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 Unless you are in the premium lodges then you are literally staying in a dirty out of date shacks to get a break away somewhere, despite both of us being full time workers.

Surely the main issue here is the cultural appropriation of the name Rafferty by the working class.

Well quite!! I don’t believe anyone actually does that! I don’t believe anyone spending that money uses TUI. But I swear it was there!

In school holidays ? The issue is I work. If I take kids out of school that’s another week of my annual leave used, what do I do with them for the actual school holidays. No grandparents, Dad doesn’t see them and his parents passed away. Plus I’ll get fined too and they probably do need to be in school.

£88K = £88,000. Something wrong somewhere.

The confusion is probably because your first line said term time holidays, which is during school time.

We went to Bultins at Easter. At £200 per person for the better food option, I didn't see it as a cheap option at all, but it certainly wasn't dirty. We weren't in the upmarket accommodation either.

I know that things like the Sun voucher holidays have limited the dates and places they offer over the school holidays, so people on very limited budgets are being impacted, but Butlins isn't the example you think it is.

Cheap campsites are still out there. I expect to spend £10 per night if I'm on my own, £20 with the 2 DCs. Both campsites in France this summer are going to be about 20 euros per night, and both campsites in Spain will be about 30 (but one has- gasp!!- a pool).

My top tip for finding them is to search for "Farm camping" in Google maps. In France, "Camping Municipale" or "Camping a la Ferme", in Spain "Camping Rural".

(I agree with youth hostels sadly, I'm feeling very disillusioned with the YHA right now. YY to the expensive family rooms, and so many of them are not offering dorm beds nowadays, especially in the low season. Goes against all their founding principles IMHO. Travelling with kids, you're often better off finding an AirBnB or, especially in France, a family room in a chain hotel).

I’m also 😯 at 88k. We got AI for two weeks every August (teachers so no choice) and this year is the most expensive we’ve laid for a family of 4 at 7k.

OP, does it have to be Butlins for your holiday? We also camp (around £50 per night as we have electric) or go to caravans parks without the frills of entertainment.

😂😂

Easily. Remember Stacy Solomons turkey holiday last year. That was bookable on TUI and she paid 40/50K. I saw a hotel come up for Dubai on TUI (now two weeks so absolute bargain) and it was over 100K.

Are you sure you didn't search August 10th 2024 - August 17th 2025?! 😂

Abroad works out cheaper for us with kids- AI- always found decent deals on Jet2.

Give it a rest

Surely if we all down grade out holidays then the very poorest will be the ones knocked off the holiday train?

This isn’t about ‘my holiday cost….‘that’s irrelevant to the OP post.

I think the downgrading is an effect rather than a cause - if your usual type of holiday has become too expensive, you've no choice but to look for something in your price range.

However, it can't continue like that indefinitely because that would create a raft of more expensive holidays that were going unbooked - people whose wealth is in the millions will go on booking whatever extremely high end things they've always booked, but the high end 'normal' holidays won't have a market if they get too expensive, so the market will have to settle.

Three of us are going to Krakow in September for 7 nights, flights, accom, hold luggage and even a private transfer for £468 each. We are great explorers so go everywhere on the local (very good and cheap) trains and buses. We’ve also booked one night in Zakopane, £60.00 for a triple room with breakfast.

Yes that's their motivation, to free up resources for the poor. Such altruism. I have a lump in my throat .

We have found privately owned or small company owned holidays parks with static caravans for hire to be excellent quality. Caravans are lovely. We stayed on one near Glasgow on lovely quiet site with hot tub.

We've booked Haven in a Gold caravan for the three of us next summer for £1500.
Were going abroad this summer for 5k.
Resent paying that every year so we're alternating years now.

Part of the same issue - cost of living is hitting everyone. Everything has got more expensive - including staffing holiday camps. Prices reflect higher costs. Everyone is trading down, which means we are getting so many sponsored threads on here for Mark Warner, but Butlins are able to fill their places at slightly higher rates because slightly wealthier people are going now.

it’s just people like the OP who used to go for the cheaper holidays find they can’t afford them/are full of slightly different people than they’d usually share a holiday with.

Given the only Raffertys I know have unemployed parents so I assume would need to stretch the budget to get to Butlins, I’m not sure I get the point.

@LongSinceGotUpAndGone
😂 I’m imagining BlowDryRat standing there on the poolside, Mumsnet-approved bikini on and toddler in hand, nodding approvingly at the state of the pool grouting while wrestling men spiral past her in the rapids…

I know it’s not really what you asked, but I follow this travel agent and they’ve always got bargains. Often for 2 adults 1 child, 2 adults 2 children etc.

I’ve just booked ten days in the Maldives in the autumn , two of us all inclusive (though that tends to be a bit limited in the Maldives) on an island we have not visited before though it apparently has good food, nice accommodation and great snorkelling. £5,500 including direct flights, premium economy. I think that’s a reasonable price compared to Turkey £88K.