AIBU to ask where the hell can I take seven people on holiday without bankrupting myself?!

[Whysomany]

Not really an AiBU but posting for traffic after weeks of research and coming up blank.

Promised the kids a holiday, specifically abroad, as they've never been. August 2024. Made the mistake of promising before fully researching and quite frankly I feel a bit fucked now.

I think they'd all like to travel by plane having never done so before and probably unlikely to again but blimey, flights for seven people. I severely under estimated. Looking at driving instead. This we can do but DH doesn't want to drive too far because his car is old and crap, basically.

Originally looking at South of France, Italy, Spain, etc. They all seem out now because of flights and hire car costs. And I don't think I could persuade DH to take his car that far. I have since looked at pretty much every destination in Europe...

All I've got at this point is a week in the Netherlands but honestly at this point, that feels a little disappointing after dreaming of a hot destination and somewhere a bit further away to the UK.

Am I doing something wrong or basically I'm right and it's just not doable? We were looking at Eurocamp and the equivalents.

No set budget. Originally looking at 2.5 - 3k plus food, days out, etc. Might be able to go a bit higher.

Could you go out of school holidays and pull them out for 5 nights over a weekend and say the kids are ill? You will save a lot of money.

Go into an actual travel agent and see what they can offer? Or flights and Air BnB?

What age are the DC?

Also have you budgeted for passports?

Ireland/Northern Ireland? You can fly or take car

£2-3k for all seven of you? That's going to be a massively tall ask I think.

We always used to do camping in France for budget holidays, via the ferry. It won't involve a plane journey but it'll be very affordable.

Northern ireland you wouldn't need passports. Easy jet flights and book a static caravan?

I don’t think you will find anything for 2.5-3k in august though that’s sunny.

I just paid 2.8k for 4 of us for 10 nights in Spain and that was cheap I thought.

You can maybe do 4k if you did it for 5nights instead.

Can't go out in term time sadly. Two of us work in schools, one child is doing GCSEs and one, final year of A Levels.

Op I would join this FB group and ask there, people are really knowledgeable about larger fanily holidays.

Which presumably also rules out May half term?

Yes, I think so. I jumped the gun a bit and now I'm panicking because I said we'd go on holiday. Shouldn't have said anything until I'd researched. So angry with myself.

Look at holidays not in August as you have zero limited chance of finding anything habitable for 7 people for 2.5k. Going out of season for a 2* hotel may be possible, especially if you can fly from London

Honestly £3k for seven people in summer hols might not be enough.

But you could look into house swaps, they can work out quite good value.

Easy jet flights the minute they come out, currently only go to June next year. Go to warmest place with cheap flights, then air b and b. Hire car will add on quite a bit but we did cheap flights to venice then drove to Lake Garda and had an air b and b and it was cheaper than a package holiday.

Range from 5 up to 20! Was going to be the last year we paid for the eldest as they now work FT but we've never taken them abroad before so I guess we just wanted to treat them, just this once.

NI schools tend to go back a bit earlier so might get cheaper last week august/first week sept

This is an option, either France or the Netherlands. We could definitely do this. But ideally we wanted to go quite far South if in France and DH just doesn't think the cars up to it. Though I'd happily risk it, he wouldn't. We did Frejus, Saint-Raphaël before, (not with the kids) and just loved it. Desperate for some sun, heat and reliable weather. But if its not doable then its not doable.

Agadir at Easter ?

Thank you for this!

How much would you budget for gifts at Christmas ? With kids that old (presume the other 3 (?) are between 9 and 15 it's possible to say that as a family you will have to save to make it happen.

I would find a house on Airbnb/vrbo or similar that will sleep 8. Then it's book easyJet or Ryanair asap. If you can do weird days ( like fly on a Monday) you will get better prices but poss lose a day of holiday in your destination.

It is possible to do this stuff on the cheap but by doing all the booking direct yourself. It's then a massive headache for you to sort if there's a problem.

Have a look at EasyJet Holidays and go as late in August as is possible given your term dates

Sadly, yes.

Thanks - will look at this