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?

Going overseas gives you the guarantee of a bit of sun

Or too much. It's about 40 degrees in Spain at the moment. Yuck.

Flight costs do make a foreign holiday more expensive but actually not by that much. I’ve seen some shocking prices for holiday lets in the U.K. at the end of August (which is when i’m going away) - like for like, i.e sea view and easy access to beaches, restaurants etc are actually double what me and my boyfriend have paid for a place in the mediterranean, so even with flights It’s working out pretty similar if not cheaper to go abroad. Add in basically guaranteed weather and insanely beautiful beaches with a lot of interesting culture and archaeology close by to experience from a totally different culture and it’s a no-brainer for me.

In addition, at the end of the season where we are going will be a little less busy (on good authority as this is the country my boyfriend comes from), the food will be cheaper and the weather isn’t going to turn.

At then end of August in the U.K. I wouldn’t bank on one decent beach day let alone a week.

Why do you assume people only go abroad for the weather? The best thing for me about going abroad is to learn about other cultures, to see how beautiful and diverse our planet, to experience how other people eat, live, think and to realise that as people we are not that different from one another no matter where we come from. Saying all that I usually move abroad for a few years and not just travel for a few weeks.

I wish those in the north of England and Scotland would stop patronising those of us who live in the south.

I have frequently gone on holiday in Scotland, Northumberland and went to Belfast earlier this year. And have had good to glorious weather in all of those destinations (yes the odd bad day but not that many and certainly not enough to put off a return).

It's beautiful here today in South West Wales and I have lovely beaches nearby to enjoy BUT the forecast for the weekend here is thick clouds and rain!!! Not exactly ideal for sitting in the garden reading a book.
We went to a beautiful spot in Devon last year for a week, we had an apartment 50 meters from the beach in Hope Cove, it was idyllic as we had incredible weather all week. We spent a week on the beach, used the paddle board, and ate on the balcony overlooking the bay. Perfect. We got up to leave on Saturday morning (24th July) and the weather had changed, it was grey and raining, we could hardly see the sea!
On the way home, we passed huge traffic jams of traffic heading to Devon and Cornwall, I felt so sorry for all those people as it was hammering down and the forecast for the week ahead was very poor. I've had my share of caravan holidays in the rain and it can be very hard with young kids.
The weather is just so unpredictable here, we would still have had fun even if the weather had been bad but it would have been a totally different holiday than the one we got. When I book to go to Spain it's almost guaranteed to be sunny.

This misses the point.

I totally agree with OP. Kids have left home so I love the summer in the UK, and usually have my annual holiday in October or November. This year hopefully off to Costa Rica.

I used to go abroad one to two times per year as a child. I spent many holidays around Greek ruins, I’ve been to Venice, Eastern Europe, various places throughout Europe. It was enjoyable but not more so than the UK, and I personally prefer the myths, folklore and history that exists on our doorstep. Not to mention planes and airports are a faff and I don’t like the heat.

I know what you mean. I live in the NW where it’s cold and wet almost year-round, and it’s galling to miss out on any precious days of sun because you’re abroad. It’s almost guaranteed that if I go away in summer it will rain before and after I go and there will be glorious weather while I’m away! Unfortunately, staying in the uk for the summer and travelling in winter only really works if you are happy to miss out on beach weather in Europe (I’m not - the weather may still be ok, but I want the full on blue skies and ice cream experience) or you’re going long-haul. I love long-haul, but am trying to cut back on my air miles and do more European holidays.

I LOVE to travel; I love exploring new places, cultures, food etc.

I also have holidayed too many times in Britain when a full on coat is needed in July!

For me a proper break is also not having to cook, or clean. Far too many affordable holidays in the UK are self catering. I need half board or all inclusive to just relax totally. Something not readily offered in the UK.

Almost anywhere!

If you holiday in the UK and the weather is average, you have to do stuff, which costs. And for a family of 4 that could be very expensive. A day swimming from a beach in Thailand or walking through the rice fields of Bali or evening wandering through a village in France will cost you barely anything.

@MistyFuckingQuigley butlins and haven aren't cheap
My friend has a caravan on haven site its £1300 for a week in august

I’ve put some links below.

The cottage in Cheshire is the sort of place we would rent, for a week in the summer next year its £2,781.48 for four people. Now in the UK you don’t tend to get a small resort made up of holiday cottages, so they often don’t have staff attached. So a cook would be around £90 per
person per meal.

luxurycottages.com/cottages/bluebell-cottage/#calendar-container

The place I’ve stayed in in Spain for the same weeks as the cottage above is €2,468 (£2139) with the added housekeeping and catering service and airport transfer. Flights are in total £237.85 (with hold luggage) giving a total of £2,376.

I live in Ireland so that probably says it all. Today it's 14 degrees and overcast, although the sun is trying to break through.

To be honest, I'm not crazy about climates where the temperatures soar above 25 degrees. It's just too hot for me. When I'm abroad, I tend to avoid the sun during the hottest parts of the day. If I didn't have school holidays to consider, I'd probably prefer to book a sun holiday in May or September. But sun holidays offer so many experiences that we miss out on in Ireland - one of them being the sheer novelty of waking up to blue skies and sunshine day after day. Getting out of the sea or a swimming pool and not instantly turning blue from the cold. Wearing sunglasses and sun dresses or shorts and t-shirts all day. Not having to pack for every weather eventuality. And the really big one - dining al fresco. Whether that's breakfast on the balcony or lunch under a sun umbrella or dinner at a nice restaurant looking out over the sea. Having a drink or cocktail at a bar, watching the world go by. Even on the hottest of days in Ireland (and they're few and far between) it turns chilly in the evenings and people head indoors or don jumpers or hoodies.

Although I enjoy sun holidays, I also love city breaks and visiting historical/cultural sights. Ireland has lots to offer from a historical and cultural point of view (and fantastic scenery also, if the weather co-operates). But I'm in my 50s now, so there's not much more to explore in this little country.

Get some wellies, coats and waterproofs and go anyway! We love a rainy day, less people! Also board games and books are free! I suppose it depends what you like doesn’t it.

spent a week in Cornwall last August. Cost £3k for a chalet on a campsite for the week.

beautiful scenery BUT

• awful journey - 8 hours driving there and 9 hours back in long jams.
• basic accommodation
• cloudy weather
• expensive, poor quality meals out

We booked 2 weeks in Greece for the same price this year. booked it as soon as we got back

HTH

I love the UK, and have had many lovely holidays over the years in all four of it's countries. BUT I would never book a holiday in the UK that was weather dependant - it's just not worth the risk. I'll make the best whatever weather comes when on holiday in the UK, and that's fine.

But if I want a 'sit round the pool sipping a cocktail' type of holiday, I will always book something abroad, as the weather is far more likely to be good, and it's usually in the summer holidays as I still have a school aged child.

If I want a holiday abroad to experience the local culture, scenery etc, then I'll be less worried about the time of year, and therefore the weather.

I remember, many years ago when I was a teenager, sitting on Bournemouth beach in the summer holidays, wrapped up in a towel and kagoul, sheltering behind a windbreak with my friends from the wind and drizzle, as my friend's dad announced he had no idea why anyone went abroad when the UK was so beautiful. He might have been joking, but I'm not sure he was!

We have just been on holiday to Devon , although mostly dry we had one wet day. When I googled what to Do in the rain the options were surfing, but we don't surf and even if we did the sea was calm. The other option was to somewhere else 😐

I'm the past we've holidayed in Greece. We spent our time at archaeological sites and travelling to different islands. My children enjoyed it as they were totally spoilt in the tavernas.

You can't do that so much in the UK

@ShirleyPhallus yes so would I
Also what looks good online isn't always so good in real life
None of them link the places though

Different kinds of holiday then, bizarre to me to expect a housekeeper! We do outdoor camping and glamming type holidays.

Glamping that should say.

@SusieSimpleman and what about food ? I mean personally i don't go on holiday to cook , your very lucky to find something for that much as caravans are more expensive and having family in cornwall who know people who air b&b , none of them are that cheap
Love cornwall but las year it was a nightmare trying to find places to eat and prices really had gone up then
Plus if it rains there is nothing to do

We can play board games and read at home for free, I’m not paying hundreds of pounds to play board games inside, plus there is the added faff of taking enough games, books, dvds etc with you.

I live in Scotland and am lucky it is usually dry where I live but never warm. 16/18 max.

last year we spent £2000 plus spending for two weeks in the SE of England and it rained constantly.

so will be retuning abroad this year in the hope of some sunshine and lounging by the pool.

I love holidaying in the UK.
But not everyone lives in an adorable village and has a nice garden to sit in. Some of us live in Tower Hamlets

@ForestFae camping and glampng isn't for all and personally I could think of nothing worse
But i know people who do and still find great deals abroad and often still cheaper than uk
Can only compare holidays on a like for like basis
Not uk camping for 4 star spain