To not understand why people go abroad on holiday in the summer?

[Dogscanteatonions]

My social media is full of people on holiday abroad at the moment. It's glorious here and I've got a few days off work so I've just been for a walk round my village and will spend the afternoon in the garden reading in the sun with a couple of glasses of something.

Britain is lovely in the summer - I'd far rather go abroad later or earlier in the year when the weather is not so good here and make the most of the weather here while we have it.

I've never really understood the desire to go abroad while it's nice here. Anyone else with me?

@hangrylady that may be true but wasn’t the OPs point. This thread has turned into UK holiday vs abroad holiday and that wasn’t what the initial question was.

I find this weird, it’s like people don’t enjoy being with their kids lol.

@ForestFae

i don’t know why you keep assuming that everyone who goes on hol abroad just sits by a pool all day.

you can be “outdoorsy” and find loads to do abroad…more cos you’re not constrained by shitty rain like we often are in uk

What “typical holiday activities”? If it’s touristy nonsense, I’d rather avoid that myself anyway!

I tend to go abroad out of high season because a. I don't have kids so am not tied to the holidays and b. I can't stand crowds and scorching heat, so prefer spring and late summer in most places when it isn't so unbearably hot. Other people are tied to school holidays and like scorching hot buzzy resorts, and that's their prerogative.

This current heatwave is also quite miserable in a high rise flat in a smoggy deprived part of London, so yabu that all British summer is lovely villages and gardens. I went for a walk in the local park before and there was a guy on one of the benches passed out under some cans of special brew.

I’m not assuming that. I said you shouldn’t assume everyone who goes abroad is engaging in the culture as many arent. I went abroad a lot as a child. I’ve been to Knossos, the acropolis, old Rhodes town, I’ve eaten in little Greek fishing villages. I’ve been to Venice, I’ve done the gondola thing. I’ve spent a week exploring Rovinj. You keep acting like I’ve never done this just because I’m saying that personally I prefer uk holidays. It’s possible to have a different opinion to you, and to like different things.

😂. This made me laugh! My DC is great but when I'm with him, I'm "Mummy", his needs come first and we do things that he enjoys. Yes, it's great to spend time together, but not really a 'holiday' for me in the sense of getting time to relax or do what I want to do.

So yes, I enjoy being with him. I also enjoy being without him. It's about balance, surely?

Yeah I get that, I’m on about people moaning that the holidays are “such a long time with kids”. It’s something I see a lot!

Ahh there we go. Anyone who goes anywhere is a tourist. You hiking in the lakes is ‘touristy nonsense.’

But there are are, that’s the crux of the silly snobbery. But why wouldn’t you just enjoy the lovely green uk playing board games and reading books in the tent? None of that tourist rubbish.

Not what I said. I asked if you meant tourist type activities. Nowhere did I say anyone who travels, outside the uk or otherwise, is a tourist.

I’m not assuming that. I said you shouldn’t assume everyone who goes abroad is engaging in the culture as many arent. I went abroad a lot as a child. I’ve been to Knossos, the acropolis, old Rhodes town, I’ve eaten in little Greek fishing villages. I’ve been to Venice, I’ve done the gondola thing. I’ve spent a week exploring Rovinj. You keep acting like I’ve never done this just because I’m saying that personally I prefer uk holidays. It’s possible to have a different opinion to you, and to like different things.

I mean literally all this stuff you’ve said you did is ‘touristy nonsense.’ But enjoy feeling superior about your holidays in the UK and joining in op’s faux-confused wide eyed innocence about how she just doesn’t understand why anyone would do anything different than what she does.

That wasn’t luckysantangelo’s argument. She said ‘experience’. There’s a difference between reading a book or speaking to a relative and actually going to a new country and experiencing and surrounding yourself in their culture.

How about culture
Or food
Or a change of scenery
.Jezus

as others have said June could just as easily be raining every day. I’d much rather travel overseas, experience a bit of culture and see the world. Holidays in the U.K. aren’t my cup of tea personally

Visiting historical sites and eating food from another culture is not “touristy nonsense”. I’m not the one feeling superior, the nasty stuck up comments have t come from me!

If you go abroad out of season you have to go long haul apart from the canaries really for guaranteed sunshine. I love going abroad but don't want to go long haul with children and also the cost becomes more of issue. However I am considering the canaries next October. I also love an A.I since ive had the kids, makes a nice totally chilled out, no stress holiday. Imagine what it would cost if there was all inclusive in the UK!!

For me it's not about the weather, though it is a bonus when the weather is nice!

Part of it is the cost. During winter, you could get a two night ride on a ferry, plus a day in Amsterdam, Rotterdam or Brugges for £40pp, less than the cost of a train ticket to another city two hours away.

But its also experiencing different cultures, different lifestyles, different foods. Why wouldn't you want to experience these?

The last five years or so we've travelled around the UK mostly. We try to visit places we've not been before, or maybe not been for many years, but we do plan to go abroad next year again.

For me it’s about new experiences, new cultures. I don’t feel that I’m experiencing something new sitting in my back garden and walking around the village. Even travelling within the UK can feel a bit same-y.

If you have no alternative but to take your annual holidays during the School break or in July/August for other reasons, it is very understandable that folk would like to go abroad then.

However, I think the issue might be why do those who can decide when to travel choose the high season either in UK or abroad?

I have to say as someone who is not tied to the Summer schedule for holidays anymore, that I have not taken a break either at home or abroad when the schools are out. Always June or September. Perfect weather, much cheaper flights/accommodation, and the crowds have thinned out.

If you can pick and choose when to travel, and don't have to accommodate children or a fixed break why would you choose the busiest, hottest, most expensive time to go? That is the question!

I think there are very few (if any) who will still travel during peak school holidays if they can go on either side of them. Europe is warm from May to early Oct. The rest of the world has even more options for when to travel to get good weather.

However that is not OP's question as it is not school holidays right now and she is questioning why people have gone abroad when we have sunny weather this week (in whichever part of UK she is in). The answer to her question is obvious

Not sure how you equate my comment with not enjoying being with my kids, how strange! I love being with my kids, but 6 weeks at home, trying to juggle work around spending time with them is a stretch. A 2 week holiday is time when me and DH switch off from work and we spend time as family.

It’s a comment I’ve seen a lot, like parents being excited to send their kids back to school and dreading the holidays! Maybe you didn’t mean it that way in which case I apologise.

Well done for concealing your snobbery up until this point! I personally love sitting by a pool in the sun, reading a trashy book, going out for meals and having drinks in the evening in a lively bar and maybe a mooch round the local town. I can go to National Trust centres and hikes in the pissing rain at home thank you. I'm more than happy doing "touristy nonsense" on holiday.

1. guarenteed weather

2. Spain for a week was cheaper than the UK for a week at the same time.

Everyone is different, thank god.

However, I draw the line at a colleague who announced "he doesn't like Europe"