AIBU to ask how to holiday cheaply?

[Sisinisawa]

We are a family of four and have previously been able to spend 5k on lovely villa holidays (self catering) with days out etc.
Last year we couldn't afford to go away at all. In reality we can't this year or for the foreseeable future but I'd love to be able to have a break.

But. We can't camp. It's non-negotiable due to SEN and phobias. We would happily have a caravan but Eurocamp looked really expensive.

Also I know we sound awkward but no Butlins style stuff either due to the SEN. We need space away from other people.

Any ideas? I know loads of people holiday affordably so I just want to know how budget is as little as possible but definitely under 1.5k.

If you like the thought of eurocamp, find a site you like and book directly with the campsite. You can save ££££ doung this and we do this if going on holiday in france.

We've done it for less than £1k during summer holidays and that was an 11 night stay on a fab site (les deux fontaines iirc) and included our ferry too.

We are going away to Devon to a holiday cottage and it's come in less than 1.5k and this is for 8 of us.
You can easily do it.

Airbnb somewhere like France, go Dover to Calais on the ferry and drive. We had a gite for 12 nights last year, cost about £1200 including ferry and petrol. If you do free stuff when you get there it needn't cost much more on top.

Try looking at the European centre parks. There are a few drive distances from the channel tunnel and they are substantially cheaper especially if you can go towards the end of aug as the Dutch schools go back earlier than the uk ones.

We hired a basic villa in Eindhoven (we flew for £35 each return) for bank holiday weekend for £400 for 6 of us. The week wants hugely more. Lots of free stuff todo and the activities were cheaper than uk ones too.

Home exchange

I've been looking at 'on the beach' website. It appears to be cheaper than Thomas cook whonwe usually go for. Maybe worth a look although I've never used them so don't know if there's some sort of catch?

You can definitely do Spain/Portugal for less than £1.5k for a family of 4.

Look Travel Republic (if you can book now you will get the January sale price). Check sky scanner for the date you want to go and then you will see if there are any better dates for cheaper flights.

Do you have to go in the main Summer holidays? May/June/September are cheaper if you can get away with those.

DO NOT GO NEAR THOMAS COOK, TUI ETC you will save a small fortune by doing it yourself.

If you're happy with the UK, then take a look at Farmstay UK.
Our friends are going to Wales for a week in June, 2 kids aged 6 and 9 and it''s under £800.00.

We have often got holiday cottages for less than £800 In the UK. (And that's for 6)

We have to eat in a normal non-holiday week, so I don't count most food as a holiday expense. We always buy some extra bits of 'nice' food and some treats when on holiday, so that is an expense. We would probably eat out 1 night in a week, and maybe one fast food lunch. We take picnics everyday.

I plan day trips in advance. What can I get with tesco vouchers? What is cheaper if we buy online beforehand. What can we do for free/cheap? Is it cheaper to buy a combined ticket for attraction A and B, and do A on one day and B the next?
Usually we will have 2 'big' expensive days out, one cheaper one. Then try to do free stuff for the rest.

Obviously there is petrol to get there, ice creams, and car parking to pay, but that's about it.

I saw this yesterday as it's a place for families of SEN kids to go on holiday where there is a judgement free zone.
www.thethomascentre.co.uk/holidaysforfamilieswithautisticchildren.php

If I was you I'd look to do flights and Airbnb in a smallish city that way you can eat in of a night. I'm doing Munich for May half term, visiting the lake regions, taking a day trip to Salzburg maybe some of the castles if there's time. I've got a Airbnb for 5 nights/5 people, central location for £450 and return flights are about £50 each.

We book gites, usually with Brittany Ferries as we get the ferry included to the Western side but you can also book direct through Airbnb or gites de France and get the cheaper ferry to Calais. They are often converted farm buildings so usually peaceful and rural. There are a range of prices but if you choose an inland one without a pool they are often reasonably priced.

House swap?

Came on here to say house swap, and realised that shushpenfold may be the person who introduced us to the idea of house swapping when we lived in the same large village a decade ago...

I may be completely wrong, but if not

Try Vaccansoleil or other European mobile home places, we've used them and also Suncamp. Both companies are Dutch I think and seem to on the same sites as Eurocamp and Canvas just very much cheaper.

Non uk centerparks!

another vote for home exchange

or self catering. check out booking.com

We love holidaying in the UK and usually book a holiday cottage every year. One of the best was in Shropshire. We stayed in Much Wenlock and found much to see and do that a week wasn't long enough.

We have also enjoyed holidays in Wells-Next-the-Sea, Devon, Tenby, North Yorkshire and Cornwall. There are loads of holiday cottage companies and you can set filters so that you can find something that really suits your requirements.

To be fair, Butlins was the most inclusive place I've ever stayed. The percentage of visibly disabled people to non disabled was much higher than just out and about, they were also great in terms of customer service and I can't imagine an invisible disability not being catered for there either. As for time alone, you can do self catering?

House swap or hire a camper??

Look on Icelolly.com for ideas

Then book direct with the airlines and Hotel

Eurocamp tend to be much cheaper right at the end of the school holidays which is when we usually go. Siblu is worth a look , I think they are cheaper than eurocamp

In the same situation op. Airbnb all the way

Home exchange. Love it! Been doing it for 5 years now, stayed in some lovely houses. All the comforts of home, plus the security of knowing there's someone staying in your house looking after things.