No holidays abroad will affect poorer people more

[ohhmyholidays]

I haven't been on holiday abroad or in the Uk since 2008, this year we were finally due to go to away to Greece with my 2 young children. Now cost of passports is a barrier for the poorer family like us, but I can't see I can afford a Uk holiday now I just feel sad, another year we won't go anywhere. We've paid so it will have to be moved, they won't refund.

Has Boris said when Zoos and farms will open ? I've no idea what we will do. We live a long way from the beach petrol wise.

The passport is a sore point here
We were due to go away the day after ds turned 16 last summer. So I had to get him a 5 year passport. Which he now won't use for a few years and may even expire without ever being used!

Similar issue here. We were due to go abroad last Christmas. DS passport was valid for 6 months from the departure date, but would have had less than 6 months (by days) on the return date. I thought by about May we probably wouldnt go but we ended up renewing the passport anyway "just in case". Now it wont be used til most likely 2023!

We booked our holiday last year for July 2021. Canaries, 2 weeks AI, for DH, DS and myself. Cost £4700.

We thought of booking Cornwall in case above is cancelled. Cottage for 2 weeks was @£4000. Such a rip off... I adore Cornwall but the accommodation prices are a disgrace.

If our holiday abroad gets cancelled we're spending the money on a garden makeover instead and will just have days out etc. Possibly book for October half term instead. Prices for next summer seem to be sky high on Tui yet very cheap for this summer which tells me either no one is booking or they know its a no go for this year.

Camping in the UK is miserable if the weather is bad. Miserable. A punishment, not a holiday.

There’s a lot of holiday cottages/static sites who have realised this and cancelled previously made bookings. Issued a refund. So they can get new bookings at a better price.

I was going to be all smug and say that I had booked last year, but now I'm a bit worried.

(We always need to book a year before as it is a struggle to get somewhere reasonable for 5, this is one house so fills up quickly)

I’ve booked a seaside apartment North of Edinburgh for a couple of weeks in August. Price was much more reasonable than Cornwall or Devon, just got to hope for decent weather but agree re camping I’m too old for that now!

I’ve booked a seaside apartment North of Edinburgh

Brrrrr!

I never quite understand when people say they can't afford to holiday in the UK

Afford is probably the wrong word, more that people don't think it's worth the money.

If you go to the Med, Canaries etc in the summer you are virtually guaranteed good weather. So you can fill your days with free activities like outdoor hotel pool, swimming in the sea, sitting outside in the evenings with a barbecue etc etc and it feels like a nice break.
Plus as you know you'll be spending very little time inside your accommodation, you're less concerned about how nice, comfortable it is.

Accommodation, attractions are generally cheaper, as is eating out and drinks, and you rarely have to pay for parking.

We went to what is probably the Mallorcan version of Lands End (Formentor lighthouse). No entrance charges or parking costs and the cafe served good quality home made food extremely cheaply. I think we got two drinks, a pastie type thing and a cake for under 5 euros.

Compare that with UK Lands End, where you have to pay to get in, pay to park and will pay two or three times the price for refreshments. I could give endless examples like this.

Plus with the unpredictable British weather, you're likely to do more paid attractions to get out of the rain and less likely to be able to sit in the garden or terrace for most of the day and evening, so you're all crammed into the living room of your holiday cottage, caravan etc that you've paid thousands for and at that point, you start to think that you could have saved the money and stayed at home to do the same for free.

Plus there's the crowds, because like a PP says, there just isn't the capacity for everyone in the UK to go on holiday here during peak periods. SItting in traffic jams, queuing and being jostled by crowds does not make a pleasant relaxing holiday experience.

@afternoontoffee fingers crossed the person you've booked with has better morals than some.

I'm lucky that I've got my own caravan, never been so thankful for it. Booked holidays on caravan club main sites so no danger of being cancelled.

I'm often surprised when people say going abroad is cheaper. We usually spend about 700-1k on accomodation in the uk.(this year I think was about 1200 though) Often places like air bnb or villas/apartments etc are cheaper abroad but by the time you add on flights /airport transfer it's often quite a bit more, and I've not seen any package deals that cheap.
A friend said they were going to Cyprus because it worked out cheaper than staying at home. They spent over 4k for 3 people!

I agree fiz
3/4K for a family of 4 abroad not to mention airport parking/ hotel room for early flight etc.
£1000 for a holiday cottage for 7 days in the U.K. although having said that our favourite place has shot up this year by £500 and they’re asking £1500.

@May17th

Holiday passports were the same price as last year were they not OP? How were you going to Greece?

There’s a lot of people saying we cannot afford a holiday as though someone is rich to be going on holiday. I think it’s offensive! I’ve had a holiday (now cancelled) booked from 2019! You can pay each month until it’s paid off OP.

Maybe you have things others don’t choose to spend on!

Yes, I meant that the cost of passports is prohibitive for poorer families to access cheap package deals abroad.

I have the passports, I've always felt like they are a good idea just incase and for ID.

@Whenthesunshines

I agree fiz 3/4K for a family of 4 abroad not to mention airport parking/ hotel room for early flight etc. £1000 for a holiday cottage for 7 days in the U.K. although having said that our favourite place has shot up this year by £500 and they’re asking £1500.

You can go abroad for a lot less than £3/4k. Not everyone stays in a hotel at the airport, it probably costs us under £50 to drive to the airport and park there for a week.

If you spend £1k+ on a cottage, you'll also spend money getting there, eating out, attractions etc when you get there and you have to be lucky with the weather, whereas overseas it's pretty much guaranteed.

@ohhmyholidays ohhh right. Butlins had some ok offers on! I booked myself for June.

The Uk is such a small island most people aren't that far away from the nearest coast or lake or river.
Is it possible to have lots of day trips?
That's what we're doing this year.
At least we will have the comfort of our own home and not paying through the nose.
I might combine it with a couple of weeks of no cooking and eat out/takeaways so that I'm getting a holiday.
People will have to be inventive this year..
Getting a tan this year is not that important to me.

OP, I know it is hard. There is nothing left in my affordability which is max £550, but ideally less.

I am crossing my fingers for the two households indoors so we can go away with family members and split the cost of sc. Even then it is hard to find something under £1k for the week.

Nearest beach to me is 65 miles, Google says if I go now it's 1 hour 20 minutes drive. I do think that's quite a lot of time in the car as one of my children is only just over 1 years old. I will give it a go though if I can't find something cost effective, yes will have to. Assuming like last time lockdown lifted we will have to pre book beach parking or visits to attractions then you will have to hope for good weather and get the kids up early 🤞 I also have a dog, but there are some dog beaches so that's fine.

I'm not looking to go abroad for a tan, I'm pretty fair and don't sun bathe, it's more for the pool, beach, weather factor and things to do for my two DC who are 4 and 1. Who can relax sun bathe with a 1 year old anyway ?!

Will certainly be checking some of the things suggested, thank you.Just to see if we can find something, for a change of scene.

You see, I make these assumptions all the time. When people go missing in England in particular I'm always surprised, as if you can walk two miles in any direction in this country and hit upon a Costa or McDonald's.

I don’t really understand, you have passports and paid, why is the holiday not just being moved or a refund given? When did you book to go and what were the terms of the contract you agreed to?

I wish we had an edit button, I don't mean go missing obviously, I mean when they get lost.

@FourTeaFallOut

You see, I make these assumptions all the time. When people go missing in England in particular I'm always surprised, as if you can walk two miles in any direction in this country and hit upon a Costa or McDonald's.

That only applies if you never leave urban areas, there's plenty of places in England where you can be a day's walk from Costa, McDonald's or any other type of civilization.

Give over. I'm just sympathising with that human quirk of running default assumptions in the background based on your day to day experience. Of course I realise you can't literally walk two miles and hit a McDonalds from any point but I still find it odd how barren some place can be in a country considered small and densely populated.

Most people travel to seaside resorts unless your lucky enough to live in that city anyway. I usually do 2hrs on the train each way in order to take DS for a trip to the seaside.

The one year surely can survive 1hr 20mins drive it’s not too bad.

Camping is pretty cheap.

@HolmeH

You’ve never been on holiday *@TheVampiresWife* ?!

We had no money when I was a child but we did have a tent & camping stove lent to us each year by friends. We’d pack up, go two hours to Llandudno & camp for the week! I have fond memories (& indeed some not so fond 😂). We lived off sandwiches & fish and chips mostly.. but it was lovely to be by the beach & be somewhere different!

I probably wouldn’t camp now.. I like a bed that’s not on the floor 😂 but it’d be better than nothing! Not everywhere is charging through the roof.. airBnB still seems reasonable in many places..

No, never. We had no money when I was a child and my father was an alcoholic and abusive, so family holidays weren't a thing. There's never been enough spare cash for holidays in my own adult life. DD is 24 and we never went on a family holiday with her which makes me feel pretty shit. Camping's not an option because we don't drive and I have rheumatoid arthritis and need a comfortable bed!

@LoveCauliflowerCheese

Camping is pretty cheap.

Unless you can borrow the gear, not really. And it's miserable unless the weather is good. But hey, fuck the proles. They can just camp.