How have you saved money while holidaying in rural England?

UKParliament

Hi Everyone,



How have you saved money while holidaying in rural England?

Share your experiences with the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (EFRA) Committee in this forum and inform their inquiry into rural tourism. If you haven't taken a holiday in rural England the Committee would still like to hear from you. Why did you decide not to visit?

Further questions

• What, if any, changes are needed to give people better access to the coast and countryside?
• What measures are needed to ensure transport, housing and other infrastructure meets visitor needs?
• How can policies get the right balance between growing tourism and enhancing the local environment and character?

Comments should be posted by 6 September in order to be shared with the Committee.

If you would like to take part in this inquiry but do not want to share your comments publicly, please visit the Committee's webpage to submit your thoughts.

SailorSam

There was a thread on here yesterday started by someone who'd been camping in the Lake District and thought it was an expensive break compared to a second holiday, a short break hotel break in Amsterdam which didn't cost a lot more.

Former_MSE_Andrea

If you have friends/family who you know have a view on this and would like to feed into the inquiry please do share the link with them.

They can post on here anonymously or on the website UK Parliament has linked to above.

Former_MSE_Andrea

SailorSam wrote: »

There was a thread on here yesterday started by someone who'd been camping in the Lake District and thought it was an expensive break compared to a second holiday, a short break hotel break in Amsterdam which didn't cost a lot more.

That's really interesting.

Could you post the link in here and perhaps ask the OP to join in on this thread too?

Thank you SailorSam!

beckstar1975

Research where you are going first and then join National Trust/English Heritage/Heritage Wales first, often have deals to join. Saves a fortune in entrance fees, and if the holidays often have free or low cost children's activities on.

Whilst much rural transport is dire what is even worse is for a non local to try and research it - much of it is divvied up between differentbus companies and so it's really hard to try and find out prices/tickets etc online, a bus version of national rail enquiries that links all operators and showcases all types of ticket (eg Oxford tube has a cash only ticket you can buy onboard ONLY that offers free onwards travel on Oxford area buses, this would have been REALLY useful to know before I schlepped me and three kids up and back at the weekend).

SailorSam

MSE_Andrea wrote: »

That's really interesting.

Could you post the link in here and perhaps ask the OP to join in on this thread too?

Thank you SailorSam!

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5489030

kathrynha

The cost of holidaying in rural Britain varies dramatically around the country, it's a matter of picking your area carefully to match your budget.


If you are dependent on public transport rural holidays aren't really an option for most. That's down mainly to the lack of service, but also cost is a factor.


When picking a campsite/holiday cottage I find going slightly away from the 'attraction' is cheaper. A lakeside view costs more than a 'lake visible a few miles away' view.

One thing I do find can be very expensive is glamping. Some places it is cheaper to stay in the local hotels. Then again, sometimes it is cheaper than taking your own tent.


To answer your questions:
What, if any, changes are needed to give people better access to the coast and countryside?
As long as people have their own transport access isn't really an issue. Lack of knowing what there is to do, especially reassurance that there is stuff to do in bad weather I think puts some people off.

What measures are needed to ensure transport, housing and other infrastructure meets visitor needs?
I think government need to invest in rural public transport, as it struggles due to numbers using it, especially out of season.
The infrastructure is good enough. Bigger roads would ruin the countryside. Maybe rural roads could be included on driving tests though.
Housing needs need to focus on the local communities not tourists. If locals can't afford to live there, then they can't provide the services tourists want. Holiday accommodation needs to be encouraged to move away from holiday cottages to purpose built stuff. Obviously this needs to be managed properly so that it looks good. I think start-up grants should be offered to rural people to set up accommodation, as that I feel is part of the issue with glamping costs. It is all still quite new, and people are trying to recoup their costs quickly.

How can policies get the right balance between growing tourism and enhancing the local environment and character?
Policies should strongly encourage environmentally friendly projects, and I believe they would be best set at a local level. The environment and characters of rural areas vary across the country, and local people need to feel involved.

pigpen

I haven't been able to afford a holiday for 11 years... school holiday time price increase make it prohibitively expensive.. I'd love any kind of holiday.. without a tent ...

My 4 little ones have never been on holiday.

Out,_Vile_Jelly

I went to a wedding in deepest Darkest Suffolk that wouldn't have been possible on public transport. I was surprised at how cheap car hire was for 48 hours.

If your idea of entertainment is theme parks with overpriced cafes, then holidays are expensive. If you enjoy stuff that's free, like nature walks, looking at local architecture, wild swimming etc then you save money.

ladymarmalade222

We have a camper van and love to use it as much as we can. Campsites can be very expensive now and we hate how we get squashed together on a field so we love wild camping. Waking up to a beautiful view, no noisy neighbours just fantastic peace and quiet.

England does not allow wild camping but Scotland does and we make full advantage of it.

We worked out a few weeks ago how much we spend on tourism in Scotland every year - it is a lot of money. We purchase our groceries up there, eat in cafes and pubs, purchase our petrol over the border and when we are away for a longer trip we book in a hotel/b&b to make our stay more comfortable, gifts. The list goes on.

We are made to feel welcome wherever we go, reasonable prices for eating out. We often do a 4 hr drive on a friday evening just to get over the border just for a 2 night break.

Why England and Wales have their outdated laws on wild camping I do not know. We do not leave rubbish, we are self sufficient for toilets etc and park out of the way of houses so are very concious of not creating a nuisance. We just want peace and quiet without the rules of a campsite.


Xxx

*Robin*

I'd like to second ladymarmalade222's post, and add that many campervanners take their holiday cash to France rather than attempt to explore the UK (beyond Scotland, which as she says is very welcoming). Height barriers and general restrictions on parking in many English towns make France a much more attractive destination (even counting in ferry / tunnel costs).