to think it shouldn't cost a thousand just to visit family

[number5namechange]

a few hrs away on the train?

So both me and dh don't drive due to medical issues/lack of confidence.So use public transport.

We are going to visit his family in a few weeks ( monday to Wednesday) with a grand cost of one thousand pounds!!!
That includes train fare for 2 adults and 3 kids. Premier inn with breakfast. We also have to pay for our own food when there. Some spending money ( 200)

That seems a helluva lot. How long is a few hours. Have you got a family railcard?

It depends really. Where are you travelling to/from? Train travel is not cheap and if you are going from John O'Groats to Lands Ends for example, it will cost ££££. Have you go the cheapest tickets you could? Would a coach or National Express be an option?

Two nights in a Premier Inn shouldn't cost that much.

That seems a crazy amount of money!

Return train fare for 5, and 2 nights in a hotel with b&b or £200 a head, not too bad really?

That is a lot! I took my DC away last Summer on the train and stayed at a Premier Inn for 3 nights. I spent about a third of that. You know kids eat free for breakfast at Premier Inn? Also look at a Rail card and advanced tickets can be really cheap. Our Premier Inn was above an Aldi so we got most of our food from there. Do you really need £200 to spend just for one full day? How much are you paying for the Premier Inn as obviously that will affect it massively.

Well - it would be cheaper if either of you drove, but since you don’t, your options are limited. The price of train travel is shocking these days. I need to go to Edinburgh in September and can get a flight from my local airport for a sixth of the price of the train fare, which seems ridiculous 🤷🏼‍♀️

What's the distance? Doesn't help if you're booking last second

So actually it's 1000 for

Spends - 200
Train - 300?
Hotel - 400?
Food - 100 (more if including meals out)

For 5 people, admittedly three are children, it's definitely a bit high but not massively outrageous for essentially a holiday. Especially if it's somewhere like London or Cornwall?

If somewhere cheaper I'd try and cut costs on the spending money and try and find a Travellodge.

You could also try something like a coach which can be about £10 Lo

That sounds extortionate!

Is the hotel or train travel the most costly?

I refuse to pay stupid amounts for train fare and will also grin and bare a MegaBus or National Express coach for a lot less.

Visiting family is irrelevant, 5 of you are travelling a few hours with 2 overnight stays and including the cost of food and spending money.

Travelling from Edinburgh to up north.
We do have a railcard and our tickets are off peak returns.
So
400 train tickets including taxi when there
300 premier inn with breakfast
200 spending money
100 food shop

While it can't be denied that trains are extortionatly expensive in this country, its not just 'visiting family by train' but a mini break for 5 people including spending money.

Unless you go on Megabus, stay with his family and also have them feed you, that's what it costs.

What's ' up north?'

How much is the taxi and how much is the train?

Try booking a single ticket one way & a single back - usually cheaper than a return fare
Also if there are stops or changes book single tickets to a stop & then a single to your destination
Don't know why but it can work out cheaper

Agreed. It's a holiday trip.

@Skelligsfeathers
Up north, is quiet easy to figure out, from Edinburgh.

I want to go and visit my sister up north next month with my husband and 2 year old daughter. It's just under £1000 JUST for train. We'd need hotel,bus to her town and food. Impossible

Are you saying Premier Inn is £150 a night? Is this for a family room? That is a lot

£150 a night in a Premier Inn?

£100 for food shopping in 3 days when you don't have to buy breakfast?

Plus more spending money on top?

Train sounds a lot more than I'd expect too, but it is for 5 people.

You could go by coach, that's loads cheaper, and stay at an SYHA or similar (I stayed at a fab one in Inverness with DS)?

Try the ticketsplitter website, you will likely find a hefty discount by purchasing individual journeys splitting the fare (specified by the site and purchasable in one go) of the journey. Always worth checking.

To me you shouldn't include food costs into a trip, since you have to feed yourselves whether you are away or at home. Ask if your hotel has a small fridge, and do a small grocery shop as you would at home. You can buy meals that don't need cooking at shops as well, it doesn't need to be meals out or take-out.

Why are including spending money and food as a cost of visiting family?