Teacher hubby- help

[berfy]

Any ideas on how to have a foreign holiday without it costing the earth? Husband is a teacher so no option to do it non term time even tho DD is only 3. We lived abroad for a few years and stupidly forgot the uk holiday premium for school hols.
No way we can afford the thousands of pounds I've seen for a week in the sun, but also I may go mad with another uk break where it rains non stop again

I was a teacher for 30 years and couldn't go abroad in term time until I retired. I'm afraid that's the way it is and my non-teacher husband had to put up with it.

Drive! I never took mine out of school and went on all kids of road trips. The ferries have increased a bit but you can still get very cheap hotels inland, just think of places package holidays and cheap flights don't go! Last years we were in the Black Forest which was lovely, the room we had slept 3 (only 2 of us) look it up, right on Titisee, found it on a bikers forum

It depends somewhat on your budget.

It can be cheaper to drive, for example.

Late deals can be had, although they are never going to be great in the summer holidays unfortunately.

Where do you live? As PP says you could drive instead of fly, or if it's an option look at flights later In August from Scottish airports when their kids are back at school.

There are also still cheaper ‘package holiday’ destinations and more expensive ones - Greece has been particularly expensive this year, Spain is getting more so. Turkey remains more affordable.

Generally of the English summer holidays, the last week in August will be the cheapest to go, so that can make a difference too.

Is your holiday pattern similar to the rest of the country?

Where we are we have 2 weeks in October so we are able to go the first of the two weeks for much cheaper, so I can find some good deals.

Depending on where you live look at nearby places where term times may vary slightly (ie if you live in the North of England going when your kids schools are off but Scottish kids are in school and flying from Edinburgh can massively help (England/Wales Easter holidays tend to be different so for years we'd go away when the English kids were in school)

Look at not having your 'big' holiday in the Summer - we've never had a 'proper' Summer holiday - in terms of a week away abroad during the 6 weeks summer holidays - for example this year we went on a cruise to Norway during the May half term week (a few hundred each cheaper than it would have been in the Summer - admittedly still more expensive than if you went non term time completely) - we've been to Poland in Feb half term and so on, Canaries in October Half term are gorgeous weather

Also consider if the flight is in the evening going straight after he finishes work on the last day of term - it may make it cheaper to fly last thing on the Friday night for example) or would he be able to go straight to work if you land at 4am (some people can cope with doing it, others can't and it does rely on no delays which can be nerve wracking.

If you drive things like centreparcs europe when the kids in the country you are going to can be cheaper too

Also consider booking individual bits yourself, it can work out cheaper - but you aren't as covered if one part falls through

You need to look ahead at the school holiday dates. If the school lumps its inset days at the beginning or end of the summer holidays then it sometimes enables you to book outside the prime dates. Eg if school goes back on the first Wednesday in September and there are two inset days on Thursday and Friday then you have a week of potential lower prices. Apart from that there's no getting away from driving holidays or extortionate prices😩

Also married a teacher - ten years of school holiday prices before having kids. The fact we haven't had to pay for holiday childcare probably outweighs the extra holiday costs!

At the time I could take up to four weeks in one go so we'd pack the car up and drive to Europe.

Err, teachers need to be in school for the inset days...

We booked way in advance (over a year) and book a package holiday to come back on the day before school starts in September. It's a bit cheaper that way.

I save a lot by not going on package holidays. Book budget airline flights with cabin baggage only (one small wheely case), stay in budget hotels/B&Bs. I'm happy to accept a basic but comfortable bedroom to save money, so that I can just enjoy being somewhere different.

We were both teachers and also drove to Francë and Ireland stayed in what is now eurocamp . The kids loved it . I remember the dol de Bretagne on was excellent and very near the ferry .

Why will you go mad if you have another UK holiday?
Is it anything in particular?

You do realise teachers have to be in work during inset days. That time is set aside for training. It’s possible a school might do twilight training but that would likely only account for one day.

Sorry, I meant to add was it just the rain or other factors?
As pp have said, there's no flexibility as a teacher. You have to go on holiday when prices are highest, that's just the way it is. The only thing to do is try to find a destination which is less popular.

Err, teachers need to be in school for the inset days...

You're right @Janek but our school opted to do twilights if it was just for training. Worked well for us

@Maireas
I think I just struggle with the uk weather in general. We lived in Italy for five years and Australia for another one.
We had a cheap Cornwall sun vouchers holiday booked in May..was really looking forward to it couldn't go for very complicated family reasons (a very bad health diagnosis) when it was sunshine every day and I think I've just had a little paddy at the weather

@BendingSpoons
I think we will do this next year 😊

Home shares? Maybe with another teaching family.

Just like you, they probably have the luxury of long holidays but limited ability to afford the top whack prices.

I'd quite like 4 weeks in France! Maybe a French family would feel the same?

Not much use if you're the teacher and have to go in on the INSET days!

DH and I are both teachers. Our holidays are always car/ferry to France.

I do wonder what people think we do on inset days! Do they think they're optional?

@Ohmylovejune
I'm not longer teaching unfortunately it it's something to look into for a few weeks thank you