To think it's more of expensive to holiday in the UK?

[hibbledibble]

Like many, I holidayed in the UK this year, due to covid complicating trips abroad. I work in person for the NHS, and can't risk having to isolate on return, if a country's status changes.

I do feel utterly ripped off though. The holiday hasn't been anything extravagant, just driving to a self catering accommodation. The accomodation costs are astronomical, as are eating out and day trips (many days were nearly £100, and that wasn't even including food). I have looked at TUI and it would have been cheaper to get an all inclusive package, and that way I wouldn't have to cook, clean, and could even have used the kids club for some child free time by the pool.

Instead I've had tepid to cold weather, rain, and didn't even get to go to the beach on our seaside holiday as it was too cold.

Not sure what to do in future. I can't afford expensive UK holidays anymore, but not can I risk letting down my department by having to isolate.

We spent 5 days in York and when I added up everything we paid for, it came to more than what a 2 week holiday abroad would have cost us.

I think UK holidays are always expensive compared with going to other European countries, and even more so this year due to us being a captive audience and pent up demand. I think there was a panorama programme about it earlier this week.

It's a missed opportunity to show reluctant people what a fantastic experience a uk holiday can be, and a kick in the teeth for people who always holiday in the uk and really try to champion British holidays.

But then the hospitality and holiday industries have really suffered over the course of the pandemic, and even now have increased costs due to supply issues, Brexit, additional cleaning and increased wages (many employers have been forced to pay more to attract staff).

But I guess it is a luxury and all we can do is vote with our feet.

Yep it's very expensive, and this summer the weather has been terrible. A UK break to self-catered accomodation with kids wouldn't be a holiday for me. DP and I boarded the dog and had a UK city break to a spa hotel which was expensive but at least enjoyable. Last year we went self-catered but the weather was great so it was a very different experience.

Not sure what you mean about not being sure what to do in future... Either you go abroad if possible (we don't know how long quarantine will exist), you pay for a UK holiday, or you stay at home? Same as everyone else.

Agreed, they said that most of Cornwall had sold out by March this year and we didn't end the lockdown until June/ July. Not to mention the cost had gone up at least 15%. It's sadly supply and demand.

I've heard of some places going for £1000 a week but being surrounded by nothing but countryside.

YANBU. I went away with extended family. The cottage cost almost £4,000 for a week and, whilst it was lovely, it was dusty and full of cobwebs. My socks were black at the end of the day. The cleaners had done the bare minimum. I called the agency but did not get a call back (signal very poor due to location). On the last night I got a WhatsApp message reminding us to leave by 10am as the owners were coming and the agency wanted to do a deep clean. If only they took as much care for the paying guests!

Yep

If you're fully vaccinated you're very unlikely to have to isolate on return.

This has always been the case, I'm surprised that it came as a surprise to you

I can understand that you might nor know how much accommodation costs if you always holiday abroad but you must know how much days out and eating out costs.

Depends I guess. We did a week in a caravan in Wales. Spent our days on the beach, with one more expensive day trip. Ate out cheaply or cooked simply at the caravan. Total cost around £1600.
We also went to Spain. Flights alone were £1000 (family of 5). Covid tests £300. Car hire £300. Free accommodation as we stayed with family but even with that we spent far more on the spain trip.

ash you had hit the nail on the head that it didn't feel like much of a holiday either, as it was so much work. It felt a bit like same stuff, different place.

The point is I don't know which of those options will be viable, given that I have to work in person, and am relatively low waged.

It’s been more expensive in the U.K. for years, and I’m sure it’s worse this year. However, I’m confused about the ‘terrible weather’ posters. I haven’t worn a cardigan since about May and I didn’t have a waterproof until I went away for the weekend and the weather was forecast to be bad. Wore it for an hour. Not needed it since. There was a heatwave at the start of the school holidays.

caught costs are a lot more this year!

It is v expensive but I'm not sure comparing it to all inclusive is exactly fair. Yes, if it were warm you could stay in one place but a bit U to expect

Whoops! All inclusive prices to align with going out and about around various places each day. Presumably all inclusive as a model can keep prices lower as they have more of a steady income vs restaurants. Agree with you in general though. We are going back to France next year!

cardibach

The weather this year has been bloody awful, freezing, wet spring and grey cold summer. Barely been above 20. Hilarious your talk of a heatwave, there were a few nice days ages ago in July and that was about it.

Flumps I'm just comparing accomodation and food costs with all inclusive prices. And that's only eating out for 1 meal a day most days. It's been so expensive. Food was pretty poor in general too.

We usually have one foreign holiday and one UK holiday a year. A week in each. The UK one is usually much more expensive.

This year we haven't had a holiday (yet). We weren't going to go abroad due to Covid so tried to find a UK holiday in September. We prefer to self cater but couldn't find anywhere decent in an area we wanted for under £1000.

So we've booked a week in Greece, a villa with private pool and land, a few minutes walk from a beach, for £600. Flights are cheap so we have got villa, flights and car hire for under £1000, and the weather is pretty much guaranteed.

YANBU. The UK is pricy for what you get. I paid £35 for fish and chips for four at lunch today and that was eaten while sitting on a bench. Even a basic day out it really really adds up, unless you pack drinks and a picnic, which makes it feel like less of a break if you’re making packed lunches all week. Also you end up paying for a lot more days out as unless you pick the perfect week, you probably won’t have beach/pool weather.

And yeah the cost of the actual break itself can be shocking. A week in a caravan can cost hundreds and you end up feeling a bit robbed.

@cardibach

It’s been more expensive in the U.K. for years, and I’m sure it’s worse this year. However, I’m confused about the ‘terrible weather’ posters. I haven’t worn a cardigan since about May and I didn’t have a waterproof until I went away for the weekend and the weather was forecast to be bad. Wore it for an hour. Not needed it since. There was a heatwave at the start of the school holidays.

Guess it depends where you are in the country. I'm in a tourist county and the weather has been poor. There was one nice week in July, but other than that the weather has been rubbish... At best it's been great, cold and overcast, at worst torrential rain. I've been wearing jumpers constantly since the one nice week in July.

We usually have 2 week villa holiday with private pool somewhere hot in Europe. It comes to about £5 to £6k all in including flights and car hire and we do a lot of self catering rather than eating out all the time. In the UK the major price difference for us would be not flying and not hiring a car (so - a lot of money saved). But the cost of accommodation and eating out, any sights we want to see (entrance fees, parking etc) are a LOT more expensive. For us a few weeks of sun is very important so we'll go back to that when we can.

I find it loads cheaper but then we are simple souls and tend to go walking most days and do more self catering in the UK, just because we are normally somewhere remote. Normally we spend £5k on a fortnight abroad, this year we had 11 nights in Scotland for under £1.2k including food, petrol, entertainment. We normally do uk holidays a couple of times a year as well as the trip abroad so I suppose we make them cheap and cheerful to afford them. We didn't pay for any parking, I love Scotland for that.

Two weeks in the UK doesn't come anywhere near what we used to spend on our once a year European break.

I never holiday in the UK for those reasons. Rip off, disappointing and boring.

It's a missed opportunity to show reluctant people what a fantastic experience a uk holiday can be

I really agree with this, but the truth is between the lousy weather and the Covid restrictions...it wasn't going to be easy to win people over.

It depends. I think if when you go abroad you spend very little money on activities because you spend the day around the pool/on the beach but in the UK you have day trips that cost money, the difference in cost is going to be very obvious.

I've had 3 UK breaks this year
1 week in Scotland, 4 people altogether but I was only paying for 2. Cottage cost £600 total. Other costs were food shopping, 1 meal out, fish and chips, one take away, ice cream most days and entrance to one castle. Electric car charging cost approx £30 for the week.
We spent lots of time exploring and on beaches. Maybe cost me £500 max, lovely time in a beautiful place.

One week camping in a AONB for 2 people. £245 for pitch with EHU and I've just added up all other costs £75 food and drink shopping beforehand and while there including eg batteries for torches, disposable bbqs. £36 on treats from farmers market. £22 ice cream. £42 on two lunches out. £7.80 parking. £55 entrance to stately home. £8 car charging. £490.80 total. Again another lovely time in a beautiful place.

3rd trip was with friends for 3 nights in a cottage in a national park. My share of the cottage was £95 and food and drink for 2 of us another £110 (more alcohol and more eating out this trip!).

So I've had 17 nights away for two people (1 adult, one teen) for less than £1300 all in, in beautiful places. We had a little bit of rain probably 30% of those days but it was just short showers.

If you like being outdoors/ walking/exploring new places I don't think you have to spend a fortune. I'd probably have spent a bit more on days trips when mine was younger e.g. farm parks etc. But I'd also have spent less on food/drink and always had an annual membership to either NT or EH on the go.

All that said, I still can't wait for my first trip out of the UK. I just love the feeling of being somewhere different. The UK is beautiful but even new places are familiar - same language, same food, same shops, same history, same weather etc.