To not want to spend £5000 on a holiday?

[roland83]

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?

The East is great. Great culture, sites, food, scenery, coastline, diving. And easier to do without kids than with. Hanoi, Hoi An, Bangkok, Singapore, Siem Reap, Penang, Bali.

We did East Coast US and NY last year. Was most excellent!

Give it a rest Adsy - it's only yourself you are amusing.

No, I'm sniggering as well!

OP if your really keen on architecture and don't want to flash the cash what about Eastern Europr. I'm in Lithuania until Thursday but have been to Estonia, Latvia and other places. Poland has amazing buildings in the old cities such as Gdansk and Krakow. Cheap to get to,really nice accomadation for what you would pay for a TravelLodge ere. Easy to get to the different countries by train or just fully explore part of one.

Also consider hostels! Bear with me before you roll your eyes (most people do)

You can book double bed and private bath room if you want ( for years we booked 4 bedrooms as we travelled with kids!) I've as some brilliant adventures with my kids when they were growing up (skiiing in Switzerland, finding the Little Mermaid in Denark,going to Malmo in Sweden cheap but also had some great times with friends staying in hostels. There are boutique style, trendy, traditional, budget, upmarket style hostels.

Look on HostelBookers or HistelWorld as a starting point.

"Would going to Rome for the weekend be as good? I'm not sure.. I think partly it is the language barrier, and the total contrast in culture that puts me off. Maybe I just don't relax in a strange place so easily."

Honestly OP, it really sounds like a safe package holiday or just staying at home is really more your thing. Not trying to be snide but what are you looking for? Asking if Rome will be good for a weekend, saying you want culture and a non boring beachy package holiday but saying a contrast in culture puts you off? You don't sound as though you travel well or will feel comfortable out of your comfort zone.

How much? I've booked Vegas in November for £1600 each for flights and a good hotel on the strip! Look at expedia for it. Also I'm paying more as I'm flying from Scotland so pat extra fuel duty.

5000 for Vegas?? We got married there,stayed for a week and it only cost 2 grand (flights included) definitely no culture

have you considered a cruise? a different city and culture each day and fab food at night.... they are not just for oldies!

No way does it need to cost 5k

DH and I had a week in NYC for £700 each, flights and hotel. We stayed in Long Island city which was half the price of Manhattan.

I don't know anything about LV but you need to get on the trip advisor forums, ask the experts

Read the Martin Lewis guide to finding cheap flights

Look into airbnb for cheap accommodation

The Internet is your friend and if you do your research you can do things cheaply

Loads of suggestions...some great ideas.

I do think OP that you need to loosen up a bit. We normally drive to France and do a mixture of culture, out door activities and food and wine. We usually go to the same area (between Gap and Briancon) where we ski in winter and swim in summer.... There is more to the alps than tignes!

We've just booked Easyjet flights to Marrakech, and separately a hotel for 3 night....just DH and me.

Last year we had a blow the budget holiday in the US (virgin). For 2 weeks for 4 of us incl spending and food, it was about £15k. Great as a one off...Florida and NYC, but I wouldn't repeat it. I prefer my DIY French holidays.

You're all demons at finding cheap holidays.

We are the same as the OP; looked into Vegas, Grand Canyon, up to San francisco and our quotes are coming in at £10.000/£11,000 for 4 of us.

I totally understand you OP. Whatever you're doing wrong, I'm doing it too,

Trailfinders is your friend

We spent week in ROme and were able to communicate in English in all places.

I've been on amazing driving holiday in Turkey last September
Troy, Assos, Pergamum, Ephesus, Bodrum, Pamukkale, Konya, Cappadocia, Antalya.
We drove everywhere saw lots and I can't wait to see more of lovely Turkey.
In September many hotels are half empty. Driving on roads in Turkey takes getting used to (2-3 hours) and you can see so much!
You can easily spend a week exploring Cappadocia. High season there is in Spring (must be amazing nature) then hotels are quite empty. You can fly there with a stopover in Istanbul.

I'm late to this thread, but absolutely boggling at the notion of Turkey and Egypt having no culture or places of interest to see.

My OH is off to LV in March and it's cost him about £900 for flights and hotel and they're staying smack bang on the Strip (can't remember the damned name of the hotel....)

I went to Boston a few years back. That was amazing. We went to the Museum of Fine Arts, the Isabella Stewart Gardener Museum (best place I've been), drove out to Providence, could have gone to Salem, and ate lobstah on the harbour.

Do a few independently booked and organised City breaks - love Barcelona, Rome, nice is so easy as small. Build a little confidence!

Dear Lord! Why are you all spoonfeeding this helpless person? She doesn't have children or school holidays to take into account and can afford up to £5,000 for a holiday for two. Let her do the research and educate herself a little bit.

Be nice minty she doesn't take kindly to criticism

That sounds like a lot of money for something not very special.
My advice would be:

1. Do not book a package, have a look at Expedia or similar, Momondo, for example and book separately.
2. Consider starting your longhaul in a different country, Ireland or Germany
3. Consider last minute, especially if you are not tied to school holidays. I don't know if L'Tur operates in the UK, but I have had several fantastic last minute holidays with them, for example, Tobago, Kenya and Sri Lanka.
4. Look online at sites such as Lonely Planet for places to visit.

So what - mn is only for advice on childbearing and rearing? Advice can't be sought on other topics?

Everywhere has culture.

Las Vegas, even my local coffee shop watching the world go buy by!

I've been to Mexico, Cuba, Gambia, Dominican Republic, Barbados in the last two years and they were all each way under 1000. yabu.

Are you addressing that to me FourFox?

Yes, I am Mintyy - I don't get it - if someone needs advice on something that they are unfamiliar with, where's the harm in posting for help?

We went to Vietnam and Singapore. Stayed in the Mandrian Oriental in Singapore and the Intercontintal Club room and then probably the best hotel we have ever been to the Nam Hai in Hoi Ann and spent 5.5k....