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.

@Badbadbunny

You can't just compare the "headline" costs of a foreign holiday. What about:-

Airport transfers/parking
Holiday insurance
Spending at the airport and on the plane

Insurance is included with our bank so free. Never spend on the plane, maybe spend £40 in the airport on a meal if we sit in or £20 on boots meal deals. Rent a car for £250 and spend a further £60 on petrol and explore and save on excursions etc. They’re our 2 week costs.

I mean couldn’t we all take a year or two off from holidays? I don’t get why people seem to think it is compulsory?

There are many things we do that we could do without. We like holidays, that’s why we go on them. Not because we think it’s ‘compulsory’. And luckily for us we’ve had two lovely ones this year, one in the U.K. and one abroad.
If I hated U.K. breaks as much as some on here seem to though, we wouldn’t bother.

I also don’t do cooking or cleaning. We like self catering for breakfast where we usually get fresh croissants, the kids have cereal too.
Plus in the evening the kids can go to bed and we have space rather than being quiet in the same hotel room. Plus usually a garden for them to play in. Even abroad we prefer self catering for the space. The same price as a U.K. caravan this year usually gets us a 2 bed, 2 bath apartment with 2 gardens, BBQ are and 20m from a pool.

@felulageller

I'm utterly baffled that people spent £1000+ on a UK holiday cottage where they (the woman) still have all the housework to do all week. That's no holiday and I'd never even consider it.

For me the definition of a holiday is no cooking/ cleaning etc.

UK hotels have always been more £££ than Spain/Greece but they are nicer - bigger softer beds, sheets changed daily, better food, teabags! So I think they are worth more.

But this summer prices have gone up so much we've not had a holiday at all. I'm hopeful for an autumn break.

Admittedly I’m a complete slattern by MN standards generally; but how much “housework” are you doing on a holiday that only lasts a week or two???

@Badbadbunny

You can't just compare the "headline" costs of a foreign holiday. What about:-

Airport transfers/parking
Holiday insurance
Spending at the airport and on the plane

That's absolutely minimal though. We usually get parking for about £30-40, insurance maybe £10-20 and rarely spend much at the airport or on the plane, because most things are such a rip off. We'd keep spending at airports/on planes to a minimum, just like we wouldn't make a habit of eating at service stations. Maybe a tenner for a couple of Boots meal deals if we haven't taken sandwiches and snacks for whatever reason.

I think it's down to value for money. £2k for a cottage holiday where you spend a lot of time wandering around in the rain or sitting in the accommodation doing the same things as what you can do at home for free any time you like seems like poor value for money.

Similar amount for swimming in warm sea with interesting sea life, relaxing in guaranteed sunshine, leisurely lunch at a beach cafe, seeing new castles/museums etc seems a better experience for the money.

I love a uk break but we have done them for year so know what's likely to happen.

Every 2/3 years I crave a week on a beach in Europe tho. Really hoping travel becomes easier soon

Next year dd has gcse so we are doing a few 2/3 night city breaks during summer and dh and I are going to jersey on our own

@Rocktheboat87 that sounds like my kind of holiday to be honest

I dont really do housework tho

Cook
Wash up or dishwasher
A small amount of laundry if machine
And strip bed at end
Empty bin

Not exactly a lot. I'm not hoovering dusting polishing etc.

Eating out and day trips shouldn't come as a surprise, they are roughly the same whether away on holiday or not!

Re the weather this year, it's only the last week when it's turned cold I would have said. Have had over 60 days away in the camper this year and the weather has been great, maybe I've just been lucky!

I have been thinking about why UK holidays are more expensive and wonder if we are lucky to live in a country where everyone who cleans for you, cooks for you, serves you etc is paid a NMW. How can that be possible if, like a pp said, a 10 day hotel stay in Turkey is costing c. £200?

Someone has just said who does housework on holiday? There was a thread recently where most posters said they used the washing machine daily and some apparently wash and iron everything on the last couple of days so they don't have to do it when they get home! So weird!

The activities we are doing in uk mostly are not similar to what we can do at home or on a day trip and we are wildlife focussed and have found more here than anywhere we have been in Europe, similar to Scandinavia. Longhaul have had more but that is more again. Do hope foreign travel with no tests and quarantine returns though.

Admittedly I’m a complete slattern by MN standards generally; but how much “housework” are you doing on a holiday that only lasts a week or two???

Err... none?

We had 10 days self-catering in the summer and I didn't do housework at all in a cleaning sense. We did a mix of eating out, takeaways and very easy meals in the house like filled fresh pasta and a ready made sauce, or pizza you bung in the oven. A couple of loads of washing/drying were done - my kids are older so they took care of sticking it in the machine, transferring to dryer etc.

I think I might have wiped down the kitchen surfaces a couple of times, and the owner had requested we strip the beds before leaving, which we did. Oh, and she asked us to put the bins out, which DS did.

Another one here who can't see what housework needs doing during a week or two in self catering accommodation, except keeping the kitchen useable.

Everything else can be left until the end where you'd get rid of rubbish and sweep up the worst of any sand etc as you're packing, and you just make sure everyone does their share and all food is as easy as possible. Nice ready made pizzas, barbecues, bread/cheese/ham/olives/crisps/ready made salad etc is all good for this.

I'd never even strip beds unless specifically instructed to, and never have been. If you're choosing to keep things tidy, clean bathrooms etc then that's your look out.

@CoronaPeroni

Eating out and day trips shouldn't come as a surprise, they are roughly the same whether away on holiday or not!

Re the weather this year, it's only the last week when it's turned cold I would have said. Have had over 60 days away in the camper this year and the weather has been great, maybe I've just been lucky!

I have been thinking about why UK holidays are more expensive and wonder if we are lucky to live in a country where everyone who cleans for you, cooks for you, serves you etc is paid a NMW. How can that be possible if, like a pp said, a 10 day hotel stay in Turkey is costing c. £200?

Someone has just said who does housework on holiday? There was a thread recently where most posters said they used the washing machine daily and some apparently wash and iron everything on the last couple of days so they don't have to do it when they get home! So weird!

But the cost of living in some places is much lower so they may well be getting a living wage. I remember going to Bali and it costing £3 for 3 of us to have a meal with drinks at a chain restaurant (kids wanted Pizza Hut after weeks of travelling). The same meal would have cost us £40-50 here.

We like history so visit castles and churches as our days out abroad, most expensive has been £20 which also included museum entry down the road. Castle entry here is often £80+

As an aside to those moaning about cost of entry to castles etc - if you’re visiting more than about 3 properties in a year it’s usually more cost effective to get the membership (whether National Trust or English Heritage). We’ve got NT because there are more NT properties local to us than EH so it works out nicely for weekends etc.

We only strip beds if asked and only asked once due to covid but its quite quick and the lady had very kindly sent us 120 pounds back after we booked saying it had been a tough year and have some money back. I think she is also elderly and worried about covid.

People who holiday abroad probably find that they are more welcome too.

Don't spend your money in Wales or Cornwall people, they don't want you to visit.

We looked to book a have. Caravan for this weekend for 5 people and it was £1400. £1400 for 3 nights in a tin can? That’s almost 3 months rent on a 3 bed house!! Ridiculous price.
Just done a search for October half term - haven one week for 6people - £877.15. The exact same dates and people but in a caravan (eurocamp) just outside Paris - £441. Half the price for the exact same holiday. I’d love to holiday on the UK more but we just can’t afford it

@BarbaraofSeville

People who holiday abroad probably find that they are more welcome too.

Don't spend your money in Wales or Cornwall people, they don't want you to visit.

This is a good point.

That’s almost 3 months rent on a 3 bed house!!

....in less expensive areas of the country.
Even still it's extremely expensive for 3 nights accomodation.

That’s almost 3 months rent on a 3 bed house!!

I want to live where you live!

I had 4 days camping in the West Country last week with DC, right by the sea, great facilities. £90 to camp, £80 petrol there and back and about £140 on all food, activities etc. Amazing weather, too. Fab UK holiday for about £300!

So YABU, OP. Plenty of great UK holidays around.

Omg yes, literally spent £1k in 5 days in the coast

Airport transfers/parking

• we drive so only pay for parking. You can often find deals.
• we have electric car, so no petrol. It doesn't cost that much in electricity
• often transfers come as part of the packages or we get car hire (again, often deals) Sometimes we use the train/public transport - I think the metro fare from airport to middle of the city in France cost us about £2 each

Holiday insurance

• we have annual insurance anyway
• we take out holiday insurance for UK holidays too

Spending at the airport and on the plane

• we tend to get a WHSmith meal deal in the airport, so no different to a Service Station stop for a UK holiday
• we don't buy food and drink on the plane and for long haul it is included

It really depends I suppose. Last year we had a week all inclusive in Greece and spent around £3000 all in for the 3 of us, this year we had a week self-catered in Cornwall instead and probably spent around half of that.
As others have said though, a self-catered UK holiday just doesn’t feel like a holiday for me. I don’t want to have a to cook and clean, or worry about doing food shopping. I just want to be on a beach with guaranteed sunshine and other people doing the cooking and cleaning.

We had 10 days AI booked for £5k (family of 5 in May 2020 half term) this was lost s it was with Thonas Cook.

We've since been away 3 times in the UK (4 days last Spetember, a week in May half term and a week in the summer holiday's) and we've not spent anything near £5k.