To ask for your tips and hints on how to afford abroad (school) holidays?

[ErikaReadsTheDailyMail]

Hi all,

Our oldest son started school in September and we've entered a new world a world of being incredibly boundaried by our holiday availability.

Before this we managed to do it fairly frugally least once a year- we'd usually manage a d.i.y break- skyscanner cheap flights and an air bnb sort of thing. We'd keep costs down by shopping in supermarkets there, doing free stuff and staying in of an evening (no worries with two under 5's).

We'd occasionally go on holiday in the U.K instead but to be honest it never worked out cheaper and was usually a lot more expensive. Last year after swearing I never would, we had our first ever all-inclusive resort holiday (and it was absolutely fantastic with the free booze and the kids club and i had to swallow my words!)

We're on a pretty low income and I just physically cannot afford to pay well over 50% more for a holiday due to having to be so limited by school terms.

I'm hoping I just don't have to suck up the next 15 years of not having an annual week away to look forward to but I fear that might be the case.

Does anyone have any words of wisdom? Do people take the kids out and pay the fines? Cheap companies who offer it all-in? Camping in Wales forever more? I'm struggling to see how to do it.

Thanks for your help 😃

You can sometimes be lucky around Easter and find cheaper packages the week of Easter. I don't like taking them out of school because I'm teaching them it doesn't matter and it's ok to lie. We also loved packages before they were school age, but it's a rarity now. Camping, Airbnb, going to less popular parts of France in the car, Wales Cornwall, Scotland..we've had some lovely little adventures.

if you book a few days before the end of term it’s usually a bit cheaper and they miss a few days before the end of term when they are winding down anyway.

It’s a good job we like camping to be honest.

I wouldn’t call every day and lie it will ruin your holiday.

I've got a week in Spain on 2nd August for £1000. 2 nights Air bnb in Madrid and 5 nights in a Melia hotel in Seville...1 adult, a 14 year old and a 10 year old.

We do villa or camping and drive to keep the cost down. Can’t take holiday in term time as teachers don’t get that option. My fortnight abroad keeps me going through the year, but is becoming unaffordable.

Agree with @Iam4eels about putting your DC in the position of having to lie. DH and I were both teachers and had to holiday in high season. We spent every year camping in France for 6 weeks by staying in the cheapest campsites we could find. We put all the petrol on our credit cards and paid it off over the following year. I also took a box of basic groceries with me - every week I'd buy a couple of extras and stash them in the box. That way I wasn't spending our holiday money on sugar, salt, breakfast cereal etc. We also budgeted really strictly when we were there - £x per week, £x per day.

Dont lie but just be prepared to pay a fine (as pp said you are ok for another year)

at Primary age I wouldn’t worry too much. We have a bonus week off school in June and always go abroad then, only way we can afford it. We normally manage something in the UK in august but it’s horrifyingly expensive.

This is one Option me and dh looked at for this year as we are northern. Ive generally found the final week in August to be cheaper and quieter as most of Europe is back at school. Disneyland Paris that week was great. We hardly queued at all.

we then also prices up London Airports departures and they were SIGNIFICANTLY cheaper than Manchester / Midlands as well!!!

Centerparcs Europe was great value. Eindhoven was the one we went to. Halfboard, 3 ski lessons each for the kids, electric golf car hire, and flights and it was still cheaper than centerparcs Cumbria in the same week. Although flights now are more expensive. The Netherlands has a few options for family holidays that are not very expensive in august.

The type of school they go to can also mean cheaper holidays. Catholic school easter is usually later as starts at the end of holy week and can be cheaper.

I second this. Single-income household but I love traveling so cut back on other things to have a holiday.

If you have camping equipment already then even better.

I save Tesco Clubcard points to put towards the tunnel, though that's not going to be as big a saving once they reduce the value of points (again!) from May.

There are some nice campsites with good facilities in northern France. Sometimes there are municipal campsites which can be super cheap (depends) in a town with a public outdoor pool.

Outings in France are much cheaper. E.g EUR 8 for adult entry to a fancy chateau and kids go free. Same kind of thing here would cost closer to £50!

My budget is around £1,500 for me and two DC (hoping to push it up to £2k for next year) for 14 days but my DC are teen/tween and some campsites charge more from 12 or 14 and we do like high ropes, water parks etc. which add up. Your children are younger so probably cheaper tastes in activities and just because they're younger.

If you travel further into France, costs go up for toll roads (can be quite pricey) and more petrol.

We had a parent do this before christmas. Four children in the same school. The children however had told people before they went that they were going on holiday. The mothers daily phone calls became a joke as everyone knew they were abroad.

The last week of any term at our primary they do hardly any work. I used to be a stickler for not going away term time but two or three days before can make a huge difference in the price.

Book early but keep an eye on the prices. Our holiday was £1k cheaper than if we booked it now.

I remember being in this position as the kids started school and thinking how on earth will we afford it. I really value holidays, it's gets me through work. I never went on holiday as a child (far too poor) so for me family holidays are important. I've never been adverse to sneaking a few days off school but actually we've managed to avoid it. Check the school diary carefully for Inset days, they can be a real help. Ours break up two days early before oct half term this year so that makes a difference to flight prices.

We've managed it by thorough research - book flights when they first come out, or use sky scanner. In my experience we have bought reasonable flights (maximum £100 pp but often less) to Venice, Nice, Croatia, Barcelona, mallorca and then found accommodation via air bnb or Vrbo. Checking hotels.com or booking.com and then check the hotels directly as it can be cheaper and you have more security booking direct. Also mid week flights tend to be cheaper. Annoyingly this year I found reasonable flights to Mykonos and Ibiza but all the accommodation is £££. Even sharing with a friend was out of budget.

We have driven through France - I checked last week and tunnel was £276 return in august (or £40 cheaper to get a ferry outward bound) and stayed in more basic accommodation to cut costs (although I draw the line at tents and have to have a washing machine / dishwasher). When the kids are smaller it is easier, mine top and tailed in a bunk bed once as the top bunk wasn't safe and they loved it (wouldn't now 😂).

There are cheaper packages holidays available, check the dates, there can be odd price drops on certain days I just found somewhere with Tui in August that says days either side were £100 - £200 pp more expensive. The whole resort was £1,500 cheaper than the next cheapest place.

In the U.K. we've had cheap breaks in half term with hoseasons, this week they've had last minute caravan breaks to Cornwall / Devon for £139.

I have booked with breakfree holidays Daily Mail do offers with them - (you don't need to actually buy the mail as people share the codes online) for cheap holidays in U.K. - we've been to some lovely places in Cornwall. You can add 3 night and 4 night breaks together to get a week in half term.

If you want to go to Center parcs you will only manage it with a lucky inset day or taking them out of school in term time. If you don't know the school holiday dates just look at center parcs pricing you'll be able to tell 😂. I always say we did a week in Barcelona at Easter for half the price of a centre parcs holiday.

I really hope we've also given the children some insight into travelling and doing things by yourself.

I'm a teacher. Many parents - far more than before covid - are now booking term time holidays.

Most send a nice email letting the school know, offering some sort of explanation and saying that they are aware that it will be unauthorised.

The only time it raises eyebrows is if attendance is already low, or parents go on to complain about their child's progress, or they ask for work to be set.

My advice is to do it no more than once per year, don't ask for work to be set and to send an honest email beforehand.

The absolute worst thing you can do is ask your child to lie. It's always transparently obvious. The child feels awful doing it and we have a good laugh at your expense.

A combination of accepting it's not going to be every year (we managed about every other year) and getting creative - going to smaller places families don't flock to, booking ahead, booking last minute and the biggest trick was driving rather than flying (not quite the saving it once was) eg taking a road trip through dance and soak. Rather than being in resort the whole time. Never did ai as that pushes the prices up a lot, it's not like you can get your money's worth with kids in tow and they attract a less family friendly crowd. The big camp sites are a good option, with little ones look at Normandy or Brittany as shorter to drive, most have caravans and cabins to rent or bring your own tent

@Tarantella6

Actually the ferry is usually cheaper than the tunnel, half the price last time we went

We took DS out for a holiday (very very far away) but he was 4 (no fine, though school could not authorize it) we stayed with family, and 1 out of the 3 weeks was a halfterm. It was only doable for us this way.

The only August holiday abroad we have done since was made affordable by going shorthaul, booking flights well ahead on a 0% spend CC, strict saving over 6 months to pay for everything, off-peak prices for a budget city hotel, and also sharing costs of an air Bnb and groceries with a big number of relatives. All this was not stress free, though it was a great holiday.

The families I know that do regular holidays always book cottages or hol packages a year ahead and pay them off in installments. The prices they pay for just one week we couldn't afford, though!

Eurocamp, cheaper than hotel or villa holidays and so much fun. We used to go for 10/11 nights right at the end of August, as the last week of the six weeks is much cheaper but still warm enough.

We take our DD out of school and pay the fine.

Eurocamp. May half-term and the last week of August are always cheaper. Most sites have swimming pools, flumes etc. Use Tesco vouchers on the tunnel or ferry.

Go somewhere hot at Easter, again it's much cheaper then.

Look at chain hotels in and around cities. Novotel & Ibis are good value. Spain and Germany (I think) have Premier Inns.

Also look at places with lakes rather than the sea. One top tip is Bordeaux, my kids loved it around there (and the wine made me happy) splash area along the river was a huge hit. Then perhaps continue to the Pyrenees

Jet 2 have a free child place finder - always worth a look
Book waaaaaay in advance - friend has 10 days AI for x4 in summer hols next year for less than 3k but she booked months ago
Chip a day or two off beginning or end of a holiday - but don't advise DC missing Sept start

There is a balance of the cost and having the holiday break up the long 6 weeks over the summer, but booking in advance helps bring the cost down.

@gogohmm

I'd be interested to know what ferry route you took and how far in advance you booked, because the tunnel has always come out cheaper when I look. Maybe I leave it too late.

I already have the dates for our 2024 holiday, so I will be able to book at the earliest possible opportunity for next year.

Although it's a shit show getting to France these days, we used to stay in a lovely campsite with pool and large static caravan. The cost was about 650 euro per week and 140 for the crossing.
Just below Paris so we did fairly cheap days at disney on the odd occasion and visit lots of lovely villages and castles.
Weather is great and pool for fun kids loved it.

I take my son out of school for a week every 2 - 3 years. I can't afford to go away every year. No fines but it's a lot cheaper if you do get fined than paying school holiday rate. You've got years yet before you can't because of GCSE'S etc