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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

Weekends away aren't worth it or are they?

76 replies

Rayn22 · 26/04/2023 22:25

Been away for a weekend and realised they aren't worth it. Friday to Monday in a cottage. By the time I have unpacked it's time to go home again. Paid 350 for the cottage and spent around the same on eating out, fuel, attractions etc
That is 700 I could have put towards a holiday abroad. We normally have one or two a year weekends a year but decided not to bother.
Anyone else think it's just not worth all the hassle for a couple of days. Maybe if we didn't have kids. I just feel like I have blinked, missed it and back at work.

OP posts:

Haggisfish3 · 26/04/2023 22:26

Ooh no I love a weekend away! I feel like I’ve been away for a week.

Luredbyapomegranate · 26/04/2023 22:27

I love a weekend away!

But obviously not if it eats your holiday budget

MrsBarbaraLangerhans · 26/04/2023 22:28

I love short break, makes a change to the routine. We went to Wales recently for two nights and hoping to go to North Cornwall over the Coronation weekend. Usually trawl internet for a cheap self catering and do a food shop too to save money. One or two meals out but not very expensive. Great way to explore different places.

AnneLovesGilbert · 26/04/2023 22:29

I’ve never spent that much on a weekends away and tend to pack light so it’s not that much effort. I love a weekend away. Also a night away. I’m not fussy.

Original poster

Rayn22 · 26/04/2023 22:31

Just me then! 😬

OP posts:

NeverTrustAPoliceman · 26/04/2023 22:33

It depends what you do when you're there. Two nights means we have time to climb a couple of mountains. Packed lunch, take a couple of frozen meals to defrost. Cheaper and means we can slop about in mountaineering clothes rather than change for a restaurant. We did similar but smaller scale walks with young children. I don't think we have ever been to an "attraction" on a weekend away, although we have done so occasionally on longer holidays. If you go somewhere with loads to do, coast/mountains, an artificial attraction is unnecessary.

Ragwort · 26/04/2023 22:37

How old are your DC? Any holiday with DC can be exhausting ... if you are the one organising, planning, thinking about meals, entertainment etc. The best weekends when our DS was young was when DH took him camping with a group of friends and I stayed home alone .

Cheerfulcharlie · 26/04/2023 22:41

Agree! For me it has to be 3 nights minimum and that’s if it’s not much more than 3 hours or so drive away.

Original poster

Rayn22 · 26/04/2023 22:48

Kids are 15, 11 and 7 so all want to do different things. Its just not long enough to feel any benefit.

OP posts:

mrsfollowill · 26/04/2023 22:48

It's not worth it with little kids - but we did a few city breaks for 2 nights with DS from when he was 12 ish- London/York/Manchester and they were great- planned like mad and fitted loads in. DH and I did one night away this weekend in a hotel 30 mins from home and we had a great time- take your point about the costs though. I was horrified when I logged onto my banking app and we spent maybe £350 on one night- had a fab time though

WandaWonder · 26/04/2023 22:59

We have short weekends away quite often but cheap hotels mainly, I don't see a holiday cottage worth it just for a night or 2, not just the money but the lack of time to enjoy it really

I think I prefer short breaks to stressful airports really

ShinyAppleDreamingOfTheSea · 26/04/2023 23:00

I wouldn't be doing a Friday - Monday weekend with children unless it was the first weekend of school holidays and had the day afterward off at home. But in the position of being able to have a long weekend away within school hols then I always felt a long weekend felt like a lot longer .

In a different position now - just me and DH and WFH so no feeling rushed getting back and needing to sort things out with work the next morning. We've even had a couple of long weekends away abroad

ShinyAppleDreamingOfTheSea · 26/04/2023 23:03

At the point we were doing weekend breaks with DC we often went to Butlins - this may suit you with 3 DC of different ages .

Talipesmum · 26/04/2023 23:05

We do weekends away sometimes if we need to hire a much larger place to share with family. If it’s just our immediate family it’s generally more relaxing to book a hotel or b&b.

Runnerduck34 · 26/04/2023 23:25

In theory i love a weekend away but i do know what you mean - its not long enough to unwind and fully enjoy where you are and its still very expensive, particularly if you take DC.
3 nights work better than 2 ime, a bit less rushed and the shorter the break the less time you should spend travelling.

UsingChangeofName · 27/04/2023 00:04

I never thought it was worth it when the dc were little, but at the age your dc are, we thought it was.
I mean, this By the time I have unpacked it's time to go home again. makes no sense to me. I just lift my night things and wash bag out of my bag. Then clean underwear the next morning. I'm not really sure what you are "unpacking" that makes it an actual job.

Then, like a pp, I would never spend that much whilst away. I mean, if you have loads of spare money, I can see that you could, but as it is obviously eating into your budget, then there isn't any need to.

Usernamen · 27/04/2023 08:09

I love weekends away in the UK or in Paris (via the Eurostar). But with the complete faff of airports and how long it takes to get to where you’re staying, I like to do a minimum of 3 nights abroad.

Favourite weekends away have been: Aldeburgh, Manchester, Edinburgh, St Ives, Bath.

Usernamen · 27/04/2023 08:13

And it’s definitely possible to spend a lot on a weekend away. A return train ticket from London to Manchester is over £100pp. Hotels in the city centre are a minimum of £100/night.
So you’re at a minimum of £400 for 2 adults, before any entertainment and eating out.

TitInATrance · 27/04/2023 08:14

Love short breaks, currently spending 3 days in a youth hostel on the coast - can recommend and it’s doing me a world of good. I did short breaks with children, need to manage expectations re food and entertainment and limit travel to 3 hours or so.

Attempting short breaks with XDH wasn’t a success, though.

Wiennetta · 27/04/2023 08:21

I love weekends away. It just breaks up the year for me, so I have a few things booked in to look forward to. We often do a couple of UK breaks and a couple of weekends abroad each year. Then a couple of trips to stay with family in other parts of the UK and in Ireland.

I guess it depends what you want out of holidays. If it’s to relax I can see a short break might be too busy to really feel the benefit. But if it’s to see somewhere new or do something different, then short breaks are great. I don’t think I’d see those places otherwise - I get to visit several different places each year, rather than just a couple. We’ve been to so many European cities in weekends away, including some lovely smaller cities that I don’t think we’d get to otherwise.

BanditsOnTheHorizon · 27/04/2023 08:21

I agree tbh. Especially if you've got kids.

I love my home and would much rather spend a long weekend at home than the hassle of packing, shopping, unpacking, cooking, worrying about the cottage, cleaning before I left, packing, travelling and then all the washing when you get home.

BendingSpoons · 27/04/2023 08:24

We have decided not to do short breaks unless there is a reason e.g. going away for someone's wedding. Instead we will do days out more locally (driving up to 60/90 mins so not super local) and save the money to put towards bigger holidays abroad.

I don't like driving more than 2/3 hours for a weekend break, so the location is never that different from home or similar to places we have been before. I'd rather explore abroad for longer but less often.

Newgirls · 27/04/2023 08:25

The key is a short easy journey. I prefer trains as busy traffic is tiring and stressful.

mdh2020 · 27/04/2023 08:26

Try a weekend away in a Premier Inn next time. Good bedroom and they are next door to a pub. They do a meal deal - £25 pp per day for a full breakfast and two course dinner with a drink. You don’t have to do any chores.

LubaLuca · 27/04/2023 08:28

I love a weekend away, but I have to say I prefer a hotel to get that feeling of having a break from domestic drudge. I need that change of pace and scenery every now and then.

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