AIBU to think not going abroad is OK?

[Caff2]

My elder son (13.5) has never been abroad. In fact, he's never been on holiday as such - but loads of interesting day trips. My dad's semi retired now (a classicist) and is looking into taking him to Pompeii this Summer - just him and my dad, no one else can afford it.

I don't think he's deprived. He seems to have had a lot of nice treats and experiences. I don't really get the holiday angst. (DS2 is only one and a half, and seems happy to pootle around the countryside looking at sheep :) )

I haven't been abroad since I was 17 - I'm 36 now. I feel OK and not deprived.

i have visted LOndon for a day got lost walked for miles Meh it is just a city like any other I wouldn't chose to stay any longer

Yes but at least you tried it, so that you can have an informed opinion.

I love London and luckily live about 25 mins away by train..never get tired of wandering round.

But have no desire to go to Thailand, India, China or anywhere like that.

Ds will be going to Australia on his own for 6 weeks after gcses.......and will probably eventually settle there. I have said I MAY visit as long as I go business class.

I love the UK. I love visiting London (though after 2 days I have had enough of the business) and I have been to many (most?) counties. I didn't go abroad with my parents until I was 18. On that basis, I agree there is nothing wrong with not going abroad. Point is, there is nothing wrong with doing it either (green considerations apart, I suppose, but I don't feel my holiday every year/other year has too much impact on that while businesses around the world refuse to do anything). I have travelled a lot since my first trip - and none of it has been resort based. I disagree with people who say young DCs don't get much out of it, too. I have been travelling with DD since she was 9 (not continuously, obviously!) and she has clear recollections and appreciation of the cultures we have visited (it was Egypt when she was 9 and she can still talk about it in detail).
So, OP, YANBU, but your implication that perhaps it is actually bad to go abroad is unreasonable.

The 1st time I went abroad I was 17. Most of my friends who had been abroad had just been on package holidays to Spain - so I don't feel I missed out.
DS didn't want to fly until he was about 6 (was afraid to) so we holidayed in UK. In recent years our holidays have been a mixture of UK seaside, UK city breaks (York & London) with some years where we have been to Spain or France (not on package holidays though). We do what we can afford in a particular year and what fits in with our family circumstances at the time. It is the break and being together without usual daily distractions that matters plus we always try and find somewhere that will interest DS wherever we go which is getting more difficult now he is a sullen teenager.
We took DS to London for his 1st visit at age of 5 and visited lots of big attractions. We repeated the visit to the same attractions 2 years ago as he didn't remember visiting any of them previously. So anyone who takes a young child anywhere thinking they are giving lasting memories to their child is wasting their money (ditto friend who took her DDs to Eurodisney when small - her DD wanted to go again for her 16th birthday as she didn't remember the previous trip).
OP your DS will have a fantastic time if he goes to Pompeii - we were lucky enough to visit last June and my then 16yo DS certainly enjoyed it. But once he has a taste for trips abroad, he may not be satisfied with UK holidays in future - so be prepared for that.

I think the trip to Pompeii with a classicist grandad sounds fantastic. He's at the age where he will remember it and appreciate it.

I don't think there's anything wrong with not going abroad if you don't want to, assuming it's not out of xenophobia which it isn't in your case. My best friend at secondary school never went abroad with her parents, but instead had seen most of the UK, and first went abroad on a school trip aged 14. Her boyfriend didn't go abroad until he was 27.

We are going to France this summer and it will be my first time abroad since April 2010. I can't wait! Although I love the countryside and coast in the UK, I sometimes miss the pre-children holidays. I'm looking forward to everything looking a bit different, and practising a different language.