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Holidays

Use our Travel forum for recommendations on everything from day trips to the best family-friendly holiday destinations.

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Original poster

how much spending money - family 2 week holiday overseas?

22 replies

katiewins22 · 20/07/2011 23:13

Hello - I can't believe that a year has passed since I asked this question and was astonished at the range of responses? Families who could manage on £50 per day to the extremes (my opinion) of families who said £200+ was their daily budget.

Just thought for fun would do it again - just to see what people are planning to spend this year. I find that over the years we have cut down on our spending and are more likely to buy in breakfast (take small cereal boxes/cereal bars with us) and have light lunch and then evening have a mixture of eating out and catering ourselves. I don't want to just spend constantly.

What is your budget? I will stand up and say prepared to spend equivalent of £100 per day for the family but HOPE to have some days spending £50 and therefore balance the expensive days out against the lower spending days.

Any hints/tips/thoughts welcome Kate

OP posts:

poorbuthappy · 20/07/2011 23:18

we are doing a 10 day overseas and basing everything round £100 per day/ That's for 5 of us (but 2 of them are only 2.5 and don't eat a huge amount!)
I knew from the original discussion about 6 months ago how much it would be, but having to explain this to dh on the weekend almost ended in cancellation of holiday. He knows nothing...

nancy75 · 20/07/2011 23:19

we have just come back from spain and spent around £1500 in 10 days - the pound /euo exchange rate is a killer, everything seemed very expensive .we were self catering but went to restuarants every night,most days we made lunch and took it with us to the beach.

cat64 · 20/07/2011 23:47

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

girlywhirly · 21/07/2011 09:44

I think that sundries such as drinks and ice-creams can really add up for a family. I don't know how people manage with older kids with huge appetites. I guess they go all inc. or self cater.

We are going to Kefalonia for 2 weeks this year and are going to cut back a bit on eating out, i.e. having either starter and main or main and dessert, house wine, snack takeaway lunches from the shops instead of from restaurants, and eat on the beach which saves tipping as well etc. Not that I begrudge tipping, just pointing out how it can add up every time you sit in a cafe for a drink.

We usually go on a B+B basis, and then eat out for lunch and dinner, it's just so easy to charge a bar snack lunch at the hotel to your credit card bill, that it can really add up.

I think we would be spending the equivalent on average of £120 per day for the two of us, all food and drinks, inc bar bill.

midnightexpress · 21/07/2011 09:49

I agree with nancy - we got back from France a couple of weeks ago and the exchange rate at the moment is a killer - everything seemed sooooo expensive. I'm not sure exactly how much we spent, but I think it will have averaged out at at least £100/day (mix of self-catering and eating out for 4).

The wine is still cheap(ish) though, so at least we could obliterate the pain of an evening.

midnightexpress · 21/07/2011 09:51

And yes, I think that it's the little things like drinks and ice creams that really add up, rather than the main meals. 3 euros for a coffee or a soft drink sounds so small, but if it's really nearly 3 quid then it quickly adds up.

AnnThology · 21/07/2011 09:53

£2.50

MindtheGappp · 21/07/2011 10:42

We were all-inclusive this year, so just paid for motorised waterspouts, trips out, and tips.

When we self-cater in France, we usually have lunch out everyday, which costs around ?80 for 6 (only 1 on children's meals but 2 boozers :) ). Meals in (breakfast and supper) still have to be paid for.

Wolfgirl · 21/07/2011 15:44

We fly out to Corfu on Monday, and are budgeting min. £100 per day. Self catering btw. It can be done! has to!!!

GnomeDePlume · 21/07/2011 22:34

I'm afraid we are at around £200/day self catering. In our defence that is for 5 (2 adults plus 3 big appetite kids) and includes fuel costs and entrance fees - we made lots of trips out. We ate out a few times. We didnt live extravagantly, we could cut the cost but then enjoy the holiday less.

Lizcat · 22/07/2011 13:34

We noticed this year that whilst the exchange rate is still a killer in the past a lot of the Prix Fixe menus were 20 euros whereas now they seem to have dropped between 14 and 17euros. Fuel is getting more expensive between 1.31 and 1.46Euros per litre compared to 1 to 1.20 before for diesel.

archanat10 · 22/07/2011 14:26

Their is this new offer that gets you 10% from ebookers on all your hotel bookings, you might wanna take a look?

girlywhirly · 22/07/2011 15:02

Actually Lizcat, we used to have 16 euro prix fixe dinners while in France earlier this year, 3 courses. Then you have wine and coffee on top. At least the water was complimentary!

Lizcat · 22/07/2011 20:44

Yes this year as I said, 2-5 years ago a lot of the prix fixes were 20euros. My point was they have dropped this year where as fuel has gone up.

bellavita · 22/07/2011 20:51

We will usually spend in the region of £150 to £200 per day. Four of us, DS's 14 and 11. Self catering in an apartment. I do not go away to cook. If we have had a particularly hectic day we will order a takeaway in.

bigTillyMint · 22/07/2011 20:55

Well, our next hol is camping en France for 2 and a half weeks. We will spend approximately the same as we spend at home, whatever that is. Plus a little extra for a few more meals out and the odd special treat.

Maybe £250-£300 a week for 2 adults and 2 pre-teens?

Portofino · 24/07/2011 13:41

We've just had 3 weeks in France and including petrol/tolls it averaged out between 100 and 150 euros per day I think. That was a mixture of s/c and eating out and a few day trips.

GnomeDePlume · 24/07/2011 20:23

Portofino do you find that the cost starts to settle down a bit on a longer holiday? One of the things I notice is that the set-up costs can be high but at the same time I refuse to take herbs to France!

Portofino · 24/07/2011 22:03

Yes, that is true to a degree. You count on the basics being available, or you take them with you. In many years of self catering holidays I have seen it all.

We had an an apartment in Antibes once where the fridge was filled with chilled rose and cake. And have been elsewhere where you got bugger all - not even salt and pepper.

You work to your budget though. I live for my holidays. I save up. The costs WOULD settle if we stayed in one place I think. We left Cognac yesterday and left them unopened food...

Original poster

katiewins22 · 26/07/2011 23:01

Wow - I completely forgot I had started this thread In my defence we have had relatives staying the last week and I havent had much chance to indulge my habit of checking mumsnet at night - I have been too busy running around after entertaining them

It is interesting that most people are coming out at the higher budget this year. I am still sticking to my £100 per day max and will report back after holiday on whether this was correct - Have to go now and clean up after lazy relatives (husband's side of the family). K.

OP posts:

Portofino · 26/07/2011 23:07

£100 per day should be fine.

grumpykat25 · 27/07/2011 22:04

We 'popped over to France for a quick camping break' a couple of weeks ago. 5 nights and 700, yes- count them- 700 of your English pounds please! Including the ferry to be fair, but still! Going to France for a few days WAS NOT CHEAP. And it bloody rained .
On the other hand, we budget about £60 a day for the three of us in Thailand. Flights might be dear but it beats getting your pants pulled down with the Euro. And it's still lovely and warm in the rain

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