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?

We stay with family or friends, so get several short, cheap holidays per year.
Not been brave enough to take the kids away just as a family yet!

We’re above average income and holiday quite a lot, but we don’t ever go for package holidays. Our usual approach is to look for cheap flights (usually EasyJet) at the time we want to go and then search for accommodation via Homeaway, Airbnb or villa websites.

Amsterdam is quite cheap to fly to and there are loads of Eurocamp/Centreparcs type places.

We spent about £8k on a touring caravan a couple of years ago, and now head (drive) to France for a couple of weeks in the summer holidays, typically costing around £1k or less for travel and site costs, compared to the £3k Eurocamp would cost us (often the same sites too!).

Because of the kind of caravan we bought, it's barely depreciated. We also go away very cheaply at Easter and May half term, so we've ended up with more holidays for less money.

We're going to the canaries for 10 days, cost will be around £4.5k in all. We should really spend the money on house renovations throughout the year but this is how we choose to spend our money atm. 2 adults and 2dcs. I scrimp in other areas to make it happen.

A few cottages in Wales under £1K
Or Norfolk starting from £524 (I just put in Norfolk as I know there is beautiful coastline there - you can search by County).
Dorset, Hampshire and Wiltshire this time, starting from under £500

All with about 4 mins google (not sure where you are traveling from, etc). No way I'd pay £1000+ for a caravan!

Single parent to 1 DD.

I don't fancy going abroad just the 2 of us and we live near a nice beach so tend to go on city breaks instead, normally to London in August and take advantage of 241 train offers at attractions and Kids go free at the theatre. We tend to stay in the Premier Inn at Stratford or Travelodge near Liverpool Street.

This year we are going to the European championships in Scotland and going to Glasgow, staying in a Premier Inn to watch synchro swimming, gymnastics and Edinburgh staying in Uni Halls accomadation (might regret it) to watch synchro diving, go to the zoo, castle etc and its edingburgh fringe too.

It depends how much it matters to you.

Both me and DH earn above average income but we are putting family holidays on hold for a couple of years as we want to take DD to Disneyworld when she is older. My parents did the same for me and my sister when we were little- first time I went on holiday was when i was 10 years old and I still remember bits of it 24 years later.

We aren't overly bothered. We will have the odd weekend visiting my sister in Paris but that is simply the cost of flights and contribution towards food and any trips out etc. Last time we went it cost us about £300 all in. If we didn't have that luxury then we would live with it.

It's not the be all and end all. Sure it's nice to get away but your DC will have the option go travel at their own expense in the future if they choose to do so surely?

Are youth hostels an option for you? Or I have seen a company called Real Family Holidays which are similar I think.

I have a friend who does regular house swaps. It wouldn't be something I would want to do (my house is far too messy :-)) but it works for them and they get 2-3 weeks somewhere sunnier.

We live in the US; we are going on a road trip to Nashville, TN for spring break and Disney World, FL for autumn half term. Kids are 4, 7 and 10.

We don’t travel too much typically - a trip home to the U.K. every other year, but it’s terribly expensive for five. We live in a great city with lots of leisure/arts options so we are happy to be home.

Swirling brilliant suggestions, looking into those. I am going to adjust my idea of hols. My family memories are of getting a week away self catering every year and my family weren't well-off. We didn't have a car and we even went abroad a couple of times by public transport. This is why I'm so gobsmacked at the cost of accommodation. We did have a particularly sorry wet week in a flat in Morecambe but we also did youth hostelling in Italy which was awesome. I'm going to look into YHA again as they do sometimes do family accommodation and that might work with DC's SEN.

for our summer holiday, luckily we have access to my mums place in france, so just pay for travel, but if we have any holidays where we have to pay for accomodation etc, we always go off season. The prices for easter, may half term and october half term are a fraction of those of the summer holidays and also less crowded

We used to go to holiday caravan sites when the children were younger, but now we go self catering cottages. I don't tend to look for a holiday until after Easter for August and the last few years we have paid around £500 to £600 for a week away.

We will be taking our eldest(6) out of school for two weeks in November. We could afford to go in the holidays but it’s too busy (Disney)

We manage it by putting our own house on Airbnb while we’re away - depends where you live I guess but it’s a big help for us. Have also done house swaps - also works well esp as a cheap way of getting out of the country.

UK self catering is very expensive in Devon and Cornwall in school holidays. Much more affordable in places like the Lake District, Yorkshire, North Wales etc.

School age kids, with ASD. We have reduced costs by going with other families, and renting one larger property. Last year was Wales but was £800 for 6 of us. Though it rained.
Alternate years we manage Europe - we like cities and towns near nice countryside and don't really care about a beach, which reduces prices no end. A week in Bavaria was under £2k for 6 of us and was wonderful, so hoping to go self-catering in France this summer. Though it's annoying that you can't book trains until after you have to book accommodation.

My parents afforded annual holidays by having one child and taking me out of school, usually late October or February. I'm tempted by the latter while they are still in primary - wouldn't in secondary.

We usually rent a campervan and go to a couple of campsites that are attached to water parks/amusement parks for our summer holiday so a little road trip in essence.

We've got some spare cash this year so are doing Disney in April however we have also rented a cottage at the start of July for a week near Alton towers for £350. Luckily we're in Scotland so it's our summer holidays but not England's. would it be worth your whole doing term time?

Also for October we've booked a 4 night caravan stay through a local paper break free promotion for £185

www.jet2holidays.com/free-child-place-finder
Might be worth a look if you can be flexible

Hoseans you can get a caravan for £600-£700 for a week in the summer holidays
Agree. We've done this in Dorset, Devon and Cornwall for £500-700. Statics are good nowadays with showers, heating, separate bedrooms, dishwashers etc

We've booked a week with haven in the lakes August. It's £1000 ish (higher spec caravan with heating / DVDs etc - all essentials for our summer weather ), but we booked before Christmas as we discovered we can pay it off monthly by dd between now and then, which is helping enormously.

We have 3 dcs age 3, 8 & 10. We've never been abroad with them, and have only ever done this type of holiday. We've had four week long holidays since having them and a few weekends. Hoping to be able to save £20 per week for spends and food.

I've looked at Haven and Hoseasons and the prices seem much higher than other people are paying. Is it because I'm looking too early? Or do you have to be clever about what you look for?

And I love staying in statics and I love the facilities you get with a holiday park, just haven't found it 'budget'.

We usually get special offers just after Christmas