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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

Cheaper Overseas Holiday

9 replies

MrAmIDone · 27/04/2023 08:42

With regret my husband has become newly disabled, his condition and level of pain means he cannot tolerate the confines of a 4 - 5 hour drive for our usual UK family summer holiday.
Do to the mechanics of overseas travel ie movement and sitting; airport, security, lounge, airplane, transfers etc he envisages if a short flight say 2 - 3 hours tops he could manage that journey better.
I'm looking at prices right now Croatia 2.5 hours, Canary Islands 3 hours.

In our family group there are 3 adults and 2 children.
The prices I am seeing so far are so out of reach, £1000+ per person.

The New Year is the ideal holiday shop time but at that stage my husband nor I had any clue where his health would be.
Can you offer any advice on how a family of five can do a short haul on a budget?
My poor husband is desperate for continuous hot sunshine to ease his pain, I want to help him if I can.

OP posts:

Seeingadistance · 27/04/2023 09:21

Would you consider home swapping? I pay an annual fee of around £130 to be a member of the Home Exchange website.

Not having to pay for accommodation is a massive saving, and it’s a lovely community of people to be part of.

https://www.homeexchange.com/

HomeExchange - #1 home exchange community

https://www.homeexchange.com/

Caspianberg · 27/04/2023 09:28

Trusted house sitters? - £180 for the year membership.
We use to find cat sitters. Have someone coming soon. They just need to feed cats and give strokes occasionally for 2 weeks, and in exchange use our 2 bed holiday cottage for free. It’s in a prime summer holiday area.

However, if he can’t sit 4-5 hrs in car, then I wouldn’t go overseas either. That will still be time in car to airport, time sitting and walking in airport waiting, time on plane (3hr flight can be 4hrs on plane if delayed), then again other end. We live 2hr flight from uk, but it still is a 10-12 hr journey total by the time to drive either end, and airport and flight.

Would it not be better to do the usual holiday in the uk that is 4-5 hrs away, but just break up journey so you stay somewhere else overnight on route so it’s only a 2-2.5hr drive daily?

bert3400 · 27/04/2023 12:57

@Seeingadistance thank you for sharing the website, it's something we are considering. Do you know why some of the properties charge a daily fee ? I thought you swapped your house for there's ?

Original poster

MrAmIDone · 27/04/2023 13:53

Caspianberg · 27/04/2023 09:28

Would it not be better to do the usual holiday in the uk that is 4-5 hrs away, but just break up journey so you stay somewhere else overnight on route so it’s only a 2-2.5hr drive daily?

I totally take all of your points onboard, I do, I too am just as concerned about both UK and overseas holiday but personally more comfortable with UK.
The warmth really helps with his pain so he is desperate for guaranteed and continuous sunshine.

OP posts:

SingAlongAndItMightJustGetYouThrough · 27/04/2023 13:59

If he wants guaranteed and continuous sunshine then he'll need to fly for more than 2 hours unless it's very last minute!

HydrangeaFairy · 27/04/2023 17:29

You would need to go self catering to keep the cost down. Also outside of school holidays. There are often some good deals in late May and June.
Anywhere on the Spanish coast or Balerics would be warm at that time and under 3 hours.
Look at Jet2, they are offering £50pp discount from today.

MidtoLon · 27/04/2023 18:03

Would you consider a cruise. Mediterranean from Southampton. Very easy for people with a disability. Can often get a bargain fairly last minute.

Choconut · 27/04/2023 18:27

I don't think you can get to the canaries in 3 hours, it was over 4 for us to lanzarote.
You are quite late now to be booking summer hols, the earlier the better IMO. I always find the cheapest flights from easyjet as soon as they're released (we're flying to Split in August for £140 per person) and then book up the cheapest and best airbnb's for while we're there. We booked back in September/October though.

Seeingadistance · 28/04/2023 00:10

bert3400 · 27/04/2023 12:57

@Seeingadistance thank you for sharing the website, it's something we are considering. Do you know why some of the properties charge a daily fee ? I thought you swapped your house for there's ?

There shouldn't be a daily fee but maybe what you're seeing is the amount of Guest Points (GP) per night. Home Exchange allows you either to do a reciprocal exchange where you stay in each others's homes, or to use Guest Points - so a bit like AirBnB, but with GPs instead of money. And you can combine the two.

So, this summer a couple from Paris are coming to my place for 5 nights and I'm going to theirs for 7 nights. I'm giving them Guest Points for the extra 2 nights I'm at their place.

Some people do charge a cleaning fee - often because it's a second home and they live far away or because they also rent the property out commercially.

I joined Home Exchange shortly before Covid hit, which wasn't great timing!, and have been travelling in this way since restrictions were lifted. It's an amazing way to travel - saving money, offering and receiving hospitality, and feeling part of an international community of like-minded people. Can't recommend it highly enough!

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