Who exactly are the people who can afford to go on foreign holidays in the school holidays?

[Earthstar]

I personally can't afford foreign holidays in the school holidays.

We are definitely not poor. Dp and I both work - we are one of the "middle income" families. We have one child, one (old) car, don't smoke or drink, have a 2 bed flat, no sky etc.

Obviously lots of people with school age kids do go abroad in school hols, otherwise the prices wouldn't be so high - but how? How much do you have to earn to manage to pay to go abroad in the summer hols? And how much does it really cost for a 2 week break...or even for one week?

I am always surprised by the number of people who do take their dcs out of school for holidays. Imo - if you can't afford it in holiday time then you cut down your wish list - one week instead of two, closer destination etc - rather than taking them out of school repeatedly. There was a child at dd1's school who was taken out at least twice a year EVERY year. I don't think any wish or need can justify that.

We are paying £1500 for 2 weeks in a cottage in south Cornwall.
Have had a week in Canaries in feb.
We did once go to France for a week,coat about £1200 for cottage plus ferry,but weather was not very good!
We tend to go abroad for a week out of high season,but still in school hols,and then 2 weeks in Cornwall in August.
I appreciate that we are lucky.

I think schools should allow 2 weeks off for teachers and pupils. Obviously gcse and a level students couldn't risk it but up to year 9 would be be workable. The travel companies might be a bit less grabbing with their prices if the demand shifted.

I did a lot of camping before I had children.

But tbh, now, I'd rather just not go at all if we had to camp.

The whole shower/toilet block thing just isn't for me. Of an evening, DH and I enjoy popping a DVD on and enjoying each others' company whilst the kids are in bed. Being able to switch on the kettle. Cooking is easier (I like to cook, even on holiday).

If we can't afford a caravan or wee lodge/chalet/cottage, fuhgettaboutit.

Two bedrooms fine - the girls go in one and DH and I with the baby.

Also, we have a cat, and haven't found it hard to find a place that will take a cat, so we bring her along and don't have to worry about cattery fees or sitters.

yy cat, we all live in different worlds and other peoples seem a bit alien. I personally cannot imagine a life where a yacht is a must-have, but I met someone last week for whom it was unimaginable not to have one.

We have paid £1300 for mobile home in France for 2 weeks. We also got cheap train tickets (£350).

However, we did book the accommodation absurdly early to get a discount, i.e. before Christmas. If I tried to book the same holiday now we'd be paying a grand more.

This is our first family holiday abroad for 6 years!

A holiday is a priority to me. We are abroad anyway so don't have to pay for ferry crossings, and a couple of weeks in a mobile home somwhere where the weather is nice is something I look forward to all year. I save up and go without other stuff if necessary.

Whitsun half term is definitely cheaper than going in August and the weather should be hot enough in southern Europe. DIY flights, car hire & renting from the owner direct will normally save you loads. The last week of the summer especially if it's the end of Aug/beg of Sept if school inset days allows also makes a difference. 2 yrs ago, we had a week (7nts) in a converted Tuscan granary with pool and together with flights + car hire (2 ads + 2 kids) came in less than my friend's 4 night stay at a UK CP for the same week! This year, partly due to the threats of strikes & volcanic ash disruption, we're taking the ferry and trying out one of the European CP's (still comes in cheaper than a UK one!)

I am at how much people are paying for accom in France. We have only a month ago booked TWO 2 bed cottages in the Dordogne with shared pool between 3 cottages for a total of £620. We are sharing with another family so accom cost for us will be £310. We are driving down, using Eurotunnel and 2 stopovers, total travel cost including petrol will be no more than £400. We will therefore alos have our car there for sightseeing etc.

I we had to pay £1300 for accomodation we simply could not afford to go.

We use owners websites to book accom, much cheaper than some of the package companies.

btw, booking made for mid July, but cost in mid Aug is only £100 more.

"I am at how much people are paying for accom in France [...]We use owners websites to book accom, much cheaper than some of the package companies."

That's all very well, but there is a risk in doing that. We used to book direct (because it was cheaper), but had a rather grim experience - I'd rather pay more now and have the security of dealing with a company or agency who vet things properly, and to whom you have some recourse if things go wrong. Horses for courses though ...

Even the bonded cottage rental companies don't usually cost as much as some people are paying.

There are ways of doing it more cheaply, though.

We managed to get some quite cheap flights from our local area to the South of France.

Caught the train to a village in the mountains and stayed in a municpal campsite for 12 euros a night.

It was a lovely holiday.

One of the big problems the British have is that their school summer holidays are a lot shorter than those of the French, and other European holiday destination countries, so the British cannot get mid-season prices (ie first half of July) that Europeans can.

I want to know how some people manage to go on holidays abroad 5 times a year! I think they are taking advantage of their child being in reception and still under 5yrs old, so are cramming lots of holidays in.
This is to Spain and the Canaries one week at a time.
But in reality, it might work out cheaper than two weeks in the expensive summer holidays.

If you have kids...go before they are 5yrs old! Otherwise you are basically going to have to fork out thousands more or get in trouble with the school

We went abroad twice last year. Easter to Duinrell which was a caravan for a week and £300 including travel and diesel. In the summer we were in a self catering flat on a German Farm for a week in August. £425 for accomodation and ferry then £100 on diesel. Great place with indoor pool, free horse riding, fresh rolls in the morning and loads of stuff to keep DC's busy.

We're off to a gite in Brittany in half term which is £290 for the week, Tesco has paid for Eurotunnel and I estimate £150 for diesel. Heated pool, 33 acres for DC's to explore and a playbarn with loads of stuff.

I can't afford to have the same facilities in this country during school holidays. I think to do this sort of thing you need to be within a resonable distance of Dover where you can cross the channel for about £50.

cantcarryon, if we'd booked the same mobile home for a week rather than two weeks, in mid July rather than end of July, we could have got it for just over £500.

But we're limited in how much holiday we can take off work - in addition to covering school holidays and trying to fit around available childcare.

Can't wait though - it's 15 years since I last went for a 2-week holiday in the sun.