To think nobody spends THIS MUCH on holidays with kids?

[GrahameSylvia]

Scouting around for September holiday ideas for us and our 18 month old and came across this in today’s Times.

25 cool family resorts in Europe, the cheapest is about £4k for a week, the priciest £32k but on average about £7k. Admittedly they are mostly all inclusive but REALLY?!?!? Is this the kind of silly money people spend on holidays are once they have kids?

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/25-cool-family-resorts-in-europe-g9knl5n7l

On a side note, if anyone has a great hotel or self catering recommendation for somewhere sunny in Europe that will work well with a young toddler do share, finding places that don’t cost the kind of money we can - but are not willing on principle - to pay is a nightmare.

One month ago I booked a holiday 4* AI for two young kids and I to a Canary island with Jet2 (because they have their own ground staff at Manchester airport so hoped to bypass any of the chaos the media have been shouting about. It cost £2,600 for 10 nights and we just arrived. No delays on flight, actually got to hotel quicker than I expected. So far so good, hotel is lovely, foods good and it’s got everything you’d need. I was dreading it because pre kids I was an extensive traveller at mostly long distance luxury resorts.

I believe the Sun does a “ collect coupons and holiday for £20” still?! Asking how much hols cost is like asking the length of string. Of course people who can afford it ( a large percentage of whom will be Times readers) can and will spend £20k or more on luxurious hols, upgraded flights etc. Camping and caravan hols ( both here and abroad ) can be done for ( very) well under £1000. I have stayed in plenty of AI 3 and 4* places and never paid more than £1400 - but there’s only 2 of us. Know canny family with 3 kids who managed ( utilising free child places) to getaway and stay half board in Greece ( flights inc) at under £1800 for SEVEN of them ( and had great time but absolutely no extras such as car hire, trips etc) just 2 years ago. Airbnb, villa hire, static vans, trains, ferries, sharing with other families etc all lower costs. That’s not the market the Times’ advertisers ( who keep the paper going) are looking for !!

I am on holiday now. This 5* AI holiday in Greece has cost me 8k for 3 of us for 14 days. I booked it just before Christmas.

No way would I ever dream of spending this silly amount of money on a holiday! A holiday is about spending quality time together no need for 5* hotels and the likes...
We probably spend about £2500 max.
We always look at Airbnb for accommodation - some amazing places out there! - and shop around for car rentals. We never paid anything more than £350 for flights ( 2 adults, a 6 years old and a 2 years old).
Try different countries for cheap flights and go from there.
In September, I would think you'd be spending less too? I'm not sure as being a teacher, I've always travelled during the school holiday... Good luck!

It sounds like I have had a similar upbringing and the same attitude to spending as you OP, although I'm becoming far more comfortable with money as I get older (or rather, life is far more enjoyable now I have a substantial financial safety net). Funnily enough, my sibling also spends every penny they earn too.

As you say, it's about personal values, and as long as you're happy with your motivations then what you choose to spend your time and money on is absolutely fine.

Re. Holidays -
I only recently realised it really does pay to get organised - we've had far better deals when we've booked much further ahead.

It's not abroad but Bluestone in Wales is a great term time option for younger children.

To be fair that’s pretty cheap for 3 adults, You always seem to get a lot for your money in turkey though

Yes those absolutely are normal prices for going abroad in school holidays with kids and a lot of people pay them.

Some people spend less if they have free accommodation from family members or friends. Some people have their holidays paid for by their parents.
Some people holiday outside of school holidays. Some holiday within the UK or not at all or every few years. But if you want to go to Europe in school holidays with kids that's how much it costs.

You could try a house swap maybe to reduce the costs?

We are lucky enough to live in Cornwall, we house swaps for our holidays and have done for 8 or 9 years. I understand that it’s not for everyone, lots of people don’t want people in their homes but we just lock everything personal away and your house has to be somewhere that people want to stay but it’s honestly one of the best things we’ve ever done. We’re staying in a villa overlooking Barcelona next week for 10 days and the accommodation is free and, as we booked so early, we paid £540 for flights from Bristol for 4 of us. I’m on lovehomeswap.com and it’s about £130 a year and you can get insurance for each trip for about £50. Pre-covid, we holidayed abroad for two weeks twice a year plus a trip somewhere in the UK. We even did Orlando for a fortnight for under £3400 including tickets for Disney and Universal (but not including food). I’d definitely recommend it.

Make the most of being able to go in term time before LO starts school! We were looking recently and it seems to be £5k minimum for a week's 4* AI in August. You can do it for half that just outside the school holidays.

I don't know why you're getting such a hard time OP. I understand that "on principle" means something I choose not to do because it doesn't fit with my life choices, but that doesn't mean I think other people who do it are immoral. To answer your question, no, outside the monied south east I don't think it's normal to spend this kind of money on a holiday even for those who can afford it. We live in a firmly middle class area and people round here take nice holidays in the UK, or centerparcs (increasingly Europe over uk), or some other self drive to france or the netherlands. An abroad holiday might be a summer trip to the alps. Only a few go AI and they search around for deals and pay less than 4k. The only family I know who might do this are unusual because they genuinely only have one trip away a year (apart from free visits to family) - so they save up all year for it- whereas most people we know have a few weekends away (etc) throughout the year and then a cheaper main holiday so probably spend about the same overall. Travelling with an 18 month old might not be too bad as sometimes you can book cheapish holidays aimed at couples and they just stick a travel cot in the room so the child goes completely free (doesn't pay for plane either under two). The last time we had a proper catered abroad holiday was when our son was 18 months for precisely this reason.

We have 3 school-aged kids and have never spent anything like that. We had a whole month in Sri Lanka - over Christmas, so high season - for £5k inc all flights accommodation and food. We’re currently glamping in France for 2 weeks, spending about £2.5k although it’s 20% more expensive than it should be due to the tanking £. Be creative, be open minded about where and how you stay, and keep off the beaten track.

I’ve spent that much on a very special Lapland trip.

Otherwise we do air bnb and flights.
quantity over quality is my priority when it comes to holidays so I have no interest in luxury AI resorts I just want to see as much of a place as I can!

The cost

Obviously name changed but work for niche travel company and our average cost per family holiday booking is £40k but have several who will spend over £100k. Average holiday length is 10 days.

The holidays are amazing, truly amazing, and there are some lucky parents and children out there. Some seem to appreciate it more than others…

I wish I could afford to go on the holidays I sell. I’ve had a few mini tasters of it, sadly without my own family, and it is truly mind blowing.

Ignore that, I don't know how it even posted!

The cost of holidays has gone through the roof this year. We've just paid £2300 for a week in Greece, two star, self catering plus spending money and we don't really have much in the way of allowing actual self catering. We normally have a budget of £5000 and get a fortnight in four star minimum including spending money. Last holiday we had a private villa, car hire and spending money, and we spent £4000. We have to go in the school holidays too.

@LeavingOnAJetP1ane ooh, what kinds of things would an everage day entail for those lucky families? £10k average per day is bonkers!

Check out eurocamp - I like the tents but there are caravans as well. Parks all over Europe.
We are paying £600 for a week in
August - family of 4. The dc love it!

You can keep costs down by driving to France and going to a camping site with chalets

I hate spending money on holidays because I'm really crap at being on holiday. I obviously haven't ever been on a proper holiday or havent worked out what I want from a holiday! As soon as I have left home I am counting down the hours till I can be back in my house with my stuff and my routine.
I'm a lost cause I think.
But 32k on a holiday. Wow! I'd rather have a new kitchen, bathroom or car with some leftover for some nice theatre trips!

I can barely afford a weekly shop, nevermind a 4k+ holiday and I work two jobs. So I'm with you there on the "REALLY?!"

Find countries where eating is cheap as Portugal . If you stay a bit away from the tourist magnets you can get meals and drinks for 7 euros a meal per person easily . Café and pastries are super cheap at less than 2 euros for coffee and pastries

Look at some of the smaller hotels in Austria, near the £4K, all inclusive and loads of free childcare.

For example this one is £1450ish for a week in August for two adults and two toddlers in the same room.

www.kinderhotels.com/de/hoteldetail/32/kesselgrubs-ferienwelt.html

Do not go to Hotel Adriana near Lake Garda though, Pastyandacustardslice and I went there (independently but ended up in adjacent rooms) and whilst it did end up with a MN Classic thread we are still traumatised at its awfulness.

You can get a 4* week in Europe for £1500 for 3, and I wouldn’t spend more than 2k. I’d spend 3k on a fortnight, maybe. Certainly wouldn’t spend 4k on standard family-type holiday abroad. I would if there was some city hopping travelling around going on! Everyone has different needs though, don’t they.

For example, I’m happily spending 7k on Florida next year, and that’s some people’s worst nightmare!

Our latest half term AI holiday to turkey cost £100 pp pn.