To think i shouldn't have to pay HALF of the holiday, just because i have a child?

[WhistlingNun]

My two friends suggested we should go on a caravan holiday this summer with my 5yo dd (neither of my two friends have children).

We've decided on a self-catering Haven holiday and the total price is approx £450 for the week, including funworks passes etc. Only additional costs would be for food and transport, which we'd pay our own way on when we get there.

Anyway, my friends are expecting me to pay half - so £225 - rather than a third - £150.

They say it's because dd will count towards the price too.

I've just checked how much it would be for me and dd to go alone - on the exact same holiday - and it's still £450 - the same price.

The price is based on size and type of caravan, not how many people are in the group. And since the smallest caravan is 2 bedrooms, it's the same price.

(Hope this is making sense).

Anyway, i'm a bit peed off they expect me to pay £225 and they can just pay £112 each. They've reluctantly agreed to go thirds instead (£150) each, but have said it's just to shut me up, they're not happy about it.

AIBU?

We're really good friends so i know it will all blow over. This isn't a serious fall out, by the way. It's just playing on my mind.

Sorry if i should have put this into my Op - We've been together twice before when dd was a baby, and we did it thirds. So i don't understand why i now have to pay? What difference will it make that dd's out of the travel cot and into a bed?

Yabu, Even if you were going alone without your daughter, you would be benefiting by having a bigger room to yourself. You are paying for the room so you should pay half either way.

I wouldn't go on a Haven holiday if somebody paid me £450 to go on it. I think it is unreasonable of them to count your daughter as an adult as she is only five. I thought most people wouldn't expect a five year old to pay a full share but it seems from the replies that they do. It doesn't sound great that you are already all quibbling about who pays what. I think I'd be looking for different friends to go away with or go away with just your DD.

I assume the price for the whole caravan also includes an allowance for gas, electricity, the fees for the site the holiday company has to pay, water rates, maintenance costs of the vans and the whole site, and entertainment etc etc

Your daughter is going to be benefitting from all those things too

Oi Viv, there is nothing wrong with a haven holiday

You're using half the accommodation aren't you? I read it that you and your child will share one room, they the other. So it's obvious how much you should pay to me. In fact, if I were one of 3 adults going on holiday in that setup, and getting one room to myself, I'd probably offer to pay a larger share of the cost, if not half.

By your reasoning OP they'd have to pay £450 whether you went or not, so prsumably you should go free too??

The logic doesn't work.

You split the cost by the number of people sleeping in beds. If its a child their parent pays.

They'd be better off inviting 2 adults friends without children, their holiday would then be cheaper. They wouldn't have to subsidise your child.

How many bedrooms will the caravan you are staying in have?

I'd split it according to that. So 2 bedrooms - half. 3 bedrooms - a third.
At the moment, it sounds like they feel they are subsidising you. If they feel resentful, it is going to be a horrible holiday and you may end up not being friends by the end of it!

Perhaps you should print out the prices and show them that actually, it costs not one penny more to have your daughter there.

Print out the quote for the three of you and for the four of you - in the same sized accomodation.

They need to see that they aren't actually paying half of your child's accomodation.

I really don't know why you're making such a big deal out of it.

I would of expected to pay for my DC

I'm afraid YABU. Emmeline has a good point.

I do feel your pain though and think some of the compromises offered could work if you are sure you want to go on a holiday that has already got off to a rough start.

I think people tend to see babes in arms differently. I still think you pay by room. If 1 room is half the available space you pay half the cost be there 1 or 2 of you. Your friends were kind before. At what age would you accept paying for your own child?

What difference will it make that dd's out of the travel cot and into a bed?

of course it makes a difference, even by your own definition of the price being driven per room/bed

I expect your friends are makign a stand because they anticipate you getting subsidised holdays from them with your child for many more years yet

or not...when you finally piss them off totally

I wouldn't expect an invite next year, tbh

Not half. Two thirds.
My maths is shit.

Were you ever going as just the three of you though? That's the only way your argument about it being the same price for 3 or 4 stacks up. If there were always four, then it would always have been 2 per bedroom, and they would have expected to split the costs from the outset.

I agree with Euphemia that Taking kids on Holiday is not usually free. We have 3 DCs under the age of 8 and are going to London soon. We tried to book a room with a travel cot and was told we had to book 2nd room at half price.

So in that case you ABU.

This won't be a good holiday i suspect, quit now

No one expects a five year old to pay fgs.

They expect her parent to pay for the bed she is sleeping in which accounts for 1/4 of the accommodation.

Ww hire a cottage and take our kids. They both require a bed so we have to pay for. 4 bedded cottage.

Of course it would be much cheaper to take two earning aduktsbwithbus instead of us having to pay for our children's accommodation...

Vivienne, there is nothing wrong with Haven holidays. I have been on many and they are usually in beautiful parts of the country with lots of local attractions and amusements to visit if you want to leave the park. I went on one with my friend. She had 2 kids, I had 3. I paid more. Not much more just the amount it worked out per person not per caravan or room. WE had a fab time. I certainly didn't feel ripped off even though she wanted to pay half. I thought per person was much fairer.

"I don't understand why i should have to pay half though"

Because a) there are two of you and b) You will be using half of the accommodation.

How are you going to split food bills?

'No one expects a five year old to pay fgs.' Really? I wish holiday providers and airlines thought this.

I think it does change because your DD is there: you said in your OP that the price includes 'Funworks passes' which is for kids, so it's not just about the caravan, your friends are essentially having to subsidise that. I think you should pay the half.

I agree that it is by bed room

Your friends are paying for one bedroom and you are paying for the other.

If your dd wasn't gong and it was just the three of you, I would still expect that. If your two friends are sharing one room and you have single occupancy of the other. You would still pay half the cost on that basis.

The fact that your dd is going is irrelevant if you are getting a room for you personal use.