To prefer holidays in the UK?

[Vagaceratops]

Met up with a group of friends yesterday (from my NCT group so all with young children). We got to talking about holidays and I said I prefer holidays in the UK. They all looked at me like I suggested I enjoyed skinning kittens.

For me its the cost of going abroad, plus we have been on some fabulous UK holidays which have trumped the couple of foreign holidays we have taken by miles.

AIBU.

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You can find more recommendations, plus discounts on self-catering accommodation, in our round-up of Mumsnetters’ top UK holiday destinations. MNHQ.

That's a given surely seeing as I'm writing about my preferences.

Not really. I read the sentance as written. You spoke about your preference in the first sentance then said you got sunburnt. The sentance itself was not about your preferences as it did not state that.

Maybe you should be more clear so people don't make assumptions.

Regarding your kids, I thought you had mentioned younger children on another thread. Apologies.

I think the amount of "culture" you usually experience on a package holiday is quite limited though...

Like others have said, I'd be more than happy to stay in the UK for holidays, and have done on many occasions both pre and post children, BUT the chance of guaranteed sun and warmth overrides this some years.

theres lots of culture and variety in the UK

Our holidays are much more cultured than most of our rellies who go abraod on package holidays and sit getting lethargic on plastic sun loungers all day

Sun is never guarenteed, I've had some washed out holidays in sun destination

I think the amount of "culture" you usually experience on a package holiday is quite limited though.. we don't do package holidays.

That's the foreign holiday that's my idea of hell halloweeneyqueeney. A package holiday in a massive hotel, sitting round a pool all day getting roasted alive.

there is variety of culture in the UK. I didn't say there wasn't.

I said there is variety abroad and that the sun is not only advantage. My point WA so.ply that the sun is not the ONLY advantage to traveling outside the UK.
It is not meant to negative about holidays in the UK, simply there is more to travelling abroad than hot weather.

"I think the amount of "culture" you usually experience on a package holiday is quite limited though..."

Especially if you book a villa with a pool and spent the week there.

If you visit most Muslim countries, the men all work in the tourist spots and the real 'culture' is locked away behind closed doors.

I like that we have the choice, i love our Coastline, but like to see and do things that we could not in the UK.

I like to watch 'Holiday Showdown', which always shows how people are very closed minded about their holidays.

Personally my holiday preference is 60 feet under water next to a beautiful coral reef. However I have two young kids so I make do with a mixture of camping, the odd trip to France until the day that myself and hubby can get back underwater!

A package holiday in a massive hotel, sitting round a pool all day getting roasted alive.

It doesn't have to be. It can be as cheap to book as a package and then book day trips or hire a car, as do seperate flights and accomodation.

In some places if your interest is diving or snorkeling you don't have to travel far from your package hotel to do those activities.

Prefer staying here. Anything over 25 degrees is too hot for me. I like being able to take a car not suitcase and I hate airports. I can see us exploring northern Europe by car when the DCs are older but I shudder at the thought of a hot holiday with nothing to do but lounge around.

I can't imagine anything worse than holidaying in my own country, or in the UK for that matter. A weekend is fine, but a week or even 2 in a rainy cold caravan or something, with very little difference to life at home? No thanks.
We go abroad every year with the children, France, Italy, Spain, Austria....it doesn't cost any more than a UK holiday would, and we get sunshine and different food and exciting new places to visit, and basically just something different from life the rest of the year. To me thats the point.

All that said, you can prefer what you like! Just because I don't get the appeal doesn't mean that it isn't there for you.

My favourite holiday destination is Keswick. Nice B&B in Borrowdale. Beautiful scenery and walks. Dog friendly cafes. Lots to do from mines, to stately homes, to stone circles and mills and lakes and forests. Lovely. The weather doesn't bother me at all. As we say here in Sweden, 'there's no such thing as bad weather: just bad clothing'.

YANBU but neither is anybody who likes holidaying abroad. For us, the airport and the travel is all part of it. We have hired an RV in the USA in February and are doing a 21 night trip taking in several national parks, some amazing-looking ranches and reservations, pueblos, Mount Rushmore, several wonderful cities - I love the UK too - but those talking about advantages of going abroad - well, those are the things we want to see, and they're not in the UK, so that's the "advantage". You get out of holidays what you choose - there aren't just two destinations - UK and "abroad" :)

I agree with MrsSchadenfraude the amount of culture the majority of people see on their 2 week holiday is limited.

Even if you go to Greece or countries in the Med most of the towns/resorts rely heavily on tourism so it's a warped idea of culture you get, so seeing how the normal everyday person lives is difficult and as Birds pointed out countries like the Maldives and Dubai actively discourage the tourists engaging with the local people unless they are serving you your drink.

But nothing wrong with a week by the pool, it's getting away from our normal everyday lives for a bit of R&R that is the essential part of a holiday

Ooh I grew up in Keswick sammy. Thank you.

"A weekend is fine, but a week or even 2 in a rainy cold caravan or something, with very little difference to life at home"

"We go abroad every year with the children, France, Italy, Spain, Austria"

As i said i like both UK and 'abroad', but i don't see how there wouldn't be any difference to home life if you stayed in the UK, if you live in a city, then the country/coast is very different and likewise.

What most do in other European cities, you can experience in the UK.

Foreign holidays doesn't automatically mean warmer weather though, for example I am going to Berlin for a few days in December which I'm very excited about and certainly expecting it to be cold! There are many other places I have been in colder climates too,my flight was £78 so not particularly expensive and tbh once in Berlin it icheaper than here.
I agree that the Uk has some great places and I love doing that too, but as someone said upthread, the world is a big place and there is so much to see.. for me, foreign holidays don't automatically mean a warmer climate package holiday which would be my idea of hell, and Uk holidays would undoubtedly beat that- but experiencing new cultures, seeing new sights etc is definitely in my opinion something worth doing (alongside doing things in UK)

I don't agree, I'm afraid. You can't sit in pavement cafe on the side of a lake drinking aperol spritz and eating olives and canapes in the late evening warm sunshine while waiting for your locally caught fish (that costs one quarter of the uk price), anywhere in the UK, coast or city.

I don't see that there much difference around the UK other than the scenery. Same chain shops and restaurants everywhere, same kind of food, same language, same old same old. This is only my opinion of course, based on what my idea of a holiday is. I can see that you can have a lovely time, but for me personally the word holiday means difference and something exotic, and usually sun and warmth!
Each to their own.

I think the U.k is great for a weekend but for me it no longer offers enough for a big holiday. I have such an overwhelming urge to visit new places and am panicking a bit about running out of time to fit them all in. The more places I go the more I want to see. Just got back from taking my children to Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay... Absolutely amazing. We also loved Cape Town so beautiful, great stuff to do and no jet lag. I also love cruises and if travelling far away try and make the holiday twin centre. The U.k is fab and when I am on days out I love seeing visitors from abroad enjoying all that this country has to offer.

Summer holidays that is, for the warmth. Winter holidays are great too, and even then its different though, dec in Berlin is totally different to dec in London, crisp dry snowy weather, not wet rainy grey cold. And gluhwein and schnitzel and christmas markets......its all about getting something you can't find at home.

"You can't sit in pavement cafe on the side of a lake drinking aperol spritz and eating olives and canapes in the late evening warm sunshine while waiting for your locally caught fish (that costs one quarter of the uk price), anywhere in the UK, coast or city"

I don't eat Olives, but i eat the fish that either myself or my DP have caught, others eat locally caught fish .

You just have to know where to go.

Fish might be cheaper 'abroad' but then i don't want to get into non UK fishermen destroying stock levels.

How far out do they class as 'caught locally'? Most break the law on fishing.

I think you are missing my point somewhat. It's not really about the fish.

I love holidays in Cornwall and the Lake District.

I currently have two holidays booked, one to Italy and one to the Lake District in the new year.

I have to admit that I am looking forward to the lakes more!
No flying, and it will end up costing us a quarter of what the Italian holiday is