To expect a reasonably priced holiday any time this year?

[thecatmother]

I have been searching high and low for 2 weeks in August for a UK family holiday that is within a reasonable price. Unfortunately all the nice places are either booked or seriously overcharged. In contrast, when I look on Spanish properties on Airbnb they are ridiculously cheap. I'm wondering whether to book a foreign break and hope for the best, or just resign myself to the fact that we are not going anywhere this year?

Wondering this too OP! Watching with interest. Great idea for a thread

Flights to Italy in august with Ryan air were £14 per person each way! Honestly I was tempted... I’m fully vaccinated

@m0therofdragons

Flights to Italy in august with Ryan air were £14 per person each way! Honestly I was tempted... I’m fully vaccinated

That's what I'm talking about! For example a property near Alicante for 2 weeks was priced up under £600. Walking distance to the beach and all the mod cons.

facepalm

Wondering the same ... we are so dying to go away!!

@MaryMow22

Wondering the same ... we are so dying to go away!!

Us too... in the last year: i was made redundant, my partner became unemployed, we all had covid, my youngest had some difficulties reaching her milestones... that's just the tip of the iceberg. So I'm just so desperate for a break, somewhere warm, somewhere with a good cuisine and chilled atmosphere.

Just book it. What would make you more upset, buying the holiday and loosing the money or not booking and missing the chance of a holiday?

Hi OP. Try easyJet Holidays for very reasonably priced family package holidays. I honestly don't work for them! It's just that I booked through them, and the cost of my holiday hasn't gone up at all since I first booked (I've been checking ).

I would book it. Just ensure you get your money back if it doesn’t go ahead. I holidayed abroad last year after taking a leap of faith and will aim to do the same this year.

It took me 3 months of wrangling to get my money back with Easy jet so I'd avoid them unless you can afford to write the cost off or be happy with a voucher that has date restrictions.

Yes, honestly I think YABU. You can't normally book 2 weeks in August in the UK for a good price if you wait til April.

To be honest even in normal times it would probably be difficult to find a U.K. holiday for 2 weeks in August.
Have you tried just one week? More likely to still find some availability in late August.

I am pleased we had booked so early because the obvious supply and demand issues have pushed prices up.

Personally I wouldn’t be booking anything for overseas at the moment mainly because I couldn’t cope with the disappointment and hassle if it has to be cancelled

@Ellpellwood

Yes, honestly I think YABU. You can't normally book 2 weeks in August in the UK for a good price if you wait til April.

I agree, normally we arrange our summer holiday in February. Obviously, this time it's a different situation and we were waiting to see whether we would be allowed to go anywhere at all. Lats year we lost our holiday money, we booked Airbnb and flights separately. The flights we still have the voucher for, Airbnb simply never returned our money, regardless of how many times we contacted them. So we are a little more careful this year.

That's fine, but many people are so desperate to go somewhere and I know a few families who would normally go to Spain and France who have booked here instead. You aren't wrong to be cautious obviously but a lot of people have thrown caution to the wind and booked anyway!

YABU why is everyone so obsessed with holidays?

We have booked Cornwall for late Sep but if I had a school age child I'd either do weekends away or October half term this year.

If you book a holiday abroad consider the possible costs of testing before and after, possible quarantine, and that it may be cancelled.

Have you thought about autumn half term somewhere in the UK, say in a holiday cottage? It may not be sunshine, but it will be a break.

You're probably looking for the impossible due to increased demand, especially if you also want nice and/or appropriately located for a holiday as well as 'reasonably priced', in the school holidays for two consecutive weeks.

If it exists, someone else has booked it weeks/months ago.

In your circumstances I'd probably look at a package so you'll be able to rebook or get a refund of flights and accommodation if it can't go ahead. Maybe somewhere like the Canaries or Greek Islands as those places are more likely to end up on the Green list than mainland Europe. Try Jet2holidays, they've been great with refunds, rebooking and cancelling in good time so people aren't forced into paying final installments for holidays they don't expect to be able to take.

Or maybe book a week in the Canaries for October half term and look at a UK city break in August. Some great ideas on this thread. Liverpool, Hull and Shropshire are going to be full of Mumsnetters on holiday this summer.

I would book it as long as there is free cancellation up until a few days before the check in date.

I would then either buy cheap flights you can afford to lose if you decide not to go last minute, or with a reputable company (BA) with a flexible policy that allows you to move dates should the quarantine/testing regulations change. I’d wait a couple more months before booking flights though.

Oh, and good Covid travel insurance. From the moment any of the above are booked.