To think you can’t get a family holiday for £500

[Lalalawhitenoise]

inspired by a thread of a woman who’s taking her kids to florida, one of the poster said It was obscene spending that amount of money and that some families spend £500, maybe £1000 max on a family holiday for a family of 4.

I read it got me wondering, can you really get a family holiday (not tent camping) for £500? If so where? That would really help us out as was maybe thinking we might not be able to get a hols this year, what hols can you get (summer time ish) for under that £1k mark? Is it even possible?

We've paid less than £500 for a week in holiday cottages loads of times.

Yes, you still have to buy food etc. but you have to buy that anyway. Our last holiday was around £400 for a dog-friendly, two-bedroomed house (sleeps four) with off-road parking and an enclosed garden.

We go to the south of France may half term. It’s out of season for them. We get a lodge type Mobile home for around €380. Ferry has gone up and is now around £140. Add to that tolls, food etc we used to bring it in for around £1000. Now it’s more likely to be £1200. That’s driving though, much more expensive to fly.

@Lalalawhitenoise yes all in the U.K. I use hoseasons all the time and they do lovely breaks away in lodges too.

I've booked for £319 less than £80 each, 1 week next Easter 4 bed cottage at away resorts filey. We booked day earlier than school holidays start to make it cheaper. Booking earlier usually helps.
We went abroad this Easter again going a day before holidays started (inset day) all inclusive 4☆ £508 each in spain. Booked a year in advance looking at next year same holiday was £200 each more so probably less doable now.

We are staying in a self catering cottage on the Gower Penisula in July for £900 2 beds 2 baths. Of course we need to drive there and eat.

Our accommodation this year is costing £280 for a week in the lake district. However, this is because we are hiring an entire bunk house with 3 other families.

You may (at a push) get a holiday cottage or caravan for £500 but when you add on travel, food, entertainment then I don't think you could do it for much under a grand.

You can get a Premier Inn for a week for less than 500 in some locations, sleeping 4 in one room. Some of them are in coastal resorts or cool cities.

Totally agree with this. I've paid £500 for a week self-catering in a 2-bed holiday cottage in August.
Doesn't include travel.

I've noticed prices are going up though and the lovely cottage we stayed in last summer is £550 this year.

No.

I had a quick look at Cottages.com and they had a fair number of reasonable-looking 2 bed cottages near the Northumbrian coast in August, between 500 and 1,000 pounds. If you'd been booking last October you'd have had loads of good choices in that price band.
https://www.cottages.com/search?adult=2&child=2&infant=0&pets=0&range=7&nights=7&accommodationType=cottages&start=05-08-2023&regionId=21741&regionName=Northumberland&destinationURL=%2Fengland%2Fnorthumberland&features=10091&page=1&sort=priceasc&bedrooms=twobed

My mum and dad managed to find a chalet at a Parkdean resort for £299 for 4 nights over the Easter holidays in Cornwall. I think it would have been around £500 Mark if we added a couple of days on. The chalet was a bit dated, but perfectly functional and cosy. I thought it was a bargain and actually better than the static caravans xx

@Lalalawhitenoise I just searched by East mids airport, the date with 3 days flexibility either side and any destination.

I doubt the hotels are height of luxury but if you're just using it as a place to keep your stuff and sleep 🤷‍♀️

Short breaks/theme park trips you could do.
We did a haven at Blackpool last year for 4 nights (first week of Scottish school hols). £280 for 6 of us (silver caravan with decking etc and entertainment passes).

Doing Haven at haggarston castle soon. Paid £262 for 7 of us with passes etc. silver caravan again.

We did LEGOLAND windsor last September staying on site for 2 nights for £250 for 6 of us.

We have also done things like Cbeebiesland but used blue light services days discounts and things like that.

I’m going to Dorset in May half term and our cottage is £925.

Last year we went to Wales and the cottage was less than £800.

Obviously we’ll have to spend money whilst there but our boys have ASD so we don’t eat out anywhere fancy.

A week self catering at pontins comes in at £329 if you're not fussy. Although, I'd rather just set fire to the cash than spend a night there

There are quite often caravan offers on Groupon and Wowcher for 3 or 4 days for under £200.

As pps have said, haven and those types of caravan sites (even in holiday time loads cheaper if you book a year in advance).

😂😂

We've paid £540 for a house in Scotland for October half term this year. And £690 for a house in Northumberland next August (BH week).

We've had cottages for less as well, by booking well in advance.

Yes in the UK. I posted the places we normally go.

We have paid just under £600 for 4 nights at a nice looking lodge park in August. It’s not near a beach though and has no pool etc but is handy for visiting family and friends. I was looking for a caravan holiday for next summer and pretty shocked by the prices!

We're paying just over £400 for four nights in an AirBnB in Devon in August. It's Tuesday-Saturday, which is a bit odd but fine by us. We only booked it a couple of months ago as well. I'd say doable!

I take it by £500 people mean accommodation only?

Then yes, maybe agree if you’re not fussy, it’s possible.

However, when you factor in travel expenses/food and money for things to do it just spirals

We just went to Cornwall for a week over the Easter holidays in a caravan for 550. It was a lovely site too with an on-site swimming pool and club and beach access. Prices have skyrocketed for summer holidays though

I've got mon-Fri for May half term at haven Skegness for £369 for 4 of us in a caravan. Booked early tho. But with spending money it'll be more than £500

Just been on Vbro there are still 2 bed places for less than £1000 in the lat week of August, including Devon and the New Forest.