NOW CLOSED: UK MNers: Talk to us about holidays - you could win £500 to spend on Travelzoo, a night in the Birchover Hotel Apartments in Derby or Palmer's Cocoa Butter goodies

[AnnMumsnet]

We want to know about you and your family and holidays - tell us what you love and loathe by completing our survey and you could win one of many fab prizes.

This includes up to £500 to spend on the holiday of your choice worth from the Travelzoo Top 20 travel deals, a bundle of Palmer's Cocoa Butter goodies worth £50.00 and a one night family stay in the Birchover Hotel Apartments in Derby. More info: here

The survey is open to all Mumsnetters who ever go on holiday (UK or abroad) with their family.

Please take a few minutes to complete the survey - add your details at the end and you will be entered into the prize draw for one of the prizes up for grabs.

Thanks
MNHQ

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But like Zipzap, I had an issue with the question about taking children out of school.

I would take them out of school for a special occasion (such as next year when my friend is getting married in France) but not to save money. There was not an option for this.

And BIWI is right - most of these things were not really an issue for me now - food at hotels or on trains - as my DC are older.

If Quint doesn't want the night in the apartments, can I have it. Will send her some Cocoa Butter in exchange.

I would like longer "other" boxes. I had a lot to write in them!

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I also wanted to comment on the availability of single/ split rooms for larger families.
It is difficult to get accomodation for one family of 5 in one room in mainland Europe.

As I said - please do add your comments on other things on this thread...we will definitely use them in the report - holidays are such a big topic and so personal for so many people that it was impossible to get everything covered in the survey but we will include other comments from the boards in the report - sometimes a quote from a MNer can really sum up what many are thinking in a better way than a stat.

thanks for all the responses so far..it's interesting reading!

Done- as someone else mentioned, some parents like my DHG have no choice in his main holiday time- he has 3 "shutdown" weeks, 2 in August and 1 3rd week of September (2nd week of new term, not ideal!), so we have to pay the over-inflated prices if we go on holiday then. This means we tend to have camping weekends only one year, and a week camping the next- cant afford holidays abroad at peak period!

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I can't imagine the school holidays price increases ever being tackled. It's supply and demand. When people aren't around to take a holiday, they have to give places away...when everyone's looking for something to do, it's obvious that they'll put up the price. Yes, it drives everyone nuts, but it is pure economics at its most evil!

I work in school, so I have no option but to take school holidays. Having six weeks off in the summer is great, but not being able to book that last minute, £200 holiday package to Florida the week after everyone goes back to school sucks.

And yes, I have taken my child out of school, before I worked there, because I didn't want to spend a fortune on holidays with her. She was 4/5/6/7 when we did this and I don't feel it was detrimental in any way.

From 8 upwards she said she didn't want to have holidays in school time any more as she felt like she was missing her friends too much, so we stopped doing it. I wouldn't consider taking time out once she gets to secondary school as I know there's little chance of playing catch up there.

DONE

As mum of teens did feel the Q's were biased to those with young kids.

Often find that "family friendly" venues are actually "primary school kids friendly" & finding stuff to suit moody teens that doesn't involve a small screen of some sort is not easy.

Also second the at the price of passports now. My 2 teens have just expired & mine did last year, so its just as well we can't afford a holiday this year!

If anyone doesn't want the prize break I'll take it off their hands!

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Can't wait for my holiday!

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My biggesy gripe is the school holiday price increase. The difference between term time and school holiday costs is huge. I know and apprecaite its supply and demand but do with the gap could be narrowed.

In reality I dont think this will ever change - but if no one ever mentions it everyone will think no one is bothered by it!

My other grip is why some campsites/hotels/holiday companies stop charging child prices at stupidly low ages such as 11 or 12 years old. With an 11 and 13yo I get seriously annoyed at having to pay for 4 adults. It was actually a challenge this year to find a campsite where BOTH kids were classed as children. Did find one tho - kids upto age 15 .

Disney - kids prices stop at age 9. How many of us class our 10yos as adults I wonder????

I would love a holiday as my car has just died :( I don't think I can afford it for a while! I am hoping the form went through! Please can you let me know or should I do it again! I think it was a few days ago that I filled it in! many thanks Heidi

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agree that the questions assumed that family friendly = small child friendly. Also agree about the price of passports - we're just back from a week away, and thankfully the DDs passports don't expire till next year, as the cost of DHs and mine was .

Huge variations in when DC become adults in pricing structures annoys me. DD2 is 14, so a child in the hotel. but an adult on the plane. But not enough of a child that there was any particular entertainment laid on for her (not that it mattered, as she had a pile of books/my kindle, and we played cards a lot, but that's not the point). Am that Disney charge adult prices from 10 though.

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