I see now why people want to go Abroad

[likeamillpond]

Reading the Sunday papers this morning and am flabbergasted.

2 weeks cruising round the Carribean
1st week island hopping
2nd week staying in Barbados.
Small intimate ship
balcony
Fantastic food all inclusive and entertainment
Guaranteed sunshine
£2800 pp

1 week in Scotland
Staying one night in a castle
Visiting a loch
Campfire with stories
Visit to a distillery
Basically generic stuff you could do anywhere in the UK) except maybe the loch
Possibly crap weather.
£3700 op

I appreciate Scotland has it's own charms
But Really?
Simeones having a laugh!

£3700 pp

Yep. I have a holiday booked, 10 days in a villa with pool for 3 of us including flights 1700 quid. Whether I get there or not is another matter. This is my holiday from last year which I have moved.

That is ridiculous op. 1 week as well Does it include food?

I hate the thought of either of those options

Cruises are like floating tower blocks, crammed with people. Seasickness added. No thanks. Also, it does rain the Caribbean, have you heard of hurricane season? It is pretty spectacular but also very wet (and scary at times)

A loch is just a lake. A pretty one but how does that cost anything aside from transport? A visit to a distillery? £30 a head max. Stories at a campfire. They want to be fucking spectacular for that

It's bonkers isn't it.

I'd far rather go abroad than stay in a cottage in the U.K. and just shop in tesco like usual.

I bet Centre parks is even more of a rip off than usual? I sometimes look just so I can be outraged when I'm bored.

(Haven't been able to afford to do either in ten years though so it's not something I'll have to worry about!)

Presumably the Scotland one isn't geared towards people from the UK, though, but foreigners looking for some kind of quintessential 'Scottish experience'? Agree it's an outrageous rip off but if you lived in Barbados you'd probably think £2800 for a boat trip round the neighbouring islands was a bit steep too

Not forgetting adding possible quarantine costs to the holiday abroad! But the cost of the Scotland break are eye watering! 😲

Also, "campfire with stories" sounds a bit enforced fun to me. I'm a bloody misery though.

Well I'd definitely prefer the Scotland option but they are both insanely expensive.

Caribbean will be cheaper over summer though because it’s hurricane season and often not great weather-wise. But yes, the UK is ridiculously overpriced. We’ve seen some “lodges” —aka glorified static caravans— for insane amounts. If I can get abroad this summer, I’ll be going, no question

U.K. prices are crazy. We priced up a week in west Wales for 6 of us and for the same price 6 of us are booked to go to Malta for 12 nights - all fully refundable etc so keeping fingers crossed. Supply and demand!

@poppycat10

Well I'd definitely prefer the Scotland option but they are both insanely expensive.

The Scottish one sounds like it could be fun if it was a tenth of the price!

Jesus - just looked at CP. for my family, 3 nights down the road would be £1,200. No ta.

I've never paid more than around £1k for a weeks self catering in the UK with two bedrooms and this year is no exception.

We have a shared 6 bed lodge in Lake District- our share was about £800, a week in Whitby in peak school holidays at £950 and 2 bed cottage near Oban if we can't go to Majorca in August for £615.

There's little availability left now, because it was fairly obvious from December onwards that UK holidays would be very popular due to uncertainty of going abroad.

Holidays in UK can be super expensive - just as they can be abroad - or more reasonable. I don't see why this is news to people.

I bet Centre parks is even more of a rip off than usual? I sometimes look just so I can be outraged when I'm bored.

🤣 I love that!

Years ago I priced up a week long trip round Scotland staying in Farmhouse B&Bs.

We ended up going to the Caribbean for 2 weeks instead.

@Iminaglasscaseofemotion

I bet Centre parks is even more of a rip off than usual? I sometimes look just so I can be outraged when I'm bored.

🤣 I love that!

Don’t even get me start on centre parcs!! I use to love going and have had it good for years. Now I have a school age child I’m furious. £2500 for less than a week self catered...what?????

My next "booking in waiting" (to see if it goes) is two weeks in Tunisia, 5* spa hotel, all inclusive, upgraded flight and room in late June - £1,780. The UK cottage I looked at this week, for one week, includes nothing, £790. I booked that cottage two years ago for the same week (not high season, school term time) - it was £340. That's a lot of inflation. I could afford it. But I won't be. And I have talked to a lot of people who are saying the same - UK holiday cottages have been ridiculously inflated in price and they won't pay. It's interesting, because despite all the hype about bookings for UK holidays being so high, loads of the cottages I looked at had masses of availability even in high season. I suspect I know why.

£3700pp how is that possible?

Would be interested to see an actual breakdown of how it's that expensive

We're going to Disney/Orlando for less than that...

The lockdowns have sent prices skyrocketing - and the terms re cancellations are also, increasingly, massive ripoffs if things get cancelled. The UK was rarely good value, it is even less now, but most people don't have the choice and can't risk it financially (i.e., booking abroad only to have travel cancelled).

We have always managed to get bargain holidays abroad - south of France & Italy on lovely campsites (in caravan, Eurocamp style) for about £600 a week, plus cheap Ryanair travel, so all in for less than a grand every summer. There’s no way I’ll pay that (or more) for a shit week in wales where it rains, the food and culture and people are exactly the same as home. Anyone who thinks the UK is fun for a holiday is out of their minds- it’s shit and a total rip off. We will be having another depressing summer at home but gives us time to save even more for something decent next year (hopefully - I said that last year, not expecting this shit to still be carrying on a year later)

I lay approx £1100 - £1300 for a week to Spain for ds and I (inc flights transfers airport parking room and HB)

It'll cost me that for a caravan or cottage with same facilities for a week without any food included!

TBH, as we've all,seen what happens on a cruse ship when you have an infected passenger, I'm surprised they can even give away places.

I am so glad you have posted this. I have always gone abroad, for the weather, the food, the language, the culture. I get really cheap holidays and always have a budget. I'm really fed up about not being able to go away anytime soon, and my OH has suggested lots of places we could go to in the UK.
I know he is trying to be positive and cheer me up, but he just doesn't understand. And, yes, the cost ( even before the pandemic). Ridiculous when we don't even have reliable sunshine.
I think I'll save my money and wait til we can go somewhere abroad.