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.

We're cruising with Royal Caribbean, decided to do a Greek Island cruise starting from Ravenna in Italy. Was cheap flights into Bologna. Boat has entertainment, kids club, all food included. Was £2100 for 2 adults and 2 children in a Balcony room.

We hunted everywhere for a good all inclusive deal and then decided that cruising offered the best value. That didn't include drinks but we got a good deal on the drinks package which bumped the price by £500.

6 of us going to Cyprus at end of august for 10 nights has set us back just over £5k so I’d say yes this is pretty normal.
if you want cheap and aren’t fussy, hold on to the money and book last minute…I’ve done 7 day holidays AI for 6 people on less than £2k doing it this way.

I like to go more last minute, I work for myself so can take the chance...this year we've had 3 x 1 week AI, twice Canaries and once Spain, and spent less than 6k for all. Going a week SC in Menorca next month and that's 3k alone.

But yes, holidays are expensive, I personally prefer little and often so happy to 'rough' it in 3/4 rather than have one 5*

We’ve just spent £4.5k on an all inclusive (not low end but more pricey than basic) incl flights for 6 nights.

Look into TUI magic life or TUI blue. I'm not sure about September but in March we went all inclusive for £1100, 2 adults 1 child to Fuerteventura. It was really good, brilliant food, great kids club for DD of 4.
Also went to Portugal near the Algarve when DD was 18 months, that was also in March. Self catering but paid just over 2k for everything including spending money.

This is normal for lots of people, it seems, but the mind boggles!!!

I always think MN (and Times Readers) must have much more disposable income than average

we do much cheaper sort of holidays, like U.K. based ones, or less popular countries such as Poland and Germany. this summer we have organised a private exchange with a family we know in Spain (just our teen boys doing a week U.K. and a week Spain), next year we may house swap for a week

gotta be a bit creative if you don’t have 7k spare every year 😁

Parque Santiago 3, in Tenerife, are perfectly located self catering apartments. The rooms are basic and a bit dated, but the location, pool and grounds are stunning. We've paid between 1.2 and 1.6k for a fortnight in term time, in the last year: 2 adults and 2 toddlers, flights, baggage and transfers included.

Ahh sorry it comes across that way, not my intention.

I wanted to explain that my reason for being surprised at the cost of the holidays wasn’t because they were unaffordable. It was because I was shocked at the implication in the article that these are standard costs for holidays and I was wondering if that implication was wrong or not.

You can be able to afford something, but still chose not to buy it, or to only buy it as a rare treat, because you think it’s too much or not essential or because you’d rather save or spend the money in other ways.

Re your daughter. I felt comparatively poor and embarrassed about it at school as most of my friends lived in a posher bit of town, in bigger houses and went on holidays in hotels. Whereas we lived in a terrace in the studenty bit and went camping. Largely because my parents were born working class and despite having gone to uni and having decent jobs they always felt anxious about spending and didn’t have the kind of money confidence that led friends parents to take out a big new mortgage or splurge on a holiday. I’m still friends with most of the same people now, and some have said that looking back they were pretty oblivious to any differences and just thought it was cool that my brother and I got to stay in tents and that my parents made all our food from scratch instead of buying more expensive branded things. Kids don’t always pick up on the things you think they will.

Holidays are our 'thing' also ! We have 5 kids/teens so it's expensive . Just back from Greece and that was 10 k, skiing in January costs almost the same.
We love nice hotels so we splurge on them. I pay everything off monthly .
Drove oldish cars, don't eat out that much at home , mortgage finished next year .

- but are not willing on principle - to pay is a nightmare.

sp you have principles but I don’t! 😂

i will think of you as a laze but the pool in a five star hotel AI whilst my children swim around me, and then we head up to a beautiful room, shower, sit on balcony with stunning view enjoying a drink from the included mini bar and head down to Japanese restaurant we will eat at (Inc on the AI) and then I’ll get up without a thought to washing up or grocery shopping.

and then get a golf buggy back to the hotel.

bloody expensive
absolutely worth it
principles can go jump!

It's silly money for many people, you only have to see how so many are distressed at the gas/electricity increase in prices .

I think you may be right about Times journalists. Some decent writing, but I’ve noticed that a lot of the ones that write for the lifestyle, travel, opinion bits seem to be the kids of other writers / famous types and therefore almost certainly not just living off their salaries or writing about relatable things.

One if my favourite examples of this I think was Emily Clarkson writing about how university was a bit of a waste of time and you could get a head start in your career and save your fees by starting work straight away. Much easier of course to get that head start in your career (as a journo and podcaster) if Jeremy Clarkson is your dad and you can take advantage of his contacts and live for free in London.

But op your kid is only eighteen months old. The cost of holidays hasn’t really changed in the last few years much,

it’s ok not to have this kind of money spare for holidays, lots of people don’t. Your post actually screams you don’t but that you’ve some form of hang up that means you don’t want strangers to know.

Our 2 adult 1 teen half board holiday for August was under £500 per person. Cheap and cheerful, I hope!

That's crazy! We are going on a 7 day Norwegian cruise next year in May (all inclusive 2 adults and 2 children) for £1200.....I know its not everyone's up of tea but I can't say I'd spend £7000 on a weeks holiday even if I did have that sort of spare cash!

you could try the Aquila rethymno beach in Crete- we went there a few years ago and it was closer to 2k. Excellent family rooms, on the beach and good kids club.

No I really do - decent job, saved hard and married up, albeit to someone who would also rather save than spend this kind of money on a holiday to what essentially looks like a really really nice leisure centre with added buffet and sunshine. But I still have the mentality of someone who doesn’t, as a result of upbringing.

I inherited my parents ‘save everything because you never know when the Cossacks could come over the hill / the debt collectors come knocking’ mentality. In some ways it’s a good thing to have inherited, but it also does stop you enjoying life a bit.

Details please!!!!

Holidays are one of those things that you can spend huge amounts on and get no more enjoyment than people who spent much less imo. As you are asking for recommendations for sensible budgets, I took my grandson three to Majorca with Jet2 holidays last September for a week. It was only meant to be a cheapy extra holiday, fully inclusive at £600 each with a free child place for him and it was an absolutely brilliant week.

www.caladorplaya.com/en/m2/amp/
Toddler friendly local beach, 5 minutes walk. Toddler pool and slides just perfect for him, largeish apartments with a separate bedroom perfect for us to sit on the balcony while he napped. All inclusive buffet, fantastic. Bouncy castles and kids play stuff every evening. Jet2 even included transfers, it was so stress free! And so cheap!
This year I hired a massive villa in Greece with a private pool, with flights, hire cars and food 2 weeks came in around £8k, another brilliant holiday. But no better than our jet2 week! You pay your money and you take your choice 😉

So to be clear

you can afford the “silly money” of £7k holidays

but because of your “principles” you don’t want to spend that amount.

is that the long and short of it?

IME self catering is much the easiest way to go with young children and far cheaper than AI. You can hit the local supermarket and just buy what you know they will eat and easy food for you. Pick somewhere near a town so you can wander out to eat in the evening and a beach and you are pretty well covered.

I have stayed a few times at the apartments at the Hotel Oasis in Alghero Sardinia. They are fairly basic but they have everything you need. You can use the hotel pool and playground and it is across the road from the fabulous beach. You can walk into Alghero along the beach or get the bus from outside the hotel. Flights are Ryanair to Alghero airport which is only 20 minutes away. Sardinia is pleasantly warm right through to the end of October. There are lots of other apartments available on booking.com and similar websites.

Just one example but there are similar all over Europe. Corsica is also fab. You really don't have to pay through the nose for a holiday.

i don’t think it’s a revolutionary concept to be able to afford something, but to look for more reasonable alternatives, because you don’t think it’s necessary / worth the money / a good way to spend your spare cash.

I’m sure you don’t spend all your money on the fanciest stuff you can just because you can

Out of interest op

do you share similar principles when it comes to cars? Homes? Private schooling? Clothing?

that paying something that you can afford but deem “silly money” is because of your principles?

Genuine question

I could afford a much much nicer car than the one I drive. I don’t regard my choice not to buy a more expensive one a matter of “principle” but more…. Personal taste and priorities!

What you see as “principles”

I see as “personal preference”

It’s the inference that you are doing something noble by not spending what you could afford on a holiday! 😂