Anyone else come home and think what a waste of money

[diegothedaigo]

Just did a 10 day trip to a group of islands that I’ve always dreamt about going to. Over 10 hours flying.

Had a nice time, and nothing majorly wrong with it, but just sort of think, hmm? I kinda wished I’d saved the money. I’ve come home feeling knackered despite spending at least 5 days laying on a tropical beach. Is this a normal feeling?

That’s so sad 🙁.
Magazines pay for stories. If you can write your experience up in an entertaining way maybe you’d be able to recoup a little from it.

I think it’s expensive these days but it’s always been worth it for us

No I can't relate. Always have a great time on holiday and never think it was a waste on money. I'm usually trying to look for another as soon as I'm back!

Your better off creating a life you don't need to escape from.

No, I love my holidays. They are fab :)

Nope. I’m not going to be lying on my death bed wishing I’d saved the money for a rainy day that might never have come.

I’ll be thinking of the oceans I swam in, the mountains I climbed, the food I tasted, the people I met and the life I lived 🤷🏼‍♀️

This is ridiculous!!!
If you have money and don't enjoy holidays then you can do what you want with the money.
You may want to spend it on hobbies in the UK
Gifts for parents
A new car
A new handbag
A new kitchen
A down payment for a second flat in the city

In no way would I suggest giving it to those who are "deprived" of holidays.

I assume that you are a very content person in your life that doesn't need the one week on the beach abroad to feel relaxed

You go girl!!!

Holidays are what you make them and never regretted one yet.

Not really; can’t wait for the next holiday. We don’t do the lay by the pool all day though; we enjoy beaches and try to explore different ones; include other activities, sightseeing, try different foods, explore other cultures m.

normally do self catering and rent a car

My H actually tends to do at least an hour and a half of work whilst on holiday- he says it doesn't feel like work when it's in the sun with a beer at his side and flip flops on and a pool in the distance - and he can pick and choose who he bothers answering- he finds it more relaxing than doing nothing

I've just been to the greek islands and yes I feel like that! That it was a waste of money

My dad used to say that he liked kefalonia, the greek island. he has passed away now, and I decided to come to visit kefalonia, because he liked it.

I regret coming!

The weather has been alternating between extreme heatwaves and torrential storms.

Where I'm staying it's very run down. There is nothing to do. The roads are extremely steep with no pavements, and there are cars constantly speeding and driving like lunatics at you, while you try to walk up the very steep roads

There are very few buses running at all, and the taxis completely overcharge you.

Was this a holiday? I feel more stressed after coming here.

I regret spending money on it

No I have loved every holiday I’ve ever been on. When we stay in or close to UK , or manage to travel by electric car or train, I feel doubly content because I hate burning air miles (environmental guilt).

This year was my favourite holiday ever - honestly every day was fab even the day I had an injury from a particularly vicious water slide!

My dad used to say that he liked kefalonia, the greek island. he has passed away now, and I decided to come to visit kefalonia, because he liked it

We went to Crete earlier this year for the same reason. My husband’s father. I think the trouble was that the Crete my FIL described was Crete 30 years ago. A lot has changed since then.

I was just thinking of poor Michael Mosely while I was here in Kefalonia. Im sure you all remember him but just in case anyone doesnt , he was the British man who died of heatstroke in a greek island earlier this summer.

I'm still in Kefalonia In the Greek islands. im Leaving tomorrow

Its a serious heatwave in the greek islands right now. I've never seen heat like it.

I thought it would be a bit cooler in September. But no.

I went to the shop yesterday, and i was walking back up a hilly road in the heat, back to my hotel yesterday.

And I had to lean on a wall. I felt like I couldn't breathe. It was from walking in the strong heat. I was gasping for breath. I felt I was going to pass out. im 40 and pretty fit. I couldn't breathe. Or walk any further.

A local woman came over and offered to drive me up the rest of the way to my hotel as she was worried About me, bless her!

It's some heat.

Yeah I was really not impressed with kefalonia.

Its pretty but Everything is very stressful and hard to do here. Which is not what i wanted in a holiday.

For example there is not a bus running to the airport tomorrow, so I have to get the hotel to call me a taxi and hope the taxi comes on time.
Then I know the taxi will hugely over charge me again, as none of them have taxi meters.

I also have to find an ATM to get cash out, as none of the taxis take bank card here,

yet none of the atm machines are working near me either!

Ill need a holiday to recover from this holiday!

Me too

This in spades

No, I am always grateful for the change of scenery and a relax (or not, with city breaks). If you can’t be happy in the Maldives is there something else going on??

We came back from Mallorca with awful mosquito bites, they seemed to like me the most and I looked like I had some awful disease.

It was really humid and stormy, pretty though and the airport on the way back was frantic combined with the early start, feels like I have needed a week to recover form it really.

It's not all about the change of scenery, that makes a good holiday though

Some holidays can just be terrible.

I regret going to the Greek islands this year.
Everything was too difficult there.

I also regret going to Turkey.
Everything felt very unsafe there.

I also regret going to Mexico.
Again , it felt extremely unsafe where I was.

I've learnt now to not take other people's recommendations, as people only tend to remember the good parts when describing somewhere, and im really going to try to do my own research before going somewhere again

I came to this greek island , because some one else told me that they liked it.

I really really don't like it. Everything is extremely hard to do here. So it was a waste of money.

They've now just sent me a text message to warn me of an "extreme weather alert" in the Greek islands.

A storm is going to hit the island for the next two days.

Sigh. What a holiday.

My flight home is tomorrow. Fingers crossed it won't be cancelled.

I never do less than 2 weeks for a 10 hour flight eg. Caribbean. 10 hour flight for 5 days is exhausting.

Some really snipey comments on this thread.

I totally get it, OP. We like a lounging holiday in the sun with a touch of luxury, it's our way of trying to relax and recharge the batteries.

Sometimes it works, sometimes less so. This year was expensive beyond belief and it’s more in the latter category.

I do take some solace from the fact that I’ll feel the benefit as autumn bites and I can recall the glorious sun on my face, the joy of not having to cook for two straight weeks and the crappier/humdrum bits will be relegated to distant memory.

Hope it’s the same for you.

I always wanted to go to the Caribbean but as I get older I think I prefer busier holidays in towns and cities. I live in a very rural area so being somewhere with a lot going on is really refreshing. Maybe a beach holiday is just a bit dull for you op.

It's miserable having something expensive you should enjoy and not enjoying it that much, so I get it. I'm pretty careful what I do for holidays these days, and i make a lot of effort to make the travelling part as easy on us as possible, but no doubt I'll have bad ones again. Chalk it up to experience.