The cost of UK summer holidays this year [shock]

[redglobox]

Is it just the places I am looking at or have prices gone sky-high? Week at a Parkdean holiday park in Devon last summer £2,080, this year £3,180!!

Oh wow - I'm awfully sheltered I've never ever looked up or tried to book a holiday in the UK.

We've just booked flights and hotel to Orlando for £3k - there's not a hope in hell I'd pay £3k to stay in the UK regardless of how beautiful it is!! That's lunacy

The UK has always been a very expensive holiday destination.
I can give you a concrete example, although from 2001.
Our plan was to come to the UK, spend Easter with family in the south west, then hire a car and drive up to Edinburgh, stopping off at various places of interest, to celebrate our first wedding anniversary. There were 3 of us, me, husband and step-son. A conservative cost estimate including flights, car hire, staying at fairly modest accommodation, no very fancy meals out etc. came to over GBP 4k for 2 weeks.
A quick search online for last minute holidays yielded 2 weeks, all inclusive, in the Caribbean for GBP 3k (and much better weather). You can guess which option we chose ;-)

Supply and demand. The same supply of holidays is catering to the people who had their holidays moved from last year and the people who would normally go abroad this year, along with anyone else who fancies a UK break.

Toilets are fine in static caravans, I promise! And you have to pick your site. We were on a tiny middle of nowhere site downside no entertainment or pool, upside was it was utterly peaceful and I had absolutely no covid fears. Entertainment was daily beach trips, climbing rocks, and walks along the cliff all totally free (well, I guess I bought a bucket and spade). After being locked in forever it was bloody lovely tbh.

Bear in mind how cheaply you can get to your cheap apartment depends on what flights you can get. Some airports have cheaper flights than others. For us, even out of covid times, three plane tickets would likely triple the cost of that holiday and add the stress of keeping track of two smallies single handedly besides.

We have held our prices too for this year- and are fully booked already from April to November.

They will have to go up next year though but not by a huge amount

We're paying £595 for a week in a holiday cottage with two bedrooms. This is in Scotland though, so maybe things are cheaper here?

The Cornwall holiday I had last year is almost twice the price this year. Absolutely shocking

Doesn't surprise me.

Supply and demand.

But I've always been able to go abroad for a week with ds HB or AI for less than a week in U.K. would cost me.

I usually pay £1100-1200.

A caravan is usually £700-1000 SC in uk. And then I have food costs on top and if we eat out (like HB) it adds £100's.

And if you want caravan near beach with pool like we get abroad your looking at the more expensive end.

Obviously for families it's cheaper.

Having looked at U.K. holidays it seems I'm priced out of that market!

I had a look at holidays abroad a couple of years ago, package holiday type affairs, so accomodation and flights and transport to and from the airport and what put me off was the accomodation, studio or 1 bed apartment, so everyone all squished in together in a tiny space for well over 2k for a week.
I have stayed in static caravans in the past, some are better than others and some sites are better than others, stayed at a lovely one in Cornwall , absolutely spotless caravan and nice small quiet site , it is called River Valley country park if anyone is interested, not far from Marazion.

Expensive at the best of times!!

I can understand, they had to shut for so long and need to recoup some money or they'll go bust and then the option won't even be there in future years.

I don't get the UK holiday hate either. We have primary aged DC. We could take them anywhere in the world (and will do when they're older) but for now you couldn't pay me thousands to fly with them to somewhere hot. I hate heat. I hate pools. I hate buffets. I don't like all inclusive. I'd far rather pay £4k for a luxury cottage in the UK, where I like the weather and there are so many lovely places to visit, than the same for a holiday abroad. Horses for courses, we're all different

It’s not shocking in the slightest, it’s supply and demand. People are desperate to get away but nervous about going abroad when restrictions can change so quickly, so naturally UK holidays have shot up in price.

I’m lucky enough to have a garden, and I will happily sit in it if we get a good summer.
If it’s pissing down out of the heavens then I will be delighted to be at home.

No way am I paying over the odds to have to shop for and cook in someone else’s under-supplied kitchen.
I hate hotels, I despise buffets, I don’t like pools or swimming. I will wait until I can travel again.

I work for a Tour Operator in Britain and the contracts we have with hotels and apartments have largely been held at 2020 prices. I can understand why small businesses are trying to recoup their losses though, and if the demand is there and they can get what they're asking then fair play to them. There are few industries that have been quite so badly affected by Covid.

If you are looking to book uk this Summer

• try to book direct. It helps them and you might be able to get a discount if they have the same prices on external websites where they would be paying commission
• hotels tend to have offers for longer stays. Look for 3+ nights to get better deals

Please remember how hard it has been for the industry and cut them some slack this year. If you can take the time to write a nice review then that helps a lot. Ratings are skewed by many people who have a great time not thinking to review them, complainers always review 🙈 Staff are going to be coming back to new ways of working dependent on the whims of the government at the time, it's going to be a hard season. Most have covid policies for booking so you can securely book. Use a credit card for extra cover. Hope some of that is helpful

We booked a couple of things a few weeks ago (camping and holiday cottage we have been to before) and I'm so glad we did now!

I'm taking mine on a UK adventure holiday. The European trip we had planned for Easter 2020 probably won't be viable, (rescheduled several times) but I want to take them out having adventures, kayaking, climbing, using their bodies and extending their eyesight further than the screen. The price was fairly reasonable because I booked so early, and i neither have to cook nor clean a sodding cottage on the last day (I find that stressful when also trying to pack).
I think having a proper winter with a lot of snow incentivised me to book some outdoors stuff.

I’m very glad the in-laws live in Devon. My children are small enough they are happy with a bucket and spade and an ice-cream on the beach.

Depends where you go. I've just booked s campsite in Suffolk for a week in july, 120squid.

We gave up on Devon/Cornwall. Booked South Wales, much cheaper and if the weathers crap at least it doesn’t cost a fortune

The UK is always expensive for a holiday.
I went to a Caribbean island (an expensive one, not Dominican Republic) in a beautiful five star resort, all inclusive, waiter service, not buffets. Including flights in upper class, it was cheaper than Centre Parcs.

@Love51

I'm taking mine on a UK adventure holiday. The European trip we had planned for Easter 2020 probably won't be viable, (rescheduled several times) but I want to take them out having adventures, kayaking, climbing, using their bodies and extending their eyesight further than the screen. The price was fairly reasonable because I booked so early, and i neither have to cook nor clean a sodding cottage on the last day (I find that stressful when also trying to pack). I think having a proper winter with a lot of snow incentivised me to book some outdoors stuff.

Who is that with in the U.K. my kids would love that

Yes I was thinking that too cocopops! Although perhaps in a few years for us. Also like the sound of swg's beachside caravan as we would also be happy with rockpools and walks along the cliff . 3 little children so not looking for anything fancy but do love to be right by the sea.

Thank you for all the tips - any ideas gratefully received.

I understand - supply and demand, market forces etc. Still shocked by it though.
Somewhere we’ve stayed before in Cornwall normally costs about £1800 for a week in the summer. Now it’s £4000. We will just stay at home this summer.

@redglobox

Yes I was thinking that too cocopops! Although perhaps in a few years for us. Also like the sound of swg's beachside caravan as we would also be happy with rockpools and walks along the cliff . 3 little children so not looking for anything fancy but do love to be right by the sea.

Thank you for all the tips - any ideas gratefully received.

seacote.com/

Very much not fancy and you'll want to pick up a tesco order on your way in but right, RIGHT by the beach, and a lovely beach it is too.