To be antisocial on holiday

[Dollymixtureyumyum]

Just got back from a week away in Yorkshire with DH and Ds in a caraven/lodge.
The family in the next lodge tried to keep latching on to us, don't get me wrong I don't mind an hello and a bit of chat but everything we saw them they tried to make friends with us.
They were a very brash couple who tended to come out with racist and ignorant comments and when I challenged them they just laughed . Their DD took a liking to trying to pinch and nip our Dd. The husband thought everything he said was funny.
They kept asking us round for a drink at night
Came and sat with us in the club, even dragged a table over when we sat on a small table trying to avoid them so after a four nights and we stopped going in only for them to bang on our door on the way back and ask why.
They turned up in two locations we said we were visiting and suggested we spend the day together. We didn't as they did not want to pay to go in anywhere thank god, we soon learnt not to say where we were going.
They kept saying we must keep in to touch when we went home as they only lived in the next town, so the night before we were due to go home DH quietly packed the car under a cover of darkness and we left quickly first thing in the morning without seeing them.
This kind of thing has happened to us abroad as well, one women once grabbed my book off me on the sunbed and said it was rude not to talk to her. I was doing the hmmmm and ummmm and one word answers thinking she would get the hint and shut up. This couple even sent the kids over to us to play (we were childless at the time)
I just want my holidays to enjoy with my family, I don't want to make friends with people. The odd chat and hello fine but I don't go on holiday to find a best buddy. I know some people love to make new friends and that's fine but I wish they would realise that some people don't.

[Blu]

Did she offer you a crème egg?

[JassyRadlett]

Ha, Ariadne, I'm the opposite. I'm happy to invest time and effort in social interactions around home and work, because I figure they make my workplace/community run more smoothly and I might build some nice long-term acquaintanceships and friendships.

On holidays? I owe nothing to anyone, and they should all leave me alone.

[Glitteryfrog]

And would rather stick pins in my eyes than go on holiday with other couples!
This ^
I've been on holiday with a couple and my in laws (not at the same time) NO FUCKING WAY AM I DOING IT AGAIN.
I like other people in small doses, not over night and not for a week.

[Whathaveilost]

Blimey I go away about 5/6 times a year for the last 20 years.Sometimes by myself others with family, sometimes with friends and I've never expierenced anything like this!

[Aridane]

I like meeting people on holiday

(though not to the extent of having my book prized from my hands...)

It's just at home. I don't like colleagues trying to be friends / social buddies, strangers striking up conversation (please leave me alone) etc.

I'm more relaxed and outgoing on holiday so happy to strike up conversation. Also, for some reason, comfortable with being more assertive on holiday about what I want to do and what I don't want to do than at home ...

[tomatodizzy]

We switch to DH's native language when we go on holiday, we've tried that but I must smack of Britain because it hasn't always worked probably because I cannot put up tents for shit and love a good swear in my native tongue!

[Dollymixtureyumyum]

I actually thought I had a piss off and leave me alone face DH is a friendly, approachable sort- dam him

[insan1tyscartching]

Book a cottage in Yorkshire, it will cost you less than a caravan and then you have no chance of being "adopted" as generally the neighbours barely acknowledge you. We're going in half term to a luxury cottage overlooking the sea,three double bedrooms, ensuites, jacuzzi,wifi just over £300. Of course you don't get the "entertainment" which is a blessing and if dc want to swim we go to the swimming baths rather than there being a pool on site.

[sportinguista]

We switch to DH's native language when we go on holiday. Nobody bothers us because they think we don't understand. they sound like nutters OP.

[JemmaPell]

You must look friendly dolly
I always thought I did but no-one ever tries to make friends with me on holiday

[TitClash]

Dollymixtureyumyum That line about being an agony aunt was an opener and you were supposed to tell her a problem she could advise you on...

[notquitehuman]

I love the thought of you hastily packing in the middle of the night. I hope you blasted the music from The Great Escape as you drove to freedom!

We've had a couple of these experiences as DH is a friendly, approachable sort and seems to attract them. At a naice resort in Morocco we stupidly went to the welcome drinks and were pounced upon by an older couple. "It's our 15th year coming here!" they proudly exclaimed. The husband was like that Harry Enfield character 'you don't wanna do it like that' and started giving us career and financial advice while we couldn't get a word in edgeways. We did our best to avoid them at breakfast and dinner, even getting up earlier to get a table with only two chairs instead of four. They managed to catch us several times round the pool where we were told not to delay having children, that we should leave the south east because there were too many foreigners, and other oh so helpful advice. As a final insult, they were on the same flight home as us, and when we picked up our bags at Luton we saw them closing in on us and legged it to the bus stop so we didn't end up on a christmas card list.

Another time we had caravan neighbours who were very chatty and kept insisting we go to the crap on site club house. The guy wore the same tshirt all week that said 'body of a God... shame it's Buddha!' Luckily, we had young baby at the time and used him as an excuse to get out of everything.

[BuggersMuddle]

YANBU my parents used to occasionally make holiday friends but it was definitely 'trapped in hotel with kids, let's have a laugh of an evening' not dinner together or days out.

DP and I are friendly and will happily enjoy a night with other people on holiday, but generally that's it - a good laugh and some memories, not trying to forge some kind of couples bff relationship based on nothing more than being English speaking in a foreign country!

[Dollymixtureyumyum]

Oh god they know what town, and our surname is really unusual

[Dollymixtureyumyum]

Lol. We got away with giving them our address thank god.

[Janeymoo50]

You'll get a letter from them in December inviting themselves for Christmas.

[ThomasRichard]

I think I'd sneak out under cover of darkness too

[tomatodizzy]

There are two places where it suddenly seems to be become normal to become best buddies with total strangers. Holiday resorts and British camp sites. I never go to the former but actually quite like the occasional holiday in the latter. We are not interested in making friends and have had to move campsites or pítch because of some people getting way too friendly. We once had a family pitch their tent so close to ours that we could lock our zip onto their tent entrance. DH was furious and moved the tent you can get away with that when you're a jolly foreigner

[Olddear]

Never make friends on holiday! And would rather stick pins in my eyes than go on holiday with other couples!

[KERALA1]

That Victoria wood sketch was brilliant on this. Over friendly bonkers woman regaling terrified couple on the plane about how she always makes friends on holiday, but the last man she befriended - "they found his clothes in a pile on on the beach, but of Nigel, no sign..".

[GruntledOne]

OK, place your bets as to who she is. How about AnyFucker?

[Dollymixtureyumyum]

Mumsnet once came up in the many convetsations or should I say one sided conversations. She said she is always sorting out people's problems and Should be an agony aunt

[MissMoo22]

We've been on foreign holidays and a holiday in a caraven 40 mins from home where it rained most days so we ended up playing board games the whole time. We absolutely loved it and the kids keep asking us to do it again!

I really hate people wanting to make friends on holiday. No thanks.

Out of interest OP, how do you know she's on MN?

[oneowlgirl]

I'm with you Op - I'm happy to be polite but don't want to make friends or spend time with anyone other than my family.