The standard of lost cost holidays is appalling but there’s very limited options

[AsproutdeserveslifenotjustChristmas]

I know term time holidays will always be expensive for what they are, but I feel people on a budget are hit worst than ever as the squeezed middle classes are now “downgrading” their holidays to cheaper options, thus helping the price creep up. And of course everything is more expensive, food, staff wages.

I can’t tell you how many people wearing crew clothing and having children called Rafferty I’ve seen at Butlin’s this week! Unless you are in the premium lodges then you are literally staying in a dirty out of date shacks to get a break away somewhere, despite both of us being full time workers.

Yes, the first thought in your head was freeing up spaces for the plebs, not using your sharp elbows to push your kids to the front of the queue in life right from the start.

I have no problem with private education, but it’s a scandal they’ve got away with not paying VAT for this long, I will be glad when this loophole is closed.

Don't worry OP. We went to Butlins recently and we won't be back! We stayed in the silver apartments and they were so run down and really dirty.

Apart from that we really enjoyed our break in Skegness!

I don't really understand what MN thinks a holiday should cost, in general. People here seem to be spending insane amounts of money on a week in Tenerife or Center Parcs or something. I mean, if you can afford it and it's what you want to do, fine- but then you get so many people wringing their hands and wailing they can't afford a holiday because their budget's "only" 2-3-4000 pounds or whatever.

People, you don't have to go on a package holiday, go AI, or to an expensive British holiday park. Other holidays exist. Our annual holiday budget is about £1500 for me and 2 DC, and with that we've been on a 23 day camping and driving tour of France (with 4 nights in budget hotels), Interrailing round Europe for 2 weeks (staying in AirBnBs), and this year we're driving down through France, camping in the Pyrenees and Picos d'Europa and getting the ferry back from Santander.

(and while we're on the subject, not all Continental campsites have water parks, restaurants and onsite entertainment- you can find plenty of simple and - crucially- cheap ones if you look!)

Well it’s less than £17 pppn which is good value but still out of reach for some people. My holiday will be camping in a nice lay-by next to a loch with a spot for a camp fire and a bin for a very reasonable £4.20 per night.

There will be paddle boarding and wild swimming and it’ll be generally jolly and fun and super cheap. The place will probably be littered with Raffertys!

We stayed in some holiday cottages about 10 mins' drive from Minehead Butlins two years ago. It was about £90/night. It was walking distance to a beach with fossils to find, a steam train ran past it and opposite there was a farm park with free entry and soft play for a few pounds a head.

It was ideal for us as a family with under 5s and to me, much more relaxing than Butlins despite being self catering. I'd much rather throw together something quick and eat it with my family, maybe outside at a picnic table, than queue up and eat in a noisy restaurant. The cottages themselves were pretty cheap and cheerful, but no worse than the older Butlins chalets.

I've been to the Minehead Butlins as an adult several times for festivals and a hen do once, but never with the kids. I love Minehead beach though, and the surrounding areas too.

Single mum with a bit of a limited budget but a love of travel. I plan our holiday a good year in advance and look out for the flights being released so I can book the cheaper seats.
We tend to stay in youth hostels in a family room as it's relatively expensive and we meet likeminded people. I definitely look for places with a kitchen so I can save on restaurants. We also go off the beaten track for many UK travellers to enjoy cheaper destinations which aren't so popular like Montenegro and Albania.
Lakeside holidays are great as you have a beach but without resort prices. Camping is definitely something we enjoy and have received many great tips from friends about how to make it a good time.
That's just my style of holiday, bit of adventure and hope for the best which I know if not right for everyone.

Yay to us Rafferty Mums!!

Also, I'd rather camp in the garden.

There’s still bargains to be had but depends what you’re looking for.

Ive just booked a week in Lesvos, Greece in a small 3 star apartment complex with a shared pool, pool bar and onsite taverna. With flights cars transfers etc it’s £349 per person for a week. Now it obviously won’t be luxury but I’m happy with somewhere clean to rest our heads while we enjoy the sun

Last year I did a week each in Skiathos and Santorini and for £475 and £420 respectively.

I’ve only even been to Butlins for the Southport Weekend (though actually in Bognor) and we stayed in a gold apartment which was perfectly adequate for what we needed.

Wait until all the privately educated kids get squeezed out of the private education after the 20% price increase, you will have a great time then. The cost of many other things will astronomically increase.

OMG yet another way to blame middle class for something 🤦‍♀️🤣

For the love of all that's holy can we stop bringing bloody private schools into every thread, it's so tedious.

I think the issue is many of us can remember getting proper 'cheap' holiday deals. Even in peak times, there were still bargains to be found. I think those days are well and truly gone for families, and single travellers often have a supplement slapped on them. But because so many of us can remember getting good deals it makes it harder to accept that holidays are pretty much out of reach for many, and it feels like we've gone back to the 60s with a day trip to the seaside being extremely exciting and a rare treat!
When I was a school leaver being a member of YHA was great and most hostels it was between £8-12 a night depending on which hostel. I looked recently and the average price for a bed in a dorm, over the 6 week summer holiday was £35 (some slightly less some double!) If you wanted to book a private room for a family of 3/4, you looking at £150+ per night.

For lots of people that might seem cheap, for lots of people it's out of their price zone.

Youth hostels really aren't the cheap accommodation they used to be. For two or more people you'd probably get a better deal in a travel lodge.
Camping is not that cheap anymore either. I know I'm an old fart, but a tent pitch at a basic campsite was £5 (30 years ago). That campsite is still going and a pitch in high season is now £36 for medium tent and £40 for larger tent per night.

Ooo we have a late, and new favourite, contender for the best attempt at shoehorning a completely unrelated topic into a thread of the month award I see

Poor Rafferty, what did he do to deserve banishment from Butlins?

I've heard this before. It's nonsense.
The state only has a small budget per child of about £2k or so per child.
So you only save the state £2k. It's nothing in the scheme of things.

Ok no Raffys here and both kids in state schools.

Agree stuff costs loads.
Have just booked a fairly expensive Eurocamp holiday. Bunged it on the credit card and will balance transfer to 0% interest rate on another one to pay it off monthly.

I work hard all year and want a nice holiday. Really not up for Butlins!

Go to Center Parcs Rafferty.

Holidays are crazy expensive at the moment.

We just hired a car for a week and it was £750. Nothing fancy, just one big enough for kids and luggage.

I think the flights were another £1,000 and that was difficult to find.

Now looking at hotels and even three star places seem to be £300+ a night.

That sounds like money laundering to me, unless the ‘all inclusive hotel’ is in fact a luxury yacht and the flights are first class.

That sounds like money laundering to me, unless the ‘all inclusive hotel’ is in fact a luxury yacht and the flights are first class.

It was a normal flight but then the royal villa with a private pool and butler.

Please send a link to £88k holiday to Turkey? I think there's a decimal point missing. I have no wish to go to Turkey but I do like a nice 5* AI.

Ha! 🤣 Why wouldn’t you indeed.

Enough for little Gary or Martin to go on holiday though?

Someone is spending 88k on a private villa but willing to endure flights in cattle class with the rest of us plebs???