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

We drive old cars and a smaller house than others on our salaries because we prioritise travel. With 3dc it’s expensive but we save up. Canvas holidays in caravans in France are lovely so we can do those on cheaper years then North America every 3 years.

Ours have never been on a plane. I have never found a holiday abroad anywhere close to the prices we pay for UK holidays so have never understood the argument it’s just as expensive. We are looking at a weekend flying to Scotland in October for a family birthday and the cost is close to our 7 night holiday in the summer.

We’re looking at the Algarve for family of 6 AI (not school Hols)…we are seeing £1.2k to £1.5k ..

So definitely better deals out there.

Now we can go in term time, it’s actually cheaper/same price to go abroad. DH and I are going to the Canaries in June to a 4 star hotel for 10 days all inclusive. It was only £1100 for both of us. When we went to Scotland last year for 8 days, we easily spent that. Especially as fuel must have cost at least £400 in total.

I have just had a look on Tui. You can get a 4T with 4 on trip advisor AI hotel for 7 nights in Spain with East Mid flights at a sensible time for around £2k mid June.

Maybe you just need to broaden your search and just go for a week? There seems to be less choice outside the 7/14 nights option.

If you are prepared to self cater you can go much cheaper.

You're flying four people around 8000 or more miles, having somebody potentially cook 120 meals, provide drinks and snacks, clean up after you, provide you with entertainment, clean your accommodation and probably far more that I haven't thought of...

Cheaper holidays are available, but just look at how much you're getting for your money - most of the people servicing you will probably be getting minimum wage which I think is about £6 per hour.

Ibiza is always eyewateringly expensive, especially in June, especially on the Ibiza town side of the island rather than San An. This year, prices will be absolutely through the roof as it's the first season many of the big clubs have been open properly for two years, due to Covid. This will be the first proper season since 2019.

Do you know much about the place OP? It has lots more to offer than just the club scene, but it's still a very in-demand destination due to that scene - and prices reflect that. You may not be wanting to go clubbing, but hundreds of thousands of people will be going to the island for that very reason now things have opened up again. I went in 2017 and 2019, but haven't even bothered looking this year as I know prices will be stratospheric. There's a very wide spectrum of holidays to be had between Ibiza town in June, and Wales! Have you looked in mainland Spain?

Ibiza is great for children, if your on the right side of the island.
I think you need to shop around. We're off to majorca (easter hols). 4 adults, two teenagers, 4 star all inclusive £2700.

We always spend c£4K on our AI canaries holidays for one week. Once you take the flights and transfers out it works out as £100 a day each for all our food drink entertainment cleaning and accommodation. Couldn't get that in the UK and have fabulous weather and pool

Roll on 2024 though when we no longer are beholden to school holidays. It will halve in cost

I've never actually done foreign holidays with children. When they were little the whole idea seemed ridiculous, you're still chasing them around and juggling nap and meal times but with the added threat of heatstroke and them trying to theatrically drown themselves every five minutes. Not a holiday in my book.

Now older, pre-teens and teens they do lots of weekends away and trips etc but not a 'family summer holiday' so far, we can't really afford it at the minute anyway.

Having said that, we live about 200 metres from the beach in Devon, so the drive to go away and do what we can do at home is less so, and we would rather use the money we do have to do city trips.

I do know a few people who have done house swaps with people, one beach based and one city etc, I can see the appeal of that.

It depends on what you consider a holiday.

A lot of people's holidays abroad are visiting family. When I go back to my home country, I stay with my parents and I have savings in the local currency. Even though flight tickets for 2 cost £1k, I have spent more on a holiday in manchester! So i have 2 holidays a year- visiting family in Asia, and a city break generally in europe but it can also be in the UK (generally cheaper in Europe).

my DH had family in germany growing up so he was always abroad for 3 out of 12 months of every year and as rail travel is relatively affordable, was also able to see the rest of the country as well as austria.

@Heyduggee123

I've been told that old town ibiza is absolutely beautiful and not at all to be associated with the clubbing and hedonism that most people associate it with

St Eulalia is gorgeous it's perfect for families

All inclusive is a bit different from self catering in wales though
We have done loads of Europe holidays for as cheap or less than your Welsh holiday 😊. Ryan air flights, car hire and an apartment or eurocamp caravans especially in may or June you’ll get some great bargains and will have sun and swimming pools and beaches to enjoy with any luck so will need to spend less money on days out and activities to keep everyone entertained

Was thinking of booking a trip to Spain for ten days over the summer - DH, 2 x DDs (12&13) and myself. It seemed awful expensive! I price checked a trip that we took three years ago - same agent, same hotel, same dates, same package … 2.5k dearer.

Eurocamp is fabulous, mine are twenties now but still talk about our EC holidays.

The three of us are going to Northern Spain for a week in June for 1300 euro. That's accommodation and flights. Obviously food is extra but that's it.

We just booked Ryanair flights and our own apartment. We always choose our holidays based on where's cheap to fly to on Ryanair. We still only go once a year and we have good salaries. Of course it's not doable to do expensive all inclusive holidays.

That’s seems far too much, we are going away June ( family of 4) for a week all inclusive and it’s half that amount!

I’ve costed up our summer holiday - 12 days staying agritourismos in Italy in August school holidays (nice self catering accommodation with a pool shared with a few others). It’s going to cost £3k all in including a reasonable amount of spending money.

It has however taken me hours and hours researching flights, value for money on car hire, best accommodation etc. If I’d wanted to similar without the research I think it would have cost a lot more. I love planning holidays though!

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.

Not true. I have never paid more than £1k for 2 x flights and holiday accommodation abroad! You just need to bargain hunt.
No you won't get 5* AI. But I have rented many lovely spacious apartments in Europe. Canaries are by far the cheapest. Last place I rented cost £35per night. That was for an apartment in a lovely complex with pools in a great location. Vrbo is your friend.

@CornishLamb

Have you looked on loveholidays? I just looked for 10 days in June, Al, with 2 children, flying from Manchester, and the first one that came up was under £1600.. that was for Turkey though, but you can obviously have a hunt around for different destinations and airports

I would recommend against booking through love holidays. We, and so many other people, had appalling experiences during covid with them. I booked it all as a package but even though my flights had been cancelled they would not cancel my holiday (nor book me on other flights). The refund took close to 12 months to receive - they even told me they wouldn't refund until I had issued legal proceedings! TUI have had some good deals recently so no one needs to book with love holidays

I don't think "abroad" needs to be that expensive. We've always gone self-catering for a start - we prefer it (more space and freedom)- and it is cheaper. We've often taken the ferry to France in the summer. Or fly to less obviously "summer holiday" destinations, that are still very beautiful and relaxing: French Alps, Slovenia.

We've only ever spent 4k+ on long-haul holidays where the flights are inevitably more expensive whenever you go, and we have stayed for 2-3 weeks.

We're going to the Azores in June. Flights are £175 each. Accommodation is about £200 per night but that is for 4 adults and I've not stinted. Could be a lot less with little ones who would share a room with you. My 19 and 20 year old need some private space!

We rent out a 2 bed holiday apartment in Europe. On lake, prime holiday area. It sleeps 4, has nice terrace seating area/ balcony/ bbq/ parking/ views. Child friendly. Etc. Peak season in summer holidays we rent for around €1000 for the week. An extra €1000 would easily cover flights, car hire, food, attractions. There’s lots of places all over for similar

We have teens now and have travelled a lot with them since they were tiny. We've never been interested in 2 weeks AI in a resort so that has never come up in all our years.

One year we did a split 10 day holiday where we did 3 days in Palma and 7 days in a beachside hotel in Port De Soller Mallorca. We enjoyed but once for that kind of experience was enough for us.

Why not go somewhere like Malaga and rent an apartment? We did that once too. I went on the beach one evening for a walk and that was that for me. I spent the rest of my time in the old city exploring and dh went for a swim every day and teens hung out on the beach. It was all very easy and I can see how it would be very suitable for younger children too.

I simply would not pay 4K to go to a resort but I understand that we're all different and have different expectations of a holiday.

I don’t get these threads! Even in the school holidays, you can get £100 return with Ryanair or Easyjet to Spain/Portugal/Italy. Book accommodation locally and you can keep it to around £1000 for a family of four. Ok, it’s not the Ritz but if there’s sun, a pool for the kids, a beach and a few decent restaurants, what more do you want?