To ask how you actually afford to go abroad

[lavenderpekins]

Aibu to feel fed up? Not going away again.. nearly everyone I know is going on a family holiday to the med this summer holiday.

Sort of lighthearted I know we're very lucky to live in this country, able to buy good/nhs/school.. I'll get over it too..

Maired
I was never into Disney just took my son as he loves rides and Disney tbh i did things like coupon collecting of newspapers for off peak trips to legoland/alton towers etc and paid for a second day and Disney was again better value-he is a thrill seeker so enjoys scary sides. He also had special needs so repetition of familiar places I better for him so other holidays are UK based. I took him twice out of season and once school holiday time and twas too busy second time.
Jessikita- I am the same bussed and walked for two years to save for my (still second hand but only 3 yrs old) car rather than the finance my friends needlessly pay for their slightly newer cars, put cash by for things or do without and don't do designer

Together we take home £3k a month, we spend half of that.

We like holidays.

When the kids were little we stayed in the UK, camping weekends and a long weekend in a caravan in mid Wales over Easter with my dad. Kids loved it so much, we had lovely meals out with family and lots of nice wine.
When the youngest started school I started working fulltime and we could afford a week in France as well - about £1K for a villa with a pool and ferry crossing shared with another family.
We did go to the states last year, that was paid for with an inheritance.
Dad died just after Christmas - so pleased now that we had all those family holidays in Wales - I also went away for a weekend to Calais with my dad a few times. Holidays are where you make memories - it doesn't matter if its a cheap campsite or a foreign jaunt it's good to get away if you can.
My dh salary varies as he earns commission, we try to live on his basic and save his bonus money for fun. We prioritise holidays over doing up the house. We are very fortunate as I've gone back to part time work but my father left me money and I'm going to be able to use that to pay off our mortgage. I'd much rather have him back and do another caravan in Wales - but we will use some of the windfall to go back to the US.

I posted some significant number of pages back about really cheap flights and Ryan airs sale covering Oct half term starting yesterday.

A few people asked about when I book etc. Generally we fly Easyjet so we book near to their release dates. Welike Easyjet because they have a really generous carry on luggage allowance. Its a 55cm case (small suit case) with no weight limit. We find that with afficient packing we can get clothes and all my holiday essentials (kitchen roll, toilet roll, baby wipes, hand towels etc).

I subscribe to the airline newsletters so get a mail when flights come out. Towards the end of September its usually Easter hols and then about November its Summer holidays. May for October and Dec. The last few years where Christmas has fallen mid school holidays the week pre Christmas is really cheap to travel. Its low season just about everywhere right upto Christmas eve. We've done a five night in Iceland and 4 night in Vienna for a fraction of a summer break. Swimming in the thermal town outdoor pool in Reykjavik in heavy snow (£12 for the 5 of us) was a memory I'll never forget. DD and DS2 running wet in swimsuits through the snow to zoom down the water slide - absolutely mad.

We look at the local easyjet flights and where they go then have around four destinations we fancy that we research in a bit more detail. We check airbnb and homeaway.com to check if accomodation is readily available and the price.

We check out car hire prices or public transport options for each destination.

We check out if other airports locally or further afield fly to the same destination.

We work out dates that would work for us to travel. Lots of Northern Europe August is mid rather than peek season, certainly Scandinavian countries. Denmark in August was fab. We stayed in a wood chalet on a park near Legoland for a few days at low rates, legoland was quiet - walk onto most rides, tourist stuff all open but quiet. We also had a week in a rental property on a swimming lake near Copenhagen too, again off peek rates.

On flight release morning we do a quick check of our preffered destinations list having already compared accomodation and car hire costs and do a rough cost of each holiday option. Its not always about cheapest, its working out what is best value. A week in a large house with wifi and a swimming lake means that you don't need lots of expensive days out, relaxed home catering. A week in a hotel room you're eating out and going out every day.

If flight one way is cheap but heafty in the other direction we check alternate return/ departure locations. For Berlin it was £20 each less to fly out from Manchester and back to Liverpool. We were being driven by my lovely dad and he didn't mind as there wasn't much in it between the two in terms of miles.

When the kids go to bed we book sometimes we sleep on it for a day or three. Prices start to go up typically after about a week.

If you over research flights once released I'm led to believe the price goes up. Its worth clearing your cookies data periodically.

Another snipit I recently learnt about is airport tax isn't the same from every airport. Particularly relevant if flying long haul. The tax is set by departure airport so flying Manchester - Heathrow- Florida can cost about the same as Heathrow- Florida because whilst the internal flight is extra the tax is set on departure airport not every airport on route and its much less. If you depart Inverness I believe its very low, likewise if you fly to Dublin then US you pay closer to EU flight tax rather than international.

I get an annual bonus from work, and that pays for mine.

We enjoy holidays so I make it a priority to shop around. DD is due to start school this year so we've previously had the luxury of going during term time. We have been to Disneyland Paris this year, cost £2k all in with spends, and I managed to get a great deal for a weeks all inclusive to Menorca for October break (Scotland). To fly from Glasgow it would have been £2k, but managed to get it for £1060 flying from Manchester for 2 adults & 2 kids. We will be around £100 in petrol for the round trip. Next year we are going to a friends villa in Lanzarote for 2 weeks in the summer, £600 for villa and flights will be around £400. We will take £1k for spending money/trips/meals out. DH works full time and I work part time, both on decent wages, we do have debt that we are clearing to buy our next house (will be debt free in 3 years, possibly 2) but we definitely prioritise holidays over nights out/expensive clothes etc.

We also struggle to afford holidays. Decent income both earning 50k plus. We bring in similar both around 2800 - 3000 per month. However mortgage and childcare alone is 3000 per month. Bills and petrol, food, kids activities, (plus some historical debts) leaves us with nothing. We haven't been abroad for 6 years. Have 3 kids so the cost is high to go away, food bills are astronomical. Not moaning as we have a lovely house and are lucky we can afford for kids to do football, swimming, musical instruments and other activities they enjoy. Would be lovely to go somewhere hot once in a while though!

Ripple I love all the planning you do. We usually book Easyjet flights on the morning they're released for summer holidays. I' ve found they only ever rise in price.

We have three or four destinations in mind, and just choose whichever flights have the best times/price. It can be quite fun not knowing exactly where you're going until you see what's available and what works for you.
Next year we will be going out of school hols when DD finishes her AS levels, and from the year after we will never be bound by school holiday dates again!! I can't wait

We are very lucky have family that live in Spain, we visit them every year and book the flights as soon as they come out in December. I do wonder how people like us with children afford package holidays in August .

We go in May as our dc's schools both have two weeks off and the first week is not the "official" May half term so it's super cheap.

We went to a 5 star water park hotel in Turkey AI for £1250 for 2 adults 2 children aged 6 and 14 though we did get a free child place, we went there last year too.

The same holiday in the "official" half term was over £3.5 k so I suppose for us it's a bit of good luck.

I agree though that for most people it's down to priorities, we don't go out drinking at weekends etc and most people we know do and spend a fortune.

Ripple thanks for taking the time to post all that. I love it when planning and research pay off. Your holidays sound lovely and original.

ripple which town near reijavik and where did you stay,

Swimming in the thermal town outdoor pool in Reykjavik in heavy snow (£12 for the 5 of us) was a memory I'll never forget. DD and DS2 running wet in swimsuits through the snow to zoom down the water slide - absolutely mad

sounds soooo wonderful

We don't. We usually holiday in the UK, staying in a cottage. We're going abroad this year but we've saved for years for it.

The pool we went to in the snow was Laugardalslaug in Reykjavik. Lots of images on line to give a clue what the big outdoor leisure pool is like.

We've stayed in various places in Iceland but in Reykjavik itself we had a few nights here. With exchange rates and popularity price has doubled since we first stayed but its worth every penny if you can stretch for a few nights. Private big hot tub, garden/ courtyard onto sea, short walk into central Reykjavik.

I don't want to call working abroad holidays, but I often do have to spend time in different places. In developing countries, it really isn't an issue because a guesthouse can cost from seven dollars a night to $30 a night depending on where you are, I eat street food, so may spend five dollars a day on food. I will buy drinks and snacks and keep them in my room. Very simple and frugal. I am always on the lookout for cheap things to do and know a lot of people in other places, so have gotten information through them that has come in quite useful. If you know somebody who lives locally, they can easily recommend cheap places to visit or eat or events that you might not hear about.

When it comes to flights, are usually book The flight on the same day I travel. Usually, I can always find a deal. I fly a lot with Emerite and I am a member of star alliance for Singapore airlines . When I flew to Uganda, I think I paid less than 400 pounds even though I book the flight the day before I flew. The airline was very generous and also gave me a meal ticket for Dubai so I was able to get free food and drink

I don't drink or have any other really expensive habits. I don't wear jewelry, I fit into children's clothing so don't really shop much

I love books, but by quite a few at charity shops or secondhand sales and I love the discounted books on iBooks. I have had to buy some medical books recently and they have been a bit on the pricey side

earn 12k but look around for cheap flights and then book airbnb, manage two holidays a year abroad like this. In future am thinking of doing homeswaps though not sure what sites to go on yet - in fact might start another thread? :-) Are you on the single parent travel club facebook page? if not, worth joining as then you get to camp with others which I think more fun than on your own. Sorry, realised presumed every parent single (!)- perhaps you're not and in which cased you'll have to find a similar site for you. Worth looking around. There are also holiday companies that specialise in offering holidays to people on low incomes. Maybe google that. Or put an offer to house/pet sit on facebook. I've offered our house a couple of times to house sitters for free and never had any reliable bites so perhaps others in the same position? Where there's a will... Good luck :-)

I use group on, wowcher and little bird to have several short breaks each year. I have also used sun and daily mail holidays on occasion (had a week in caravan in Brittany for less than £100 during school hols one year). My in laws have holiday home in Spain and another in U.K. On south coast so can use these whenever we want which helps keep costs down. I have also saved club card vouchers (when my eldest was little I had free Disney Paris break every year using vouchers). More recent years I have used to buy merlin annual passes for fun uk days out. The past couple of years I have used vouchers for general days out and restaurant vouchers for U.K. Breaks. I have stayed with friends and relatives at home and in France (as I live in London they love to reciprocate stays). The best way to keep costs low is to be super flexible with options. This year I have had mini-break to Krakow, few days in Wales, weekend in Bournemouth and have week in Spain planned for Oct half term and possibly week in U.K. Over summer hols (Wales or South Coast most likely). I earn a good salary now as does husband, but have years of being SAHM and years of being rally poor (those years were when I really appreciated the sun and daily mail hols). I have never in whole of my life gone without some type of holiday break. My family made it a priority (usually cheap camping or staying with friends and family - one who had farm). I also see hols as a priority. I spend very little on myself (2nd hand clothes or bought in sale, don't drink or smoke although I do enjoy at least 1 meal out per week and 1 takeaway per week). I generally keep eye out for offers and freebies all the time.

I use skyscanner.net to find the cheapest flights, then research local accommodation using booking.com and local campsites.
We also compare flights with trains.
We tend to do 5 nights not longer to keep it more affordable as accommodation is often pricier than travel.
Google every website you're about to use for a discount code.
In short, spend ages researching.
I can only travel in school holidays but this year will have had a week in Italy for £800 (4 of us, but one under-2, includes travel, car parking, accommodation and car hire), and 4 days in Bavaria for £600.

Here's a couple of holidays we've had recently:

1. Spain at Easter - apartment for 1 week £300, flights £400 for four of us, plus food (we self cater quite a lot) hire car about £150
2. Cornwall in school summer holidays: house rental £1000, own car so about £70 in fuel to get there, food, most days walking / on the beach.

Often cheaper to go abroad, and you don't have to stay in a hotel.

Some people take out personal loans and pay back within 1/2 years.

That's not comparing like with like Sop. We've done Cornwall at Easter for 400 no flights so cheaper.

Preumsably Spain in the summer would have been more too!

Obviously it depends on disposable income as well as priorities Dh and I have about £2k left each month after bills, mortgage and food are paid. We save some of that and the remainder goes on stuff like clothes and holidays. We drive old cars and don't have Sky etc.

This year we've already had a uk holiday which cost £750 for a cottage for a week. We're going to Greece in the summer, which is £1500 for a villa with private pool, car hire and flights for both of us for a week.
Dh is taking ds1 to America in October which is costing about £2.5k for flights, hotel and car hire.
Ds2 starts uni in September so our costs will go up. We will still have holidays but maybe not pricey ones. Dh also nhas to go to America every couple of years to see his parents which is expensive. When we last went as a family of 4 it was in school holidays and cost over £5k for flights, car hire and hotels.

Ds2 is currently on gap year and has used Skyscanner to find cheap deals. He recently flew to Romania for £6 each way, took a tent and camped. He was away for 5 days and flight and campsite cost something like £35. He has also flown to Sweden for a very cheap price and stayed in an AirB&B flat.