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Camping

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Original poster

Copycat friends

103 replies

Mgb24 · 20/08/2017 06:53

Need advice. Our family have a campbervan and tent. Spend most school holidays traveling around England; France; & Spain camping; enjoying activities; al fresco dining; sight seeing and just having family fun.. we know that we're fortunate and these trip are the highlight of our year.

We spend a lot of time and effort planning targets; routes; activities etc. I learned the lingo to help maximise our trips.
Yet
A "friend" of my DH; his new wife & his stepchildren have taken to replicating our trips.

These holidays, we drove over 2000 miles in the last 4 weeks over a huge area enjoying gorgeous French villages away from tourist areas; range of activities & fun for the kids; perfect wee campsites with natural (river or mountain or beach) fun / adventures or bigger campsites with organised fun (pools; games; etc).. but a range to keep it fresh and interesting. Much fun was had by us

But our carefully planned and much enjoyed holidays was slightly soured when our trip was replicated by DH's "friend" & his new family as two weeks behind us they repeated our route; and our activities even staying in the same tiny villages; eating in the same restaurants; enjoying many of the same activities
They didn't ask for recommendations- seem to have just picked up the inspiration from our facebooks; instrgrams etc.

DH finds it creepy and flattering all in equal doses
Me - I find it frustrating that all the time and effort we put into planning is just then used by lazy "friends".

Any ideas of how to deal with it?
Any ideas on how to prevent reoccurrence?

OP posts:

Waitingonasmile · 20/08/2017 10:29

You are being completely unreasonable. Why don't you look at it as flattering that they think you make good choices. It's so easily solved by minimising what you put on Facebook that is a complete non issue.

2014newme · 20/08/2017 10:30

Wow you put everything on social media, why?

CremeFresh · 20/08/2017 10:31

It's a massive country - 650,000 km 2 and we split our time over split stays well off the beaten track. There's more than country for different visitors to have their own independent adventures.

MagdalenLaundry · 20/08/2017 10:32

I love the idea they were in Bangor for 2 weeks and just taking the piss
Did you put every day/place/restaurant/activity on FB/Instagram OP?
Try to enjoy the holiday and forget about your audience or be grateful that one person took notice

MrsChopper · 20/08/2017 10:36

I don't think you are a very nice friend at all to begrudge people their holiday even if they copied it from you. You are obviously 'advertising' it on social media well enough! If you're going to be so precious about it,I suggest you block them or share less info.

MrsChopper · 20/08/2017 10:37

Also I cannot see how this impacts on your holiday!

IGotRainedOn · 20/08/2017 10:39

It sounds like a fabulous holiday....I'd copy it too if I could 😂

BastardGoDarkly · 20/08/2017 10:45

You can stop putting "friend" in your posts, you hate them don't you?!

Honestly, its a bit weird that they've followed every aspect of your holiday, but you do sound smug and a bit of an 'insta' opportunist!

Maybe just take the photos, and not be so specific?

HellToupee · 20/08/2017 10:46

Total non-issue in my book, OP.

They ARE having their independent adventures as they are doing their own thing as a family!

It almost sounds to me like you are very keen for the rest of the world to acknowledge how very special your holidays are, what with you learning the lingo and being fortunate and all that, so no one else in your immediate circle of acquaintences can/should follow suit?

Stop posting where you have a French shit or a Spanish piss on social media is the only advice I have for you.

Fozzleyplum · 20/08/2017 10:59

I don't normally post OP-bashing stuff on here, but really! The other family were never at the same place at the same time as you. If their copying you has soured your enjoyment, it suggests that a large part of the enjoyment of your holiday has been derived from showing off on FB. It's a particularly ugly brand of one-upmanship.

AlternativeTentacle · 20/08/2017 11:02

That is the thing that they've clearly gone to a lot of effort to source the info- Facebook check ins; insta photos; strava & endo hillwalking/ cycling & kayaking routes;.. etc

Or they are just very good at photoshop and enjoying winding you up.

vinergartom · 20/08/2017 11:36

This just proves how much people use social media solely to brag. you sound quite bitter about the fact that someone else was able to have the same holiday (and privileges) as you.

lookatyourwatchnow · 20/08/2017 11:42

OP, you sound awful. Get a grip of yourself.

TheCountessofFitzdotterel · 20/08/2017 11:50

Stop calling them friends when you are so bitchy and grudging towards them. You are not their friend.

user1471548375 · 20/08/2017 11:51

OP, I hardly think you're the first person to hit on a touring holiday of France - rather than assuming that they saw your holiday starting, were so jealous that they immediately went and booked all the same things (with less than two weeks lead time given what you've said) - is there not a teensy possibility that their research yielded the same results as yours?

DonkeyOaty · 20/08/2017 12:03

HellToupee brilliant name.

OP you are being a bit of a silly billy. Best bet is to not document show off your adventures so publicly next time.

Sorry to hear the shine was taken from your jaunt.

Artisanjam · 20/08/2017 15:43

You need to get a bit of a grip. As a pp has said, is 2 weeks really enough time for them to decide to go to France and book all the campsites and activities?

Otherwise, just assume that lots of people have 2 weeks in France and a fair few of them will do exactly the same activities as you. Astonishingly enough, others may even speak the lingo.

Seth · 21/08/2017 05:14

But our carefully planned and much enjoyed holidays was slightly soured when our trip was replicated by DH's "friend" & his new family

Op are you sure this wasn't just an opportunity for a stealth boast about how amazing your carefully curated holiday was?
Do you have some sort of other issue with your DH's 'friend'?

Have some empathy. You do sound a bit smug. It may well be that this was their first family trip away with step children ( which can be stressful in and of itself) and they had bigger things to worry about than you. Maybe they just wanted a hassle free holiday and a known quantity?

Either way I'm still confused as to what 'advice' you anticipated getting and like others confused about how it soured your experience!

If this is the biggest thing you have to worry about then congratulations on your charmed life. Maybe go and read some threads on the other topics and you'll feel a bit better about your holiday experience.

llhj · 21/08/2017 05:51

Honestly, you can't imagine what a cock you sound.

MirabelleTree · 21/08/2017 06:00

Well if they had seen you having a good time and we're going to France I can see why they decided to use a lot of the info, bit like a travel blog and good to use tried and tested routes. Lots of people use social media and the internet to plan holidays and if you put the info out there it's fair game.

If you don't want this to happen and are iof the disposition where it sours your holiday the simple solution is don't post what you are doing, lots of us don't.

KERALA1 · 21/08/2017 06:16

Strange sour attitude. Our friends are on the exact same unusual holiday we did last year (way better than yours btw ) which I helped them set up. We are genuinely happy for them and hearing about their exploits brings back happy memories of last year for us.

TestTubeTeen · 21/08/2017 07:08

So you think you deserve your fun because of the meticulous plannning you have done, and they don't deserve theirs because they just follow you and don't put the work in?

I am amazed they can book many sites in France at 2 weeks notice.

Put your social media behind a pay wall if you feel they are stealing your ideas.

There was a thread on MN once about tne most unreasonable reason for your toddler's tantrum. One stepped out of the back door to have her 2 year old erupt in rage yelling 'it's MY outside, MY outside''. You are sounding a bit the same!

Adopt humour. Post 'hey, DH's friends, you're going to love this when you get here''

Oblomov17 · 21/08/2017 07:22

You don't realise what a cock you sound for bleating on about :
your planning your amazing off the beaten track holiday visiting all theses little French villages that no one has even heard of before.

Ha ha ha.

Blimey. So are so New Age traveller and hip, aren't you?

JennyOnAPlate · 21/08/2017 07:28

I genuinely don't understand why you have an issue with this.

If they'd termed up at all the same places as you whilst you were still there that would be different. But they haven't impacted on you at all

Believeitornot · 21/08/2017 07:32

Your friend will probably be on mumsnet in two weeks time, as they clearly have no original thoughts. Look forward to hearing their version

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