People with school age kids, what kind of holiday, if any, will you have this year?

[allthatmalarkey]

Before the kids, we did various kinds of holidays including camping. We can't camp any more as one of the kids has SEN and needs to be inside four solid walls. We're on above average income and we cannot see how to afford a summer holiday. A week in a static on the south coast in school hols is over £1k. Self-catering is similar or more. A week's package holiday is more £2k (family of 4). We've done self-catering abroad and it's slightly cheaper per week than the UK, but you have travel and even car hire costs on top. How are people doing it? What kind of holiday are you planning, what's your work/income situation and how hard is it to find the money?

Below average income, Eurocamp in France (caravan rather than tent though as we're going in June).

We've booked 4 nights in a haven caravan during summer holidays, about £600 for the higher spec caravan. Went to the same site last year and loved it. It's not cheap (could probably go abroad somewhere cheap for a week for similar price) but it's pretty reliable and i know dd will enjoy it.

There's no point comparing how we manage it, as we're unbelievably lucky in that we get lots of lovely subsidised holidays.

However, have you looked at AirBnB and cottages in places like north wales, or Black Mountains which are maybe less fashionable? The costs do seem to go up near the coast. We tend to have a week at half term or easter, in the UK, and definitely spend less than £1000 a week for accommodation. More like £500-600. 2-3 bedrooms, nice cottage, and I've seen cheaper properties available.

Never done package holidays. But a friend who was absolutely broke did manage to get deals from time to time on static caravans, and IIRC costs of around £2-300 for a week. Probably not very nice ones, but they had fun.

Oh, and we're probably slightly above average income but with a ton of work to do on our house so I find it hard to justify spending a lot on a holiday!

Hoseans you can get a caravan for £600-£700 for a week in the summer holidays.
This year we are going to Butlins , family of nine, half board for 7 nights in the summer holidays costs £2k.

10 days in a friend's house in France for free, 4 hours' drive away. Near Carcassone and all the Cathar castles. We'll visit a couple of them - big climbs with the dog and 6yo - and go swimming in a couple of rivers. Walk the dog round the village and countryside, find a fleamarket or 4 they do great 1€ cars to keep small one entertained!

It'll cost us about €400 with petrol and tolls, plus food and entrance fees while we are there. It is so quiet and the air is so clean we all pass out around 9pm!

We'll probably go early/mid August when there's a local cheese festival on.

Just noticed you say one of your kids has SEN. Have you applied to family fund? They give grants of usually £500 towards holidays for disabled dc.

We go away for four nights self catering in the UK every summer. I can't afford a week and I think ds is happy with four nights. He had autism, he likes to go away but not for too long.

We're above average income and I'm 99% sure we don't qualify for the Family Fund. We don't qualify for universal credit etc.
Some good ideas here. Still interested to know how people afford holidays (or if they don't). We have a savings plan to cover holiday and Christmas and it always gets eaten into so we end up with half what we need. I am trying to make savings elsewhere, but as we're above average income, I do wonder how people with less do it. It feels like really hard work - we have to do without a lot for the rest of the year for that getaway for a short time. But perhaps that's how it's done. Is it?

Haven holiday, sometimes a holiday cottage ( half terms are a bit cheaper than summer) this year inlaws are paying for travel and accommodation to France.

We are cutting back this year so we can have an extension built, so we will go camping in the school holidays, the kids love it and it means we can go several times.

Save what we can through the year, pay off small amounts, Sun/Mail holidays are always useful

in 2016 we camped in a pod near barmouth, it cost £160 for 4 nights in the summer holidays for 4 nights, in 2017 we went on a sun newspaper break at easter and cost just over £100, this year i think we are going back to the pod, we cant afford much but at least this way we can give our dc a mini holiday

10 days in a cottage in the lakes in July - £1,200 - for 2 adults, 2 children. We are above average earners and no way can we afford to go abroad!

Slightly higher than average income. Probably we will go camping a couple of weekends, we intend to do more but stuff happens. Nothing is booked.

We don't go on holiday every year, it is too expensive. We go about once every 5 years or so and often combine the holiday with visiting friends or relatives abroad, or an activity like sailing or skiing.

Last time it cost around 3.5K for the three of us, so on average we spend about £700 a year on 'proper' holidays.

The camping is sooo much cheaper, and much better value. We go with friends who have children too, and all the kids play and have a great laugh while the parents chill and drink

We are outdoorsy people though, we like climbing and kayaking and mountain biking in whatever weather. I suppose if you like sunbathing you need to go abroad.

Another way to holiday cheaply is in premier in £29 a nigh rooms.

*inn

Maybe try short breaks < 1 week, which can be cheaper but you still feel like you have been 'away' iyswim.

Also, if you have some friends or family you get on well with maybe go with them? You can rent a whole cottage/chalet/apartment and it works out quite a lot cheaper per person.

We’re going to Cornwall but in term time. Fuck Michael Gove - if he hates term time hols then I live them.

DS is only 5 and storming through Y1 so I don’t think it will make a jot of difference.

Trying to decide this myself.
Previously have done a week in Cornwall in a holiday house - about £600 in May half term if you shop around.
Would like to go somewhere warm but accommodation needs to be secluded as DC don't sleep with any noise (SN) so can't really be a resort.

We went abroad for a week during August last year. Cost 3.5 k for 4 of us plus spending money. First time had taken DC abroad. I honestly don’t know how people afford holidays with children during school holiday times. We put £300 per month into a holiday savings pot to fund it and went without other things. However this year desperately need new carpets and other bits for house, so won’t be having anything but a cheap holiday in U.K. Our income is OK above average but I think to have regular holidays during school hols need to be earning quite a bit!

We are doing a weeks air B&b in Scotland for May half term. We’ve got a one bed apartment with sofa bed, so boys will share master bedroom and we’ll sleep in lounge. £600ish for city centre s/c for 7 nights.

Also doing a Tui s/c package in October half term. For for us, including flights and car hire in Itay, it’s about £2k.

Above average income, but chose two ‘end of seasin’ Breaks over one summer, as the prices can be crazy.

Have you looked at things like Sun deals? When DS1 was tiny and we were struggling financially, we did a couple. Not fantastic accommodation, but it worked and was cheap. We then spent days on the beach and cooked/ tool packed lunches.

Easily 5 of us in August went to North Wales last year rented a huge 6 bed house for £850 10 minute drive to coastal area of Barmouth 20 to Harlech. Year before Cornwall walking distance of Newquay caravan on a basic site £520 for the week. Same year week in Whitby 2 bed house £600 week in August. Just takes time and effort to look around.

Much higher than average income.

2 adults 4 kids primary age and a toddler.
2 trips to visit family (around 5 days), which is a ferry and stay with them. Diesel £150. Ferry about £400. Free accommodation but need days out to manage not to outstay welcome!
Also 2 trips to seaside town (1 week and 1 long weekend). 1.5 hrs drive from home. Self catering apartment.

Also going to 2 weddings next year (so 1 overnight stay both times for 6 of us, adds up).

Keep threatening to go camping, have a tent but no other kit, would only go for 2 nights to try it out but not sure if will be brave enough this year

This is all adding to my impression that unless you go camping (which we now can't) you have to be pretty loaded to do a holiday in the school hols. SEN means we have to be a bit fussy about some things, which also doesn't help. We have done the newspaper offers and you definitely save money, so long as you're not looking for dates like schools holidays or bank holidays. I really miss getting some guaranteed sun, but looks like that's out for the next decade or so. Happy hols and happy saving, everyone.