How much does it cost to holiday abroad in the summer for a family of 4?

[ShowOfHands]

I know that's like asking how long is a piece of string but bear with me...

I don't travel abroad, only ever camp in the UK. I don't even have a passport.

Eldest DC finishes high school this year and youngest finishes primary. Eldest is off to boarding college and the start of high school for the youngest feels like the end of an era. We've spent six years doing up the house (serious project including some rebuilding) and we have finally nearly finished. I had an idle thought that next summer, we could go on a big holiday to mark what feels like a lot of endings and new beginnings. DD is practising her french speaking exam and one of her comments about where she goes on les vacances basically says camping gets a bit boring after 16 years. I've never left Europe and I've never taken the DC further than Scotland.

I thought I'd pick a random far flung destination and check out flights. Friends have just come back from Canada so I chose 2 weeks in August, economy flights and it's 3k for flights. Presumably, with accommodation, food, entertainment and all that stuff, it's going to cost more than my new kitchen and bathroom combined to have a holiday.

Is that normal? Are there cheaper ways of doing it? I don't even know where to start. Is Europe cheaper? How do you decide where to go?

The children - quite honestly - admitted they'd love to experience a holiday that isn't so basic or such hard work for me. Often DH can't come with us so I'm used to setting up the tent, cooking in the rain, doing laundry in a tent etc. Some of dd's best friends went to Malaysia, Costa Rica, South Africa and Portugal respectively in the holidays and we camped in North Devon. Her friends aren't from a remarkably different socioeconomic background but I'm not sure how they're affording it if my cursory googling is indicative of general costs.

We don't like beaches or heat. We like history, hiking/trekking, culture, arts, steam trains, theatre, literature, curiosities, whimsy. It would be once in a lifetime so would like it to be memorable if we were to do it.

Before I start hoping or planning, is it possible for it to cost less than significant renovation costs? I don't need fancy or first class. Just different to a tent in the drizzle (which I adore!).

You might like a travel provider like Intrepid. They'll organise all the logistics, including flights if you want them. They do all sorts of itineraries to see interesting places.

Link: www.intrepidtravel.com

Tuscany? Somewhere you can get to Pisa and Florence and Lucca by train - loads of villas and apartments to rent with a pool for down time

Slovenia comes to my mind when I read your posts. The walking and scenery around Bled and Bohinj in particular are fantastic. It’s also a really easy country to travel around - it’s small, and trains and buses reliable, clean, etc. I travelled on my own there, staying in simple accommodation as you describe, and had a wonderful time. Walking, visiting museums, a mine, trying homemade cheese... Can be very easily combined with a few days in Italy too - Venice or Trieste. I very much doubt you could spend £15k on a holiday in Slovenia if you tried!

We did a fabulous trip when our DC were a similar age to yours. Flew to Helsinki for 3 nights, overnight ferry to Stockholm for 3 nights (stayed in hotels but there are cheaper options which might suit you better) then flew to Bergen for a week in a self catering house before flying home. These are not cheap countries to visit but you can tailor accommodation to suit your budget and could travel between the countries by train. Plenty of history and there's little but the great outdoors in Norway! Good luck with your planning.

Definitely take them abroad, it sounds like they’d love it. I also would do what they want to do rather than what you want to do. There will be plenty of £500 holidays for you after they’ve left home. And yes, you will have to spend more than that to go abroad but it’s a Wonderful experience for children and worth it. Good luck with the planning!

Oh, and there are theme parks in Stockholm and just outside Helsinki (which astonishingly is free of charge!!!)

I'd do 2 weeks in France. Drive to Paris so tick off the culture for you and dd then spend a day or 2 at EuroDisney for DS then drive to Chamonix for a week - amazing outdoor adventures, obviously key being hiking but mountain biking, glaciers, adventure sports, cable cars & the train rides around Mont Blanc are spectacular. It's an awesome place for a summer holiday

What about Italian lakes, could camp and go to Gardaland?

Could I have the details of the holiday you had to Devon for £500? Where did you stay, activities/places visited, restaurants etc?
Thanks!

PS when you visit Beamish once, your ticket automatically becomes an annual pass so if your children enjoyed it you could go again and again!

From what you say. It sounds like you & your dj put your holiday desires first. Always.

So, it seems paris would be ideal. Get the train, over, take 3 or 4 days in Paris, mooching Shakespeare & co and all the gorgeous old book shops & flea markets etc spend a day or couple of days at euro Disney for ds & then a train to a historical French town that you all choose together for mooching curiosities and local culture - inland will be much cheaper & you don't like beaches anyway. Carcasonne and surrounding areas a good about. Then cheap Ryanair flight back from carcasonne.

Everyone's a winner

Your children don't want to go to Beamish or the Scottish Highlands for their once in a lifetime end of an era holiday.

You loathe beaches, but there is a lot more to do beyond the UK than go to beaches. Millions of people go on holiday without going to beaches.

You are talking yourself out of it before you've even begun.

If you like history, culture and galleries, then Italy would be amazing for you. I’m sure it can be done on various budgets. Tour of battlefields sounds incredibly dry for teens if you are hoping for a memorable last holiday.

We did Canada in 2019 for £5k 4 adults 18
days

ghana 2020 £2k

Barbados £2500 for 4 2018

sweden august 2017 - £1200 - 18 nights flights car hire accommodation

booked for Thailand in January - budget £6k 4 people 17 nights.

Spain 2017 16 days august £1200 quid for 4 flights car hire accommodation

USA December 2015 £4k three weeks at Christmas AZ and CA including a couple of days at universal.

could go in done Rome, France, Germany, Lanzarote, Belgium, the Netherlands. Never spent more than £1500 for a European holiday in summer. Variety of different types - Center Parcs, Hotels, Villas etc.

just need to think outside the box

If you like history, then Berlin is the city for you all. Its amazing! Go on walking tours, then take a train to Munich, visit Dachau and travel on to the Black Forest. Stay in an AirB&Bs. Something for everyone and Berlin is probably the most interesting city in Europe for modern history.

Can you go in May half term instead as it’s cheaper.
We found a deal in Portugal on easyJet holidays a lot cheaper in May half term than July/Aug.

somewhereovertherain · Today 22:07

sweden august 2017 - £1200 - 18 nights flights car hire accommodation

Can you pls share the details of this? It sounds very cheap and I'm very interested!

Go on Skyscanner and put in your dates to 'everywhere'. We have done some very cheap holidays this way as it tells you where you can go for the cheapest price.

Often it is cheaper to fly in to a 2nd destination rather than directly home. In 2018 we found a £20 flight to Paris but to fly home was £150. Flying on to Croatia was only £27 and then £30 back to the UK from there. We had a 2 centre holiday with only £77 each spent on flights :

2017: 10 days in Capetown with a 4 day stopover in Istanbul (£495 return flights each in August) Capetown was fab, we did a 4 day safari, went to Simonstown and saw the penguins at Boulders Beach, drove to the Cape of Good Hope, went to Robbin Island and toured District 6. Istanbul was fascinating too. An amazing city.

2022: 4 days in Copenhagen and 6 days in Budapest (£84 for the round trip of flights in August each then airbnb)

2019: Flight to Venice (£40) 3 days in Venice, train to Florence (2days) train to Rome (4 days), train to Pompeii (6 days) flight home from Naples (£50 each) - July

If your eldest is finishing secondary school this year they’ll probably be done with exams before the end of term. I’d be tempted to seriously consider pulling the younger one out some
time in late June/early July and make a break for it!

Some friends of mine managed to get a 10 night cruise this year as a last minute deal (booked within 8 weeks of departure) with a balcony cabin for £3k. That was 2 children under the age of 10 though so likely cheaper.

Iceland! In the summer it’s fantastic. Fly there. Hire a car. Stay in the capital for 2 nights then travel around.

I don't think you should go from camping in Devon to a once in a lifetime holiday - start with a European holiday. If you hate beaches maybe travel down to the Alps by train? I don't think you need a travel consultant, I think you need to Google.

The first think you need to do is get everyone's passports sorted! Then have a look on some travel agents sights for holiday prices, and then see if you can create your own holiday cheaper.

I don't get flying all the way to Costa Rica when there's so much to see on this side of the planet first.

Sorry thread hijack, but as the Easyjet flights are out for next Summer, this is one of our options.
Where did you travel to and how long did you stay ?

I would definitely look at Inter railing or train travel in central and Eastern Europe. Perhaps flying into Berlin and out of Prague, or into Prague and out of somewhere like Budapest. Or Romania and Hungary. If you like castles and cities/small towns, these countries all have great options.

You also might like Slovenia - great scenery, Lake Bled is stunning (as are other lakes in the mountains), and Ljubljana is a gorgeous small capital.

Another vote for inter railing. Start in Paris for your DD and take in Euro Disney for your DS then choose a selection of places that suit your tastes.

You don’t have to undertake an epic journey across Europe, you could potter around Normandy or go up to Belgium and/or Holland. Mild weather and easy access to train/ferries home.

Possibly look into rivers. The Dordogne area as already mentioned and the Mosel/Moselle is a lovely river to follow with lots of gorgeous towns along the route.

A Black Forest and Alsace combination would also suit you I think.

OP is teaching though so not an option.