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

I think holiday companies see us coming and hike up prices for families who have no choice but to travel during the holidays. I remember one year, our school finished pretty early for the summer and the difference between going straight away and delaying a week when rest of school broke up was about £2k!

I now have to set aside money every month to put aside for our summer holiday, it doesn't cover the full cost but it helps.

confusedofengland

Ive just gone on that website

Can’t find anything anywhere CLOSE to that figure including ferry travel!

Where is the campsite and how many in the group?

@Llanali do you mind saying who you booked Borneo with. Sounds amazing

LaurieFairyCake lots of teachers manage to go abroad!

I used to be a teacher and went to Newzealand for two weeks at Easter one year (that was unusual admittedly, and pre kids). We went to France and Italy a couple of times while I am teaching, and multiple times to Germany.

We have never once taken our kids out of school, even though I am no longer teaching. Eldest is 13. We've always had holidays, just shop around and put things together rather than plump for a package or nothing.

Being confined to school holidays makes it trickier, but it doesn't mean you can't go abroad - you're making other choices or have other life circumstances that are weighing into that end result.

while I was* not am

I do have to bite my lip when people preface moans about holiday prices in the school holidays with "as a teacher ...".

It's exactly the same for all of us with school aged children .

I love going away but it doesn’t matter to me where we go. Just away is good. We tend to have a short holiday every couple of months. They are all pretty cheap. We really enjoy them.

This year I have booked - local(ish) touristy City in the UK - air bnb and train - 3 nights - 4 people - £220
Holiday cottage on the coast in school holidays, going by car, sharing with friends - 7 nights - 4 people - £330 plus petrol
European city break, 2 people, 3 nights, £200 flights, £185 hotel
Staying with friends in tourist spot Scotland (might not count, but it’s a thought) petrol and contributions
Away for sporting event in midlands - three nights - four people - camping in hired tents - £87 plus petrol

We’re under a grand upfront so we will be adding petrol costs and of course feeding us all, entertainment etc when there will bump it right up but the basic upfront seems to be what is being discussed here. Maybe they aren’t what you’d consider ‘holidays’? I know they aren’t two weeks on a beach style trips, but we think of them as holidays!

I have just joined a Disneyland Paris group on Facebook for tips as had been planning on going October half term and it's full of people who go multiple times a year and pay £160 add ons for character meals, lunches and breakfasts while there.

I don't get how they afford it I really don't.

Ds2 turns 2 early October we can't do a holiday this year until October half term so looking at £3k for week in Tenerife I'm just not paying it.

Yes, we are making other choices - like paying a mortgage

Holidays for families with children or adults who can only go out of term time are so much less affordable now (if you want to go abroad) Saving £300-400 a month is fortunes - well it is to me anyway.

I’m not going on a package either, I booked the easyJet flights and B and B separately.

It's Canvas holidays, the campsite we are going to is Parc des Allais & there are 5 of us - 2 adults, 3 DC over 4. The price that comes up is just accommodation, then you add ferry later, that was about £100. I think we had the last of those, but there were at least 5 sites with similar prices yesterday. We are leaving on the bank holiday weekend, I think earlier in August is more expensive but still not extortionate.

There are various filters you can use, so we did lowest price first, then looked at where we can drive to (this one is 5 hrs 20 mins from Calais, so as far as we'd like to go).

Llanali that price doesn't include flights does it?

Single mum.
£3.5k one week
Caribbean AI in Feb

4 nights in Bournemouth

And then a handful of the odd night here and there in hotels over the UK over the course of the year.

I reckon £5 in total. Including spending money. No regrets. Worth every penny

Confused
I went in that site

Nothing close to that figure

Laurie so is everyone else.

Everyone with children should be confining themselves to term time, not just teachers... It's still very possible to go abroad if you think flexibly and do some research.

I’m single and work full time. I really don’t understand how people with children can afford to go away. It’s hard enough for me.

End of the day op terrorism can happen anywhere in the world these days England, France,Turkey,Egypt etc. We have zero control over things and I won’t stop going to places for fear of terrorism otherwise they win.

We've been really fortunate and have had a week's AI a year since the DC's were very small. Obviously it was much cheaper when we could go in term time. We've been in Feb half term, Easter and summer, and usually spend around 2.5k. Booking directly with the hotel and then separate flights helps. The kids still get to join in all the rep led activities (they won't go the kids club, mind).
Camping in France is definitely the best option though. £150 ferry to Calais, and average of 50 Euro a night for a pitch. Amazing facilities. I suspect our AI days are over as we can't afford it anymore, but am hoping for many years of summer adventures en France.

When are you pricing and booking? We got to haven in Wales in a couple of weeks which cost £700 for the platinum with decking but I booked this time last year to get the early booking discount. Same with our holiday to zante next year booked back in feb and for 10 nights for £2,200 all inclusive swim up family room. I think booking in advance is the key

I did think flexibly and did do research

What do you think I did? Walked into a travel agent and handed over £3,500.
Why does it sound as if you’re being rude?

EasyJet flights cost that, as do the nice (but 2 star) B and B.

That’s the best I could do last October - limited to first week in August as dh has to go in for both gcse results and A level results days (rules out last 2 weeks in August)

Should have said we are a family of 5

Well make the most of it this year:
www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/air-transport/2018-05-17/brexit-starts-ring-alarm-bells-uk-aviation-sector#

We went to Tenerife last summer as dd had just finished GCSEs so we could manage a non term time holiday. Cost £500for a two bed flat and £500 for flights for 3 of us. Which I thought was ok. But it’s the first abroad holiday we’ve had since she was at primary school.

We’ve had the odd weekend at CP when there’s been an inset day and camped and then more recently caravanned in the U.K. for holidays. Buying my own caravan was a god send. Still have it and wouldn’t be without it. Can go away for a week for £70.

Depends on what holiday you want, where and when I suppose. DS and I are going to Haven next week, cost me £90 through sun holidays for 4 nights. Taking food (£40) and £20 a day spends.