Cheap holidays in the UK. Do they exsist anymore?

[Nbg]

I think we've resigned ourselves to the fact that we cannot afford to go abroad next year, purely because dd is now at school so we have to go in the school holidays and also ds1 is now over 2 and we have to pay for his flight now.

We thought of booking to stay at Butlins at Bognor Regis.
We went in 2005 and hated the place itself but it was a very good base to visit surrounding areas.
I checked to see how much it would be in the summer holidays and the cheapest price I can find is just over £1k

Needless to say, we won't be going.

Is it impossible to get a cheap holiday in this country or are there places which don't cost the earth?

location, location, location

If you want to go to Devon/Cornwall and be near the sea - then the prices are astronomical. Even caravan parks charge nearly £1k in peak season.

And everything's virtually booked up already! I was just looking at English Country Cottages and many places are taken for July/August 09.

camp it up!

Yes it is possible if you don't mind a caravan or if you go in June or Oct. Hoseasons brochure is good and they do country cottages etc and not just holiday parks. An example would be a bungalow in Wales for £400 for a week in Aug. Park Dean and Park Resorts and Haven do a week in Aug for £400 ish (up to 6-8 people in a caravan) if you get a good offer and most of the cheaper sites are the smaller ones in Filey, Scotland, Norfolk etc. You could also save up Tesco clubcard points if you shop there often as Haven an Park Resorts take the vouchers.

Thats great about the Tesco vouchers.
We have saved up alot of them and are due alot more next month.

I don't mind doing a caravan. I think dd and ds1 would love it but I think camping might be a bit too adventurous with the ages of my 3.

I'd love to do Devon and Cornwall too but having already had a look it obvious we wont be going.

How about waiting until a sun holiday comes up? They're usually around feb next year? Or trying to get a last minute deal? We have gone with Haven for next year. Daughter will miss the last week of school before the summer, but let's face it, they never do anything in the wind down to the summer hols... we paid £450. Couldn't afford it otherwise.

We have rented a cottage in Devon - about £340 a week in July through Toad Hall Cottages.
Also had a caravan on the Isle of Wight this July which cost about the same.

I've just had a look at Haven.
I think with all our Tesco vouchers, we could get £80 off.

Will still cost £350 though.

I would also recommend Hoseasons. Some of their cheap holidays are in the £300- £500 range for a week I think.

If you are keen to go to Devon or Cornwall I would look at lodges / parks that are slightly inland. Often they have nice facilities such as swimming pools etc and you can still drive to the coast for day trips...this would probably work out quite a bit cheaper than staying in a park right by the sea.

park resorts are very reasonable and great for kids, we go every year now lots of site to choose from, lot lower key than butlins etc

Yes, these are all coming up a bit cheaper which is great.

I think the kids will love it there. All they need is a beach and open space to keep them happy.

I have just booked monday - friday break at Haven's Primrose Valley (really nice site), for end of april 09, for just under £100, in superior 3 bed caravan.

We have been here a few times, nice beach, pool, club etc. Self catering so how much you spend whilst there is up to you.

If you get a half price Haven deal as I did, it is cheaper than a sun holiday.

I am just back from an Oct week in a static 2 bed rather nice caravan on a very civilised lakeside park near Chester, cost £157 for 7 nights, might have cost a bit more if we hadn't managed to avoid the English school holidays.

I was going to add that I tend to go for a week at Easter and a week in Oct as it is so much cheaper, kids go to various clubs and summer schools during the summer holidays and we go for a few days out and trips to local country park too.