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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think that staying in the UK is NOT a holiday

319 replies

BurntToastSmell · 06/07/2012 20:42

I'm sick of people patronising me. Next week I'm going to Peppa Pig World (and a car museum and assorted rubbishy British crappy places) for my daughters 2nd birthday and my 30th. Friends who have returned from hot countries have said things like, "Oh you must be really looking forward to it" and "Your jollies are soon!" (jollies = holidays).

FFS! Peppa Pig World is NOT a holiday!! What's worse is that my husband really believes that this is a fucking holiday. My idea of a holiday is:

Different culture.
Different country.
Nice weather is a bonus.

Whereas we'll be pushing a pram around in the rain for a week. I see it more as a 'trip' and no it's not semantics. And yes I'm PMSing.

OP posts:
soozeedol · 09/07/2012 21:43

well iyo i have never had a holiday then....well once when I was 7.5mths pregnant in a blistering heatwave in Cyprus for a week...hated every minute and haven't had the money to even think of going out of uk for a holiday....most holidays are camping in Scotland and south not much further than lake district...and usually we go for 3/5 days at a time....

I'm quite happy that I manage to do this at all...!!

DilysPrice · 09/07/2012 22:09

I've got to say that taking a 6 month old and a 2 year old on "holiday" in a plane sounds like the definition of not a holiday.
I hate plane trips with children, I hate having to pack all their stuff into one small suitcase, I'm terrified of there being some kind of crisis (strikes, terrorists, volcanoes) and being trapped Abroad. And no trip on which you have to share a room with your DCs, not have sex and/or go to sleep when they do, counts as a holiday.

Self-catering in the UK all the way for me. However, given the tragic excuses for summers we've had over the last 5 years, I'm starting to think YANBU OP.

fuzzpig · 10/07/2012 06:36

I don't really like the word Staycation either. It's just quicker than saying "a week off where we stay at home but go on day trips and do holidayish stuff all week" :o

Sirzy · 10/07/2012 08:07

It's not even that though, for some reason some people label a holiday in the UK a staycation.

fuzzpig · 10/07/2012 08:23

What like if they are actually staying somewhere else in the UK? That is just odd. I thought a Staycation was where you literally stay at home - anything else is a holiday. IMO.

TheEnglishWomanInTheAttic · 10/07/2012 08:32

A "Staycation" IS where you stay in your own home and do touristy day-trips. Going to stay with relatives is going to stay with relatives. If you go and stay in holiday accommodation (paid for or loaned free for your exclusive use) then it is a holiday.

So staying in holiday accommodation in the UK is a holiday. Whether it is the holiday you want is a different issue, but it is a holiday.

We live overseas and travelled to the UK 2 months ago for a week in a caravan park. Usually we stay with my parents and travel around visiting and occasionally staying over with friends - that is not a holiday, it is a trip. We paid for a static caravan this time, so it was a holiday. It was a lot more expensive than the 10 days in Croatia we're going to have in September too!

YABU to say it is not a holiday. It can't have been bargain cheap either. Stay home next time and put the money aside to go away the next year perhaps?

LettyAshton · 10/07/2012 09:22

The weather is material, though.

I read/heard yesterday that the 1970s were sunnier than now, so those of us who are old enough to remember 70s summers are not deluded, they actually were better (and not just 1976). Every year we had a Hoseasons chalet holiday and they were BRILLIANT.

I think we all got a bit spoilt by 2003, too (apart from me who was 8 months pregnant and finally exploded on 30 August). We are still expecting to be sitting with picnics watching outdoor Shakespeare/concerts, barbecuing nightly, wearing sandals etc etc. We have to face it, that was a one-off and normal British summer weather is crap.

cory · 10/07/2012 09:26

Imo almost any holiday can be a child friendly holiday if you put a bit of thought into it. My db went inter-railing across Europe with his 2yo and they had a great time (apparently dn particularly enjoyed the Palatine).

We have had a few UK holidays, taking ours round cathedrals, art galleries, castles, forests, farms, rock pools and there has always been something for the dc to enjoy- as long as you keep talking to them.

Whether an adult can enjoy Peppa Pig World is a moot point though. I've never felt strong enough to put myself to the test.

The wettest day I've ever had on holiday was in Pompeii. The coldest I have ever felt was probably in Salamanca.

firemansamisnormansdad · 10/07/2012 10:43

YANBU the best bit about holidays is the travelling so getting on a plane to a diff country is a holiday, going on eurostar/the shuttle is a holiday, driving to another part of the uk is not perceived as a holiday as it's still the same shit, different place. Having said that, we've had some great times in Scotland and Wales. If DD is still so small, grin and bear the UK for 3 more years and save up to go somewhere really nice when she's 5 and you don't have to cart so much stuff around.

WifiNappies · 10/07/2012 10:47

People in Australia pretty much always have to holiday in different parts of Australia don't they.

I wonder if they consider it 'not a holiday' Hmm

WifiNappies · 10/07/2012 10:48

that emoticon was meant to be a questioning emoticon not a sarky emoticon!

cheesesarnie · 10/07/2012 10:50

YABU- and spoilt.

I'm off to london soon and am stupidly excited at the thought of getting away.
I can't afford to go abroad at the moment but will have a bloody good HOLIDAY in the UK.

gwenniebee · 10/07/2012 10:58

PeppaPig World - maybe not a "holiday", but is anything when you have young kids to deal with?

Staying in the UK - I think of myself as having had an incredibly lucky childhood, but evidently I was deprived. My hols were always Yorkshire/Lake District and normally it rained.

DH and I chose to honeymoon in the Lakes. It pissed it down. It was gorgeous. I'm afraid I think YABU...

badtasteflump · 10/07/2012 11:01

YABU and a big old grump. I'm happy holidaying in the UK while the DC are little, all the hanging around in hot stuffy airports is not a relaxing break imo...

I kind of see your point re Peppa pig world, but i also think 'suck it up'! Wont be long until your DC are too cool to go on holiday with you and you will look back longingly to the days when they werent!

cumbria81 · 10/07/2012 11:04

I've just had my "holiday" for this year - four days camping in the Yorkshire Dales, which are only an hour's drive from my doorstep.

It rained the whole time but I went with friends, we made the best of it, had a bbq and I really enjoyed it.

Things are what you make them.

kaylasmum · 10/07/2012 11:09

we went turkey in may for two weeks and had an amazing time. Great weather, amazing people and loads of fun.

At the moment we're at haggerston castle with our touring caravan, rude people, rain every day, waterlogged campsite and extortionate prices.

I know where i'd rather be!

So i don't think yabu.

MerlinScot · 10/07/2012 13:04

See, nice to see different opinions. I guess a holiday is a holiday, period.
Where you spent it is a matter of taste.

Thinking of going to Turkey it would be a nightmare for me. I wouldn't bear to go to Morocco or Egypt, what with all that heat and insects, ouch no!! And people trying to exchange me for a camel!! No way.

also remember something: people in UK are rude to English but not to foreigners, so if you go abroad thinking people are nicer, they're not.
It's called economy based on tourism. I've a 1-mile list of friends eager to visit Scotland, they enjoy the immense landscapes and above all the lovely people because they're tired of the local rudeness.
Many Scots would disagree with this opinion, for example.

I guess that all of the posters who were on holiday abroad mentioned "lovely people". Guess where the foreign countries economy would be if they were treating rudely tourists :o

Psychovillemum · 10/07/2012 13:13

If you always have to spend lots of cash visiting relatives abroad a cheap UK holiday can be a welcome change. Especially when you relatives live in the Northern hemisphere.

kaylasmum · 10/07/2012 14:02

merlinscot - your point about the turkish people having to be pleasant because of tourism is to a point correct, but i've been to spain and the people are nowhere nearly as nice. I think our country could learn a lot from the turkish people in regards to customer service. We've made some good friends over the last 3 years going to turkey.

MerlinScot · 10/07/2012 14:19

@kaylasmum - I met many Turskish people abroad and they're not nicer or more impolite than others. People are the same everywhere. There's no country having nicer people or worse people. To be honest, the Turkish people I met in my life where far from nice. Spanish people, lovely.
so I guess depends on experience.

On topic, it sounded like the OP was deeming that abroad is a holiday because different culture, etc.. etc.. and in my opinion that's not true.

I guess tourism is an industry everywhere, many countries live off it. To say that if you go abroad you find nicer people and nicer food is most of the times a mistake.
I've to Spain three times, and it was always great people and great food. I've been living in USA for one year while my friends were all anti-Americans and saying that Americans weren't nice. Some of my best friends are American.

You could have gone to Lithuania or Kenya for that matter and you might have had the same good experience.

Sirzy · 10/07/2012 14:28

I do find it odd when people say that british people are rude - do you count yourself in that generalisation?

I was away in this country last weekend and didn't encounter one rude person, I have been abroad and been shocked at the rudeness of certain individuals but that's exactly what it is individuals and nothing to do with nationality.

Wherever you holiday though if you go with the attitude it will be bad it will be, if you are positive and upbeat then chances are you will have a great time.

kaylasmum · 10/07/2012 17:26

i think that the turkish people work harder and make more effort, they don't get paid very much. I'm sure there are some rude turkish people but fortunately have only ever come across a handful.

And actually i consider myself to be pleasant and polite and in my jjob i offer good customer service. I think in this country people don't have to try so hard because life is generally much easier here.

I have had some great holidays in britain but i'm totally in love with turkey!

Jiggleballs123 · 10/07/2012 17:29

YABU and a right misery guts.

To me anything getting away from home is a holiday, we go abroad but also do UK trips which I also class as holidays.

Pendeen · 10/07/2012 17:37

elizaregina

"... I was horrified by devon/cornwall - embarrased. Yes some places WERE fabulous and with it and accomodating but sadly in a short trip too many werent for a place thats supposed to be a holiday destination ..."

As the land area of Cornwall is nearly 1,400 sq miles - with over 400 miles of coastline and you included Devon in your " short trip " as well, I am sorry you felt like that but please don't discourage all the tourists. As I said I have mixed feelings but their money is vital to our economy!

Incidentally, it's not " a place " at all but two entirely separate and distinct counties although to a foreigner I suppose it's possible to confuse this.

I take the peppa pig comments though, having never been...

SecondhandRose · 10/07/2012 17:40

For me it is more about how much work I have to do when we get there. If I am cookng and cleaning it isnt a holiday for me wherever it is.

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