Do your tastes in holidays change over time?

[sassyfanny]

I can’t figure if it’s normal to have different holiday tastes at different times in your life. My parents were once obsessed with holidaying in North Western France. Then they became a bit obsessed with Andalusia and even strongly considered buying a place. Now they seem very content with a summer holiday in Wales or Cornwall and a winter holiday in the Caribbean.

DP and I enjoy an Easter Break in Cornwall, a week in Greece over the summer, and then something warm in Winter. We used to try and go to places as far flung as humanly possible like Fiji or New Caledonia, but now we can’t be arsed with super long haul.

Do other people have evolving holiday tastes?

Depends on what you can afford, and whether or not you have been there done that, and are now content with something nearer and easier to get to I reckon. Well that's the case for me anyway. Have done all the travelling I want by now, (older and wiser!), so am content to potter around Europe or have a break at home TBH.

My parents also only seem to limit themselves to UK holidays now. But I've finally convinced my mum to go on an art trip in Europe as it's a hobby we share.

I started off on partying holidays then lived abroad in a capital city for years. I was never one for galleries and things before but the city I lived in had so many they grew on me. So now I look for them in new places.

My last trip was a split between city culture/sea/mountains. I definitely need the balance.

My DH and I both turned 70 this year. I wouldn't say that our tastes have changed over the years, our first holiday together was in 1976, but our hols are influenced by costs and circumstances. Before children, we would go to the UK or Europe, ideally somewhere with a mix of chilling and culture, so Sorrento, the Italian Lakes and we had one holiday in Salou, but with trips out to Barcelona and local vineyards. When the children along, money was tight, so a caravan in the Dales or Devon. A crappy hotel holiday in Florida that cost a lot to us, turned us onto buying into a timeshare, so we had 10 years self catering in Spain or the Canaries. Got rid of the timeshare in 2008, when the economy was imploding, and the kids were making there own way. We always thought that when we retired we would have a few weeks in Winter in a Spanish apartment. Now we are here, we have gone off the idea, and also can't be bothered with long haul, not as keen on self catering, so looking at a couple of weeks 2 or 3 times a year in a reasonable hotel. Maybe a couple of city breaks, uk or Europe dotted in too. Not bothered about super luxury, 3 star is fine, but located near a town to walk into, and with transport into a city for a day out. Don't want to be bothered with car hire, just somewhere warm to relax, cool to sit and read, and interesting to visit. DH likes history, so this year we had a few days touring sites in France related to the Plantagets, which we enjoyed. He is now talking about Athens to visit a few Greek myth sites. As long as we have some down time, and different food, then that will be fine with me. Keep looking at cruises, but the thought of being on a huge floating hotel is a but daunting to us.

When I was younger I thought it was immoral for anyone to pay so much money for business class when half the world was starving, these days I can’t always afford it but when I can God do I enjoy it 😂

Countries no, I always like to go somewhere different. But style yes. Was happy to go budget in my late 20's, now it's luxury all the way

we did party central when you get, or cosy caravan holidays with friends.
All inclusive with young kids who like the entertainment

Now I dislike all inclusive and want to experience local culture but not far flung places - being cooped up on a plane so line is soul destroying and times zones make sleep difficult!

We are in our 60s. In my 20s and early 30s ( pre kids) I loved island hopping in Greece.
Now I dislike beach holidays and love European city breaks, NYC and walking holidays in the North.

In my 20-40s I always aimed for adventure. Somewhere new to me, off the beaten track, no hotels etc. I liked learning languages and finding out about other people's cultural traditions.

Now I am a lot more tired and am looking for somewhere to 'adopt' to have the familiarity of returning to a place I know well. As I have no money and decreasing tolerance for people on planes, it seems that place is Northumberland.
Cold, fresh and great for dog walking - it's good cos it's empty.

20s I loved travelling and exploring historical ruins etc. I’d have been quite sniffy about AI and holidays lacking culture. Now I am yearning for a luxury all inclusive with a kids club. So yes I think changing is very normal.

Well when I was 21 I was all about Ushuaia in Ibiza

Now I'm not 21, I'm all about children's clubs and on-site waterparks

In my 20s I spent days lying on the beach soaking up the sun. We're not working and have no DC at home anymore so I also now want to see more 'stuff' rather than just lie down all day 🤣 whether that's museums, ancient sites, vineyards, galleries, shows, I don't mind.
We do cruise as this is great for a mix of relaxing and sightseeing, but we mix it up with other breaks / holidays to explore places more deeply and enjoy the local food / drink.

I love city breaks these days.
I also can't be arsed with any flight over 7 hours.

I used to love lying on a beach all day, topping up my tan, reading and a bit of light swimming and then snoozing after Sangria for lunch, and then heavy drinking all night, maybe a bit of dancing .Not anymore.
Hoildays once we had the DC obviously didn’t include much snoozing, reading or drinking, and now I don’t like the heat, ( DH has never liked it and also doesn’t swim) so we tend to stay in northern France or UK in the summer, where we go for walks and visit historical sites and eat nice food. My alcohol tolerance is much reduced, so a glass or 2 of wine with dinner is plenty and it’s all a bit sedate.

We are 65 and 73. After one memorable holiday of two weeks in Cornwall when it rained solidly for 14 days we never holidayed in the UK again for over 20 years.

In our 20s it was low budget Greek islands. Our 30s were party resorts and city breaks. Our 40s small children so we did some UK seaside holidays and Spain.
As DC got older we did some cruises.

Nowadays we do Canaries in winter and the Med in autumn in 5* hotels plus self catering weekends in the Dales or Yorkshire coast in the summer.

@DelphiniumBlue that all sounds familiar. My drinking days are done and I can't manage more than a glass of wine these days. Even though we go to beach / sunshine resorts I am covered up and in the shade at all times

We did a lot of fly/drive holidays before DD came along. Or s/c with long excursions and walking.

With DD we went for farm stay s/c, UK or Germany, or the odd Majorca villa holiday when we wanted guaranteed warm weather.

When she was 7 we started AI, Europe and Caribeean, mixed up with s/c in the UK.

She is now 16 and we love City breaks mixed with a couple of days in a cottage afterwards to relax and recharge.

I think when she will fly the nest, DH and I will go back to fly/drive holidays. They don't really work with DD so we are looking forward to them again.

I used to want an adventure, now I want a rest.

In my teens & 20s I mostly wanted to do beach holidays in the Med. As I got older, I both got less tolerant of heat and began to prefer more active/cultural holidays and hated just lying ion the beach all day. I'd love to go on holidays to more far-flung and exotic locations, but don't have the money!

A little. I used to have the attitude that I wouldn't want to go back to the same place twice, but age (and a very significant work discount on flights but only to a handful of destinations) has seen me choose not only the same place but also the same hotel to return to a few times now for an easy relaxing holiday.

I'm still a way off my Parent's style which is the same apartment in the same English seaside resort for the same two weeks every year.

Ours have - I used to love a holiday in the Med or Portugal, sun and wine, a little bit of sight seeing in the mornings, lazy afternoons by the pool. As the years have gone on I’ve come to hate the heat and would rather a week in a Northern European city or somewhere with hills and mountains and lakes for walking.
I’ve come to love visiting a place more than once too, love going back to somewhere I’ve liked.

Love a break in Herefordshire or Shropshire wandering round gardens too.

Yes definitely. I once enjoyed cities and cultural places, now I'm happy flopping by a pool with waiter service ai. I'm currently flopped by the pool alas no waiter service, must choose more wisely next time!

No, my tastes have largely stayed the same, although our needs have changed as we became parents and then our little DC got older. I've always loved the Med, although have less tolerance for very hot weather now. Always loved city breaks, museums, art and architecture, skiing, being out in nature, walking, exploring new places. I've never been a fly and flop kind of person - I'd be bored stiff going to a hotel by a beach and spending every day lying there on the sand. I can't see that changing, however old I get!