Help please lovely MNetters - 5 live are interested to know your thoughts on family holidaying in the UK?

[JustineMumsnet]

Has the credit crunch and collapsing pound made the UK a preferable option for your holidays this year? Are you planning to stay put for a change and risk the UK weather? Is the UK up to scratch in what it can offer families? Or will you be scraping together as many anaemic pounds as you can and translating them into a pathetically small pile of Euros in search of warm sea and sunshine?

Essentially do you think the UK stacks up now as a family holiday destination now we're the poor men of Europe?

(It's for Victoria Derbyshire show - this friday am)

Thanks!

We will probably go to the UK this year. We have gone abroad the last few years (didn't do it when ds very young, as too much hassle, but ok once he was 3), but this year think that the weak pound, plus the fact that dh is not so certain of getting a bonus at work, mean it would be a bit of a luxury.

I like going to the UK in terms of places to visit, but agree with others that eating out can be expensive, and also not always very good quality, and the weather may be absolute rubbish (you never know, that'ds the problem).

I will miss not going anywhere warm, although dh doesn't mind, as he's Scottish and thinks anything above about 22 degrees is too hot!

for me half of the allure is getting away from the Newspaper, the same old supermarkets, the tv.

SO NO NO NO to UK

Ds (aged 8) will probably enjoy a UK holiday, but will be disappointed if the weather is bad, as he would like to spend a lot of time on the beach.

I agree ruby, so I'm disappointed we probably can't afford to go abroad this year. At least, we could go to somewhere like the north part of France (if we drove, used channel tunnel etc), but last two times we have been there the weather hasn't been good either.

Hi Jane, sadly I think the one thing that would make me stay in the UK more would be better and more reliable weather. I don't think anyone's going to be able to fix that though!

We've holidayed in the UK for several years as we can take the dog with us. Since neither of us like beach holidays or lazing by the pool the weather doesn't bother us - you can always find some to go and something to do.
We usually go in Sept/Oct and our hols cost us about £300 maximum, plus spends as we go to the smaller holiday parks and try to bok direct or early when there are good deals

We often holiday in the UK anyway as I can't bear the thought of flying with the DDs and we're not really sun-worshippers anyway.

There's loads to do around the UK, self-catering cottages are pretty good value and a practical option for young families, and something like a National Trust membership can be really good value.

Always best not to count on the weather in any case - one of my most miserable holidays ever was to Turkey in May when it was freeeezing and of course we hadn't packed any warm clothes! At least in the UK you are prepared for rain and have all the right gear, and if it's really awful you can pack up and come home easily. I can't imagine cramming everything the 4 of use need for a fortnight into an airline baggage allowance!

Great - I am so glad you aren't going to be doing just a credit-crunch-topical angle on this, as there are such bigger, pervasive, not-just-this-year issues around choosing-Britain vs. choosing-elsewhere for holidays.

One thing I'd absolutely want to feed into VisitBritain is about tourist information: because of the weather thing, when we're doing a UK holiday I like to have tons of info (activities, sights, events) on hand so that, whatever the weather does, we've got an option that suits.

We go to Cornwall most years, and despite long practice in the collection and sifting of websites and handouts and pamphlets (for a county which is meant to lead the tourist trade, too), I still find there isn't one efficiently-navigable comprehensive source.

And I deeply lament the no-longer-published 1000 Days Out book, which used to live in our car. Bring It Back!

We bought a Biiiig tent last year, and plan on using it repeatedly until the children are much older (will have 3 under 4 by July).

Went to Scotland last year with the (very) extended family which was great with minimal xtra cost -tent pitch and petrol. Food was pretty much the usual, and camping gear begged, borrwed etc.

May venture in the car to south of France (with airmiles) in the tent when children older as I do miss the foreign-ness of it all!

There is so much more to factor in than just cost when traveling with children,

We always have a week in the UK because we think it is important for our children to learn a bit about where they live.

But we are in a position to be able to afford it. The cost of staying in this country and going to places of interest etc is criminal and it's not surprising that many people do go abroad on cheap deals.

A week in Wales last August in a self catering cottage cost £1000. Add to that day trips which leave you with little change from £50 for a family of 4 to get in to somewhere (even if you do take a picnic to avoid expensive cafes etc). We probably spent an additional £500.

I would like to bet you could get a week in Spain for that, and when the weather is good you do not need to spend money going to attractions - the beach / pool is enough!

Are all of you who are complaining about the price of UK holidays from the south of England?

We're going down to Devon this year, although most of our holidays are in the UK. 2 weeks in a caravan in a lovely little holiday park in a rural location - £500 for 2 weeks at the end of June/beg. of July, after the Scottish schools break.

2 weeks abroad in a decent location flying from Scottish airports would be easily 4 times that amount for the 5 of us, and quite frankly, the thought of airports/transfers etc with 2 kids and a toddler makes me shudder.

Plus - I can be smug about not banking air miles AND supporting UK industry.

Went to the Lake District for first week of October last year with parents and one year old dd after many years of holidaying abroad, had the worst time of my life! Bucketed down with rain most of the time, nothing to do indoors for small children, thought husband was going to slaughter parents... he went off walking by himself in the rain and caught the worst case of man-flu ever.

Despite all this parents have invited us to Wales this year, trying to figure out how to avoid a family fall-out!

TBH Paolosgirl, I think if you are lucky enough to have Non-English standard hols you're on a winner: private schools etc can get fab deals if they have slightly less than standard holiday dates but if you're stuck with the usual last 2 weeks in july / August you're going to feel the pain.

We get different half terms etc to other people in this part of Wales (well our slightly odd school does anyhow) but summer is set as usual.

THere are lots of lovely places to see in the uk but it actually works out to be as much, if not more expensive than holidaying in the Med. Particularly if you have to take holidays within school breaks.
Then you have the whole "shall I take my children out of school for a week so we can have a cheap(er) holiday this year" dilemma.

WE quite often get a cottage in St Ives, out of season, and take kids out of school for a week. That costs us about £400 (but it's a lovely cottage).

Last year we went to Center Parcs in NE France. Even with the cost of the ferry over it was about half the cost of the same week at center Parcs in the UK. Weather was (marginally) better too and the kids had the excitement of trying to speak French. It was the first time we'd taken the kids abroad.

This year we're completely broke and will be doing a Sun holiday weekend and hopefully borrowing a friend's caravan in Padstow for a week in the summer.

We are off to Cornwall for 2 weeks this summer, to a fab 5* cottage by the sea, for the same as it would cost to do our usual camping in France and we're v relieved not to be going abroad tbh, for now at least, until it rains all summer

I guess so - it's absolutely not the same price for us to have a UK holiday as it is to go abroad. Oh that it was!

center parcs is ridiculous! One week in August is £1300 give otr take a few pennies. That's £200 more than the gorgeous place in France we took a fancy to.