Holiday worries

green_cloth

Hi all,
We have been very lucky to receive a gift from my mum easrlier in the year for flights to Milan. However, we are really, really struggling with how we can afford the holiday. Since the gift, our finances have changed for the worst and we are trying to be as optismic as we can (as our children are so excited about a holiday) about how we can go.


We have managed to secure a small hire car so far.

We leave in three weeks and are hoping to sell as much as we can.

How do we pay for the accommodation? Any ideas on really cheap places that are not shared with others? My son is Autistic and could not cope with sharing a house etc.

Feeling in a complete muddle.

TIA

74jax

green_cloth wrote: »

Hi all,
We have been very lucky to receive a gift from my mum easrlier in the year for flights to Milan. However, we are really, really struggling with how we can afford the holiday. Since the gift, our finances have changed for the worst and we are trying to be as optismic as we can (as our children are so excited about a holiday) about how we can go.


We have managed to secure a small hire car so far.

We leave in three weeks and are hoping to sell as much as we can.

How do we pay for the accommodation? Any ideas on really cheap places that are not shared with others? My son is Autistic and could not cope with sharing a house etc.

Feeling in a complete muddle.

TIA

Do you have things to sell? That you would have sold anyway or are you having to sell things you would otherwise have kept?

Doesn't seem a lucky position to be in if I'm honest.

Are they refundable, able to swap dates - even at a cost, but would be cheaper in long run.

kazwookie

If you are struggling that much, I suggest you don't go, ask your mother if she can get a refund on the tickets etc.

Find somewhere more local to hoilday, maybe days out, and similar that your son can cope with.

peachyprice

Have you told your mum? Seems her kind gift of half a holiday has left you in an awkward position, perhaps as it was her idea in the first place she would be willing to help you with accommodation?

Mistermeaner

while a lovely idea sounds like its put you in a difficult position and in actual fact you could have just done with the cash in your pocket - if things are as tight as they appear going on holiday should be way way way down the list of stuff to do

Flugelhorn

this time of the year accommodation tends to be pretty expensive and mainly booked up already. With kids probably the cheapest accommodation would be static caravans in holiday parks - maybe near Lake Maggiore?

blues

It's late to be looking at accommodation now! I wouldn't go. You clearly can't afford it & a holiday counting pennies is miserable for everyone.

OldMusicGuy

I very much doubt you will get "really cheap" anything in three weeks as that's the start of peak holiday season for Italians. Also, the weak pound won't help either.

What are you planning on doing? Staying in/near Milan or going to the countryside? I suggest you Google "cheap agriturismos in lombardy" and see what you get if you are planning on staying more in the country. Or try Air B'n'B, especially if you are staying in/near Milan.

Best of luck, Milan is a great place (underrated IMO) and the countryside around there is very beautiful, especially near the lakes.

TBagpuss

Are the flights refundable? If so, get them refunded and use the money for a UK based break.

If not - have you looked at comapnies such as eurocamp or canvas holidays, where they provide a tent or static cavan and all the equipment?

Another possible option might be to look at staying in a monestaery or convent. A lot of Italian convents take paying guests - typically you would have private rooms, there are usually shared kitchen facilities so they are like a hostel in that sense, but you would have a priavete room or rooms .

You don't ned to be Christian or religious - most do have a curfew but if you have kids that presumably wouldn't be a major issue.

Accommodation is basic but normally very clean, and often very cnetral, and you can usually cook so you can save money on meals (and ensure you provide meals your autistic child is happy with)

You can normalyl book direct but there are sites like https://www.monasterystays.com/?d=Italy/Lombardy/Milan-accommodation where you can book online and in English.

I haven't stayed in Milan, but in Venice I was able to stay just off At Marks Square for E40 a night, so well under half the cost of even a budget hotel in the same area.

Primrose

I'm another one who's supports the suggestion of pulling out of the Ho,iday.
Just be honest with your mother if your financial circumstances have changed for the worse and say you can,t afford to go as going would actually put you (deeper) in debt which would just be imprudent and foolish.

Italy is very expensive,anyway, the summer vacation period more so and I doubt whether you will easily find anything within your limited budget. Can your mother get a refund on the flights or find somebody else to take them over. Whilst it was a generous gesture I suppose it's an object lesson that gifting something to somebody who is hard up which is not actually cash can often put them into a worse financial position if they have to spend more money to be able to make use of it.

If this holiday is going to put you into debt, DON'T GO. We still have all the financial and economic uncertainties of Brexit ahead of us, whether they have been over emphasised or not.

Just ask yourselves whether a fortnight or whatever of penny pinching on a holiday you cantt really afford is worth the anxiety of going into debt for. Time for a hard headed decision, I think, it may save you from deeper stress and anxiety further down the line.

There are still ways of having cheap days out, picnics and visits in this country if you do some Googling and internet research on Free Days out. You don,t have to spend the summer holiday in purdah but far better than spending the aftermath in purgatory! . Being on holiday when money is so tight could be a miserable experience for everybody.

maman

peachyprice wrote: »

Have you told your mum? Seems her kind gift of half a holiday has left you in an awkward position, perhaps as it was her idea in the first place she would be willing to help you with accommodation?

This is what I'd suggest too.

Unless you have an Italian connection then I think Milan is a strange choice of destination for a family holiday. I was there last year and while I enjoy galleries, museums, churches, architecture etc. I'm not sure that it's a child's cup of tea especially when it's hot during August.

As you've booked a car, I'd think of Milan simply as your destination airport and be prepared to travel away from the city to look for accommodation. I'd have suggested agri Turismo too but if your child is unhappy amongst strangers then perhaps you're better off with Airbnb.