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...

I find the cheapest thing to do is go on skyscanner.com, you can compare different flights and get a great bargain. I then use booking.com and book the hotel separately. You will save a fortune doing it yourself.

I go on 3-4 holidays a year with DS in the school holidays, usually all inclusive for about £5k total.

We don't go abroad in the summer holidays - we have a week at Butlins instead as usually the weather in the UK is the best that time of year. We go abroad in the May half term or Easter holidays instead and it's usually cheaper than the summer holidays. And we only ever go for one week, not two.

Next year we are going to Turkey in the Easter holidays and Majorca in May. Paid £1.3k for each holiday both all inclusive package holidays with Jet 2.

We are doing 10 days all inclusive. Family of 4, in Aug for £1950. Booked through Jet2 in Feb

£500/pp = £2k for 4...
We booked Easyjet for August this year, when the flights came out in Sept last year.
£473 to Nice for 4 of us.
2 bed apartment £486

My friends just come home from a week in Lanzarote self catering hotel was £180 per person flights transfer and baggage included. Was a late deal with Thomas Cook.

Another friends just booked Cyprus for half term all inclusive £450 each 5star hotel.dont know who she’s booked with though.

Loads of late deals available just go on websites of tour operators you’ll find them. On the beach is good sometimes too

We never go for package holidays. They are far too expensive and the quality varies.

Just book a cheap easyjet flight and then a villa with a pool. Far cheaper and more choice with eating out - no noisy kids because you have the place to yourselves.

I just had a quick look on skyscanner (I'm thinking about going myself) and flights from Manchester to Corfu look reasonable in August. Just tweak it to wherever in the uk you are.

We always use Jet2, find them very good value with excellent baggage allowance and very smooth travel experience. Last year we got two weeks all inclusive end of May for two at a FABULOUS hotel in Turkey for £500 each. This year prices had risen slightly, but still, two weeks in Greece, all inclusive, for two, beginning of June for roughly £1500 with equally good reviews. It's just a case of obsessively searching the offers and reading the reviews to find a balance you are happy with.

@Thewhale2903

We're flying to Venice with easyjet, staying a week in Lido di Jesolo (hotel booked direct) then getting the train up to Lake Garda for the second week and staying in a mobile home on a campsite (with Canvas holidays)

Never been before no! Skyscanner is excellent for searching flights - you can play around with departure/arrival airports until you find the best price.

Oh and we only booked in March.

Airbnb, somewhere a bit less desirable.

Book your own flights, hire something through AirBnB. You'll end up much cheaper.

You don't have to go in summer. When I was growing up we went in May and October half term. It's warm both weeks if you avoid France and the North of Spain.

Also kayak.co.uk is amazing for finding cheap flights - I find it even better than Skyscanner.

Oh, and it's usually cheaper to book flights and hotel separately. We used to get bargains from Leeds Bradford or East Midlands, avoiding Manchester.

We’re flying to Spain at the beginning of August for just shy of £500 for 3 of us return.

We always book mid-end of Jan.

ISeeTheLight - oh thank you for that. I'm always on the hunt for a bargain!

Go in the half terms esp October is a fraction of the price

Small tip, Scottish schools finish up two weeks earlier than England and Wales so they also go back earlier. Look at flying from Scotland in the last 2 weeks of the holidays.

I might be able to give you some insight into this. I work in a tourist area as a travel agent.

Don't go for a package, it'll be more expensive. If you go onto sites like booking.com and find something you like, try and contact the hotel or property manager directly, they charge a high commission and going directly will give you the better deal.

Booking a year in advance helps, (though i know it doesn't help in this situation) as rates will go up.

Do you have to go to Greece? Are there no other options?

We paid £4K for nice all inc in Cyprus in August last year for 3 people. There were loads of cheaper options though. You need to have booked a lot earlier though tbh

I think the key is to book as early as possible.

We do caravan holidays in the U.K. for around £700 per week in the holidays or if we go abroad we tend to cruise which is about £1500 for me and ds for a week (normal single Mum issue of having to pay full price for child!)

Think it really depends how fussy you are. After a quick search I was able to find somewhere in Rhodes for just over £1000 for 2 people all inclusive. www.loveholidays.com/holidays/availability/rhodes/theologos/meliton-hotel.html?alltabs=1&state=AwoUKFUw8KSAKCaGnLaIEKmZgBA#view=HL

We booked through first choice last two holidays, early, and then travel republic for hotels and through sky scanner for flights.

we did last summer 2 weeks cycling in Holland. including ferry, transport, accomodation and food we paid about 1.5k for 4 (2 adults and 2 kids). lots of picnics, no meals out but a great time.