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Holidays

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Original poster

how much holiday money ?

28 replies

bigbuttons · 18/06/2014 06:45

I posted this in chat and got 1 reply! I am wondering how much money to take with me to Turkey this year. I am going self catering with 4 kids, so 5 of us.
It might seem a silly thing o ask but I really haven't got a clue as haven't been abroad for over 10 years!!!!
thanks

OP posts:
mrsnec · 18/06/2014 06:54

how long are you going for? Which resort? And do you intend to eat out all the time. All those things would be a factor. But I'd probably be thinking along the lines of 150 pounds a day.

deepbluetr · 18/06/2014 07:06

I think maybe your question was a little vague.

People vary enormously in the spending money thay take, just as their spending habits are diverse when back home too.

If you intend to eat out a lot and go on lots of trips then you could easily spend £250 a day.

If you intend to cook then you can seek out local markets and supermarkets, then your food bill may not be a great deal higher than when you are staying at home. Fruit and veg are particularly cheap and plentiful in Turkey.
I find eating out around the same cost as the UK.
Do your homework first of the local area, it is easy to overspend as you wander into high price restaurants and shops because you don't know where to find the cheap eats.

mrsnec · 18/06/2014 07:57

I'd forgotten about excursions Deepblue. We looked at them when we were in Antalya last week and they were all at least 60e a head!

Agree with everything else you said too so maybe the best budget would be somewhere in the middle of those figures.

deepbluetr · 18/06/2014 08:01

I have to say this is one of the reasons I love all inclusive with kids.

mrsnec · 18/06/2014 08:05

I think we'll do that next time! We went half board as a compromise and still spent a bit on booze, lunches out (despite loading up at breakfast) and coffees/ice creams when we were out. We don't have kids yet but if we had 4 like op that would add up to a lot!

deepbluetr · 18/06/2014 08:16

mrsnec- AI is great for kids- and for the booze.

Soft drinks, coffees and snacks can be costly on holiday, and with a few kids in tow it mounts up over the day.
I'm not sure I would be inclined without kids as we like to explore and eat out, but the AI hotels we have been to - small family run ones in Greece and Turkey. Some AI packages are £15- £20 a day for adults with kids free, and that's as much as you can eat and drink.
Most hotels will also make a packed lunch for you to pick up in the moring for day trips - at no extra cost.

mrsnec · 18/06/2014 08:27

Yes I can see that being a good option then. We actually live in a medditterranean holiday resort so go for short breaks for a change of scenery but ai would still be worth it when our hotel beach bar wanted 15tl for a coke and an efes! Ice creams the same as they are here so at least 3e each!

We did get a complimentary plate of seasonal fruit delivered to our room each afternoon though so that was a nice touch and saved on the snacks a tiny bit!

OneLittleToddleTerror · 18/06/2014 10:59

I went AI last year and the hotel packed lunch is very small. We ended up eating out anyway. I think the benefit with full board/AI with small children is that you don't go out too much anyway. We managed only one full day trip over 7 days. The other outings are all half day ones, so we have food inside the hotel almost every day.

When we holiday pre-children, we were out everyday, from after breakfast to bed time. We also love eating out at different restaurants when out. I'm inclined to think AI is pointless if you planned to go out a lot.

Original poster
bigbuttons · 18/06/2014 18:57

thanks so much or all the ideas. Sorry if I was vague!
We are going for seven nights, staying in a small apartment which is part of a bigger resort in a place called icmeler.
I was told that turkey is pretty cheap once you are there. I am shocked at £150 per day.
We already have 2 day trips booked which include lunch for £60 in total for all 5 of us. There is no way I can afford for them to have endless ice creams and drinks from restaurants.
I think I will have to set a budget of £500 and divvy it up over the week, I can't afford any more.
I suppose I am so used to being careful here at home I will have to learn to do it when I'm there.

OP posts:
mrsnec · 18/06/2014 19:04

That's very good for excursions op. I did ask dh and he confirmed we spent 150 a day on our latest trip on hb but our hotel beach bar was pricey. And we were in a city. If you are in a resort geared to self catering and you have a decent supermarket nearby you can save a bit by doing things yourself. There will be plenty of people nearby who can recommend cheap places to eat.

Turkey is cheap for some things but not as cheap as it used to be.

deepbluetr · 18/06/2014 19:11

I don't think £150 a day is unrealistic for 5 people unfortunately. We have visited Turkey 4 or 5 times with kids.
You can eat out cheaply if you have hotdogs, burgers, pastries etc, but the price of soft drinks pumps that up considerably.
We found meals like steak and chips or pasta in a low price restaurant was £8-£12 a head, so with drinks lunch for four could cost £50 or more.
Tourist areas in Turkey have cottoned on to the fact that money can be made, and they charge accordingly.

Your best bet is to find a big cheap local supermarket, hire a taxi if necessary and load up on soft drinks, food and ice cream for the freezer in your apartment.
If your resort had a good pool chances are your kids will happily amuse themselves there for most of the day without having to spend big money eating out.

Have a great time!!

Original poster
bigbuttons · 18/06/2014 19:27

Thanks, I will load up at a supermarket and maybe eat out once or twice. I am not planning any other trips. Just the pools and trips to the beach and we will take our own food and water etc just have money for ice creams. I'm too broke after paying for the holiday and passports!!

OP posts:
deepbluetr · 18/06/2014 19:29

The passports are a killer!!

3catsandcounting · 18/06/2014 23:47

We were in Spain last year self-catering (2 adults, 2 teens). We ate out every other night, otherwise ate in the villa and usually out later for a drink/ice-cream! Plenty of nice food & wine from the supermarket, a couple of cheap trips out to caves, a few games of tennis at the local club, etc, and we spent under 900 pounds in 14 days. I would reckon on 100 euros a day, allowing a little more for any Waterpark (or similar) trips. You don't have to spend a fortune; we live very well whilst we're away. (I always take Marmite (even more expensive abroad) and this year I'll take the new Robinsons S'quashed pods (mine drink gallons of squash and it's always difficult to find in the supermarkets)!

mrsnec · 19/06/2014 05:54

I think we could have got our figure down a tiny bit. We weren't extravagant but there were times we got taxis when we could have got the bus and an unesscesscary visit to Starbucks or 2 so if you follow what 3cats says you might be ok. That is a really good idea about the squash for example.

Ememem84 · 19/06/2014 06:46

I was in turkey last year and it was cheap. So I'd say 500 would be sufficient. We took about £1500 with us and came back with a lot.

Remember you need £10 each for a visa once you get to turkey. They won't give change so you must have the right number if £10 notes.

mrsnec · 19/06/2014 06:55

I'd check the visa fee. We paid 25e each and I noticed a lot of prices had gone up. You can do a visa online now. We were on an internal flight sort of last time anyway so not many people needed visas and they were very quick processing everyone. If you're on a package charter flight everyone will have to sort visas anyway but if you're not then maybe sort them online.

Original poster
bigbuttons · 20/06/2014 13:21

oh, didn't see more answers, thanks! Yes £500 has to be the limit. Apparently you have to get the visa in advance now, before you leave. I will not be visiting hotels bars or coffee shops.

Does it make a difference if you take Lira or Euro?
thanks

OP posts:
Original poster
bigbuttons · 20/06/2014 13:23

yes, the squash, great idea, and tea bags of course. I plan to live off fruit and veg!

OP posts:
ILoveCoreyHaim · 20/06/2014 13:28

Boat trips from marmaris harbour are about £15 pp with food and drinks. I go to marmaris and it's very cheap to eat out. You can get a full English or turkish breakfast for £2. Go to the supermarket and stock up your apartment. There's a big one on the road from marmaris to icemeler. The icemeler market on a Thursday I think y is is good. You will need money for that

ILoveCoreyHaim · 20/06/2014 13:32

Huge bit red watermelons in icemeler were £1 and the future and veg is cheap and lush. The fresh juice is also pretty cheap in the supermarket. Kebabs are lovely and heap. There's more at marmaris so have a day out there. Take about 10 mins on the dolmus along, costs coppers

ILoveCoreyHaim · 20/06/2014 13:32

Bloody phone grrr

ILoveCoreyHaim · 20/06/2014 13:34

I would see lira but plenty of exchange places. Visa is 20 u have got buy in advance. Used to be 10 and thy would stamp your passport on entry

ILoveCoreyHaim · 20/06/2014 13:36

I exchanged my money from sterling to us dollars and then exchanged into lira over there. Don't know what the exchange rate on dollars is atm but was the best way to do it when I went. I took travellers cheques in USD

mrsnec · 20/06/2014 13:43

Everyone in Turkey takes all 4 currencies from my experience but we got the best rate exchanging from sterling to tl. I'm not sure about the dollar but I know we got a better rate sterling to tl than euro to tl but it was confusing as some of the shops had prices in euros! It was easier last year when it was just 2e to the tl everywhere!