Am I deluded or have holidays become almost unaffordable for many families?

[Tractorprincess]

Looking at holidays and everything is so expensive.

We usually pay around £1200 for a very very nice holiday flat in the UK right on the beach but we're all getting a bit bored of the same place. I always thought £1200 was quite pricey but I'm starting to think it's an absolute bargain.

I can remember going abroad a few years ago with ds1 for around 1k, now I can't find anything half decent for less than 3k.

Thought about doing a few UK weekend breaks but nice places for the dc, the Legoland hotel is £700! I know you can go to cheaper local ones but having done than previous years I was thinking about making it extra exciting.

Centreparcs is extortionate too.

Dh and I are both on ok salaries, hardly rich but above the apparent UK average.

I don't know how people afford to go unless they're very well off or go in term time.

YANBU

Totally agree. I can only assume everyone else is either rich or in debt

we managed. never spent that much though.

Totally agree - we've had one holiday in 8 years and that was put on a credit card. I wish we could afford it every year and feel so guilty that my kids childhoods are racing by without holidays - we do visit various friends and family all over the place (and in some lovely locations) but I wish we could go on 'proper' holidays. YANBU.

How far in advance are you looking at for holidays abroad ? Booking six months or more in advance can save you 50%

summer holidays can be ridiculously expensive. It's half the price to go away in the may half term.

Bargains can still be had but it's all relative. You can find places with cheap flights and cheap accommodation if you look, and book seperatly

YANBU. It's getting pricier and pricier. Be clever about it though , look for cheap flights then get an apartment off homeaway or similar, we recently booked Portugal with apartment at £50 a night and travelled to an airport further away to get cheaper flights. Packages are horrendous though. And as for Legoland I'm horrified! There are deals to be gad at Alton Towers resort but I haven't managed to find them at legoland.

Currently in Menorca for a week all inclusive, 2 adults and 2 children for £1700. Prices obvs higher in holidays but we never pay more than 2k and usually get 10 days

Yes it’s crazy expensive

We’ve just been away to Spain for a week for £950 4* all inclusive (and amazing) and that was just booking direct through a travel agent (online with tui) but that was 6 months before. The same holiday is available now for next year for the same price. All about timing and shopping around

We’ve never had a resort/med type holiday with our kids. We often do European campsites. Stayed at a fab place in Brittany for half term. Great pool and beautiful beaches. Really cheap. We did have to self cater but not difficult in France. I have no idea how families afford AI, often on one income. I’d like to try and save up for that sort of holiday but DH and kids not bothered and we have social lives and days out year round that I don’t want to give up.

It depends. We do a holiday a year where we go to the relatives abroad so pretty much only flights to pay for (500 for France, 2k for India...). So that's easy I suppose. Otherwise we do some caravan breaks which are cheap enough and some fancier holidays. Going to Rome in October half term and paid 400 for flights and 500 for accommodation (air bnb style). So that's cheap enough (we're a family of 5, 3 young kids). Planned a ski holiday in February outside of school holidays though: flights 500, accommodation again 500 (same as above). So it depends... Do u look for all inclusive?

It's the summer holidays that are expensive. Term time May and June are much cheaper as are other out of season times. I priced up Cyprus out of season 5 star AI for 3 of us - £1200 to go in December for 2 weeks, returning between Xmas and New Year. Hotel has an indoor so no issue about the weather being a bit cooler at that time of year. Same holiday in same resort would cost £4000 for the three of us in August for a week.

You'd think so, and yet airports are crazy busy and the ferries are apparently already sold out for the first week of the school holidays.

Ds and I are having a big holiday next year, and it's likely to cost us £5000 once everything is covoted, spending etc we are spending savings we are extremely lucky to have. If there were still three of us in the family it would become unaffordable immediately, never mind 4 or 5, hence while Dh was alive we camped. Even camping was a struggle for us sometimes then so no, YANBU.

that should say, hotel has an indoor and outdoor pool, so no issues regarding cooler weather!

YANBU. ds is 10 and we have never been overseas with him yet. Holidays have been in the UK only and we have a decent income and in the north east.

It's is so expensive going abroad. This year we've booked 4 long weekends away via pitch up so staying in caravans, a wooden tent and a cottage. All this has cost the same as a week abroad! And my son loves it. We are planning on booking a trip to Spain for next Aug so we can spread the cost and won't seem so bad. I never went abroad when I was little just camping trips and it never done me any harm.

French campsites are the way to go. They are of such a high standard with loads to do.

We usually go for a May half term AI holiday one year and a French campsite the next. Can't afford AI every year. I also do lots of short breaks in the tent or camper with the children throughout the year. There are so many beautiful places in the UK and northern France.

Why is it necessary to take kids on expensive, overseas holiday? Apart from 1 visit to relatives, first time I went overseas on hols was when I was 19. Most hols were spent camping around the UK. My nephews also camp - and love it.

YANBU. The cost of holidays seems to have gone through the roof. We ended up buying a pony as myself and the kids are mad about riding. Loads of fun all year round and not just for one week a year. I can only imagine how stressed I would get if I spent all that money and something spoiled the holiday for me!

As someone who’s eldest is about to start school & who has never holidayed during school holidays the prices & the speed at which everything gets booked up has been a shock. I don’t understand how people afford it, particularly when mortgages & childcare are so expensive.

Having said that my parents have a house in the S of France (bought decades ago) so I can’t complain.

Yep prices have gone up. I emailed A holiday company (think rent a tent Europe) and asked why the same week, same tent, same campsite had gone up 40% from last year to this year. Their response was that people will pay it so they can.... which is Centre Parc’s attitude during school holidays too.

We went abroad in 2016. We arranged it via a travel agent. We told them dates, budget and wish for sun. Then left them to it. Ended up with and all inclusive deal to Spain for 4 people for £2,200.
Being AI saved us loads of money. We go on lots of adventures and they'd give us a pack lunch. With so much food!
Then rest days at the base the kids spent the whole day in the pool and eating or drinking from the AI menu.
I don't have the patience or expertise to holiday hunt so happy to use the experts for that.
Croatia and Bulgaria seem to be good deals at the moment.
We holiday in the UK one year, drive to Europe in the second year (this year) and hopefully have a flight holiday in the third year (next year) it's our cost saving/environmental way to approach holidays.
It is expensive though and will probably only get more expensive.

Why is it necessary to take kids on expensive, overseas holiday

err because people with kids like going abroad and seeing the sun as much as people without