I don't know how to go on holiday

[GenerationPolaroid]

This is as ridiculous as it sounds. I am a reasonably smart middle aged woman, DC are now nearly 18 and nearly 21, and we've been on plenty of holidays together as a family of 4. For the most part I have enjoyed them, although I am a homely person, I like my bed, and I find it exhausting to have to cater for others. Things changed from Covid onwards in that I kind of became more anxious about travelling. We didn't for a while anyway as DC had exams, etc. Anyway, to cut a long story short, I am now facing a long summer ahead of us, and I literally have no idea where to start. Part of me want to just book an adult all inclusive, but we're not even swimming pool/beach people! We don't even love extreme heat! If I think about booking something different, I become overwhelmed about all the different elements, flights, hotel, entertainment... and I keep going back in circles. Is this happening to anyone else? How can I break through this block??
YABU - booking a holiday is not that big a deal, just get on with it
YANBU - booking a holiday is a minefield that often doesn't pay off

just choose a place you want to visit, book a flight and somewhere to stay and once there just take time to discover the place and the people. It's not hard. Just done this on my own with my 14 year old son in Japan and have done the same on my own in European Countries and the US.

So clearly you are in a very different position from the OP, with all your experience of travel.

Saying something "isn't hard" because you don't find it hard shows a complete empathy by-pass.
I'm fairly confident all of us can do some things other people would find challenging, and all of us have things we would be really worried about doing that other people might find easy.

I can very strongly recommend Intrepid Travel - tours all over the world with local guides but freedom to do your own thing. I’ve had so many incredible experiences and they sort everything out for you. Brilliant

If you don’t like the beach and aren’t in to the heat, I’d look at a couple of city breaks in Northern European cities eg Berlin or Amsterdam or a week self catering in the Lake District or Yorkshire Dales.

If you don’t want to self cater you could do 3/4 nights in a mid range hotel or a nice pub with rooms.

I’m exactly the same. I think it’s because I’ve only been abroad once (on a cruise) so worry about booking a holiday and not loving it, then it being a waste of money! Get so overwhelmed with all the choices.

Have you thought of a cruise from and return to a uk port. The luxury of not having to faff about at an airport and not worry about the weight of your luggage is a big plus.

If you don’t enjoy holidays, you don’t have to go on them. You can spend your free time however you want.

Try a no fly cruise. All done for you.

I booked our holiday for last year late because the choice online is so overwhelming.

Then a friend told me to go to a travel agent. I literally never even considered that!

So do that. Have your list of requirements and non-negotiables and they can suggest good places to go.

I would recommend places like Aviemore, stunning, quieter, a lot to do outdoors on a more low key scale. A beautiful lodge by the river, with duck food left as they and their ducklings will swarm along the river path, cost less than a grand last year.

The lakes are of course also beautiful but a lot more touristy, loved our holidays there too.

Abroad, a gite in France, a villa in Spain, further afield, but as you said you're not into hot climates maybe not.

The Austrian Tyrol is lovely in the summer if you don't want extreme heat and it tends to be cheaper as it's out of season for its main ski attractions. I went there with my kids when they were teenagers. You can go on lovely walks and everything is well signposted. There were also interesting excursions available from the hotel.

Write it down, and then work on it in small steps ...take your time
Hope you find somewhere nice and have an awesome summer 🌞 🏝️

How about the Dolomites or Alps area in summer, e.g. Merano? There are some amazing hotels with quasi full board options of amazing food, great service, lovely spas and scenery, good for walking if you like that sort of thing. If you hire a car then you can do day trips to Verona, Milan, Innsbruck.

I totally understand that booking holidays is a minefield….its like searching for the Holy Grail. Maybe, just decide your main priority- is it a week off just relaxing, or is it to visit somewhere new and experiencing culture? You don’t need to tick every box and it doesn’t need to be perfect. After this trip, you’ll build.confidence that will help you narrow down next time. Maybe use a package operator eg Jet2,if you live regionally or BA holidays if you’re nearer London and book the whole thing with flight, accommodation & transfers for ease. Just book something where the climate and budget fit, then you can see how it goes for next time. If you book B&B in a city, you’ll have loads of options for food/activities without committing upfront. Otherwise, if you go all inclusive because you don’t want to have to think about where to eat, you’ll can just listen to music, read, swim, chill out! Also, if you take a shorter trip like 4/5 nights instead of a week, if it doesn’t float your boat, you’ve not lost anything. If you love it, you’ll maybe have extra days free for something else another time. Good luck and happy holidays..

Find a local travel agent and let them guide you.

@WinterOnItsWayOutcan you recommend a cruise company? Would it be mad to go on a cruise if you get travel sick do you think?

Just pick a random place you like or have always wanted to visit and plan a few days near there.

Booking.com for accommodation, see what other attractions are near by and check Google maps and get a rough idea of things to do.

If there's a few adults going you can rent a nice little cottage or apartment quite reasonably in most areas. English heritage I think also rent out some quirky places (we stayed in a presbytery in Ramsgate, it's was lovely but also eerie!)

I only did it the once but am thinking about repeating in a different location. Something like Explore- there is a guide, group of people, visit a variety of places. We did turkey visiting archaeological sites.

I would have a think of what you would enjoy on a holiday (not what is expected) and then go to a travel agent. I get very overwhelmed booking holidays so I always go for packages as I couldn't do it all separately.

How about a specialist holiday like New Scientist Discovery Tours, or Holiday Fellowship walking holidays?

Booking a holiday is my favourite part of the whole process, I love researching options! But I can understand it may be overwhelming. How about you think about what you’d like to do or see rather than where you’d like to go and work from there? So you don’t like pool/ beaches…. Do you like walking, history, art, good food… is there something you’ve always wanted to do or see but never got round to while raising kids?

#firstworldproblems

On a serious note a good travel agent will do everything for you if booking on the Internet or over the phone makes you anxious.

I get you, it can seem overwhelming.
Break it down into manageable chunks though.
What kind of things do you like doing?

After a lifetime of budget holidays (no money!) and a touring caravan, we finally tried a cruise. No way, I had said. I get seasick, it will be boring/too hot etc etc. We did 16 nights from Southampton to the Med - up one side, down the other, plus Gibraltar. We were hooked! Even if the weather is not, the ships have air-con and sea breezes, company if you want it or read a book if you don't, excellent food of all kinds, rooms cleaned daily, entertainment, keep-fit classes, swimming pools, cinemas, shore trips or just browse the nearest town. Made lifelong friends. Been this year to the Greek Islands and next year round the World (not cheap of course). Still use the caravan in the UK as well.

"hot" not "not"!