Family holidays..

[Hawkmoon269]

Aibu to ask you all where you go and how much you spend?!

I haven't really enjoyed our family holidays over the last couple of years. We've hired a cottage and also went on a Mark Warner holiday - both in Europe.. 2 young dc.

Both holidays were exhausting, at times fun, at times stressful. Travelling to Europe (let alone further afield) with children is a schlep.

The holidays we'd really like to do seem completely unreachable financially. And I'm not talking about Necker Island - more like a really lovely hotel in France or a beautiful hired cottage in Devon. £1000 for a week is our total budget. I can't really get my head around spending more than that when there's so many other pulls on our money. Eg we need a new car in the next year.

I'd just like some inspiration I think - I'm baffled by "holidays" as my idea of a holiday pre dh and dc was flying long haul to stay with friends or camping in Cornwall! I've never been a fan of beach holidays but our dc just want to spend a week in a pool.

We are going to Cyprus today - one week half board (same cost as bed and breakfast), we will probably eat out though, cost £2,700. DH, me, two DS's 15 and 13.

In August we are going back to Mexico for two weeks. Flights have cost £3,400. Spends will be about £3000. We have a timeshare, so only have to pay for the flights however our maintenance fees are around £1500 per year on top of the flights.

Last year was Mexico, year before was Hawaii, before that Malta, before that Las Vegas, before that Florida 3 times, we have also done Portugal, New York, Canary Islands.

When mine were smaller, we stayed by the pool a lot!

We are having four nights at Bluestone this year. £250 including breakfast in the restaurant and packed lunches for dc. Detached lodge. In May. It's all we can afford this year after moving house and needing a new car. However i am ridiculously excited about it.

Last year we had a week in August and it rained solidly for six days. I vowed never to pay August prices for the UK ever again.

Dc are 6 and 4.

Oh that price was with an offer code. And will take about £150 spending money.

sunny that's an amazing deal!!

We have 2 DS's (2 and 5) and ime the best way forward is to take the path of least resistance. By that I mean choosing something which is on their level. No hotels (too many other guests to annoy with early morning noise), no very nice cottages where you'll be stressing about carpets. We went on a few yurt holidays last year and they were great. Camping in a way, but still with beds and showers and the means for a nice coffee in the morning. The kids loved it and were knackered by 7 so we had the evenings to ourselves. I think it was around £500 per week in the peak season.

We're going to south of France in July. It's cost about a grand for accommodation, flights and car hire.

Oh and we've been on a Featherdown Farm holiday too. Not for everyone I know and some say expensive for what you get, but it's the kind of thing which suits DC down to the ground.

I convert all my tesco club card points into air miles and every few years blow them on a fab holiday (usually have to add a bit of cash).

In between years we generally do haven or similar in UK - cheap, simple and they have a pool and activities for DD(4).

I know! I think it was about 25% off the normal price. And included the breakfasts which are about £8 for adults and £5 for dc per day. Last year we went to the pool only for a day and it was almost £40 and that was with us pretending dd was younger than she was.

bella enjoy your holiday! Sounds like you have the sort of family holidays I'd like to have but just can't get my head round paying so much!

I'm not stingy in other areas - it's just that a holiday isn't something tangible... I know it's about family time and memories etc. But the expense!

Go camping. You enjoyed it pre dc and its prefect for kids. Cheap enough too that if you have bad weather you can do soft play or something and keep to.budget

Bells, I think the op said total budget was a grand.
I'm def not jealous of your amazing holiday destinations

we've changed our holiday focus too like Tailtwister.

it's easier and less stressful if the children are going to enjoy the holiday. So for the last five years we visit a Park Resorts site, rent the gold+/platinum caravans (so we've got space, central heating etc!) and the children have activities to do, access to a pool and the evening entertainment is sorted. DH and I aren't over keen but happy the children are happy.

we're paying full whack this year (£600 for 7 days in august) but previous years we've got the holiday paid by tesco clubcard vouchers.

We are gong for pricey holiday cottages this year.

We upped the budget for our properties last year and stayed in the most amazing places, first one on the Anglesey coastal path and second on the Llangollen canal right next to Chirk aqueduct. Well worth the extra money and we spent less in terms of doing stuff because the dses are a bit older and we mostly walked. Our biggest cost once there may have been tea shops. Can't do a long walk without tea and cake can you

So this year a week in a stunning property on the Northumberland coast is £1000 and a bit and the next week is a bit less in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales.

Bella ( bloody iPhone)

Sunny have u been to bluestone before? We are in the SMS situation having just bought a new house and car and expecting dc3 anytime but feel I do need some sort of holiday. We also went away last August and it rained for most of the week:-(

You can do keycamp for that if you stay in a tent. Our kids love it.

tailtwister I like your style. Googling featherdown...

Kt8791 we haven't stayed at Bluestone before but have been to the water park.

We camp and we've done it once for our main holiday but never again!

We spent more just to get out of the tent and certainly the second week, the site was heaving and queuing for the showers or having to get up at stupid o clock to beat the rush got old very quickly. We had pretty good weather too, so no complaints about that.

I love camping and am happy to do it for a few nights but I want a bit more comfort and luxury from my summer holiday if I can afford it.

We are going to a Villa in Turkey
Villa was expensive around 3K for 2 weeks, flights & food are on top.
Not a cheap holiday, but I can't wait!

doyouthink PLEASE can I come too? (Not with dh or dc )

When we were younger we went to France a lot. Usually we drove there. We sometimes camped and sometimes stayed in a gite - gite de France website has loads of options.

It is also possible to fly and hire a car but we haven't done that often.

If you are willing to be flexible about how and where you cross and have time to look for good deals then it is very possible to do this cheaply and have a wonderful time.

It is always hard work though. Having kids is whether you are at home or somewhere else. I think you probably need to resign yourself to the fact that until they are much older (and leave home...) it will be knackering rather than restful. But so much fun. They will remember it.

Thank you all for your replies. I have enough airmiles to get to Sydney but not enough for a family of 4 to do a key camp holiday in the school holidays. Ridiculous. I do have enough to take oldest dc (age 6) to Disneyland Paris. Which I would hate but she would be in heaven. Worth it for a couple of nights?

Don't think I could handle haven etc. I looked at centre parcs and couldn't believe how expensive it was! Eye watering! Camping generally would be perfect (if we had some sunshine). But all the good sites seem booked up! I feel so disorganised.

We are going to a cottage near Oxford this year as I will be very pregnant and not able to fly. As it is I'm a little worried about the 8 hour drive!