that is probably the best thing I've ever bought. I get to enjoy all those things 365 days a year, much better value than a week or two's holiday.

I honestly think given the way a lot of people behave these days in anti social and unpleasant ways there is very little pleasure in going to a lot of places OP. And most forms of travel seem fraught with problems. I still have a longing to go on holiday but I rarely do because the reality rarely lives up to the expectation.

God no, I’m 57 and off to the Caribbean in a couple of months , I can’t wait, small boutique resort, lounge booked at airport, fast track booked, we will spend a lot of time reading, drinking cocktails and swimming, eating lovely meals, and do a few trips out and about,

holidays in this country, no , going for a night or two somewhere yes, to do something, but I don’t want to go literally on holiday in the uk.

we are both retiring soon and will plan to go every month or so for a few days in Europe, cheap flight, cheap central accommodation, and explore, do the touristy stuff and enjoy meals out, so Seville, Madrid, Barcelona, Iceland, the list is endless.

when working we just didn’t have the time really, but when retired we can fly cheaply on a Monday, come back on a Thursday, avoid the crowds, and have fun,

in the uk day trips or over nights only

Yes,I'm 75,DH 7 years younger. last year we had a week away on his birthday in march,dog friendly barn conversion,near where his grandparents lived and visited their graves and their home. (his m had died,we were NC for 16 years, she didn't bring him up) I think he wanted to remember happier times. Apart from that it was almost 18 years ago,we went away. I remember the hastle, packing, sorting out animals. I also am very claustrophobic, I don't like being trapped in a plane (unreasonably,they wouldn't let me open a window

Eatly 60s, still working full time.

No, I still love holidays but I absolutely CBA with long haul anymore. DH would like to go to Thailand but anything more than transatlantic (Canada or Caribbean) fills me with horror - unless we could fly business class.

I'm happy to stick to Europe and I love a citybreak which is fortunate as I have three between now and Christmas! (Which to be fair is not usual)ⁿ

I generally try to avoid being around the general public because they're intolerable, and hotels and self catering holiday homes always disappoint me these days because there's no attention to detail or real care given, even though I don't go below a 4* hotel. They're still not clean enough, cheaply decorated, noisy, disappointing food.

No I haven't, but that said, we were never taken on holiday as kids. My dad didn't believe in them. So the first time I stepped on a plane, I was mid-20s.

I know that's rather unusual though.

I’m with you OP. As soon as we’re away I want to go home. I haven’t bothered this year and haven’t missed it at all.
Im a little fed up of being told I’ll regret it and should ‘see the world’ by friends who return to the same resorts and see the pool there tbh.

I suppose I meant that that’s all they talk about - it’s the first question they ask “where is your next trip then?” Or “where are you off on holiday this year?” As if that’s the only thing worth talking about.

And yes, I did get the travel bug out of my system when I was young but very few places were worth repeating tbh on reflection. There are a lot of noisy, smelly, overcrowded, overhyped tourist traps all over the world. And even the tranquil, unique hidden gems are a ball ache to get to. Any relaxation or euphoria wears off as soon as you hear screaming kids at the airport.

No, I'm your age and still love holidays. I plan them carefully though so I don't end up doing things I don't like.

I'd happily get back into holidays if access to a private jet and a driver the other end for the duration was feasible.

No not at all, I cannot wait to see what is over the horizon.

It can be a new car journey locally, short haul/long haul flight, a new walk, I love seeing and discovering new places and will until my last breath.

I feel like this about holidays abroad.

Used to love them but now just can't be bothered with the travel to the airport, the airport faff, the flight, the getting sorted the other end etc...

However I do still love UK holidays. I enjoy exploring new areas and finding new walks, new things to do and just relaxing in a different environment. We love finding new pubs to try and new places to eat.

We don't mind the weather and will still go out and do things even if its raining/windy. We have, before now, been the only people on the beach with our dogs during a named storm 😂Our dogs were loving running around and we actually laughed so much at being blown about and getting soaking wet. It was exhilarating and felt so good getting back to our accommodation for hot showers and a hot cup of coffee.

I think being away from home for a week is good for the soul and we enjoy our bi-annually week long trips away in the UK.

But if you don't, then that is fine. Do what is good for you and if you have come to the realisation that you don't enjoy them then save yourself the money and have time off at home instead.