About holiday costs

[Chippychipschips]

I always holiday in the UK because it’s what I can afford plus I don’t really like travelling.

For some reason this choice always warrants a big lecture from people about how holidaying in the UK is too expensive so that’s why they go abroad.

I am all for people doing what they want but just think this is bullshit.

If I have a budget of £800 to spend on accommodation for a family of 4 the UK is my best option. Yes I know I won’t get the guaranteed sunshine or cheap dining but the UK is all I can afford.

What people actually mean when they say things like this is you can get more for your money abroad. This is probably true but if my budget doesn’t stretch to £3/4k for a weeks all inclusive then it’s not an option for me!

It really gets on my tits that people imply you are spending badly when they don’t realise choices are obviously dictated by budget!

It does bug me that the UK is overpriced but I still want to go on holiday. I could save for years to go abroad but if I’m not really bothered why can’t I enjoy a UK holiday once a year?

I know this is not a big issue but I have shared my holiday plans with 2 people this year only to be told how badly I am spending my money (by people with a lot more disposable income than me)!

We’re going abroad this year (school holidays) and spending a small fortune. It’s almost double what it was four years ago.
Next year we’re having a UK holiday and I can’t actually wait!

Touché we must remember our place 🙄

Sorry just realised the Scottish Holidays are earlier. Lucky you for being able to have affordable holidays. The English ones helpfully coincide with the summer shutdown in Europe meaning the world and his mother are out in force.

I agree with you OP. I holidayed in France and Spain last year and while lovely it was about 5x the cost of a cottage in the UK once the cost of taxis, parking, food etc had been factored in.

I do think that when people make the comment they are often remembering their cheapest holiday/best bargain of yesteryear. This year prices are high. The cheapest return ferry I can find are £200, cost of fuel is high and the shit exchange rate mean that a quick stop at a McDonald's en route comes in at about £50 a go 😆.

A static caravan/chalet on any decent site is at least 2k for two weeks (often closer to 3k). Camping is cheaper but often still more expensive than the UK for a decent site.

Maybe where you live they do, but that is not universal across the whole of the UK.

At least our place can be abroad, at the start of July, for under a grand 😂😂

@Chippychipschips

Many people do appear to be baffled why there is a large section of the population prefer to holiday in the UK than go abroad.
It's not just about price, but the idea that a UK holiday in somehow inferior and not a 'proper' holiday.
The last time we went abroad was October half term 2019 to Amsterdam.
We are staying in the UK again this year, a week in Wales, a week on the Isle of Wight and will probably fit in a week with friends in Cornwall.
We love all those places, we don't want holidays which are based around sitting round a pool or on a beach. The last time we went abroad on a summer holiday to Rhodes - it was just too hot for a lot of the day trips we wanted to do.
I like the fact that holidays in the UK mean you can travel in the day, not end up at an airport at 2 in the morning with a transfer still to do.
Because of the rail strikes we recently flew to Edinburgh - I'd forgotton how much hassle security is, the extra time hanging around in airports.
People don't compare like for like. Its all very well @Yoloohno saying she has cruise for 4 adults for £1500 in September because that isn't school holidays - in England, Scotland or Wales.

We will go abroad again, when school holidays aren't a consideration but we will always have holidays in the UK.

But what's the cost of the same holiday in July/August? I'm guessing at least double?

🤣🤣 true!

@Ted27 our choices are mainly dictated by cost but I also find going abroad a hassle. I am not the best traveler so a UK holiday suits me.

I totally agree that people don’t see it as a proper holiday. I think the overreaction from people is coming from that place. I grew up only ever holidaying in the UK so don’t understand that attitude. I guess a lot of it is what you’re used to as well.

I hear you OP. We holiday in the UK and abroad. People (including mumsnet surveys) do not realise it is possible to like both. Holidays abroad for a family in school holidays are expensive. UK holidays in half terms are bargainous, particularly if you're not looking for Devon/Cornwall. A week in the UK typically costs us between £200-500, plus a couple of tanks of fuel and we self cater a lot so not too much spent on food. We often go to Scotland as the school holidays differ to ours in England so we can secure good prices. We love both types of holidays for different reasons.

They're probably just missing the cost of passports as assuming everyone has them. You can get some real bargains abroad - more so than in the UK - but not if you're spending £££ to even be eligible for the holiday in the first place.

Or travelling from rural Aberdeenshire!

If you want to do summer then that’s not a real budget imo . You can in fact go abroad a lot cheaper than the U.K. so I have no idea why you say otherwise but it seems you need to do more research .

A quick check 12 nights on Aurora for 4 going to the fjords in August can be done for less than £2k.

For this argument, I'd day it counts if the departing airport is Scotland/very northern England.

It comes up as from 999 per person when I search.

A week for 4 people in August at Dutch Center Parcs starts at 1500 euros. Before travel. I just think everything has gone up a LOT to recoup on the lost covid years.

@mewkins

I meant Easter or May as main hols - but yes that has gone up. Pretty sure summer used to be around 1,000 Euros. Duinrell has gone up loads. It's all a bit depressing after a few years of not being able to get away properly.

I like this tip! Keep them coming 🤣

You're welcome! Check Canvas Holidays and Eurocamp but also Sandaya, Vacansoleil, Yellow, Huttopia. Sites are often really quiet in the May half term too.

@Wiluli its the only budget I have I’m afraid!

Of course it was - I put in the closest four airports to where I live. All of which are acceptable driving distance to catch a flight (I’ve flown from all 4)

You’ve done really well to get a caravan for £800 in the summer! We paid about that for an electric camping pitch in Devon a couple of years ago.
I also couldn’t imagine having a proper holiday for £500 spends, not sure if that includes travel or not.
In addition to the pitch, we probably spent a couple of hundred on fuel (live up north). And the weather was truly awful for the time we were there. We had planned to take food to the beaches, have BBQs, cook between us (a few friends on the same site). None of this was possible with the weather. It was so windy we couldn’t use our porch for cooking, beach days were totally out of the question as we’re BBQs.
None I know we were incredibly unlucky with the weather, but in total we definitely spent more then £2k for that week and we couldn’t wait to get home. It’s completely put us off booking something so expensive so far away again.
We tend to take our holidays in May time now, 10/11 nights all inclusive on the Greek Islands, usually works out a similar cost.
We do also have cheap UK breaks, but never as our actual holiday.

Thats just one example as well, we booked a lovely lakeside caravan with hot tub one year. £1000 for the week, we spent a fortune on entertain and food on top.

I find that a like for like quality holiday, abroad is cheaper. You can get a better standard. The UK is beautiful, but eating out, going out for a drink, days out are very expensive. Accommodation can be very expensive for what it is.
UK holidays are not usually a budget option.

Thanks. Unfortunately that is nowhere near where we’re going on holiday!