To wonder who can afford this? What do you spend on your holidays?

[Bridgeofpies]

I was flicking through a travel magazine and having the usual envy of the people enjoying sun drenched beaches, bustling exotic markets and artistic sunsets etc. So I had a look through at all the places to stay.

Almost all the hotels and accommodation (or a large proportion) were from £400 per night for a double room! Some were up to £700. It got me wondering - who actually stays in these hotels? They look amazing and I can imagine doing it for a one- off special occasion like a big anniversary or birthday but are there people who spend this on their “normal” holidays?

We are definitely well-off by most standards but wouldn’t consider this for a holiday! (Especially with 2 kids, it would be insanely expensive). Our last big blow out holiday was around £3500 but that was 2 weeks, all-inclusive, with flights and for all 4 of us!

So, just got me wondering, is it just billionaires and business travellers on expenses who stay in these places?

Real first class and not business class is sooo worth it. Lounges where you feel so relaxed and can eat, drink, play pool, watch tv, listen to music etc, on the plane with lie flat beds, bar, tables with table cloths, plates and cutlery and you can dine with your partner whenever you want makes the holiday start as soon as you set foot in the airport. Plane delayed? Great, more time in the lounge . When you touch down you are refreshed having slept for a bit without a stiff neck etc (duvet and pillows also for low flat beds mean you aren't battling trying to cover yourself with a stupidly small blanket).

FancyABrewOrTwo
You must do an incredible amount of flying to be able to do first class every time you fly.
First class is 100,000 avios airmiles per person!

Now our dcs have grown up and it's just me and dh going on holiday, we like to upgrade to business class as it means holiday starts as soon as we're picked up from the house ( Emirates) ...we love flying long haul on the A 380.... inflight Bar...lie flat seats (we're both tall and I have a musculoskeletal illness)

The trick to avoid paying a lot in taxes when using points for flights is to use BA’s alliance partner, American Airlines - we only paid a few pounds in taxes for a points flight from Heathrow to LA.

We earn £40,000 between us and are lucky enough to have no mortgage. We have two teenagers and we like to have two holidays a year - try to spend £3,000 all in but it's probably nearer £4k. I am a big bargain hunter and I like nice things but not top prices. We like to have different experiences with the kids - canal boating, cycling holidays, camping in the highlands, cruises, city breaks, all incs, villa holidays etc.
We really want to go to Florida next year, but the best I can possible do it for is £6,000 for a fortnight and that is a push. I struggle with this. I don't understand how normal people manage to do it.

@Blinkyblink I hardly ever get any miles from flying as you don't earn any when you use miles etc. There are so many other ways of getting them though, Tesco points and credit card being the two big things for me (I spend a fortune on the credit card but I use it like a debit card so it's paid off as soon as I spend anything on it)

We spent £10,000 last year on 16 nights all inclusive to go turkey ( we have 6 kids 4 of which are classed as adults)
We desperately want to Do a fortnight in
Florida with the Disney parks and studios but were quoted £21,000 as our annual wage is £45,000 it just ain't happening this year.

Before DC we paid maybe £4K for 1 All Inclusive holiday. Now we could still afford it but DC's entertainment is important, so there's a lot more to consider. I'd say now a 1 week holiday with accommodation and travel is about £1250. Not in the least bit shoddy. Maybe 2 holidays a year, maybe more if you can get last minute deal.

I think a good point has been raised elsewhere that how people portray themselves online, compared to reality is a lot different.

To me £10k is what you'd possibly spend on a car. Not 2 weeks away somewhere. We all have different budgets though and different standards / expectations.

I think what makes a difference for me is that I don't have children and I am at that point in life that we are comfortable and have two incomes coming in which means we can prioritise luxuries. If I had to pay for children or when I was younger there is no way I could afford the holidays I do now.

Twenty quid a night camping here... I'll get me coat....

If you're on your own and have the income to have really nice holidays, if you can afford it, do it.

For the first 10 years maybe our holidays were UK based as we reasoned it was easier.

You're unlikely to get away with a high impact / high adventure / life experience kind of holiday with a toddler. As they're idea of fun isn't the same as you'd be seeking.

A relative said when I was mortified about being diagnosed with fertility stuffs, that id be able to have a nice house, nice car, nice holidays. I chose the FT route and still have all 3, just maybe different to what some would call nice.

I do a lot of work in southeast Asia, and that kind of money will buy a room for a night at the marina Bay Sands in Singapore. Are usually stay in guest houses though. I lived in one for many many years and paid little for it. You can find some very cheap places out there, depends where you go and where you look. I'm studying Greek and have spent time in Greece, but not in touristy areas and I think I paid €300 for the entire week with breakfast. The people were lovely and when I left they gave me biscuits as well.

We have two high incomes, relatively low outgoings, and no kids. Holidays aren’t generally a big priority for us- but having time off together is, so happy to huddle up in a cottage in a Cornish village for two weeks (we’re not based in the UK) rather than anything exotic. We’ve had some amazing long haul holidays, but the amount of planning and energy to just get there can be off-putting.

Just on the hotel thing, I tend to go two ways. I’ll happily spend £600+ on a night in an amazing hotel if it’s a destination hotel. Check in as early as possible, use all the facilities, have drinks in the bar, nice dinner, use all services etc. Basically, never leave the hotel for the weekend so the money is for more than just the room.

If I’m going somewhere specifically because I’m attending an event or something nearby and will just be sleeping in the hotel, will happily do a Premier Inn.

@Blinkyblink

Easy jet flights from London to Paris and then Nice to London were £400 (we flight mid week to midweek)

Parking at airport was £80

Hotel in Paris was £140

Insurance was £40

Overnight sleeper train was £140

6 nights in a Eurocamp caravan was £230 (had a 50% code)

Car hire was £220

Actually that’s £1250 so I miscalculated earlier.

Sophiesdog11

I think 12-15k on a income of 100k is a lot but obvs it depends on mortgage & age of children

Surely it also depends on things like adult ages, savings, whether people have inherited?

Yes I also think comparing today’s 30 something (me) to a 50 something is hard. I also think that life for many 30 yr olds will be very different when they get to 50. As mentioned all of my friends and I have good jobs & not one of us got on the ladder without help. Although we have a good amount of equity it’s not going to increase like it has in the past & a large share will probably go towards my DCs homes.

Not everyone wants or needs to 'shop around.' People earning huge wages don't need to bargain hunt. They see what they want and book it. why assume we need to shop around, we are on an extremely high income but I can’t justify paying £1000’s extra just for the sake of it. Look, I couldn’t care less what people do I just don’t buy that because you have a high income you simply take the first price without looking around.

I spend £3,000-£4,000 on the average yearly family holiday, but then we do other mini breaks during the year too like Butlins and Haven. Both around £700 for long weekend.
Last year we had what I call a 'blow out' holiday to Florida costing £8,000. Not something I could afford every year but we do earn decent money.
For me it's not about the cost but to ensure the children are seeing what I want them to see in the world and the variety e.g. not holidaying in the same place every year.

I have a sibling who is a v. high earner. They tell their travel consultant when & where they want to go. It's booked for them and they pay whatever it costs. They have no interest in or time to shop around for the best deal.

We usually have two holidays and some short breaks every year, but they are all booked independently. We wouldn't usually spend much over 1000€ for a week to ten days worth of accommodation for 5 people, often a lot less. Expensive hotels don't even provide what we want with a family, they are generally less fit for purpose for us than family rooms in youth hostels/ independent guest houses/ self catering accommodation. I'd definitely rather travel more and see more and have a big room with proper separate single beds for each child and a games room and informal dining, or a static caravan with living room and terrace, than be squashed up or separated between rooms in luxury hotels!

beginning to believe that this could be deemed rich against the poor i am a house keeper i work part time earnings are not great but its my choice.
£3000 is half my yearly income that i would be sacrificing ive never been first class as i said before its all about comfortable spends .
i was priced £525 to upgrade to half board (thats silly money)

Don't pay for first class - was upgraded from business once and whilst very nice I couldn't justify the extra if paying myself.
Tend to get our business class seats in sales. BA does a good one in January, got return bus class to Florida for £1500 each a couple of years ago.

I don't think I could bear to fly first class once and then be relegated for the rest of my life back down to economy! Much prefer to not know what we are missing.

We are going to Canada next year and have paid for premium economy and hoping for slightly more leg room, that's the only thing that bothers me, not being able to move. I really don't care what the food or drink is like. That said I wouldn't want to fly more than 9 hours in one go anymore, went to SE Asia a couple of years ago and spent 18 hours on two planes with two hour transit, that was hellish. I am definitely too old for all that lark now.

We are spending about 10k on this Canadian trip but it is for a very special reason and we won't go anywhere at all this year. I totally get that it is an obscene amount of money for a holiday to some people and a drop in the ocean for others but life is like that in all spheres, housing, cars, education, lifestyle etc. I know I am very lucky.

I didn't know about slippers either, but I love when people say to me there is you. I had never heard that until I went to Glasgow. I would be in Alta and someone would give me something and say there's you.

Sorry, visually impaired moment. Wrong thread! 😂😂

DH felt that £2k was max budget for us (family of 4) this year. After about 5 hours online searching, by booking it separately rather than a package, we’ve got a week all inclusive to Turkey 5* and a few days in Germany on way home (this is in August). Cost £2,050 inc flights and transfers. The equivalent package would have cost £2,700 (without the 2 nights in Germany) but that would have given us rubbish flight times in middle of the night. We were totally priced out of Other beach destinations in Europe though.