I hate my budget holiday

[ValentinaTheVampire]

We have small children to do things on a budget so we tend to do self catering in the UK to avoid paying for flights and also so we aren't all squashed into a hotel room.

But ugh, it has been so miserable this time (we are away at the moment). The weather where we are staying is pretty miserable. We are staying near family where I grew up as we tried to do holiday and family visit in one and I am honestly just counting down the days. I'm so tired from all the driving about and visiting and trying to keep kids entertained in the rain with none of their usual stuff around to help.

The cottages we've had the past few holidays have been so tired looking and even then they are so expensive.

I have a small but perfectly nice house at home. Kids aren't exactly getting a cultural experience here (although they are loving seeing family).

Dh wants to do another holiday cottage for my 40th birthday which is coming up over other school holidays and I've just told him no fucking way 😂.

I'd rather spend the money on my house or save for a nicer holiday even if we don't get one as often.

I can't tell if holidays have got worse or if I have become a that who just likes staying at home.

Just about to put my lovely north norfolk holiday house on air b and b for October into next year , it’s only for 3 plus a dog and I’ve been so worried about getting it perfect!
I to have had dirty uncomfortable cottage holidays in Uk
one poster said they where 3 then dogs
I had been unsure of dogs in the let but you have helped me make up my mind
thanks
your post really helped me out as I love to cook and had been thinking about offering
evening meals ( heat up etc)
and now I know it’s a much needed thing!
a couple of nights off cooking must be a plus right .
hope op gets though and the sun comes out wherever u are

Thanks again everyone for all your messages and suggestions. I'm not going to be on here again as think it's run its course now, but I appreciate people posting.

Plan is to staycation from now on and save for nicer holidays. I know I'm repeating myself a bit, but just for people just joining who maybe haven't read.

@septicsmeg sorry to hear that. Hope things improve for you soon

This.

I stopped going on holiday for many, many years when my DC were small.

Without wanting to de-rail I specifically only book places that are not dog friendly because no matter how well you clean the smell and the hairs linger and having a cottage that smelt of dogs would 100% ruin the holiday for me.

We booked a week in Dorset at Easter, felt everyone needed a early break this year, so went for a small holiday cottage, it cost over £1000 was small, damp, filthy and uncomfortable, we left early. 5days cost nearly £2000 as we were going out so much to not have to cook or even just be in the hovel. Money we could have spent on a new bathroom at home. Now in dordogne for same money, glorious farmhouse with a pool. No contest. Holiday cottages in uk are ridiculously priced.

Not sure if anyone else has mentioned and no idea if this is a regular thing but we made booked butlins at the beginning of this year (around Jan/Feb time) to go in Aug and they had a significant discount/sale on so maybe worth waiting to see if that happens again later in the year early next year? We went for 4 nights to skegness a couple of weeks ago and it was really good, our daughter and my brothers kids loved it as there is so much to do. We stayed in a silver new style apartment I think and no complaints 😊 can't check any details or prices as sister in law booked it all together, but I definitely remember having to book it by a certain date before the sale ended at start of this year!

Dutch (dodgy weather) center parcs (and maybe French) are cheaper than UK and you can use Tesco vouchers to pay the Chunnel. I generally hate all-inc and love a bit of exploring on holiday, but I massively appreciated an all-inc 5* in Tunisia when DC were 4 and 1, £1600 in 1st week of July. I think you might work in a school though.

Another option, in Oct 2020 when we couldn't travel, we tried to create a spa hotel at home for ourselves, SIL and her DC for whom we were a support bubble. Hired a hot tub for a few days, got a mobile masseur to come in, bought nice food with no/minimal cooking, face masks, gave each other manicures. We went for a big walk and did a home workout or youtube yoga class each day, then had games/movie nights, etc. DC (then 9 and 7) got into the swing, set up a relaxation room in the playroom etc. We ignored all the house work, tidying and laundry figuring you usually come home from hols with laundry. Gave zero shits about screen time, eating too many treats. Whole cost Inc hot tub and massages was about £500 for 3 days. Depending on DC's ages, you could get them a new lego set/magazines etc. It was really relaxing and cost a fraction of what 3 nights away somewhere decent for 7 of us would have cost.

Try somewhere like Butlins, that way you don’t have to find things to entertain the kids

I'd rather stay home and do day trips

@ValentinaTheVampire I can handle disappointing / basic accommodation, and I can handle bad weather.....but yes, the two of them together is pretty hard to take. I feel your frustration. Not easy with young kids.

Fingers crossed for a better holiday next time.

@SlippySarah You'd be surprised...there are nice places abroad where you can stay on a budget that aren't like you describe, but you wouldn't get them through a package holiday type deal. We look for good deals on flights, then food deals on accommodation. Usually go on recommendations through Facebook groups about holidays with kids, there are lots.
Our latest find was Halkidiki in Greece...lovely rural coastal area, lots of small villages and towns, not too built up, clean beaches and friendly locals. We rented a lovely apartment in a complex with a pool, restaurant and play area, it was very peaceful and surrounded by olive groves. The other guests were young families from neighbouring countries and middle aged Germans, all well behaved! The accommodation cost £600 for 3 of us including breakfast. For the whole holiday we paid around £1500 for one week and that was with eating out at nice restaurants every night.
In the Uk we tend to go to camp sites but only nice ones and we upgrade to the best accommodation option. So a nicely furnished cabin or caravan with all mod cons. It costs the same as the cottages but camp sites are more fun for kids and we always have a great time. Two weeks would be a bit much though, one week at a time is enough for us, we usually do a holiday abroad and a holiday in the Uk for a week each.

We did this too for several years, it was fantastic. And if you swap with other people who have children, then you generally get toys, kids' DVDs, even bikes. When we went abroad we'd swap cars as well.

Statistically, August is actually quite a wet month most years.

I feel that if the UK is going to be SO anal about out-of-term holidays, the school holidays could at least be May to June, which are the driest times of year!

Definitely not unreasonable.

I did a cheap holiday in the UK this year, have never regretted it more.

I made such an error of judgement and booked somewhere totally unexciting we'd been before, and then the weather was cold and rainy.

We've never been so miserable. And it still cost us over a grand. We'd have been better off at home, which is more than twice the size of the studio flat/duplex we were in.

I felt so guilty for dragging my two teen-agers and husband, even though they tried to be lovely about it.

Got to go abroad next year.

YANBU. We’ve had 20 years of caravan holidays with me, DH and 2 sons. I just end up doing everything I do at home but in a 7m box and without a comfy bed or my own bathroom. If it weren’t for BBQ and wine I’d never make it. Off to S Wales on Saturday…

If I’m staying in the UK on holiday I always try and stretch the budget to stay somewhere similar or better than my home.

I've just put the half term week in and it's the same price - goes up in June. OP could get a nice 5 day break for £610.

The only problem with doing a staycation at home is that I feel like I have not had a break! I dunno. Something about going away even in a shit cottage seems like a holiday.

okay, so your budget is quite low for a family in school holidays. Mine is too, so I sympathise, and here are some ways I cope :)

I've completely given up on non-camping holidays in the UK. They are a total rip-off and offer exceptionally poor value for money. Camping and caravan holidays here are better but choose your location carefully, and plan not to do many paid-for activities or meals out.

For overseas, I'd consider places not on the usual holiday radar. Places where income is much lower, yet within a decent flight time from the UK:

Bosnia Herzegovina (beautiful and interesting)
Slovakia (especially parts that are usually more popular in winter for skiing - high tatras is good)
Germany (try the upper black forest, amazing value, great tourist office offers for activities)
Ireland - scenic, cheap to get to, but high on-the-ground costs for food, drink and sundries
Italy, inland - mountainous areas are brilliant value in summer, Milan Malpensa airport flights are plentiful and very cheap. The added bonus is that these areas are generally wealthy by in-country standards and they work really hard to please summer tourists.

Above all, booking flights in advance is your friend. Set reminders for when easyjet/ BA/ Wizzair/ Ryanair flights go on sale and get on that keyboard. You can save hundreds if not thousands of pounds by booking flights in advance.

The best holiday we had with small children was a cheap Sun newspaper discount holiday on a static holiday camp not far away so not too much travelling but still a complete change of scenery. It is SO not our thing - but we loved it. We didn't use the on-site entertainments, just walked a beautiful scenic route to the beach and fun seaside shops and the like. There was also a small play park on site. My old mum came with us and I look back at that holiday with great affection.

Our kids hadn't stayed in a caravan before so it was a great novelty and they absolutely adored it

My son & his family went to Montenegro @ Whit and really enjoyed it. I’d only ever heard of the place but hotels & food are cheap apparently and tge weather is lovely. Just a thought…

When my children were small we always went abroad for holidays. Our view was the weather was guaranteed and we could spend most days on the beach which they loved - not spending a fortune keeping them entertained in a wet and cold UK. You can get really cheap flights and with a bit of research cheap but decent accommodation.

Oh gosh. Feel for you there. Gets my goat when I'm washing, prepping, cooking, organising and cleaning like I'm at home.

@Houseneedsalift that’s not a holiday location issue, that’s a selfish arsewipe partner issue

This is exactly how i
feel OP. I wonder if it’s just that I e changed and love staying at home too!! My children are now 9 and 11 and want to do NOTHING at all. My husband wants to go to old ruins, falconry and walks up hills. I don’t particularly want to do those things but it beats doing nothing.
I’ve been asking to go abroad for years but it’s always met with a lit
if
reaisrance. (Too hot? Flights are a faff, silly times of day, crap hotels etc) but surely a week of no rain is worth it??