How the hoo do you afford a family holiday abroad?

FBaby

But it's your money and your choices.

Exactly. Personally, I struggle to understand why a family would rather spend £5K on redoing their kitchen which was perfectly functional, just a bit outdated over an amazing trip, but they probably can't understand why I would blow all that money in a week or 10 days over something that will last years.

What people need to see is that most people will go for one or the other and only few will go for both and of those who do, many are the ones with horrendous credit card debts.

fred246

One year I sat the kids down. I told them I was thinking of getting a Merlin pass. Were they happy for no foreign holidays for a year? We really hammered that pass and the whole family really seemed to enjoy that year. We went to Eurodisney the next year and we all agreed that it wasn't actually a very good theme park. The procession was the only bit that was slightly different and our kids were probably a bit too old to be impressed. Especially if you live near London and can access Thorpe Park, Chessington and Legoland it would be lots of family entertainment for less than a foreign holiday. Watch the height of your kids though because that determines which rides they can go on.

Tabbytabitha

fred246 wrote: »

One year I sat the kids down. I told them I was thinking of getting a Merlin pass. Were they happy for no foreign holidays for a year? We really hammered that pass and the whole family really seemed to enjoy that year. We went to Eurodisney the next year and we all agreed that it wasn't actually a very good theme park. The procession was the only bit that was slightly different and our kids were probably a bit too old to be impressed. Especially if you live near London and can access Thorpe Park, Chessington and Legoland it would be lots of family entertainment for less than a foreign holiday. Watch the height of your kids though because that determines which rides they can go on.

That's fine for the kids but not much fun for the adults who've worked all year to pay for it.

Mr_Costcutter

copperclock wrote: »

My children don't really care about going on holiday abroad, but I feel like I have let them down by never affording/prioritizing one. And my eldest is nearly an adult

Please don't feel that you've let them down - you haven't. As adults your children will look back on their formative years focusing on what really matters - that you 'loved ' them - and you clearly do

dogcat_2

I never went abroad with my parents as a child....I don’t think I was under privileged because of it. They could never afford it. I never took my kids abroad either. This is a luxury that the children can do as they get older ( teens/adults).

gardner1

As others have said book flights with easyjet etc as soon as they come out and accommodation via Owners Direct etc and save a fortune
Flights for 4 from Newcastle were under £400 a few weeks ago including 2 suitcases.....even now £480 plus this https://www.homeaway.co.uk/p2614112 £1475 for 14 days all in granted this is from Newcastle but im sure other regional airports will be similar prices or cheaper if booked when flights first released

consumers_revenge

Tabbytabitha wrote: »

How many people use travel agents these days?

you missed the point....


for the pendantic this includes plane flights, hotels etc etc.


And the all in one through travel agent was easily the cheapest Disney we could do.

consumers_revenge

sorry better change that to the internet site rather than travel agent before get hit with the pedantic stick again....

Tabbytabitha

consumers_revenge wrote: »

you missed the point....


for the pendantic this includes plane flights, hotels etc etc.


And the all in one through travel agent was easily the cheapest Disney we could do.

So, everybody's fault then?

If you owned a holiday cottage, can you honestly say that you'd charge the same rent in August as you would in March?

consumers_revenge

no I would be the first on the bandwagon :-) but its artificially generated.


again missing the point, if school holidays were staggered there would be no 'premium point' and hence there would be no super months where we would get held to ransom.


last year I think it was there was a school in wales that decided to put all of there 'inset' days together as they also believed in fair holidays and family time together. now do you think that would cost the same as a week in august, hell no! probably about a third. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/11747613/School-to-use-all-five-of-its-inset-days-in-one-week-to-help-parents-save-on-holidays.html


what I'm trying to get at is I fully agree with the OP and its a massive struggle.