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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Anyone else find U.K. holidays hard work and exhausting?

143 replies

Swimminglesson7 · 29/07/2021 19:33

With young(ish) children, I find U.K. breaks a big effort. Glamping in cold, rainy woodlands, staying in a holiday cottage and driving to a heaving beach daily…

Having to pack for every weather eventuality: sandals and factor 50, jumpers and wellies.

Am I alone in finding U.K. holidays to be not-quite-holidays?! The kids are having a blast. But I’m sick of lugging picnics and bodyboards and water bottles from one spot to another, then cooking and cleaning endless meals in a cottage or glamping site. I feel like I’m almost entirely servicing their fun.

(Meant to be lighthearted!)

OP posts:
MaMelon · 29/07/2021 20:26

No - but we’ve never gone in for the pool and beach holiday abroad, we get bored. Our holidays are always pretty active, whether it’s the UK or abroad, so we’re used to lugging stuff about. Glamping in woodland isn’t my idea of a holiday though!

LizzieLookAtTheFlowers · 29/07/2021 20:29

YANBU. UK holidays suck. We have the most beautiful towns and coastlines. But we have the most unpredictable, shitty weather and that is what ruins it. We can't just guarantee the kids will be able to play in water and have a brilliant time, it's a massive bus man's holiday style gig where you've got to do the shopping, cooking and cleaning in a smaller and less well-equipped house than your own.

We are off to Wales tomorrow and if I got pinged tomorrow morning and couldn't go I'd be not at all disappointed. I have no idea what to pack - it's going to maybe be 21 and partly cloudy one day and between 17 and 19 and wet the rest of the time. But who knows how accurate that will end up being. Either way I will probably need some summer clothes etc.And rain gear. And then do I take ALL our beach stuff when in reality we are probably going to be able to manage a few hours at the beach as the weather is shite? What the fuck are we going to do the rest of the time?

Soft play? A farm in the rain? Sitting inside someone else's house playing on the Switch and eating crisps instead of our own, already paid for house?

We have another break at Tattershall Lakes later on to look forward to and I'm really excited about that one. It's weatherproof, loads of things to do and I know we will all love it.

fairgame84 · 29/07/2021 20:30

YANBU
I'm staying home until we can go abroad again. It's not worth the hassle and it's expensive.

MilkCereal · 29/07/2021 20:38

It's the taking all the stuff I hate- lugging bags. I've minimized our bags now- leave bits in car and we stay in caravan but dont do a lot iof cooking. Eat out in evenings- take away/ booked a few restaurants. DC are a bit older now 5 & 7 so stay up later, can help make a picnic etc. Weve booked a few activities to break the week up and now just hoping the weather is ok for a few beach days- I admit beach days take a lot of effort though and 'things'.
Honestly we would do similar abroad- hoping to next year!

CoffeeRunner · 29/07/2021 20:44

I don't cook on holiday whether we're abroad or in a caravan in the UK.

We had a lovely week in Brixham last August. We did have to book restaurants in advance but it was still relaxing & felt like a holiday. We've got 10 days in Paignton booked for this year (after postponing Greece) and hope it's just as nice.

My youngest DC will be 10 next week though so maybe having no toddlers makes it easier.

Jerseygirl12 · 29/07/2021 20:46

I don’t normally do many holidays in the UK apart from mini breaks but since COVID I’ve had 4 very successful UK holidays. I’ve found for me the only way to make them work is to throw a lot of money at them.

LagunaBubbles · 29/07/2021 20:49

We were meant to be going to France.I think I was lucky this year in Wales because we had glorious weather which makes all the difference. Didn't mind cooking dinner at all in the cottage as we could sit outside and eat and then jump in the hot tub. No need for crowded beaches either, easy to find somewhere a bit more remote to. But yes wouldnt have been good in the rain!

HarryLimeFoxtrot · 29/07/2021 20:52

I’m staying at home this year. There is no way I’m doing another U.K. holiday after last summer. We went at the end of August and it was wet and windy and about 12C. Thoroughly miserable and more expensive than going abroad. Never again!

GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing · 29/07/2021 20:57

I put yanbu because it can be as you described, but I actually like a U.K. holiday.

I like the sort of holidays where you don’t have to do very much planning though.

Waveafterwaveslowlydrifting · 29/07/2021 21:09

We stay in a nice cottage owned by friends in Cornwall. Mates rates so not too pricey. It's right by a quiet beach where you can hire paddleboards. DH does all the food shopping andcooking and there's no cleaning to do as a cleaner comes on our departure day. Just emptying the dishwasher. We know the area well so pick quieter places and never go to busy spots in the afternoon. Body boards and wetsuits are a must. Bbqs at the cottage, chippy tea, booked one meal out at a restaurant. We all bring books and tablets loaded up with films to watch. DCs are old enough to sleep through the night, get their own breakfast, shower and dress themselves which helps a lot. They spend hours tinkering about on the beach while we read and watch them play. Very pleasant holiday all round really. Excellent accommodation is a must.

headintheproverbial · 29/07/2021 22:59

You are right. Self catering in shit weather is bloody hard work with young kids.

ballsdeep · 29/07/2021 23:41

We are in North wales in a caravan, listening to the pairing down rain! We've had to buy jumpers in a theme park today because it was roasting last week, warm when we set off this morning, arrived and the temp dropped about 10 degrees so we were all shivering!!

I do love a caravan hol though!

DanielTigersMummy21 · 29/07/2021 23:45

I am.an introvert and like my holidays to be away from other people (except DH and DD). The UK is just too overpopulated for me to enjoy any holiday I can afford here. There are people everywhere!

Beecham · 29/07/2021 23:57

It's the vast expense that pisses me off. For something less good than you'd get in Europe.

Went to Zip World in Wales recently and spent £150 on two hours of activities. Outrageous price!!

SuperCaliFragalistic · 29/07/2021 23:57

No. I like UK holidays. Single parent of two young kids, I like to use my own transport and have some home comforts. I like self catering as DD has allergies and we can't just pitch up to eat somewhere without planning in advance. Maybe we're weird but the kids and I enjoy each others company and exploring new places together and we love our UK holidays. I plan to start going abroad more with them as they get older and we get more confident about DDs dietary needs. Never understand why people continue to live in a country that they so clearly despise.

Southwestrunningmum · 30/07/2021 00:05

Yes I agree, although this summer will be our first without babies/toddlers! They are children now! So no, pushchairs, cots, nappies, high chairs which should really help

SinisterBumFacedCat · 30/07/2021 00:14

I like them, I was brought up with UK holidays, and now with kids and term times we can’t really afford to go abroad. The weather is hit and miss but there is plenty to do. We tend to have long weekends driving between Premier inns/b and bs, turning into a tour. I find camping hard work, caravans are easier with young kids. I did a lot of travelling abroad when I was young, sometimes that is great but sometimes overrated. Each to their own.

WeeM · 30/07/2021 00:26

I hear you op, we are not long back and me and dh were just saying the other day that, whilst we enjoyed it, we don’t really feel like we’ve had a proper relaxing holiday. There was a lot of driving, packing for all weathers, we were a bit unlucky with the weather and the traipsing about trying to get in a restaurant/coffee shop/bar was chronic. Should’ve been more organised and booked ahead but it’s hard when you’re travelling about and don’t know the area or where you’re going to be on any given day. I want a plane, guaranteed weather and a cheap welcoming local taverna.

DailyMaui · 30/07/2021 00:33

I really don't like UK holidays - the can be good in short bursts but that wholly depends on the weather and where you are. I hate busy beaches, shitty B&B's and I will never camp in the UK again after we ended up o a campsite in Norfolk during a storm which wrecked most of the tents on the campsite. Even before the storm we had to put up with noisy, rowdy campers and freezing cold evenings. I like to be able to sit out in the evening with a glass of something delicious and cold, not have to wrap up in every piece of clothing I've brought and sit inside a sleeping bag.

I love to wander round an ancient town, market or seaside village, al fresco lunch, afternoon on a warm beach, cycling through salt marshes, eating moules in a cafe next to a harbour or spaghetti alle vongole by the sea, hearing foreign languages, a sundowner with a view... I live for my holidays. I also have very close family abroad and not being able to visit them is really sad.

Also it is ridiculously expensive in the UK. A crappy apartment on the Yorkshire coast for a week at the moment is the same as a villa in Italy or France with a pool.

Blessex · 30/07/2021 00:35

We took ours to Asia when young. One had herpes all over mouth. Other had a skin viral thing. Both we were paranoid about malaria. One couldn’t take tablets because of the herpes. Horses for courses.

Ted27 · 30/07/2021 00:41

I dont understand this angst about packing for all weathers.

I’m on my second UK holiday in July

The first - Isle of wight - weather ok, not blazing hot, but only rain was overnight. Packed shorts, t shirts, one pair of jeans, one warm top, one waterproof for both of us.
Currently in a caravan in north wales, its raining now, but has been dry in the day all week. Packed the same stuff
I havent ‘cooked’ on either holiday, restaurants a couple of times, can’t beat fish n chips on the beach, beach cafe for breakfast a couple of days, a cooked chicken + salad stuff lasted a couple of days for dinner and lunch the next day, pizzas etc

Its as easy or as difficult as you want to make it.

We are looking forward to going abroad next year but will still go back to the Isle of Wight as well as we had such a great time

alsonotmyname · 30/07/2021 00:45

I'm on mine - it's a bit crap we've done a couple of museums, the beach and a meal out and lots of soggy parks, endless games and rock painting, colouring, all things we could have done at home without the extra stress of tiny busy roads, packing the car every day for every eventuality and a smaller house than we own. The dc are over excited so I feel like I'm telling them to stop running/ shouting constantly, I'll be happy to get home and have decided to leave tomorrow afternoon rather than go through the stress of packing up and being out before 9 am on Saturday so that I at least have a clear weekend to relax before Monday comes around.
I think I'll stick to weekends away next year rather than a whole week.

DerAlteMann · 30/07/2021 00:51

I love them but then DW and I both detest hot weather.

Snugglybuggly · 30/07/2021 00:54

UK holidays are great

TreaslakeandBack · 30/07/2021 00:59

I can’t wait to get on a plane somewhere sunny.
We had 2 weeks in Devon in the recent heatwave and it was amazing but about to go to Norfolk and it’s forecast to rain all week.
It will be ok, we have booked a few things and have a hot tub, but I am over UK holidays and will be on a plane as often as possible in 2022.