To think there is nothing at all wrong with not going abroad on holiday

[manchestermummy]

That's it really. We love to go abroad but can't afford it every year, so this year we're off to the South West for a week. We're really looking forward to the break and the dc are excited about it too.

I am sick to death of people looking all when I say where we are off too. I am sick of MIL people telling us how awful the journey will be (we've done further before and drove across half of fecking Canada when dd1 was 20 mo). I am sick of my parents banging on and on about their recent 5k cruise (yes I am jealous) before asking if our static caravan has electricity and running water ffs.

I am sick of the media telling me I am going on a staycation. It's a holiday.

Is it just me? I am starting to feel really down about it because people are telling me how awful it's going to be.

Defenbaker
Same thing happened to me, went onan all inc to Bulgaria and it was one of the worst 2 weeks of my life. Beautiful resort but people were dropping like flies from food poisoning. I spent 3 days in bed, oneedd was sick on the table in the restaurant then pooed herself whilst trying to get her back to the room, it went round us one after the other and i lost a stone. Had no electric for 3 days. I vowed i would never go abroad again. The kids have been with gps to Greece, Cyprus, Turkey and Lanzarote. If you ask them where they want to go on holiday the youngest will say Blackpool. We had a brilliant holiday in Blackpool where we done everything there is to do and the kids had a blast. They get bored when abroad.

YANBU

I live in a holiday area, the several thousand people who come here every year seem to enjoy themselves

As a child I had some fantastic holidays with my parents and grandparents in the UK, and now I have kids of my own, I love being able to revisit all these places and sharing them with my 2.

We have had some holidays abroad which have been brilliant, but we've also had amazing holidays in Wales, Norfolk, Cornwall, Devon, Dorset.

OK, the weather's been a bit more reliable when we've been abroad, but we've still had a great time

I am not at home = I am on holiday, UK or otherwise

Well udger*

Yes, it was a very hot day there last week and the islands were beautiful.

Ripped up my passport after a horrendous bout of E Coli in Morocco that necessitated 2 weeks of sick leave on return to the UK.

Never again

YANBU I hate this pressure too. Doesn't bother me so much now though and I am so unmaterialistic and non competitive so doesn't bother me. We have been abroad but didn't have any better time than we do in the UK. We love caravan holidays and also I hate flying.

I haven't been abroad for years, and when I have that's been for the experience of travelling, not for a holiday per se.

We hire out a holiday cottage every year, and enjoy going for walks, seeing the local attractions and just sitting in the garden. I loathe sitting on the beach for hours on end and I don't swim.

We're going camping next week too. :)

We had an amazing week in North Devon last year. It was the first time I'd holidayed in the UK for years and it was just lovely, brought back a lot of happy childhood memories.

This year it's been a tiny Greek island and Provence, mainly because it's our last child free summer, but next year I've got my heart set on the Gower Peninsula.

Variety is a good thing.

Devon / Cornwall is fabulous. You'll have a great time. Ignore anyone who is all about you not going abroad.

We don't have passports. I keep meaning to buy them over the winter but forget every year, and a 'cheap' holiday abroad works out less cheap when you have to buy 5 new passports first. And PIL have a tourer so we use that and all it costs to stay in England is the site fees, petrol and a bit of spending money. We tend to play on the beach or visit different NT places so it all works out as a very inexpensive week or two. So far done the east coast, Edinburgh, Northumberland, Devon and Norfolk, and loved each and every one of them. Quite fancy Wales next but I'm totally uneducated about that side of the UK so need to look into good places to stay.
The UK is a beautiful place and it's far more relaxing to avoid all the hassle of flights and other public transport and long distance travel.
As long as you are having fun, getting a change of scenery and routine, and spending time as a family then where you are in the world is irrelevant, so hold your head up high OP. You have plenty of time to see the rest of world yet.

I'm not bothered about holidays either, but then I live on the south coast 10 minutes walk from the beach, the whole summer feels like a holiday to me.

I know some people love to travel but I find it all too much stress.

I think because we went to Cornwall over the May half term, people are thinking that we'd want to do something "better" for our "main" holiday. And of course you're all absolutely correct - I 'm being very daft to worry about the opinions of others.

What this thread has taught me is that I perhaps need to associate with people who either say sensible things, or perhaps nothing at all.

Socialable, me.

There are plenty fab places with in the UK to holiday. We've visited parts of England we had never considered before and love visiting new places.

Sociable, even.

I'm also great at spelling...

My parents pee me off: to them, a holiday isn't a holiday unless there's a plane and a passport involved. They are virtually millionaires (I'm not joking) and are unbearably mean (which I understand to a point: dad grew up in poverty - it was heat or eat for a very long time, and he was around during WW2, too) but have a horrible tendancy to judge in the extreme if people do things differently to them. Whole other thread.

I've also always said when landing into the UK how beautiful it looks from the air, and how if you weren't from the UK, you'd be so looking forward to exploring, and happy to be there.

As a child I did various holidays abroad, but the best were the ones we spent at Little Haven in Wales.
Planes and passports are massively overrated - especially for children.

I've posted on another thread how bored I used to be when I went on holiday with my parents.

One year, we actually did go to Cornwall (stayed at the Bedruthan Steps) and had such a wonderful time - even my folks - that we booked for the following year too. The only reason we went there was my mum had terrible ear problems and couldn't fly. When I mention how wonderful those holidays were - among my favourite childhood holidays - all dad ever says is "Yes but we only went because mum couldn't fly, it's far too far to travel to otherwise".

We are going camping in the lakes (with a baby, no less), I'll have to look out for sad faces.

I bloody love the lakes and camping, I'm quite excited.

You are not being unreasonable. I get really arsey when I hear people say that their standard of living is such that they can't afford to go on holiday abroad and have to stay the UK.

Um, a holiday abroad is not a necessity. I am 40 and only went abroad on holiday for the first time 2 years ago. I loved it. But prior to that I had loads of fabulous holidays in the UK and Ireland. Our country is so varied despite its relative small size. We have lakes, we have mountains, we have coast, we have moors. The 'only' downside is that our weather is less guaranteed than some places but I've only really had one washout in all that time.

I'm off to the South West next week for a long weekend. There are several places I've been to more than once because I loved them so much.

its better than debt
there are many beautiful places
they sound rude

i don't understand people who never go abroad though, which i thought this thread would be about.

Of course there is nothing wrong with holidaying in the UK. Getting away from home and work and spending time as a family is what makes it a holiday IMO. We have just had to cancel our planned holiday, and I am busy trying to convince myself that it's ok, because we live in a lovely place (the sort of place where other people come on holiday), but the fact is that for us it is home, which means that I need to unblock the septic tank (again) and the endless list of maintenance jobs is going to be there, all summer, even if I try and take days off. You get away from all that just as effectively going somewhere in the UK as you do by getting on a plane.

FWIW holidaying in the UK is not necessarily the cheap option either, so I really don't understand anyone looking down on a UK holiday for that reason.

yanbu. I am getting this too, from people at my work who go to hot places for two weeks where their children are taken away from them for morning sessions, afternoon sessions, and put in front of DVDs in the evening.* Their holidays probably cost about 15 times the resale value of my car.

We are going camping in the UK and I cannot WAIT!

I showed them the photo on my phone of the camp site that made my daughter jump up and down and say "we have to go THERE!" (outdoor pool) and they all said "OMG where's that?" and almost refused to believe it was in the UK. I showed them the photo of our tent and they all said "OMG that's amaaaaaaaayzing!" Then I started layering it on thick about shared shower blocks and no ensuite because I was scared shitless they are all going to think it is a great idea and follow us there.

Holidays in the UK are fantastic. Camping for a few quid a night (ok not literally but you know what I mean); no pressure to pack properly because you throw it all in the car; no waiting at airports; no dicking about putting toiletries in plastic bags and having "dangerous" things you forgot in your hand luggage thrown away; no delays at airports with fractious children; no weird insects, and manageable weather; beautiful eloquent skies that change every day, every hour; incredible beaches; landscape that changes dramatically every 5 miles; you can send a postcard to your mum with that crumpled stamp you already have in your purse.

*they need a "break" apparently. From your children? Whom you have seen for 20 minutes a day on weekdays, if your schedule is like mine?

I agree OP there is an assumption that if you are not leaving the country, preferably by plane it is not a proper holiday. This year we are going up to God's country, the beautiful Scotland and every time we visit I never cease to be amazed by how stunning it is. I much prefer this type of holiday compared to going abroad (and the dog can come), but DH likes the sun, so we take turns at choosing our annual holiday. However, inexpensive a holiday may be, it is a break from the house, going to work and the opportunity to spend family time together. We have had some lovely holidays over the years, nothing flash, but we've had a good time and the kids still talk about them now.

"I've also always said when landing into the UK how beautiful it looks from the air, and how if you weren't from the UK, you'd be so looking forward to exploring, and happy to be there."

this is so true.
When I travel for work, and fly back into the UK, I can't believe how unbelievably exquisite and fresh the place that I live is.

We are off to Loch Lomond and St Andrews in a week. Then to West Wales camping later in the holidays. I cannot wait!

The thought of going abroad in the summer! Boiling hot, crowded. Horrible! We have driven to France the past 2 years but only to the other side of the channel which is nice and quiet and has the same weather as here!

I'm getting tons of UK holiday inspiration here! Lots of places added to my list (not DH's: he doesn't like to venture much further than North Wales - which we do love - so the South West is quite a major deal for him!)

Manchester Bed Steps has had a name change but we ate there on Saturday, food and service still lovely.

I have never had a passport, never felt the need.

We are lucky enough to live in Cornwall, we aren't 'going on holiday' this year, we are going to explore the fabulous county we live in.