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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To want to go onholiday without having to take out a second mortgage?

34 replies

kickassangel · 15/09/2007 22:29

We didn't go anywhere this summer & thought it would be nice to go soemwhere for half term. i can't seem to find anything costing less than £2,000, even just a flight & self catering apartment!
I remember going on city breaks with dh about 5 years ago (pre dd) & only spending about £1,000 for 2 of us, staying in (cheap) hotels.
As I am a teacher we've alsways gone in holiday time, so why am I suddenly unable to find a holiday I think I might want to go on without it costing so much?

OP posts:
Alambil · 15/09/2007 22:46

any deals on the highstreet? look in a couple weeks - you may get a brill deal

whereabouts you thinking of going?

Skribble · 15/09/2007 22:47

Thats why O go for self catering cottages in the UK, you can get a really nice luxury one for not a lot at that time of year. Ok there will be no sun shine.

LyraBelacqua · 15/09/2007 22:48

Don't do packages, they're more expensive. DP, I and two DSs spent two weeks in the south of France this August for less than £1,500 (excluding spending money) by booking villa, flights etc on the net.

thelittleElf · 15/09/2007 22:50

What about looking at private rent ads in the back of the papers?

cat64 · 15/09/2007 22:58

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Original poster
kickassangel · 15/09/2007 23:16

i have tried
packages
flights online (vast number of different websites)
villas
all inclusive
direct approach to hotels
train to france & hotels
flights to US
self catering cottages/apartments
it has taken about 6 hours of my life so far & I am beginning to think i just would rather stay home!
can't get flight & place to stay & car hire if needed for less than £1500
so doesn't even include transfers, surcharges, food, trips out etc.

not so long ago we spent £400 each on 3 nights in Rome, hotel & breakfast, flights & tranfer.
in fact, we did 4 nights in Venice for less than £1,000 - it was our big treat for 10 year anniversary!
has the world gone mad?

OP posts:
LyraBelacqua · 15/09/2007 23:21

Have you tried doing it this way?
Find cheap as chips flight with Ryanair/easyJet/BMI to european destination.
then look on website for villas, such as this one for the accommodation.
Then book cheap car hire for your chosen dates, if you need it.
We've done it exactly this way for our last three holidays and have stayed in some amazing places for £1,500 at the most, for two weeks.

Gobbledigook · 15/09/2007 23:23

I agree kickassangel - we have just booked a villa for next August in Lanzarote. It's actually very reasonably priced I think (£900 for 10 nights) but the flights...blimey, they are extortionate! I always thought flying was supposed to be affordable now - we won't get all of us out there for less than £1000 for flights.

StarryStarryNight · 15/09/2007 23:27

Poland is a wonderful holiday destination.
You can easily find reasonable hoteals. Or farm home stay.

A farm home stay could set you back £10 per night in a double room with a shared bathroom, including breakfast. Good clean standard.

Zakopany is extremely beautiful in October. You could take in Krakow and Zakopany, and eat like a king for very little.

Original poster
kickassangel · 15/09/2007 23:30

i think part of the problem is that there's only 3 of us & either we have to have dd in with us (and we won't get any sleep) or we end up with a villa that cost loads. one year we went to a one bed cottage in france but found we couldn't have th lights on after dd went to bed as there was no door ebtween us & the bedroom! this has made us quite wary of cheaper villas/cottages.

waht do people do if they're staying in a hotel? iw ouldn't be happy to put dd to bed then go downstairs for a drink/meal, but if we share a room, then we would be stuck going to bed about 8pm? or do you just let them stay up really late & keep them with you?

OP posts:
Gobbledigook · 15/09/2007 23:32

kickass - we have a similar issue because there are 5 of us! If we were a family of four we could have got a 2 bed villa but since we are 5 we need 3 bed.

And of course, there's the extra flight!

Ah well!

Gobbledigook · 15/09/2007 23:33

We are going to go out and eat at night and just keep the kids up really. Ours will be 7, 5 and 3 when we go.

Have you looked on ownersdirect website for villas/cottages - there are places across teh whole range - cheap and cheerful to grand and expensive! It's worth having a look.

Find out where you can fly to cheaply from your nearest airport first, then look in that area for a cottage or apartment.

Original poster
kickassangel · 15/09/2007 23:37

ah, cheap flights!
not so great when you really can't even go a bit early or a bit late. there is nothing for the canaries at all, have tried crete & malaga. you search, you find, you send off an enquiry& either it's not available or there's some massive surcharge! (once had one of £400 per person added on just when you thought you wre sorted)

OP posts:
LyraBelacqua · 15/09/2007 23:37

We always get somewhere with a garden/courtyard/terrace so we can sit out and read/have a glass of wine once the DC are in bed. This year we had the most gorgeous provencal courtyard to sit in while the DC snoozed inside.

LyraBelacqua · 15/09/2007 23:39

I'd say perservere with the flights. it took a while but i found flight for all of us (2 adults, 2 children) to Nice in August for less than £400 in total. it takes time but it pays off.

Original poster
kickassangel · 15/09/2007 23:40

also, owners direct, many of the cottages aren't free - they just haven't updated the website! only whenyou send an email do you find out for sure. found this out this summer.

really i think we just need to get organised & book earlier, but somehow i never know when we'll be able to go until quite late & this ends up happening.
may just stay home to decorate the hallway & get a new carpet instead (could probably get 3 carpets instead)

OP posts:
bluefox · 15/09/2007 23:40

kickass we are also a family of 3 and find that most accommodation is based on 2 or 4 people sharing so we get hammered for under-occupancy supplements every time.

Original poster
kickassangel · 15/09/2007 23:42

Lyra, are you going in school holidays? or do you have different holidays? i work for an suthority that has the traditional terms & if we could go one day earlier/later would be able to get cheap flights. we have got really good deals to go & see family in belfast soon, but if we went at half term it woud be costing 5 times the amount.

OP posts:
LyraBelacqua · 15/09/2007 23:42

You could be lucky and get a property that's newly listed, so therefore not booked up yet. This happened to us last year and we were one of the first to book an amazing house in the Italian mountains with 2 acres of olive groves and just 15 minutes drive from the sea.

LyraBelacqua · 15/09/2007 23:43

We are strictly school holidays as DS1 is now year 1.

Original poster
kickassangel · 15/09/2007 23:44

yes, bluefox, i find a holiday quoting £x per pseron, then find it's based on 6 adults sharing a 2 bed villa, with sofabed! if 3 of us stay there that doubles the amount quoted pretty much!

OP posts:
LyraBelacqua · 15/09/2007 23:45

It helps if you can avoid travelling on a Saturday and get accommodation with a flexible changeover day.

Original poster
kickassangel · 15/09/2007 23:46

i think it's time to tear dh away from the endless rugby & take my disheartened sorry backside to bed. somewhere in my head i thin this should be simple. just can't stand spending so many evenings sitting looking at web sitesthat aren't mn

OP posts:
LyraBelacqua · 15/09/2007 23:47

I know how you feel. Good luck.

Original poster
kickassangel · 15/09/2007 23:48

ok, lyra will try searching for sun to sun then, or just do 5 nights or something (which means a hotel, which means we either keep dd up v late or sit in our room in the dark after 8pm?)

OP posts: