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Holidays

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

Original poster

How much will your summer holiday cost you roughly?

226 replies

magentastardust · 14/01/2014 19:49

Majority of people in my dc's school will be heading for Florida this year on holiday-we wouldn't be able to stretch to that but are hoping to have some sort of European holiday in the school holiday time.

Just wondering If I am kidding myself about prices a bit -How much does everyone roughly spend on a fortnight in the sun. Maybe I should have budgeted more?

OP posts:
AvonCallingBarksdale · 17/01/2014 12:34

I'd second that. We took a ferry to Lopud, which was a lovely day trip. Don't do an organised trip ie trip that will fleece you, though. We got tickets from a newsagent and walked down to the harbour and got a ferry from there, whcih was fab.

Banffy · 17/01/2014 14:45

We won't be going abroad in the summer holidays as we have no children yet, so aren't restricted. We go somewhere over New year and another holiday abroad sometime during the year, along with lots of shorter UK breaks.

We got back last week from a week in a 5* AI hotel in Cape Verde which was approx £1.5k for 2 adults, plus we took 300 euros for daytrips/drinks in the airport etc (there isn't much to spend money on there)

We loved it so much we're going to book again for this New year. At the moment though, the price is double of what we payed, so I'm keeping an eye on the price for it to come down. We're going for 2 weeks this time though. I reckon it'll be about £2-2.5k.

Also going to Florida next March. The last 2 times we went cost approx £8k and £5k (we always stay in Disney) Not sure which hotel we'll stay in this time so estimate between £4-£8k for the 2 weeks.

Haven't booked or really thought about the UK mini breaks yet.

bluebayou · 17/01/2014 14:52

Interesting how many people camp , not for me , like my comfort too much.

CaurnieBred · 17/01/2014 14:53

£2,600 for 10 days in August in an all inclusive, First Choice Splash resorts in Menorca (2 adults and one child in a one bed apt). This was booked at the beginning of June last year about 2 weeks after the holidays for summer 2014 were released and this was the only one we could get with a free child place: there was no free child places left for August for 2 week holidays. For a laugh I priced up the Holiday Village in Majorca for us for August - it was going to be around £4.5k

rookiemater · 17/01/2014 18:34

I have tried camping bluebayou when we were on a limited budget ( although by the time we bought all the stuff it wasn't cheap) and it's not for me either.
My alternative was houseswaps - we did a number of these when DS was younger and they were a great way to have a comfortable free holiday. Gave up though after two involving cats and the last one they hadn't tidied or cleaned the house before we came, which put me off mightily. Also it's a lot of faff to get the house ready to a standard where I was prepared to let people stay. But very economical and a good way to ensure the house gets a deep clean every so often.

Frozenatchristmas · 17/01/2014 19:14

Gran canaria in summer will be about £1800. October week, don't know yet.

hillbilly · 17/01/2014 19:34

It took me 2 years to convince DH to camp and now he is hooked. Happy me and cheap holidays Grin

atthestrokeoftwelve · 17/01/2014 19:53

hillbilly - do you camp in the UK?

LtEveDallas · 17/01/2014 20:03

We are looking now and if we can't fit the Disney dream in (looks like we will be priced out) then the budget will be around 4k for 2 adults, 1 child.

We've previously done Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco, and liked them all but I fancy looking at Europe this year. Aqua Fantasy in Turkey has been recommended, I'd like to to back to Cyprus and DD would like Greece. DH will do as he is told!

Theresadogonyourballs · 17/01/2014 20:10

Gosh, reading this has really made me appreciate how lucky we are - my dad owns a B and B in the Lake District, so DD and I will go and stay there for a week. DH works for a train company so we get hefty discounts on tickets up there - will probably cost about £45 return for the two of us, (from London).
When DH is off we will go to the South of France - my sister and BIL live there in the summer in a lovely house with pool, so we just have to get flights and a bit of spending money.
I really do know how lucky we are - not sure what will happen when DD is older and wants to go somewhere different - I can't quite believe the cost of foreign holidays nowadays!

PortofinoRevisited · 17/01/2014 20:22

I have been totally shocked at the prices for mobile homes the last couple of years. We rented a much cheaper gite in 2013 because of it. But then dd was bored so I am going for it again this year. I hate AI. A big part of the holiday for me is going to the local markets and restaurants and not eating / drinking in the same place every night. It does seem you can get some bargains that way though.

alma123 · 17/01/2014 20:26

LtEve - you should be able to do Disney within that - provided you don't stay on resort at Disney. We've been several times now, had a ball and don't at all feel we missed out by not staying at Disney. It would have cost us almost double to stay at Disney and I couldn't justify that. However, going to Disney really is a fantastic holiday and is worth saving up for - we've travelled far and wide and it really was a holiday of a lifetime.

I was also looking at Aqua Fantasy for this year - the water park looks fab!

LtEveDallas · 17/01/2014 20:38

Really Alma? In August?

Think I've been looking in the wrong places in that case - I couldn't seem to find anything less than 6K.

Thanks, I'll check again Smile

alma123 · 17/01/2014 20:49

I haven't been in August but have been in July, October and February! I've never paid more than approx £500 each for flights, you are probably looking at about £800 for 14 night Disney tickets, and then you have a healthy balance for accommodation and car hire. Have just done a quick search on Expedia and found various options - look at Lake Buena Vista area.

hillbilly · 17/01/2014 20:51

Atthestroke - we do camp in the UK for weekends only. I don't trust the weather to book fore longer than that. Last summer we camped in France for the first time and it was great. We will do the same this summer.

LtEveDallas · 17/01/2014 21:00

Alma, that helps, thankyou.

atthestrokeoftwelve · 17/01/2014 21:10

hillbilly- We have camped in France in the past -the Vendee- the holiday was lovely and the kids had a ball, but as we live in Scotland it takes two days of travel to get to anywhere decent in France. I vowed never again.
Four days of travel out of a fortnight's holiday is far too much.
We try to fly from a local airport in Scotland to get abroad and that pretty much rules out camping- as at the very least you need a car, very difficult to fly then camp as it's nice to take home comforts, covers, duvets, some kitchen equipment etc.
So camping abroad is pretty much ruled out for us in favour of a hotel or apartment.

Northumberlandlass · 17/01/2014 22:23

Just realised this had been updated!

Thanks for tips on Dubrovnik. Will look at getting a card & am already looking at Ferry trips

Thanks Smile

TheGonnagle · 17/01/2014 22:35

£2400, 2 adults 1child, 25 nights in Bali and 3nights in Singapore over Easter.
Staying in beach bungalows and little cottages around Bali and 5* hotels in Singapore.
Bring it on!

TheGonnagle · 17/01/2014 22:35

Excluding spends, which I have budgeted £1500 for.

TSSDNCOP · 17/01/2014 22:36

LtEve me, DH and DS did Disney for 10 days n Octber half term. We stayed at a non Dsney hotel on the Disney resort, park tickets including Discovery Cove, flights plus two days car hire USD 4.2k. That was all Virgin Holidays. Spends was USD 1.5 as we only lunched at the parks.

CooCooCachoo · 17/01/2014 22:38

Just booked brittany ferries holiday:

2weeks near Carcassone in a gite with pool for £1069! I think that's a bargain.

Tolls £40 each way.
Fuel £120 each way

Probably only around £500/600 spending money as self catering and will have a new baby (3 months) so thinking lots of quiet time by pool rather than lots of visiting, lunches and dinners out etc....

Total: circa £2k.

ProcessYellowC · 17/01/2014 22:46

Wow this is fascinating and making me think seriously about properly budgeting my holiday (yet to be booked) if 2 weeks cycle camping in the Netherlands for three of us.

Ferry £200
Camping 13 nights £500
Food no idea but lets say no more than usual groceries/working lunches - hoping the trangia gets a lot of use!
Spending money another £500

So £1,200.

Hmm not done too well in the "proper" budgeting but think my camping estimate is conservative. Although better add some contingency too that!

ProcessYellowC · 17/01/2014 22:47

nnooooo! mis-spelled "to"

foxdongle · 18/01/2014 17:44

lteve
We also did Disney cheap, although it was in may half term (2012)-
10 nights non Disney hotel (basic but only 15 mins from disney) with breakfast inc and pool and free bus to all the parks (so no car hire) £200
flights - £2000
tickets to Disney and universal - £900 ish

we took picnics to the parks everyday and ate out in IHOP/pizza type places every night, add ice-creams , coffees, few beers etc approx £800-£900
plus a bit of spending money for dcs to waste.

we did it all independently and that was 2ad 2ch.
it can be done and it didn't feel cheap or faffy -would do it again