Why is there so much pressure to go on expensive holidays?

lynzpower

Ive paid for my last foreign holiday on the plastic and yes, I drew out money from my rent account while I was there. Bouncing my accounts all over the shop, to the extent that last months rent had to go again on the plastic. ( 17.5% :eek:)

It was a wonderful holiday, but there is NO WAY IN HELL i would do it again. 2 years paying for 2 weeks.... do the math!! Saying that, it generated my Lightbulb moment, so I guess it was a wonderful holiday in more ways than one.

spaghetti_monster

Just reading through this thread...made me think of my holiday last year.

I've already rambled (ha ha) somewhere else about how much I like walking but last summer I walked the way of St James (Camino de Santiago de Compostela), the section in North Spain which basically goes across the top of Spain from the French border to the west coast (Cape Finisterre).

Firstly thought of this because it was dead cheap (special hostels cost 4-8 euros a night), food is also cheap (from both supermarkets and restaurants), as you carry your stuff you soon learn to carry the bare essentials!

Secondly thought of it because it has so much going for it:
-amazing scenery
-loads of history - ancient celts and then pilgrims used this route.
-around every corner is a gorgeous village, 12th century churches, cathedrals (Burgos, Leon, Santiago de Compostela of course) crammed with amazing artworks etc etc
-lovely food and drink, eg you walk through rioja and other wine regions

Also thought of it as most people go alone. The atmosphere is so relaxed - if you prefer to be alone that's possible but you can also meet absolutely tons of people (I actually met my boyfriend there but that's another story!!!!! :j )

I was walking for 35 days (it's about 600 miles) but many people do a week or two, some come back now and again to walk different sections.

The only downside for me was that I'm freelance so when I take a holiday there's no holiday pay, which made this a bit more expensive.
I think that 35 days off to do this was a luxury but it was the most amazing experience!

ceegee

I'd bet that a lot of people who go on expensive (or even inexpensive!) holidays pay for it on credit. I am fortunate to have family who live on the coast and we tootle down there and I pay for the grocery shopping for the few days that we are there. If it wasn't for that, we wouldn't have a holiday at all. :cool2:

novice_money_saver_2

Hi Dinkylou - I have an idea.

Get a map of the UK. Plot out where you have good friends or family you get on with. Take 2 weeks off work and tour around them all, spending a couple of nights with each. I'm assuming you have a car but I guess it could be done with public transport.

While they're at work during the weekdays, you go out and see stuff you've never seen before (and that you'd never usually get a chance to do because you are there specifically to see your friend), then you could offer to cook them a meal in the evening to thank them for putting you up!

I'm working on the premise that a change is as good as a rest. Even vegging out in the house of a good friend is more relaxing than being at home with all of the niggly little chores staring at you.

HTH!!

redgemini

Our last big holiday was last April when we did go to Thailand for 20 days - but our flights where a special deal (about £550 for 2 returns) and our accommadation & scooter hire for the whole time we where there cost less than putting the dog in kennels! Madness!!
TBH the most expensive thing was the flights - the accommadation, food & transport are soooo cheap over there and are really good - we where on the Southern Island of Koh Samui. It was the most amazing & relaxing place I've ever been - I won't be going again for a while(want to pay off those CC's!) but I have fab memories that will keep me going in the cold of the UK for ages!

lynzpower

novice_money_saver wrote:

Hi Dinkylou - I have an idea.

Get a map of the UK. Plot out where you have good friends or family you get on with. Take 2 weeks off work and tour around them all, spending a couple of nights with each. I'm assuming you have a car but I guess it could be done with public transport.

While they're at work during the weekdays, you go out and see stuff you've never seen before (and that you'd never usually get a chance to do because you are there specifically to see your friend), then you could offer to cook them a meal in the evening to thank them for putting you up!

I'm working on the premise that a change is as good as a rest. Even vegging out in the house of a good friend is more relaxing than being at home with all of the niggly little chores staring at you.

HTH!!

Super idea, also with Megabus and now megatrain, and the National express fun fares (book in advance for £1 journeys) theres a wealth of stuff you can see for free. I am hoping we might squeeze in Cheddar gorge this year ( cheapie Naturally!) It just looks fab. Also if your into walking, wales just cannot be beaten, and you could get yourself a throw-up tent and live from your bag..ooooh lovely!

Sweet_Pea_2

I cant understand the hype sorrounding holidays to be honest. Maybe this is because I have never been anywhere really exotic. My favourite holiday was to Austria and my worst was Menorca. I am not a beach and pool person, I love sightseeing and history, so Bargain Rzls holiday to Rome sounds fantastic and the type of thing that I would get excited about if I didnt have young children to take. (My OH has been to Rome and really enjoyed it) OH on the other hand thinks Im an old fogey at 36 not to be excited at the prospect of a week lying on a sun lounger.
I have had some great holidays in England. OH and I have only just booked a holiday for this Summer and we are having a week in Sussex, because I have never been there. There is enough money in our holiday savings to go abroad, (only a week in France maybe, nothing too exotic) but neither of us are really too bothered, we went to France for the last couple of years, so instead we will maybe book another week somewhere in the UK, or even as we discussed today, we may take the children to London for a few days instead because they have requested this themselves.
I have noticed though, if you mention to people that your summer holiday consists of a week in a cottage in Sussex, they look pityingly at you as if to say "you poor thing, you must get saving for next year" My in laws are big on holidays, you can never pop in for a cup of tea without MIL boring the pants of you about their latest holidays, their previous holidays and which airlines fly from which airport etc etc. She mistakes my looks of boredom for looks of jealousy I think. SIL thinks a holiday in the UK is not really a holiday and will spend the winter without any heating on at all to pay for a week in the sun. Whatever floats your boat I suppose, but holidays are just not the bee all and end all of my life.

tesuhoha

When I was 18 (many years ago), I got made redundant from my job. I used to be very good with money and I had some saved up. This was before the advent of ccs I decided that year being completely single, that i was going to have a really good time. As I could speak a little French I spent 3 weeks in the home of a French family near Paris, having English conversations with them and they took me all over the place. It was a really cheap holiday. I was living at home at the time and although I was on the dole, I still gave my mum most of it but I got a tax rebate. With this money I booked to go on an overland camping trip to Scandinavia, Denmark, Sweden & Norway. I dont know if they still do trips like that but it was very rough and ready. After that I went hitchhiking for 3 weeks with my American friend from Edinburgh uni (I wouldnt recommend that nowadays). We had a fantastic time,stayiing in youth hostels, through Wales, the Lakes and up to Scotland. It ended when I fell over and broke my collarbone on a remote roadside after climbing a mountain. Then finally that year I went on a working holiday to Switzerland, grapepicking for 10 days. My friend and I afterthe 10 days went to Geneva and then Paris and blew all our earnings. At the end of that year I had no money, but no debt either. That is the only year apart from when the kids were small that I have not worked. When they were small, we always used to go for one week in a cottage in Devon or Cornwall, I used to save up for it all year and we used to do simple things. It was the biggest treat one night to buy a Chinese takeaway. All these years we had no debt, then my husband got a new job, more money and we put the kids in private school (my daughter won a scholarship but it was still expensive) and I booked our first holiday abroad. Think it cost us £2500 in total not includiing my OHs lost earnings. We went to Kefalonia, the most beautiful island in Greece in my opinion and it was magical. After that we were hooked. For the next 6 years we had Med holidays, all paid for on the cc. Our debts were barely paid off each year and then I would book the next one. Eventually, they began to climb (the debts), it wasnt just the holidays but they were the straw (well not quite a straw) that broke the camel's back. It all came to a crashing halt and now this is the third year we havent had any kind of break or holiday, not even a weekend away. So I would say dont do it if you cant afford it without using a cc; its perfectly possible to have a wonderful time, as I did when I was young, backpacking or doing something on the cheap, or a working holiday. When youre young that kind of thing is fun anyway. Sorry for the autobiography.

nelly_2

If you fancy exotic and cheap go to China I just checked expedia for a week form may 1, and its only £809 flight and hotel for 2 people in Beijing city center.

And its mega cheap when you there too.

steve_cov

nelly wrote:

China - only £809 flight and hotel

I spy two problems here: £809 is a lot for most people on the DFW board, and China has such an atrocious human rights record that many people won't go there on principle.