Holy Schmoly, when did holidays in the UK become so expensive?? Who owns a caravan/cottage they want to rent me for a week in the summer!! How do you get a cheap holiday these days? Squat?

[Nixz]

Well, the title says it all.....holidays in the uk are so expensive!! How do 2 single mums get their LO's away on a break??

Lets all house swap!!!!

Anyone got a cottage/caravan they want to rent out????

I got a week on e bay at my caravan in Butlins Minehead 18th - 25th July £600.00, the actual cost is £650.00 if you want to avoid E bay. Cost includes passes for use of Butlins facilities.

Other than that there are breaks early July or September these are cheaper as they are not school holiday time.

There is a £75 bond on top of holiday cost but this is refunded after the holiday once the van has been cleaned and checked for damages.

If you want any further info please e mail [email protected]

Judith

Thankyou for the offer.... but thats what I mean.. £600+... there is no way I could afford it!

I agree, they are ridiculous and am going to Germany as lots cheaper than the UK this summer. What is the budget ?

£600

Might as well be £6000, its so unaffordable for the average single parent!

Nixz - I am in similar position. Camping?

Or, how about the Women and Children Holiday Centre?

If you can get a friend to share it makes it more affordable and you have each other for company and the kids have a friend to do everything with too.

The cost for a week September would be £300.00 so half the price.

Judith

Are any of these any good.

camping is the way foward!

Camping definitely. Once you've got all the kit, we can go away somewhere really nice (four of us) for around £200-£250 for a week. Go somewhere fairly basic and you can get a week for under £100 (certified sites when a CC&C member, eg)

It is too late for this year as the ferry prices have gone up now but I got a Dover/Dunkirk crossing in the middle of August for £41 when I booked some time ago and you can use clubcard points to get Eurotunnel crossings, we got a free one at Easter.

A french gite is pretty cheap 253 euros currently £217.17 according to the fairfx site so £258 plus petrol and you'd need some insurance. Split between two of you it would work out pretty cheaply. That was just the first gite I grabbed at random, there are plenty more with varying facilities.

Only works really though if you are relatively close to Calais and don't mind driving on the other side of the road in France.

There are quite a few places that are much cheaper. Check out the Hoseasons brochure for some.

Or - this place is fab. We have just got back from a break here and you can get a caravan for around £350 ish mid August. The caravans all have amazing seaviews and verandahs, it has its own private beach, parks for the kids and lots of gorgeous places in the surrounding area including mountains, beaches, forests and an ice cream factory

www.auchenlarie.co.uk/

Thanks, I have to go in school holidays as I work in a school. Even £300 each is too much for us to pay this year and we havent got any camping equipment. Funnily enough, my best friend has just split with her partner and he has a huge caravan and my partner and I seperated last year and we hd a camper van!!!!!

I may give Park dean a call, they seem to have very cheap deals, only in scotland though. Not sure why that is?!

I guess I should keep looking, perhaps we should all consider a timeshare!!!

I think £600 for a week in a caravan is extortionate. Is this really what it costs?

Do you know, 2 years ago we were staying in 3 bedroom log cottages (real ones!) that had huge gardens,en suite etc and were basically far mure luxurious than my home, in the mountains in scotland for £99 for the weekend! What has happened?????

I would never pay more than £250 to spend a week in a caravan on a holiday park, maybe im an 'oldie' but a caravan is STILL a caravan!

I think house-swapping is the way to go. Cut out the rip-off merchants!

You obviously live in a nicer area than I do then Bonneville!!

If you don't mind touring about a bit, and roughing it a bit, try googling 'wigwams' -little wooden structures - we took the girls for a weekend on the beach at St Cyrus in Angus, extraordinarily memorable.

We had the weather for it, which helped, but it was beach / fish & chip shop / fire-raising / general mayhem / late night wine by the brazier for four days and we loved it.

I empathise though, it's pretty hard finding a holiday anywhere for less than extortionate rates.

No - I doubt it! But as they say 'its a different four walls'!

Kudos on the thread title, btw, the sheer indignation made me laugh

Have you tried your free ads type paper. That seemed to be the cheapest place to look when we were strapped for cash.

You can't gurantee the same quality as with the main tour operators but you can find some little gems.

PrincipalHayley hotels are offering family breaks for £499 - 4 nights for 2 adults and 2 kids dinner, Bed & Brekkie in a 4 str hotel.

I don't actually think £600 for a week in August at Butlins is that extortionate...at least compared to teh market value. You would pay at leasrt double that if you book through Butlins.

Sadly it doesn't make it affordable though

If you can give us your budget maybe we can all find you something suitable?

Do you collect Clubcard vouchers? There are some places (Park resorts, Butlins + others) which take clubcard vouchers. That is how we get cheap holidays

Was just going to suggest that PerfectPrefect.

We are saving up our coupons for October at Butlins.

We have just come back from a 5 star hotel in malta that cost us £150 for 5 of us (flights on top)

Was a "timeshare" marketing deal,but was fabulous,only had to give up a morning for a sales chat and tour of the facillities.