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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

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

343 replies

Heyduggee123 · 14/04/2022 11:22

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

OP posts:
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5
veevee04 · 14/04/2022 15:02

Uk static caravan holiday the same site I go to every year want a £1000 for 7 nights. I got 2 weeks in Crete self catering apartment for 1300. We will prepare breakfast ourselves and lunch some days.

QueenofLouisiana · 14/04/2022 15:02

I’ve booked a 4 star hotel in Morocco for 5 adults next February. £3500, AI. I think the Balearics can be incredibly expensive in comparison to other places.

MargaretThursday · 14/04/2022 15:04

@MarianosOnHisWay

Can you let me know where you can find two weeks in Wales for less than £4k in the school holidays… Grin (semi-light hearted but the point remains that I don’t find U.K. school holiday holidays much cheaper than going abroad)
Done it a few times, self catering for 5 for less than £600 a week, obviously there's catering on top of that, but that's under £200 easily unless we choose to eat out a bit. We never pay anything like £1000 for a week and always have had plenty of options.
Worryworry887 · 14/04/2022 15:04

And to answer previous posters, we do feel secure as can cancel the air B and B up until around 10 days before we go and be refunded in full, and flights include cancellation insurance. We always go air B and B, you can get some lovely places for not much per person. The only downside is sorting transport with little children to and from the accommodation- we always make sure the place is near decent public transport before we book though!

WonderfulYou · 14/04/2022 15:04

YANBU

Many MNers seem to go every year or if nothing every other year but in the real world that absolutely does not happen.

veevee04 · 14/04/2022 15:05

I've found Tui and first choice a rip off now loveholidays and onthebeach are much cheaper I booked transfers on holidayextras for £35 return for the 3 of us.

RickyZooom · 14/04/2022 15:05

Haven't RTFT but came on to say:

"People don't generally go to Ibiza with young children, to be fair."

What absolute twaddle. Probably coming from someone who has never been to Ibiza.

Ibiza has TONS of families there. Most resorts in Ibiza are exactly the same as any Spanish holiday resort. There's only a couple of places where clubbers go, and even those still have lots of family hotels there.

I went to Ibiza with my two kids last October, two weeks, great hotel and for way less than your quote. And that was us splashing out on some extras that we felt we deserved after the pandemic!

Don't book a package - just book everything yourself. Flights are dirt cheap atm - I've just found flights from London in June for £53 each return (Easyjet) - yes you will probably have to add on baggage etc but it's still cheap!

Book an apartment through Booking.com or Airbnb - there's 10 day deals there now for under £1k. That's for a decent 1 bed apartment in San Antonio Bay (a nice part of Ibiza with great access to beaches).

Hire a car for the holiday so you save on taxis etc.

If you really wanted to budget, you can.

EdithStourton · 14/04/2022 15:05

NRTFT, but are you prepared to camp? £200 for Eurotunnel, and £400 for a really good campsite for a fortnight. Plus fuel, food and outings, about £1.5k.

We spent what felt like a fortune on a big tent, but we got our money's worth out of it.

gogohm · 14/04/2022 15:06

For 4 year olds you can't go far wrong with French campsites, they usually have lodges too and Pierre et Vancances offers meal options.

RickyZooom · 14/04/2022 15:06

Also, Ibiza has some of the best restaurants in the world, don't both with AI!

FrancescaContini · 14/04/2022 15:07

@veevee04

Uk static caravan holiday the same site I go to every year want a £1000 for 7 nights. I got 2 weeks in Crete self catering apartment for 1300. We will prepare breakfast ourselves and lunch some days.
A grand for a caravan in the UK??? Shock Is this real? Why would you do this?

I’m looking at b&b in a European country with pool, amazing countryside, free bikes; flights bought separately for four of us, very cheap. Two separate costs won’t amount to more than £1,000 total. You can keep your static caravan in Dorset or wherever Grin

Crikeyalmighty · 14/04/2022 15:08

This is very doable oP, do not do all inclusive - just book flights and then get on booking.com and book a 2 bed apartment. Had a quick look and this would work out about £2100 for 10 days for pretty high end in June. Book in Santa Eulalia or Es Cana or Talamanca. — all very family friendly. Get stuff in for breakfast and allow£100 a day for meals and drinks — that’s more than ample with young kids— or cut it down to 7 days which is ample with young kids and would then be around £2500 - even allowing £100 a day for spends. All inclusive are often very inflated to allow for complete greedy buggers who eat for 6 and drink the bar dry

gogohm · 14/04/2022 15:09

Ps I'm "only" paying £3500 to go to New York via the Queen Mary 2 ship, ok only 2 of us but 2 weeks, 5 star ship, 5 star hotel if you shop around there's "bargains" to be had (obviously sarcastic here Grin

Tigofigo · 14/04/2022 15:11

We just booked a week in the Balearics (nicer area of Mallorca) for four people for £1400 incl flights and transfers. Aparthotel with a terrace and kitchenette where the kids will sleep in the living area, and we'll have the separate bedroom.

We'll just do simple pastries and cereal for breakfast, bread and deli bits for lunch, and go out for dinner, but you could probably pay someone to be your personal chef for another £1k!

veevee04 · 14/04/2022 15:12

@FrancescaContini it used to be £300-400 a week before COVID. That's why I'm not going this year 😂 or staying in my grandparents caravan.

If you book far flung destinations OP you can get some really good deals on Airbnb. Thailand and Bali spring to mind I've found 2 bed villa with pool for £30 a night . You just need to find the cheap weeks for flights eating out is also very cheap.

Crikeyalmighty · 14/04/2022 15:13

Or if you drive get yourself into Eurocamp and drive to Brittany - the site in Carnac is really nice. even at top end with fuel, crossings, mobile home with terrace etc you would be looking at about £2200 in June and my son loved it— lots of Euro kids for them to play with. Thing is you can then vary your spends money — eat out some nights, do a barbie others, buy wine and sit on deckchairs — if you fork out £4K, it’s forked out— you can’t get it back even if the hotel buffet is awful and drinks watered down

Campervan69 · 14/04/2022 15:13

We are in ibiza right now. Paid £500 each for a weeks all inclusive with flights. TBH I prefer Majorca or Menorca but we hadnt tried ibiza before so here we are. We've been all over the island as we hired a car. It's not as beautiful as Menorca and there's not as much going on as Majorca. Still having a good time however. We always book with Onthebeach as they seem to have the best prices.

AryaStarkWolf · 14/04/2022 15:13

Self catering apartments for foreign holidays with kids

fluffythedragonslayer · 14/04/2022 15:13

We've never taken the kids abroad as we couldn't afford it, we have always done UK holidays (been lucky as parents had a caravan which we've been able to use sometimes) and gone for cheap b&b options etc. However the cost has crept up and up and this year we are going abroad as it is no more expensive than a decent UK holiday (Mum no longer has the caravan!)

We also do a week in Cornwall with my parents, and the accomodation alone is costing (them!) A fair bit more than my week in Italy with the kids...

Holidays are expensive and something we are unlikely to be doing at all after this year as we won't be able to afford it

Mybumisfluffierthanyours · 14/04/2022 15:14

YABU - We have 9 days booked in an apartment in Portugal for this summer (peak summer holidays) for 6 people and it has cost us £2500 so far for flights, transfers and accomm.

Crikeyalmighty · 14/04/2022 15:19

Personally OP with kids the age yours are and able to go in June I would go to Puerto Pollensa in Majorca. Fairly unbeatable with young families and tons of nice quality aparthotels and great restaurants at all price levels. It was always my fail safe holiday with under 14s

CJay81 · 14/04/2022 15:20

We are staying at a basic A.I in crete, going a few says before May half term for £2200. No idea about next years prices.

No idea about Ibiza but I re moment the Talyot Apartments in Menorca, its self catering but they do a half board option. Kids clubs, splash pool, playground etc. It's cheap but cheerful, went when my ds was 4 and loved it there.

Tothepoint99 · 14/04/2022 15:22

@Heyduggee123

I can see me disappearing down the airbnb rabbit hole tonight Grin
I'll be right behind you!
Cocomarine · 14/04/2022 15:23

I thought £4K in term time seemed odd.
Went onto TUI.
One week, 4th June, anywhere in Spain, 2 adult + 2x 4yo.
£2800 all inclusive.
£900 self catering.

Holidaying abroad is not an option for most people - is it???
Holidaying abroad is not an option for most people - is it???
Cocomarine · 14/04/2022 15:24

That’s without any clever searching. First AI was the first option. The £900 SC was when I realised it was sorted by recommended not low to high.