Holidaying abroad is not an option for most people - is it???

[Heyduggee123]

So looking for next year - looking at Ibiza in June for 10 days AI - costs for a half decent hotel, not in the middle of nowhere are coming up at nearly £4k!!

By next year I'll have 4 year old twins and haven't been on holiday outside of the UK yet. This isn't even in the school holidays. How on earth does anyone afford this?

For context yes there are cheaper options, but anyone wanting anything other than just a room with separate bathroom for 4 of us with half decent reviews the costs just spiral.

I think I'll have to stick with our annual 2 weeks in Wales for a few years longer

@Patented

I love UK holidays. So much landscape and diversity and culture all within a day's drive top to bottom. I go on multiple UK holidays per year, all different & quirky & stunning scenery. Load of snobs on Mumsnet going on about how terrible it is more for us in the know!

We're the same, we have 5 holidays a year plus bank holiday breaks. All cheap as chips and learnt so much about history and geography.

I couldnt live to have just one holiday a year that costs so much it leave nothing for any other trips, which is what we would have to do if we went abroad on some of these packages.

@bellac11

I know what you mean, I love holidays, we mix it up, camped 3 weeks ago (was cold!) 5 star luxury cruise next month, camping month after, holiday rental in early autumn (Europe but by motorcycle) probably camp a few more times. Kids grown so only paying for 2!

I would recommend too as others have mentioned the Eurocamp experience. My kids loved it - actually preferred it to quite nice apartments as it was very sociable and tons of space to roam — I liked the bigger sites with lots of pools, on site restaurants, great take out on site options — went to a fab one near st Raphael in south of France- forgot its name. Let’s face it you can spend as much as you want then on meals out in town or salads and barbies near your accommodation — I never went for the cheapest accommodation but something in the middle

We usually go abroad at least twice a year but wouldn’t spend 4K on a summer holiday in Europe even in the summer holidays. We might spend that much skiing. We have spent less than that on long haul holidays.
We usually stay self catering. £100pp on flights. £1500 on an apartment or eurocamp type accommodation for 10 days. We eat at home for breakfast, picnic type lunch and eat out for dinner.

When our DC were younger we used to go to France for a fortnight - we took our car on the ferry and drove down to the Dordogne for a week in a Brittany Ferries gite and then drove to the south of France for a week in a Eurocamp caravan. That used to cost about £1500 plus petrol and food. They were some of the best holidays we ever had!

I've never spent £4k on a family holiday, ever, and we used to go abroad almost every year.

By comparison I've just looked at a 3 night Haven holiday and it's coming up at £120 a night for the 3 of us. For a basic caravan with crap facilities, with a view of other caravans, no doubt awful imposed family entertainment and unpredictable weather. For a fortnight that works out at £1600.

For not much (if anything) more, I could very easily find a foreign holiday, for 2 weeks, certainly with at least breakfast included, a pool, beach and almost guaranteed sunshine.

Yeah, I'd love the sort of holiday that £4k can buy but I can't afford it. But that doesn't mean we are still stuck in a tin box in darkest Dorset for 2 weeks.

Difficult to comment on UK— I’ve had very varied experiences, far more varied than I’ve had overseas, from excellent to truly awful and we don’t do camping as such. -(tents)! husband hates it.

We have never done more than 1 week since having dcs. Stop looking for beautiful places and look for family friendly "kids go free".

You can do it much cheaper than that. Book flights in sky scanner then book your hotel I never pay anything like

God. Same as the threads about toothpaste, cut your cloth. We do holidays according to our salary. EasyJet before we left the UK, never again economy in my life.

@Fuuuuuckit

I've never spent £4k on a family holiday, ever, and we used to go abroad almost every year.

By comparison I've just looked at a 3 night Haven holiday and it's coming up at £120 a night for the 3 of us. For a basic caravan with crap facilities, with a view of other caravans, no doubt awful imposed family entertainment and unpredictable weather. For a fortnight that works out at £1600.

For not much (if anything) more, I could very easily find a foreign holiday, for 2 weeks, certainly with at least breakfast included, a pool, beach and almost guaranteed sunshine.

Yeah, I'd love the sort of holiday that £4k can buy but I can't afford it. But that doesn't mean we are still stuck in a tin box in darkest Dorset for 2 weeks.

I dont know why people use Haven and the like to 'prove' the cost of UK holidays, you can find a self catering little cottage or apartment for much much cheaper, no where near the prices of these holiday camp places

Obviously Im only talking about cost and not weather but I have to say we dont really experience terrible weather on our UK holidays.

Toothpaste?

I couldn’t afford that kind of money either but expensive all inclusive resorts aren’t the only option for foreign holidays. We like to go to campsites in Europe, this year we’re going to a lovely one near Venice for May half term, the accommodation (‘safari tent’ like in the photo) sleeps 4 and cost £360

[quote LuckySantangelo35]@Cervinia

“ Honestly, it might sound grim but we did this for years and our kids had a ball. They had no comprehension of all inclusive or fancy hotels or luxurious destinations. They had guaranteed sun, sea, sand and a pool and wanted nothing more. ”

Your kids had a ball…but did you?[/quote]
Absolutely! Why wouldn’t we? There more to a great holiday than a Tui all inclusive.

We always went with our best friends and their two children. We laid in the sun, swam in the sea, drank cheap Spanish wine, played rounders on the beach, laughed lots, the children played with each other. The photographs and memories from the time are irreplaceable. We did it for years.

When the D.C. were older and we had more money we did the same in Florida. A shared villa with pool, spending money in envelopes, shopping in Walmart, limited amount of theme parks where we booked and paid for tickets in the year before we travelled. Used discount coupons for the restaurant. Had BBQs in the villa or beach. Took leftovers home from the restaurant for dinner the next night.

Then we did Thailand, Laos, Malaysia, , room only, ate street food and hired mopeds, swam in the sea, took cheap yuk tuks.

We have travelled all over the world and if I can do it cheap I will. Why wouldn’t you? I’m sure the OP can find something that works for her and her budget which was the point of my reply.

How do you define a holiday being enjoyable?

@Hotcuppatea

Just don't do all inclusive. It's much cheaper to do self catering when the kids are so small and don't eat much.

This.

Easyjet flights and an apartment from Booking.Com.

@MojoJojo71 - would you mind sharing where that is/ which company? Looks lovely. Still trying to price up if we can afford to go away this summer...

@MargosKaftan we’re staying here, really looking forward to it, the reviews are great

www.canvasholidays.co.uk/italy/veneto/campsite-marina-di-venezia.php

Ibiza is beautiful but I found it very expensive. There may be cheaper deals in places such as mainland Spain or the Canary islands.

We've been all inclusive to Ibiza many times, family of 4, Santa Euralia, Cala llonge, Es Cana, for half that.

We just got back from Majorca, AI, Cala ratjada, week, for 4, £1100.

The are deals. We booked it a long time before.

I’d also recommend this one near Rome , we stayed here a couple of years ago and had a great time

www.canvasholidays.co.uk/italy/rome/campsite-fabulous.php

@MojoJojo71. Yes that’s exactly the kind of site I was suggesting!! Stayed in similar in south of France. It’s personal preference I guess but give me something like this over a cramped hotel room or small apartment with small kids

Absolutely @Crikeyalmighty DD and I love them. She gets to play in the fresh air with all the friends she makes while I supervise from the decking with a glass of local wine 🍷

I find holidaying with kids in UK is more expensive than self catering abroad. The reason is that in UK the weather is so unpredictable that we end up having to take them to expensive aquariums, indoor water parks etc as beach cold and raining several days.

In Brittany France weather is generally good, lots of beaches which are free, self catering for 3 bedrooms can be as little as £750 euros per week. Good cost is similar to UK. We always did a day at a maze. Some have bring your own BBQ. Lots of bouncy castles, trampolines and games free once you have paid entrance fee.

Family 4 we went to Majorca in October just past £4500 for 1 week AL , it wasn't a amazing holiday

Last week we rented a cottage at seaside resort 2 hours drive away £650 for 3 nights - wasn't a amazing cottage either.

I think UK and abroad costs are through the roof.