That me and the DCs will probably NEVER have a nice sunny holiday abroad becuase my DH refuses to do the 'Brits Abroad' thing

[PollyPentapeptide]

So we instead we have to have endless holidays traipsing around the Lake District or sitting on wet and windy welsh beaches

Not that the Lake District/Wales/Cornwall aren't very lovely (because they are!) but because that is all we do!

All of DC's friends will go back to school in September with tales of trips to Spain or France or Florida but our DC's won't (and probably never will)

[Bink]

There was a thread recently about how amazingly cheaply you can find self-catering places in eg France.

But ... is the issue really that your children will feel out of the swim as regards their classmates? As that shouldn't matter in the slightest - my children have no problems at all enjoying the rain in a Cornish prefab, despite their classmates being on tropical islands (or wherever). (I recall a girl at my school once sending the class a show-off postcard from her [termtime ] holiday in Martinique - she was universally scorned for that.)

Anyway, make sure your children learn languages: then you can send them on foreign exchanges & have immersive (& utterly non-Brits Abroad) foreign holidays that way.

[WelliesAndPyjamas]

Have a look at what interesting new destinations the budget flight companies are opening up from your nearest airport, pack a tent + guidebook + phrasebook, and have an adventure. Less likely to come across Brits Abroad or at least you can avoid them by not being in a resort or highly touristy town. Anything is possible.

[Jackstini]

Several thousand??!!
You can get all of you on a Keycamp holiday for a fortnight in August for less than a grand...

[PollyPentapeptide]

No, he thinks that people who go abroad on the type of budget only we could afford, would end up somewhere naff (he gets this snobbery from his mother)

Whereas I don't think it would be naff at all, and even if were, tough shit because if that is all we could afford, then that is that.

Jackstine, if we could get to South of France maybe for 10 days on a budget of £1500 would that be pushing it? Would really like guaranteed weather for kids so they could 'sunny things' so would have to be fairly high season I suppose. I m happy to save cost by driving (flights would cripple us + car hire) but would realy like somewhere wher kids could get a taste of life abroad and come home with a bit of colour in their cheeks.

[PollyPentapeptide]

sorry, sveral thousand is what he thinks it will cost (see post above for my estimate)

[Jackstini]

nope not pushing it at all
www.keycamp.co.uk/index.cfm/fuseaction/PricingAvailability.validateSearchForm/amendsite/0/ver/2.cfm

[Bink]

Do a house-swap!

[AbbeyA]

How about the ferry to Brittany? We had a gite there-it wasn't in the least naff! Perhaps we were just lucky but we had good weather.

[Bink]

House-swap website here

I think this is the one my sister used - they got a house on a Swedish island in exchange for a nice-but-quite-ordinary semi in Newcastle.

[chipmonkey]

Polly, what about Centerparcs in France? Our boys had a their best holiday ever in the Les Bois Francs one and there are loads of pretty villages nearby.

[Hassled]

Yes - Brittany is lovely and not too far driving wise IYSWIM - we went to a KeyCamp there via the Eurotunnel thing.

[fizzbuzz]

IMO going to France is as cheap as a UK holiday. Accomodation costs are much lower, the cost is getting there, but it balances out in the end.

Also as weather isn't as bad, kids can just roam around rather then be crammed into cafes or internal entertainment when it rains which Costs a lot

[Snaf]

What a strange attitude he has! Budget trips abroad aren't all beer-swilling and sunburnt bellies....

Camping in France for 10 days would easily come in at under £1500, even in high season. Obviously that wouldn't include your spending money but it's not that expensive to self-cater and then just eat out now and again. We have always driven, splitting the journey over two days and staying in cheapy motels halfway - it's fun

[AbbeyA]

He might like resorts in the Alps -ski resorts need to attract summer visitors. We went to Morzine one year and had a hotel with swimming pool. There were lots of activities and the walking was good with the advantage that you could start with a cable car. The Italian Lakes are another great place-again we had a swimming pool and the lake was like being at the beach. I should do your research, go with what he likes and see where you could do it with better weather and a culture change.

[missblythe]

A week here in August for £550

www.holidaylettings.co.uk/rentals/loches/57552

Even with budget flights and a weeks hire car, I don't think you'd spend more than £1500.

And it doesn't look at all 'package holiday' to me!

[Jackstini]

Fab idea Bink - may have a look at that myself!

[WelliesAndPyjamas]

house-'s a great idea

but honestly for £1500 you could have a FAB holiday in lots of places without being naff

[missblythe]

www.holidaylettings.co.uk/rentals/forcalquier/41338

This looks lovely too

[Jackstini]

Check ebay out too for house rentals - loads of choice

[Playingthe9monthwait]

As kids we always went on the Eurocamp/keycamp holidays in France and Italy until we were a bit older and my parents had more money when we upgraded to villas. My parents hate hotel resorts and love to self cater.

Stayed in the mobile caravans which are actually really nice and were plenty big enough for the 5 of us. We absolutely loved it. The campsites are like little communities with childrens clubs/swimming pools/mini golf/tennis/bagminton/play grounds etc etc and gave us so much freedom as kids and my parents a bit of space and do not feel like a cheesy resort! Each caravan has its own little garden to bbq in and many of the campsites are in truly beautiful areas. My parents 2 favourite ones were a small family run site in the dordogne near the town of Salat (France) and a site overlooking lake Garda in Italy with amazing views and fantastic local restuarants.

We always stayed on the smaller sites and ate out in the restuarants in local villages or got food from the local markets and cooked ourselves. It gave us the freedom to do what we wanted, spent a day in the pool or visit a chateau or canoeing in a lake etc. They were fantastic holidays, I have a real love for France and Italy and the many different places we stayed.

[WelliesAndPyjamas]

I meant - house-swap is a great idea

[TillyScoutsmum]

Have a look at the Vendee in France as well. Second driest/hottest weather in France (after Cote D'Azur), not as far to drive and usually a bit cheaper than South of France

we stayed here last year

[kslatts]

Could you not go camping abroad?

[Ripeberry]

Why not try a weeks holiday around the coast of Normandy and hire a holiday home (might work out cheaper than hotels) and then you'll be somewhere not too touristy, there will be miles and miles of beaches and you can still get to blend in with the locals?
Maybe your DH is thinking of places like Majorca and yes i don't like mixing that much with "brits abroad" as they can be very embarassing .