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

To make you feel better, I have just been quoted £23k for the 5 of us to go to Barbados next year shock how long for????

But I reckon you could do a package holiday for 2-2.5k!

I booked in 2020 for my carer (I have the time to do it) a fairly basic but pleasant self catering apartment with shared pool for four in Canary Islands in August for £1700. Same holiday now £3100. This is obviously just one island/destination but sounds like prices may well have risen post covid. Saying that, that holiday outside school holidays may well be around 2-2.5k.

If you want all inclusive in Ibiza of course it's expensive, but there are many other ways of going abroad.

A few times, we've got a coach to Paris, bus/train further south, and stayed at a municipal campsite. The most expensive part of the journey was the train from northern England to London. It's not luxurious, but there's good weather, swimming pools, and the chance to explore somewhere new.

Two weeks!! And not the swankiest 5 star style place either. (We won’t be going btw, in case that needs to be said!)

We usually drive to France through the Eurotunnel either skiing or holidaying in the summer. We swap holiday houses with friends and family too be that in Wales, France, Cotswolds, Switzerland, Lake District etc. Most people we are close to have a holiday house in the family which they all use and swap. That makes it much cheaper. To be honest I much prefer holidays with friends anyway as the DC were always busy that way and no fighting with each other in front of others.

We go with Eurocamp and drive. Self catering so fussy DS1 is easily catered for and we just do simple meals. Lots of pasta, pizza and if in France, bread, as well as the occasional BBQ. My DC eat a lot of croissants and other pastries in France. We just let them get on with it.

We're going for a week in August and accommodation/ferry is about £1000. Then it's just petrol and spending money on top. Food shopping comes out of our regular budget as we'd buy that anyway.

Can highly recommend this site for children the age of yours

www.eurocamp.co.uk/campsites/paris/pa012-la-croix-du-vieux-pont/ataglance.html#&gid=1&pid=1

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 that this might be the problem.

What sort of rooms are you looking for? Two adjoining? A suite? A two bed suite?

That will push the prices up massively.

I think that most young families holiday with parents and children all in one room. Certainly, if you are staying in a hotel. The alternative would be self catering apartments of some sort. It’s not exactly the romantic getaway you may have had pre-kids but it is part and parcel of having young children.

@Tothepoint99 it is in Ireland

OP, are you just looking at packages? There are lots of independent booking options available?

I think you must be looking at very expensive places! We are going to Greece - flights cost £100 quid return per person, accommodation is an air bnb that is £58 per night. We'll get the train to Manchester airport both ways and annual travel insurance was £60.

I’m about to do Egypt in late May. 5 star resort in a family suite (I like the separate living room) two weeks’ is £1800. Sandwiching a Nile cruise in the middle which was £560pp all inclusive with 12 excursions. So all in it was £2920.

Just need to hunt more. Egypt is great value. Can also consider Greece. Ibiza is pricy. We did two weeks’ in Santa Eulaila last July and it was nearly £3000.

You’ll find plenty of AI holidays for less than that - just not in Ibiza!

It’s always cheaper to book accom and flights separately usually so just do that. You’ll get some gorgeous places on air bnb.

[quote shabbalabba]@Tothepoint99 it is in Ireland [/quote]
Gotcha

Some people are quoting really good prices for family holidays! But do people who put together their own holiday packages of accommodation, car hire and flights etc feel secure if it were to fall through? We'll be a family of 6 come next summer and will have to look at some of the DIY suggestions on here rather than walking into TUI and being robbed 😀

@Workyticket

We're doing 3 weeks in a 5 star AI in Turkey in July this year for bang on £4k

Booked months ago- I k ow it's gone up now

It can't be 5* for that price for a family of 4. Impossible

I can see me disappearing down the airbnb rabbit hole tonight

Loads of hotels offer apartments, try TUI blue, or first choice. You are being petty just considering one option. I found holiday in the uk more expensive

We're going to an all inclusive luxury family hotel in croatia for 5 nights this summer and it will come in at approx £3500 including flights... actually no idea how expensive that is comparatively - it's my first foray into foreign holidays with small children! Will have a read through the thread when I have time.

Personally I would just sit this one out and wait for normal service to resume we are off to Disney’s the three of us because it’s my 20 year-old‘s belated 18th birthday present. But otherwise we’d be going on a £500 trip to Spain.

I live in Spain and if you are looking at the last 2 weeks of June that will be very expensive because Spanish schools finish around the 23rd and then the public summer camps don’t start until the 1st of July. Most families take that time off for a holiday. Try late May or early June. The weather is nice but not as roasting as later in the month.

We’ve just booked to go to Southern Europe for 2 adults and 2 kids (one of the children is a baby though so free) and it was £300 for flights and £600 for an air B and B for a week. To be fair doesn’t include food while there and transport etc, but not even £1k? And that wasn’t even going with the cheapest accommodation we could find - we could have spent less

I'm in France this Easter for 2 weeks. The ferry was £130, the apartment was £240 and fuel will total about £200 including day trips as we're in the south. 2 budget hotel nights on the journey is £50. Food we would have to pay for whether we went away or not and we don't really eat out.

My annual travel insurance has gone up considerably this year to £120 but includes the UK trips too. I don't know how much less it would be if we didn't have worldwide insurance but obviously, you still need insurance if on holiday in the UK and my European breakdown cover also includes the UK and is about £60/year.

I went abroad this year, paid £550 ai per adult, kids under 12 half price, to fuerterentura. Perfect for a family like yours but the family rooms are all in one room (sounds like you were booking a more expensive option)

I’ve found prices a bit cheaper than normal this year.

We can book 2 adults 2 children return all inclusive holiday to Thailand for 2k so yabu ...