How to afford a holiday? I feel a bit desperate.

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Apologies if this is long.

Holidays in our family are nearly always camping and we've spent a lot of time in Devon for example. We've also seen quite a bit of Scotland. However, because DH is a police officer and never, ever gets any time off in summer, it's usually me taking the children away while he carries on working and him joining us on rest days. He also uses a lot of his leave to take his army cadets away (we live in a socially deprived area and are very short of adult volunteers for anything and as he points out to me, if he didn't take them away, the detriment would be to already disadvantaged children). DH is a police officer of the best part of two decades and I teach part time so we can and do take the children to the things they enjoy like theatre, museums, galleries, local events, festivals etc and they have hobbies. They certainly don't miss out but we've never had big family holidays.

This year, my parents invited us to a long weekend at Center Parcs a few weeks ago and due to how DH's rest days fell, we booked 3 nights in an Airbnb in Northumberland over Easter. Those were our holidays this year. Sadly, DH had a nasty accident on day one of CP and ended up in quite unwell in hospital. He needed surgery once he'd recovered from the initial injuries, sod's law saw the surgery scheduled on day 2 of us going to Northumberland. So the DC went to grandparents for a few days and I took DH to a specialist hospital miles away for surgery. The Easter holidays were a wash out and we didn't even manage a day out as a family as DH's recovery and ongoing concussion meant he wasn't well at all.

DH's work have - for the first time in his entire career - found a way to give him time off in summer in recognition of things being a bit crap right now. He is on light duties for another 4 weeks and needs more x-rays to make sure he's put back together/holding together properly. He has his normal 4 rest days and 6 whole days after that. 10 days off together in summer! That never happens. We talked about it and thought maybe we could go abroad for a week. DD is mid GCSEs, DS is doing SATs and it seems like a landmark summer. It's been a tough year in myriad ways. I got a bit excited/carried away and ordered passports. We talked about it with the children, they both said Amsterdam was somewhere they wanted to see. Me too.

I've tried my hardest to make it work. I've tried looking at package deals, booking things separately, ferries rather than flights, trains rather than ferries. I can't find any way of affording it. I knew summer holiday breaks are expensive but I'm flabbergasted.

I'm trying to make it work in my head. I considered camping via Eurocamp or similar but we've camped. We always camp. We're campers. The children want to do something else and if I'm honest, me too. I take them away myself every summer and I usually don't mind the whole putting up tents in the rain, beans over a stove, making it fun stuff. I've done it for years. But part of me does wonder what it's like not to sweep the groundsheet each morning and to have to walk to the toilet block in wellies at 6am. And I do love all that stuff. When talking to DD's friends about their trips to Costa Rica or Spain or Disney or whatever, I've never felt a single pang of envy. But right now, I'm feeling so miserable.

DD is doing French GCSE and her answer to the oral q about holidays is a very honest "we camp and my Mum works really hard, it's always an adventure and I used to love it but it's become repetitive and I'd like to see the world when I'm older". I know it's an effort to use lots of tenses(!), but there is probably some truth in there. Definitely some truth in there. I know it.

So do we stay in the UK? I thought about staying somewhere really nice but tbh, we tend to only use accommodation as a base so what about some amazing days out. I asked DD this morning and she said "what about Ireland?" Probably a good suggestion actually. Or Wales maybe but I'm aware I want to go there because of the mining museum and I'm trying to make it special for the children. Trouble is, one likes art, history and galleries and the other likes anything naff, ride-based or celluloid.

Can anybody suggest anything? Location? Anywhere considered. Ways to cut costs? What works for you? Should I scrimp on accommodation and spend on days out?

I don't like hotels really as eating out is always so expensive and we like to cook/watch a film in an evening. Self catering preferred.

Is there a brilliant holiday for two 40 somethings, a 16yo girl and 11yo boy that we can actually afford? Has anybody ever put a holiday on a credit card?

If it's all just pie in the sky, I'll forget about it entirely but I'm ill in bed with Covid and feeling glum and wishing I could book just a week away with my family who've had a challenging year in so many ways.

Budget? I don't know. We usually book a £25 per night camping pitch. Everything in Amsterdam was coming in at 3k for just flights and accommodation. Under 2k, we could probably borrow from savings and cut right back to afford it but I don't think that buys a week abroad does it?

I feel a bit of a failure that at this point in my life, I can't afford a week's holiday for us but at the same time, feel like an ungrateful wazzock because holidays are a luxury and we could afford to camp for a week somewhere quite easily but we are wanting to do more and that feels ridiculous and silly and the sadness is pathetic isn't it? It's probably the Covid talking.

Is the 2K including spending money or just the holiday itself? You can definitely get a holiday for 4 around the 2k mark - for example just looked at Airbnb in Tuscany - mid August there's nice villas for just over a £1000 and flights Manchester to Pisa £845 for 4.
If it's including spending money I guess you only have a £1000 and that is tougher, last year we managed to do eurocamp (but mobile home not tent) for 10 days incl ferry for just over £1000 by coming home a couple of days after term starts.

www.airbnb.co.uk/rooms/773046622111655404?adults=2&children=2&check_in=2023-08-14&check_out=2023-08-21&federated_search_id=63d00012-a6dd-40ab-9202-c58247168633&source_impression_id=p3_1682763375_EUYyxofCF2NT2Ei0

Oh, I feel really sad reading this, because you sound so frustrated.

Skyscanner will show you cheap flights - maybe be flexible on place and you might find something fantastic (just don't go for Pescara, trust me!) Then I'd look at booking.com, there are so many options on there.

City breaks etc might be exciting. Ryanair, Easy jet get bad press, but if you read the luggage requirements properly, it's so easy to travel with just hand luggage.

Ireland is wonderful, but it's expensive when you get there.

Check your local airport - Manchester is a hell of a lot dearer than Liverpool for example.

Take a look again at Eurocamp but one of their static mobile homes. Proper bathroom with shower and flushing loo, bedrooms, sitting area, kitchen etc and deck outside with bbq. My sister used to love them. I’ve also joined them once and it sure was a different experience from my childhood memories of tent camping with the communal shower blocks etc.

Loads of activities and opportunities for the children to meet others. On site shop and restaurant etc.

Eurocamp duinrell has a theme park onsite and big caravans. Eurotunnel is about 250 return. A week might be more in august but if you go after gcses before mid July could be about 1k for a good caravan. You could drive to Amsterdam for the day.

When ours were younger we got the ferry and drove down to Brittany and then back up through Normandy.
Lots to do in terms of history and beaches.
Supermarkets are good and cottages (then) were reasonably priced.

I've recently booked somewhere in the UK that didn't appear on Airbnb so maybe worth looking at different websites.

I’d second Eurocamp! They’re a great alternative 😊

Is there a brilliant holiday for two 40 somethings, a 16yo girl and 11yo boy that we can actually afford? Has anybody ever put a holiday on a credit card?

I know many people won't agree, but honestly, for two hard working people with secure jobs, who clearly aren't extravagant spenders, for a one off opportunity like this I'd consider putting the cost on a 0% credit card.

Maybe not the Maldives, but your original suggestion of Amsterdam

We did exactly this last year. Ferry over, stayed in a lovely static caravan type thing, did day trips to Amsterdam via reasonably priced train. We have 2 kids similar in age to yours and they loved it. It came around 2.5k in late July, but I booked it in the January.

So "late in the year" during peak time it's tricky to find anything under 2k.

But I think it can be done! Try air b&b and look out for blue light discount codes (as police he should get them) for caravan parks in the UK.
Also, with Air B&B check 2-3 areas... establish how far you want to travel and ferry/ shuttle costs.

There's a Dutch hostel company called Stayokay. They are great and don't feel like hostels at all. We did a family stay in one in Arnheim a couple of years ago- 3 teens and 2 adults. You do have to sleep in bunk beds but have private bathrooms and breakfast etc. There is one in Amsterdam. You can hire bikes etc from them. Full of families and cyclists. Really nice atmosphere.

My starting point would be to look at where you can get cheap flights to. Use skyscanner as you can select an airport bar you and then leave the destination as "anywhere". One you've got a likely destination take a look at campsites around (renting a static or lodge) and vrbo for accommodation.

Most of our holidays for many years were about finding a rough area we might want to visit and then the cheapest accommodation we could find. Then we would plan 1 paid for big treat activity and everything else we did would be free except for an ice cream a day. An ice cream a day is the summer holiday rule! On occasion we've had 2 in a day....... even though the oldest is now 16 it is still very much a family tradition to mark how good days are by the number of ice creams!

Don't get into debt for the sake of a holiday. Not worth it. Ireland can be really expensive too!

Think about less touristy cities, find where your local airport flies to and research those locations. Eg instead of Amsterdam you could go to another Dutch city. Unless you're set on seeing all the Van Goghs etc, the other cities offer lots of good things.

Think about Eastern or Central European cities too - cost of accommodation and food will be much less and it's less stressful being somewhere where you're not jostling with tourists all the time. We've had a great time in Brno in Czech Republic for example, or try somewhere like Slovenia or Poland.

You could also look at flying to a city near your destination and spending a day or two then getting the train - so fly to another Dutch city and get the train.

Have you looked at rail and sail tickets? They cover the train to a port, the ferry over, then a train the other end - can work out much cheaper and they go to Holland.

Eurocamp is not as grim as normal camping, you have a toilet and shower etc. We've done lovely holidays in Brittany for £1k - £1.5k including ferry, if you just do self catering and go to beaches or stay on a site with a pool then you can avoid spending much there.

And if you're looking at hotels in Amsterdam - consider private rooms in hostels too, or airbnb, or pension type places a bit further out of the city but with good transport links.

I may be missing the point and this is just an aside, but why can't he take leave in the summer? I've been a police officer for years and there is no such rule in my force - and we aren't a very tiny rural force or anything.

I think there are also sites where you can offer to house sit or pet sit for people - have a google? Might not cost you anything!

Could you sign up to do supply on the days you don't work? Just for as long as you need and put the extra into the holiday pot?

The only reason DH and I can afford an abroad holiday is because we both work full time (I'm a teacher too so get the huge expense of holidays in peak season)

Hope you find a solution - maybe have a look at flights to see if you can find the cheapest flights and then look at self catering apartments in that area. We've found some considerably cheaper holidays that way when I was working part time.

I don't know about Eurocamp. I'm considering it. We're fairly quiet and like our own company and space. My happiest holiday was in the middle of the Highlands on a farm. Open fire, board games and books. But DS is 11 and his dream holiday would be Disney or Legoland! We don't like beaches unless rockpooling and we all burn in seconds. DD was diagnosed with a genetic condition last year which explains why she tires easily, has very unstable lower joints and dislocates easily. Sporty stuff and activity based stuff is too much for her. She is also on a trial of heart medication which means she is fainting quite a lot. She likes to read, look at art, wander galleries and is history mad (wants to be an archivist). Her physio and OT encourage her to walk as much as possible so gentle hikes are good. She loves whimsy and curiosity too. She's working so hard on revising and never complains despite being handed a medically challenging hand. She had surgery herself a few weeks ago and took it in her stride. I'd love to take her to Amsterdam. The Rembrandts and Van Goghs alone would make her year.

DH works a 70hr week, I only do 32 (2 days teaching, 3 days cover) and we work hard, drive 12yr old cars, don't drink and aren't frivolous. I must be able to find a way.

2k is for the accommodation/transport, including getting to airports or running a car. It's a maximum though.

Nearest airport is Norwich.

In your situation I'd definitely put it on a credit card , but then holidays have always been a priority for me. You won't have much more time for family holidays if your dd is already 15 and time off is hard to cone by for your dh.

dont look for a specific destination, look for cheap flights and cheap accommodation, and see what it throws up. Or go to a traditional travel agency and see what they suggest?

Your daughter sounds delightful!

When we went to Amsterdam, we stayed in Haarlem- cheaper, quieter, gorgeous little place and so easy to get the train to Amsterdam.

Because of the type of job he does which I know is vague. I can PM if you like?! We manage, usually because he has 4 rest days so he can join us for 4/7 days if we plan it carefully and sometimes if there's a bank holiday, we get 5 days. Plus, the 4 days off after every 6 means we go for days out as well.

Summer holidays are usually lovely and we find lots to do.

And I am acutely aware that we are extraordinarily lucky to be able to have days out, a roof over our head and for full disclosure, have spent 6yrs working on a very decrepit house so have made a decision to fund replacing the roof and condemned electrics rather than holidays. We are very fortunate in so many ways.

We are flying to Milan for around £500 for 3 adults and one teen. We have quite a nice villa booked but there must be cheaper accommodation available.
Also we own a 3 bedroom apartment in Spain and we won’t be there this summer. We do have some rentals but if it’s doable for you I would be happy to let you have it for a week at a good discount given your circumstances. Flights are to Faro and are usually not too pricey if you pick the right times/dates and you might also want to hire a car. I reckon you could do it all for under £3000

Ah sorry op, I've just seen you are doing 5 days a week already.

So PM me if you want to look into it

How lovely of you! I hope op gets her holiday.