How the hoo do you afford a family holiday abroad?

Bluebell1000

It does depend on what you want. I've not read the whole thread, but last summer we spent about £1600 (inc spending money, food) on a family of 4, going to Amsterdam and de Efteling theme park for just under a week at the end of July. I've just booked a trip to Romania for all of us for under £300, inc flights and accommodation, 6 nights in May half term.

I am perhaps a bit unusual. I used to drag my parents round museums and was always very disappointed when we went to visit NT properties, and they only took me round the gardens :rotfl:

gardner1

bspm wrote: »

Good luck with that.
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Easily doable

Gloomendoom

FBaby wrote: »

Years ago, I went on a trip to Cape Verde when no-one had heard of it and got a very cheap holiday. The same holiday at the same place same time of the year is now three times more expensive.

I had the same experience with Fuerteventura. It got popular, prices went up and, in my view, the place was spoiled.

Gloomendoom

Bluebell1000 wrote: »

I am perhaps a bit unusual. I used to drag my parents round museums and was always very disappointed when we went to visit NT properties, and they only took me round the gardens :rotfl:

Don’t worry, my sister is the same. She has lifetime NT membership and enjoys it to the full.

copperclock

Spendless wrote: »

This is a bugbear of mine, just because schools are shut for 13 weeks doesn't mean that all 13 weeks are available for holidaying in for the parents.

In the case of the OP they have a child in yr11. When my eldest went into yr11, Feb half term, Easter hols and especially May half term, the school was open part of the time and the kids expected to attend revision classes. My sister found exactly the same thing this year when her kids sat their GCSEs. For us, there was actually less opportunity to go away that year than any other, going as soon as last exam was finished wasn't an option due to younger child and needed to be at home for GCSE results day, as enrolment at college for sixth form took place on the following days.

Yes, exactly. This is probably the wrong year for me to be worrying about holidays. I don't know if there are any revision classes during half term and Easter, but I do expect him to be revising so the earliest we could holiday would be during the summer break. And yes, results come out on the 23rd August so can't be away then.

Thanks for everyone's advice and tips. I think we have decided that if we do anything abroad it'll be a few nights in a city...probably.

peachyprice

DevilsAdvocate1 wrote: »

My family want to go to Florida in 2018 and I recently priced it up at a travel agents - they wanted nearly £12K for the 4 of us (our eldest won't be coming). I reckon that it will be nearer to £6K if I do it myself (on a like for like basis and including all the park tickets).

bspm wrote: »

Good luck with that.
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Easily done, three of us went to Florida last year for around £3500, we didn't do Disney though, but that wouldn't have added another £2.5k on if we had

Flights £1300
Villa with pool £1250
Car hire £190
Universal £ 735

If we'd have been 4 the villa would be the same, it sleeps 8, car would be the same, Universal would have been £245 more ,flights would have have been £433 more.

So yes, easily doable on £6k. £12k is just ridiculous and I can't believe people pay that.

nimbo

I have several friends who are teachers. Watched an interesting this morning. Where the travel journalist advocated leaving the days school break up. As in either going to the airport straight from school in uniforms or having a dentis appointment at munch time and leaving directly after it. (Schools do nob all on the last day even secondary schools - I once remember watching white men cant jump in three languages)

nimbo

Sorry premature posting ....

Holiday prices sometimes haven’t yet caught up to the fact it’s the holidays.

One teacher friend didn’t believe me until she checked it out. She then rearranged her week so her planning time was the Friday afternoon as it saved her £350. Just for her to go as she had no children. It’s worth a look...

Also I hate camping. But my partner loves it. One of our fondest holiday memories (been together 5 years and only been abroad once) was camping in Yorkshire and our tent blowing over in October. Not fond at the time. But I can laugh about it now. He gets me to go once a year (read that as 3 times really) but it get to veto and he has to go with friends when it’s a crazy idea or there is no shower or toilet.

happyandcontented

peachyprice wrote: »

Easily done, three of us went to Florida last year for around £3500, we didn't do Disney though, but that wouldn't have added another £2.5k on if we had

Flights £1300
Villa with pool £1250
Car hire £190
Universal £ 735

If we'd have been 4 the villa would be the same, it sleeps 8, car would be the same, Universal would have been £245 more ,flights would have have been £433 more.

So yes, easily doable on £6k. £12k is just ridiculous and I can't believe people pay that.

We also went last year and having been before we had forgotten just how expensive park tickets are. I can't remember the exact figure but for 4 of us for a 1 day 2 park Universal ticket it was in the region of $800:eek:

peachyprice

happyandcontented wrote: »

We also went last year and having been before we had forgotten just how expensive park tickets are. I can't remember the exact figure but for 4 of us for a 1 day 2 park Universal ticket it was in the region of $800:eek:

The 14 day 3 park Universal tickets are £245 each if you buy in the UK. They've gone up a lot since they opened the water park, they were around £ 170, or going back 10 years around £80, but still much better value than Disney.