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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To not want to spend £5000 on a holiday?

265 replies

roland83 · 17/02/2015 14:46

There's only me and my partner, we both earn 30k a year each.

When we look at holidays I hate the idea of going Turkey / Spain etc for £500-£1000, but everywhere I want to go such as Las Vegas, Canada etc are just ridiculous money! £5000 for around 10 days, not including food and drinks.

We are savings for our first house, so it's not really a big issue as the choice between house deposit and holiday is obvious.

I've been Turkey, Egypt, Spain and similar and I find it a bit crap. I don't want to sit by the pool/beach all day getting a tan, I want culture.. but all the day trips are rubbish and crowded. I want to go to Las Vegas and visit the Hoover Dam, Area 51, Grand Canyon but when you work out a realistic price it's astronomical!

So, is it me? AIBU to think all the decent holidays are overpriced and now I'm in my 30's £5k on a holiday seems crazy when I could get a lot more for my money on other things?

OP posts:
ImperialBlether · 17/02/2015 14:48

Is it really that much to go to Vegas?

adsy · 17/02/2015 14:48

you want culture so you're looking at going to Las Vegas?!! presume this is a piss take?

ihatethecold · 17/02/2015 14:48

Go out of season then or away from school holidays.
There are some great bargains to be had if you don't have school aged kids

GraysAnalogy · 17/02/2015 14:49

Vegas and culture.. LOL.

ImperialBlether · 17/02/2015 14:50

Do you mean £5000 between you?

Which month did you want to go?

rubyslippers · 17/02/2015 14:50

You can do America for cheaper than that out of season

And lolz at culture and Las Vegas - it's not renowned for that TBH

Original poster
roland83 · 17/02/2015 14:51

I don't have kids.

adsy - Vegas is a base point to visit the Grand Canyon, Hoover Dam and Area 51, plus other places. Vegas itself is quite a crazy place too.

We have priced up a few variations for hotels, tried to find somewhere nice but cheap, but then they had crap reviews.. it's like we get all excited to book somewhere and then feel it's a waste of money before we even go.

OP posts:
MustBeDueSomeBetterFeet · 17/02/2015 14:51

I'm just amazed that's the cost - where are you looking (nosy)?

I went on a 10 day break with Virgin Holidays to Las Vegas which cost under £1k for flights and accommodation in a top hotel (a few years back, mind). Add on the trips (at £100-200 each) and you're nowhere near £5k! I suppose it depends on what else you want to do whilst there, and where you like to eat.

We also did a 3.5 week trip to Rajasthan, including all flights, tour guides, private driver, 5 star hotels, and that was £4.5k.

Obviously you don't need to go that far, or for that long and it easily brings the cost down to somewhere interesting/further afield, and not touristy. Perhaps you need to look at some different travel agents?

OnceUponATimeAgain · 17/02/2015 14:51

you can fly to Vegas for around 600, you can stay at the Excalibre for about 50? a night? it doesnt have to be expensive - days trips are expensive,

"I've been Turkey, Egypt, Spain and similar and I find it a bit crap." you could go to Tunisia for culture and history, same with Rome and lots of other places - they have lots of it - but your comment is a bit childish really

EhricLovesTheBhrothers · 17/02/2015 14:51

You didn't find any culture in Turkey, Egypt or Spain? I think you weren't looking properly.
There are hundreds of amazing places a short haul flight away if you can be arsed to look. You mention day trips so I assume you are doing package holidays to resorts? There are other places to stay. I bet even Vegas would cost you half what you have been quoted if you avoided the package.

Original poster
roland83 · 17/02/2015 14:52

Maybe culture was the wrong word? Place of interest might be better fitting?

£5000 between us for flights + hotel. So day trips, food etc would be extra.

OP posts:
Vycount · 17/02/2015 14:52

If you want "culture" there is plenty in the UK and Europe. You don't need to spend £5k. How you spend your money is your choice, no point moaning just because your tastes are a bit expensive. Grin

adsy · 17/02/2015 14:54

Area 51 isn't what I'd call culture. Neither is the Grand canyon. It's a beautiful geographical feature, but not culture. The hoover dam, likewise, fab structure but not culture.
People say culture to mean things like art galleries, classical music, ballet, the buildings in Florence.
I think you're a bit confused!!

rubyslippers · 17/02/2015 14:54

Try East Coast for stuff to do especially if you don't want to sit by a pool

NEw York for example

cardibach · 17/02/2015 14:54

I've been to Turkey, Egypt and Spain without sitting by a pool... Why do you think that is the only option on short haul holidays? There is loads of culture in places which cost much less than £5000.

StevieWonderWoman · 17/02/2015 14:54

Of course Las Vegas is culture! It's American Pop Culture. It's an interesting place and that's why it's expensive. I'm sure you could find a decent trip there for £3k or less.

ourglass · 17/02/2015 14:55

Vegas isn't that much!

Original poster
roland83 · 17/02/2015 14:56

I appreciate those places I've been have culture, but these were family holidays so were usually a package one in a resort somewhere.

Even the mud bathing by the Dead Sea in Israel was crap, nothing like they make out at all.

Just fed up of paying good money and getting a crap holiday I suppose.

We also snowboard, been on a few holidays where the snow has been very poor, a snowboarding holiday for 1 week is £2200 between us, and the accomodation has been pretty awful.

I know I sound like a moany childish git, but I need to know what I'm doing wrong here as holidays just seem very expensive for not a lot.

OP posts:
unweavedrainbow · 17/02/2015 14:56

I've just priced up Vegas for this summer. Two weeks self catering for two in a posh apartment with pool plus flights works out at about £2500. If you add on food and trips, maybe £3000/3500? I'm not sure where you're getting 5k from, to be honest?

googoodolly · 17/02/2015 14:58

It doesn't cost 5k to fly to Las Vegas and stay there for two weeks!

adsy · 17/02/2015 14:59

I need to know what I'm doing wrong here as holidays just seem very expensive for not a lot
I get the impression that what you're doing wrong is behaving like a spoilt child who doesn't really know what they want but expect it to be perfect anyway.

angelos02 · 17/02/2015 14:59

Why not have a cheaper holiday and put the difference towards a deposit for your first house?

Original poster
roland83 · 17/02/2015 14:59

A huge extraterrestrial fan, hence the Area 51.

I also agree that Vegas is culture, never been somewhere I would consider before but I think it would be great to see, alongside other day trips.

I don't like museums, so culture was the wrong word to use. I like structures, bridges, canyons, cities, architecture.

OP posts:
Only1scoop · 17/02/2015 14:59

You could do 5 days in Vegas and 5 day road trip for less than 5000 including flights.

I wouldn't personally want to stay in LV for 10 nights

lastnightiwenttomanderley · 17/02/2015 15:00

OP You say it is just you and your partner but also that your poor experiences were 'family' holidays.

Do you really mean that, rather than hating most of Europe, you actually hate other people's holiday styles?

If so, take some ownership and give it a go. You can book flights and a decent hotel in pretty much all of Europe without even breaking a sweat. Where do you look for inspiration on holidays, Vegas and Canada are not overly similar so what is it that you're actually looking for.