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.

phelbs - what's your budget? We're going to Italy in October at half term and it's not that expensive. Got flights for about 400 for all 5 of us (3 kids), and airbnb apartment for under 500quids for the week. If you book flights early and look at various airport options and rent an air bnb style place once there it doesn't have to be that bad. We fly to France over the summer for about 500quids for all of us. Of course once there we go with family but you could do camping etc.

I book accommodation via booking.com or airbnb

Dh and i both work ft and earn good money. But we certainly can't afford long haul or AI holidays. we usually drive to a static caravan in France. This year I've booked 8 nights at duinrell Holland in a 3 bed mobile home with canvas. 44% discount and we booked late. £788 for the accommodation. £170 for ferry home with a cabin and Tesco vouchers for the tunnel going out. We are a family of 5 with a big mortgage and I'm really pleased with this price. but still will be expensive for our budget. Flights and hotels during summer hols were completely unaffordable as always

Suppose it depends what type of holidays you want.
I'm a single parent one child we go to butlins every year Feb half term, first child eats free so room and half board meal plan comes to about 200, probably spend another 100 on any extras as we don't need to buy more food.
We do a couple of days at the seaside at Easter or early summer, another couple of hundred.
October half term a week in Spain. Flights were about 160 for both of us, shared apartment with friends or family another hundred, spending about 3 to 400.
So we have 3 breaks/holidays for about a grand a year.
Sometimes do more if we can afford it, I've done Budapest this year as a one off for 400 all in.
Nothing top end or fancy, would never go all inclusive as ds and I are both fussy eaters with small appetites and I don't drink so we get better value self catering and eating in local restaurants.

@FlyingElbows we use homeaway.co.uk

We do a self catering holiday on a Greek Island for 1 week early July. 2 bed apartment.

I work in a private school so have longer holiday and I take my dc out their state school. This costs 2k including spending money. I cannot afford more than this which is why we do not wait till the school holidays.

Yes holidays abroad are extremely expensive but for us valuable.

Holiday lettings is good for self catering as well. And Spain-holiday for, well, Spain.

I'm pretty happy if I'm able to get return short haul flights for

I thought I was getting a good deal of mon to Fri in a caravan for 167. Add spending and travel we'd have probably been cheaper going abroad.

MrsKoala i agree, we went to Majorca/ Menorca/Ibiza or the Costas twice a year. We weren't well off but it was my parents' priority. They saved hard for it but always took us out of school.

I am lucky enough not to need school holiday time, because its extremely expensive. Nor do I go away to typical "med" resorts.
I have been away 3 times this year, budget airlines, city breaks , trivago. I never do package holidays.
Am looking for a week or so in September if I can get a decent enough deal.

YANBU

We only go camping, or on occasion are very lucky to have use of a family friends (old and slightly decrepit) house in France which they let us have for a low fee. and Ryanair flights. Even then it adds up....

We go to Spain each year for two or three weeks in the summer hols - we get a two bed/two bath apartment in a small secure friendly complex direct from the owners with air con for £400 a week, and the kids love it. They are happy playing with kids they now see each year in the pool and apart from a couple of trips to the beach we don’t have to go anywhere or do anything to keep them entertained meaning it is a real rest - I call it my plonk time. Loads of good cheap restaurants and food shopping is dirt cheap - I spend 1/3rd less than here a week on food shopping and don’t go without at all. We stock up at the local Lidl and then top up from the nearby shop. By booking the flight as soon as they come out (usually around £60/80 return) it means that it ends up cheaper than staying here with a few days out and holiday clubs and we all get a holiday we can enjoy.

I've been looking at booking something for next May half term. We have to go in school holidays because of my job. 2 adults, 2 children, I think the best we found was about 2.5k. I've been saving for years and that'll be the whole lot gone. I'm desperate to take the children abroad though- my parents could never afford it so I'm 30 and have never been on a plane (although I did go to Spain by coach on a school trip.) I don't want my children to be in my situation at my age.

We’ve just paid 2k for 2 weeks in a caravan popular seaside location with haven. I suppose it depends what you class as a holiday.

If you look carefully and book early/direct, you should be able to find somewhere for under £600, nevermind £1000! I agree that by this time only CF charging stupid amounts are often left but do look. If you're not picky as to where it can be very affordable. For example, we used to stay outside Cromer in one of the smaller seaside villages and it was half the price.

I had 14 holidays last year and never paid more than 75pound for flight and hotel but they were out of season. But know what you mean, I know families who earn above average who still camp. School holidays are a rip off. England is a rip off, it is cheaper to go to centre parcs abroad. I would suggest Eurocamp, mobile homes are fun for kids. The Algarve is always better value than Spain with better hotels. Stick to budget airlines and book apartments separate, not with a holiday company. I can recommend Bulgaria, hotels are great, meals, drinks and excursions are so cheap that I actually save money when there.

Have you thought about a UK holiday, with some kind of resort?
We can't afford abroad holidays. Cost soo much for 6 of us.
We go to a holiday resort every year. Hoeseasons are my favorite. We stay in a caravan/house/chalet. We always try to pick one close to a beach. They have on site pools, parks and amusements, and great kids/adult entertainment day and night.
My kids love it as much as we do. We book early, usually jan-feb and get great deals. This year in August we are off to the Isle of weight, 7 nights, including ferry was a little over £700 with hoeseasons. We take the kids out every day, wether it's to a beach or a nearby amusement park and such. We eat out everyday, but always take a picnic for lunch. So this year for 6 of us it's looking at around £1500, with spending money. But as we booked early, we payed the holiday of in instalments. It's great.

I'm a single parent, total take home income is £20k. We go on one long haul, one short haul and a Butlins holiday every year.

I have very small outgoings is the short answer as to how I afford it. Utility bills and food costs are low as there is only me and one young DS at home. Don't have a car as I don't need one, I live in a large town with 24 hour public transport and work/school are both within walking distance so I don't have travel costs. No childcare costs either as I work school hours only.

If I had more DC/a car/childcare expenses I would not be able to afford holidays.

I went so Spain in April. Flights were £4.99 in the ryanair sale. Half board room 4* for four people was €215 for the week. It all depends on when you go and when you book.

You can get some good deal at Center Parcs. We stayed in a 3 bed cabin for £300 there were 4 adults, a 3 year old and a 5 month old. Might not help you for this holiday but if you sign up they send you emails with deals. There is also Haven holidays they are pretty reasonable and have stuff for kids.

YANBU
I am a teacher earning a good salary and my husband earns an okay salary too. We are priced way out of the holiday market as we can only go in school holidays.
Drives me mad!!!

Bollocks my oh was a teacher now earns half what they did teaching. And we can still have two weeks away in the holidays.

Totally agree. We've always said we won't take our children abroad until they are older so we can all enjoy it more (away from nappies, sleepless nights, over tiredness etc) but looking at holidays we couldn't afford to anyway! The years are flying past! We do as much as we can in the uk but that's just as expensive! Days out are ridiculous prices. Thankfully our children are still young enough to enjoy the free things in life but I know it's going to get much harder!

It is expensive but we always manage to find a bargain. One year we got a gite in Brittany and got the ferry. It cost about 800 in total and it was great! Last year we got a deal in Spain for 1000. The hotel was beautiful and we just shopped at their local supermarket and cooked. That’s for four of us too.

We’re going to Haven next week Mon-Friday. For a next one up from standard caravan, I paid £219. Same site,Same caravan on the first week of August (so precisely a month after) is £989.

It’s absolutely fucking insane, it infuriates me!