Why doesn't it feel like a proper holiday unless it's long haul?

[IncaMaid]

Growing up we used to holiday in France and Spain. Sometimes Greece if lucky. Never ever flew long haul. My friends were jetting off all sorts of exotic places and I was very jealous.

Now that I am an adult and earning adult money, whenever I go to book a holiday, I can only think in terms of long haul. Don't get me wrong, I love Greece and Italy and visit most years. But in my (silly) mind, these are not classed as "proper holidays". DH jokes it's not a holiday for me unless it's long haul and in business class (very rarely then!).

thats a shame for you. Are you really saying that if you spent 2 weeks on greek islands, or similar, youd feel that was just normal life, and not a holiday??

I agree.
I used to love building sandcastles whilst wearing a hand-knitted cozzie - often with a cardigan on top.
Then I grew up, & over time saw a lot of Europe.
Now I'm older, neither appeal to me so I go as far away & as often as my budget will allow,

Little sympathy here…

I as a child did hot sunny Europe, loved it, hated the cold too, it felt different t home, Lincoln.
now 2 of y brothers live in Italy and Spain, so cheap hols for me

There are so many cool things to do in Europe though! Walking the Caminito Del Rey or The Path of the Gods or from Fira to Oia (off season), marvelling at Agrigento or the underwater sculptures off Ile Sainte Marguerite or wallowing in the Szechenyi Thermal baths.

For Thailand beach vibes I'd recommend Cirali (ok not quite Europe but close) or Skala Eressos. For some reason I've also fallen completely in love with over touristed Lindos - not Thai vibes but still the view of the Acropolis from the beach is just breath taking.

For me long haul is great - but I wouldn't want to do those long flights too often. I'd be devastated if I lost my appreciation for Europe, but I have to admit I can't consider going away in the UK as anything more than 'a break' so I'm a holiday snob too!

Think about what it is you value about the holiday.

I sometimes think getting there is as much fun as being there. The suspension of not having to do anything other than turn up and go with the flow can be relaxing in itself. Everything is decided externally, no thinking or organising on your behalf.

One of my best holidays was a trip to Brighton from north London using public transport. It was at the end of my 1st year at uni. We only stayed one night, but I still think I had as much fun & relaxing as others get from a 2 week beach holiday!

I half-agree with this. I love a long-haul adventure. But the holidays I come home rested from, feeling really refreshed, are European or weekends in UK.

Agree with PP that it's all about perspective. If you find yourself bored by European holidays imagine you're from the USA, somewhere in the midwest. A holiday to Italy or Greece would be a life-long ambition for some people in that situation (and actually some people in the UK too) so it's a good way to appreciate what you have. I sort of see where OP is coming from (I'd have preferred a long-haul destination this year but instead we did a couple of short-hauls), but the phrasing in the OP is tone-deaf. I really do think practising gratitude is good for your state of mind and for developing empathy and kindness.

Simply don't holiday for a few years at all and you'll find your love for all holidays again.

I have a little pattern of short haul, long haul, cruise which can be either, repeat. If I want to experience another culture but don’t fancy a long flight I will book an extra trip by myself to North Africa.

I have flown a lot this year (18 flights including 6 long haul ones) and am looking forward to no flights for a few months as jet lag can be bad.

OP have you tried varying what you do in Europe if you do go for example twin center holidays or a hotel and then a little cruise etc? Montenegro and Croatia is an option or another short haul option is Istanbul and then somewhere else in Turkey.

I love mixing it up. Long haul, short haul, weekend away, road trips, a couple of nights an hour away down the road. I think they are all great.

I haven't been on a long haul flight in over 20 years - not because I don't want to but because the destinations that I'd like to go to are expensive and myself, DH and DCs are not the best with travelling long distances. I'm sure we'll eventually booked a long haul holiday but for now, we're happy with our trips to Europe. We're off to Italy for half term and I cannot wait!

You seem to equate spending more money with better or more holiday-ish holiday.

Don’t you feel guilty at the carbon emissions of all these long haul trips? I am by no means perfect and we still fly sometimes but do consciously limit long haul, and only for stuff that is dissimilar enough to things that are closer - so it is worth going to Africa for the wildlife, but I never understand people going long haul to sit on a beach when there are plenty of amazing places to do that without a long haul flight.

I have always felt the same way, sure there are plenty of objectively beautiful places throughout Europe but it’s not just about that for me - it’s about a complete change of culture, being far removed from other British people on holiday, and I just generally want to see as much of the world as I can. And if I want a beautiful beach to switch off, you can’t beat the Indian Ocean and French Polynesia. Objectively to me they do not compare at all to anywhere in Europe. Likewise much of Asia, and the Caribbean too. I can understand the ease of travelling in Europe but one day of travel to get to somewhere really isn’t a big deal to me.

But it’s not just about a beautiful beach for a lot of people - with many long haul “beach destinations” there is a completely different culture, completely different food and climates and ecosystems. Exploring the Indian Ocean is a completely different experience to, say, swimming in the Mediterranean. It’s reductive and closed-minded to say a beach holiday is a beach holiday!

Agreed - but in that case it isn’t just about sitting on the beach. Long haul all inclusive where people barely leave the resort and the food is much more generic on the other hand…. I just don’t get why it is worth the effort or the jet lag or the impact on the environment.

Because you're privileged and entitled OP. Especially with 'business class' thrown in. Frankly you don't sound very nice.

Because you're spoilt