Cost of holidays

[ringbinder99]

I can only take holidays in school holidays and so haven't been on a holiday abroad for a fair number of years. I did go camping in France a couple of years ago but that was self drive, find a site, stay a night and move on type thing.
I have just been looking at package holidays and cannot believe the prices! One week in somewhere like Corfu was £1500pp self catering! So for me and OH, would cost over £3K without even any food!
How the hell do people afford these trips as that seems outrageous to me, and we have a reasonable income...

There are cheaper options. I'm off this summer for 3k for a family of 4 in Tenerife all inclusive.

Because we don't book packages maybe? Or because we don't go to Greek islands in summer? I dunno. You shop around. You don't book last minute (I try to book our travel a year in advance, if I can, or at least 8 months), you fly to a less known island or you travel Tues-Tues or umpteen other little tricks for saving money and still going abroad.

I think you're looking in the wrong place! I'm going to California for 12 days this year and it's costing less than £2.5k!

Self catering is much cheaper than package - have a look at rustic blue villas. You can get lovely ones in the south of Spain for about £700 for the week and flights for around £150pp. Once there the food etc is cheap and loads to do (beaches, culture etc).

Corfu was just the last example I looked at.

Happy to go anywhere nice, quiet, beach, pool, no noisy kids, nice restaurants...

But so expensive absolutely everywhere or maybe I am out of touch on how much these things cost? My BIL just came back from Centre Parcs. I went there 20 years ago. I was astounded when he said how much he paid!

Why can you only take hols in school holidays?

Teacher maybe?

You might want to look further afield. The pound against the euro is such that longer haul holidays can offer similar value.

Jet2 have all inclusive holidays in resorts on menorca for £560pp for first week in July. I think you just need to shop around more

You’ve just left it late for Europe tbh., book early for anywhere in school hols or look outside the Eurozone. There’s plenty around cheaper than that if you look, yes even packages! I’m a travel agent and I know you can get AI in the summer hols for that price!

We have independently booked 2 weeks in August in Italy, for 3 of us, for 1500 total (flights and self catering). You need to shop around more!

Holidays abroad tend to be a lot cheaper than holidays in this country!

You need to book early, be ready to take the unpopular flights (leaving or arriving middle of the night), avoid the fashionable destinations.
It could be just a case of taking a train or renting a car on the other side, Italy, France, Spain or Portugal and renting a villa somewhere not too touristy 1 hour or 2 away from the airport.

Centre Parcs in this country is a complete rip-off, much cheaper to go in their other destinations.

Thanks to the falling pound and Brexit, holiday abroad will become steadily more expensive for all us unfortunately.

I think you're looking in the wrong place! I'm going to California for 12 days this year and it's costing less than £2.5k!

That's impressive - how did you manage to get that deal in school holiday time?

Centre Parcs generally costs more than I have EVER paid for a foreign holiday.
Foreign holidays can be done fairly cheaply, as other said by shopping around, time, etc etc. We are going to Spain in a few weeks for £900 all inc 5 star, shy of the school holidays, but went last year to a 4 all inc in the Balearic islands for a £900 in the holidays, and to Halkidi in Greece self catering 4 for £880 the year before.
It’s easily done

centralwerk
I wish I had your skills at finding flights etc. That's exactly the holiday I was looking to book this year but everything was extortionate. Van I ask what region you are staying in and have you been before?

Go somewhere flight only and book accommodation separately, at a time when you are on school holiday but your destination isn't. Then you pay off peak accommodation prices. That's what we do usually. It saves a lot.

It requires some effort, as with most things the easy all done for you option costs more.

Amanduh
Do you book through travel agents?

Those of you who have booked cheap flights in August when are you booking them?

I'm planning our holiday for august 2019 possibly to the Algarve and want to get a good deal on flights.

Im in the same position as i work in a school.
Book early and fly on a weekday.
This time last year I booked our holiday. £950pp, 4*all inclusive , South of Spain, sea view with first choice. Flights are 7am on a thurs going and 11am thurs coming back. If you fly at crappy hours it works out cheaper.

Well I just went on travelsupermarket and found lots of SC deals in Corfu for around £500 pp and upwards. If you want a sun package you should try all the main providers like lastminute, expedia, jet2holidays, etc. You'll find something.

Costs us around 2k for a family of 4 all inclusive, I'm not sure where you're looking...?

Me and DS did a tour of Italy (not many places) for 12 days 2 years ago and it cost about £1300 for everything in August

Maybe try booking accommodation through air bnb it’s a lot cheaper than hotels. Then just arrange your flight and transfers separately

As pp have said, just book up cheapish flights and a decently reviewed airbnb. I wouldn't dream of booking package these days!

There were lots of cheap flights available from London if you are not fussy about flying time or day. I found for our local airport flights were cheapest when they come out and then get more expensive the later you book.

May half term is usually way cheaper than summer hols.