Wwyd? Aib selfish over holiday?

[Tractorprincess]

Long and short of it is we'd like to take the dc abroad this year but can't afford it.

We usually go to a lovely holiday apartment or cottage in the UK, 5*, very home from home, beach on the doorstep, short walk/train into town with more beaches, shops and restaurants, but, we have to make our own fun with games on the beach, day trips, picnics, walks, meals out etc.

We could, for the same price go to a butlins style holiday park in a caravan, accommodation wouldn't be as nice, not in so nice area and beach not so near, but there would be more 'entertainment' for the dc. A pool onsite, and children's activities.

I've never been anywhere like that and I know what I'd prefer. Wondering if the dc would prefer the latte and I should embrace this type of child friendly holiday?

There is a middle ground. If you look at holiday parks and lodges on somewhere like Hoseasons there's a big range of options, not all with full on entertainment, there are plenty of quieter ones which might still have a play area, pool, cafe, children's clubs.

Another option is a French holiday camp which can be cheaper so makes up for the added cost of ferry/tunnel. Look at a company like Canvas Holidays or Eurocamp - they do some really nice caravans & the camps can be amazing, with huge pools, takeaways, all kinds of play activities and often very close to a beach.

If you want to go abroad, have you considered the Eurocamp (or whatever they are these days!) holidays? We took ours when they were similar sounding ages to yours, to south west france. Went on the ferry, drove down, stayed 11 days in ready erected tents (mobile home type things were available but we like tents!), and it was the best holiday ever! On one we didn't use the car for two weeks as used the site pool or walked to the beach every day. The second (and final )one, we didn't use the car again as we hired bikes for the two weeks as there were cycle trails everywhere!

The journey was long but we made it part of the holiday. We used to spend just under £1000 taking our own trailer tent to Cornwall. The France holidays cost us around £2200 each time including all travel costs and fuel but it was worth it for the weather.

I wouldn't go to Butlins, it's far too busy for me even out of season, never any room to sit at the entertainment, pool is crazy busy (I went as an adult with a friend before I had children). I'm like you and prefer good quality accommodation (why stay somewhere worse than your home?) and going to the beach, days out and so on.

Oh god! Each to their own but Butlins sounds awful! If you are used to 5* accommodation you will be in for a shock. Rent a cottage with its own hot tub kids would playing in a hot tub for a week!

I hated butlins as a child. To be fair it was torrential down pour the whole time so a lot of out doors activities we couldn't do. The indoor swimming pool was absolutely heaving with people because everyone had the same idea.

I honestly would go for the cottage.

Haven/Butlins are my idea of hell. Your usual holiday sounds lovely though.

I love St Ives so the cottage holiday would win every time for me. One of the beaches has "entertainers" during the summer. They're from one of the churches but it's not religious. My DC spent a couple of hours most days with them and other children on the beach having water fights, playing cricket/rounders etc and had a great time

We went to Park Resosrts in the Isle Wight May half term as a little extra holiday and had a blast. It was our first time anywhere like that and the kids were in their element and dh and I enjoyed it also. There was a beach on site, small water/splash park, inside pool and loads for kids to do plus the Isle wight is beautiful and we did venture off site at some point each day, so it was best of both worlds really. We had a platinum lodge came with all the mod con and even had a hot tub on the decking! We are a 5* AI type abroad family also I might add so was really shocked about how much fun we had together as a family I just hope or 2 week summer holiday measures up as it was more than 4 times the price.

TBH I'd prefer a holiday abroad over any of those.. you can get a really nice hotel or villa with a good pool and close to the beach. If you do a bit of research, you can find a good place that's got something for everyone - entertainment, relaxation, depending on what board you book you decide how much work you have to do whilst away (meal prep vs eating out/hotel dining) and you can pick somewhere with a bit of culture? Maybe do some foreign museums or tours?

what are u feeling guilty about

sometimes in life you cant get what you want

OP whatever else you do make sure that you have self catering accommodation.
My first (and last) taste of butlins was to go half board so we only got rooms to sleep in. It was awful. DC were used to physical activity/making own fun and were completely overstimulated by constant noise and spoon-fed entertainment. Own space is very important.
That said, For a similar budget you could do Duinrell in Holland which is a place with waterpark and theme park and enough space for ball games and a very relaxed vibe. Centreparcs is more expensive but might be the half way house you are looking for.

I believe holidays have to be a bit of a compromise between what you want as an adult and what makes the DCs happy.

I would never stay at Butlins because from what I've read it just wouldn't appeal to me, we stayed at Haven once more by accident than design and it definitely wasn't for us. We have however often done Center parcs because the lodges are spaced out and although it is heaving with people, it generally doesn't feel like that most of the time.

Also be wary of staying somewhere you think your DS will like - last time we went to Tenerife I deliberately booked a complex which had loads of activities - only to find that DS rejected the lot as too old for the kids club and too young for the adult activities.

The one thing I would say is it's nice to explore different parts of the UK and other countries through holidays, so that would be the one thing against repeatedly going to the same place for me.

We've visted Haven Hafan Y Mor before, got a luxury caravan, the site was great, next to a beach and within easy reach of loads of other places to see and do. We used the pool and my son did the high ropes course, we never even sat inside the entertainment room, never did a disco or partook in any entertainment. Make the holiday what you want.
My kids have never been "joiner inners" so we always avoid entertainment and activities with a barge pole.

We ended up staying at a holiday camp type place on the Isle of Wight, really not our thing at all, but we embraced it (as nobody there knew us haha) and it turned out to be the best family holiday ever! I'd try it, our kids had just the best time

I'd rather stay at home than go to a holiday camp tbh. For a cheaper holiday, my dc like camping. We go to quiet campsites and avoid any with entertainments etc. The kids have a great time playing with the other children on the campsite.

I'd plan a nicer holiday, but give them a day - possibly 2 - in a theme park of some kind. Everybody 's happy.

We've just got back from our 3rd Haven holiday in North Wales in a Prestige modern caravan that was right next to an amazing, non-stop, clean beach.
The caravan was beautiful, spotlessly clean and had everything we needed and very comfy beds and traditional sofas, central heating, a fireplace etc etc and there was a little "village green" just across from the caravan where the kids could play with their dad as I cooked dinner in the caravan and there was plenty of room to move and two bathrooms - all for £354 for 7 nights.
Every day we spent hours on the beach and local beaches, went on trips out to nearby towns and villages and practically did everything you described OP - I know caravan parks get a bad reputation but the one we go to has been lovely every time we've been for the past 3 years we've been going - in fact only yesterday, we booked our holiday for next year.
A holiday is what you make it.

St Ives Bay holiday park already mentioned up thread (turn right off A30 at Hayle up the B3302) certainly used to have a couple of cottages on site, as well as being round the bay from St Ives. Lots of activities both in terms of entertainment, pool, tennis, indoor area with snooker, foosball etc, on site bar. Lovely views from majority of site too over to Godrevy lighthouse. :)

We have done a few caravan/holiday park holidays with ds at various ages....
if going pre school its an easy option to have the pool complex for crap weather...
One in Kent was dreadful pool was tiny site grubby pissed rowdy people weaving all over the site at various times...
We tried the entertainment at another (not fr long was filthy all the smokers hanging round the doors and children just wild)

Our last attempt was Haven - Devon something near exmouth wher you had to walk through the arcade and there was soft play cube/prison in the middle of it where kids were just hanging around/eating whilst their parent played the slot machines around them - it had a good beach but we were often the only people on it....
caravan was spotless and well equipped - though DH not just refuses..

have done centreparcs in europe which ahd a beter range of activities at half teh price..

so no not for my summer holiday ....as the value of having a pool can be bettered by going cheap camping or s/catering and using local leisure centres -eg we loved Gower and when the weather was rubbish the complex in Swansea is good.. DS has survived not having 'entertainment' on holiday

Dd loves butlins. It’s somewhere I had never been as a child as my mother was a butlins snob.

We did it a few times in the October break. It was semi off peak as our holidays are different dates from minehead. We stayed in the minehead new style chalets the last 2 times. Very pricey in the summer though.

Perhaps see if you could manage to save and book a weekend there sometime - well in advance to get it cheaper. Take the children out of school for the Friday afternoon or something. Otherwise, consider staying nearby. There is a park resorts /haven about half an hour from minehead. Drive in early one day and get a parking space on the sea front. That would be a lot cheaper.

We've had two Haven holidays. One on a busy park with lots of activities. One on a quieter park with such a swing park. I hated both of them.

I much prefer centerparcs or a nice hotel/self-catering complex with kids' club/activities eg Ribby Hall; Crieff Hydro, etc.

I don't think holidays are about forcing DCs to go where their parents want to go. I think there has to be a balance. DS is happy or at least non complaining when we trail him round museums, churches, etc but we do balance it with activities he likes.

We did a few Haven and Parkdean holidays when our DCs were little. It was beyond horrific and we didn't do many! The food alone was a cardiac arrest waiting to happen - we just don't eat like that.
We've had far nicer cottage holidays and days out rather than organised entertainment. We went to Una St Ives earlier this year and loved it - they are gorgeous eco lodges on a site with a restaurant, gym, huge pool and childrens play area. You could walk to Carbis Bay and St Ives from there. www.unastives.co.uk

Why not do half and half. I love in Bognor Regis and Butlins is about 5 mins from here. Personally never fancied it, even though hotel is snazzy just not my scene and its supposed to be bloody expensive. However we have Witterings and Cichester nearby which have beautiful sandy beaches. You could still have your lovely home away from home but be near a Butlins and maybe just buy a day or two day pass? That way best of both worlds, just an idea.

Devon Cliffs is lovely, Haven holiday with beach access from the park. I've booked through Newmans (newhols website) where you can pick your own caravan and standard. Had a couple of cleanliness issues with one of the caravans we used but the others have been great and usually cheaper than booking direct through Haven

We’ve been to a few Haven parks and I’ve always found them a lot cleaner and nicer than the average British caravan park. If you stay in the higher grades of accommodation, you tend to be in a quieter area of the site, so you can relax or choose to join in the activities. Many of the sites have nice big pools and are close to the beach, plus some like Devon Cliffs also have a lot of extra activities that kids can do.

Hoseasons are also pretty good. A lot more variation in their sites though, from cheapo parks that are a bit dated to luxury lodge type places.