The Great 'Holiday Inspiration' Hunt

Sarah1970

Hiya

These apartments http://www.apartmentshurghada.co.uk look really nice and furnished to a luxurious standard from only £125.00 a week which is a bargain considering Egypt is really really cheap - we went out in 2004 and a 3 course meal for 4 with drinks was only £38.00!! Also, can buy a huge steak (t-Bone) for about £5.00. We couldn't believe how cheap it was and are going back next year.

You may pay a little more on the flights, but compared to Europe your overall holiday will be much much less (even if you get a late deal)

herecomesthesun

Hi DP2 is still a building site at the moment.

nessynoonoo

Me and my other half recently got back from 2 fantastic weeks in South Goa and although this time, because it was our first time and we wanted some luxury, we went on a B&B package staying at a 4star hotel and probably didn't really get a bargain (£1800 total)....but i just had to share with you how cheap it was to eat out! We ate out every night at the beach shacks just along from the hotel and altho they don't have plush fixtures & fittings the food proved to be absolutely fantastic! On average each night we were having a starter to share, say bhajis or chicken pakoras (you got about 8 or 9 so didn't really need a starter each) then a curry and naan bread each and rice….and 4 large gins & sodas each and it was approx £8… TOTAL!! Some days we pushed the boat out and had tiger prawns (never seen such big ones!) or a tandoori red snapper and naan & rice and it might just come to £12 for the 2 of us. I think that’s brilliant – eating fresh seafood on an exotic beach with palm trees, just yards from the sea, sand in your toes. We soon realized how much the hotel was ripping us off – a bottle of water from the hotel was approx £1 but from the beach shacks is was approx 15pence and when you've got to use bottled water to brush your teeth as well as needing to drink loads of it because its so flaming hot, it soon adds up! Bottles of large Kingfisher beer were about 50pence too! If you've got kids you'll know that the cost of softdrinks abroad can skint you over the course of a two week holiday but in Goa for example a can of diet coke was around 30p.
We've booked to go again for 3 weeks at Xmas & New Year and have booked flights & accom separately so have a much cheaper deal (£2000 total) than booking through a brochure (especially considering how much they up the prices at that time of year) and have opted to stay in "luxury" self catering accommodation in a bungalow just yards from the beach because we now know how cheap it is to eat out there. We could never have considered 3 weeks if we knew we had to allocate say £50 a day for living/eating costs!! A £15-20 per day budget will be more than enough!!
To me, part of going on holiday is to not have to worry about how much everything is when you get there – I don't want to come home skint! Some people can't afford £25 per head each night for a meal and then times that over a 14 night holiday – it can really get expensive especially if there are a lot of you. Its not just food that’s cheap in Goa either – textiles, jewellery etc are all great value especially if you are a good haggler!!
I visited Northern Cyprus (Turkish bit) a couple of years ago and have to say that I found it very cheap too – both accommodation & food – and it’s a truly beautiful place, completely unspoilt and the people are so very friendly! I don't think I would ever go back to Southern Cyprus again if I had a choice
I can also agree with previous posters, Egypt is a very cheap destination and you often see some fantastic package deals advertised.

NeetaMD

How about a holiday at home! No lengthy, expensive travel, no uncomfortable beds, no packing or cattery/kennel fees etc.

Turn off the phone, unplug the PC, visit the local tourist information office, library or website to collect leaflets and visit all those places on your doorstep or close enough for a day trip. Local coach firms often do trouble free day trips. Think about where you would take visitors to your home for a day out. Most towns have a town trail to learn a little about where you live and even cities have networks of cycle paths and footpaths. Local pubs with folk nights, concerts and the theatre. Most places in the Uk are within distance of a day trip of the seaside. If the weather is bad even the cinema is in English!

Look in the local paper for special offers for local pubs/restaurants to eat at on the way home and even have a cooked English brekkie on your way out in the morning. Pick up sarnies etc from the local supermarket. Support the local economy and appreciate how beautiful and interesting England is.

Best of all you avoid that journey home that leaves you needing a holiday to get over it!

kieran_01

There's a whole host of resources available through this site that can ensure you're getting the best exchange rates/flight prices/hotel deals etc.

Picking up on what a few people have mentioned within this thread though; does anyone know of a website/calculator that gives an idea of comparative costs of living once you arrive? E.g. average cost of dining out or a basket of groceries in Iceland/Norway/Bulgaria?

Thanks

Roseygirl

With all the recent news on how going abroad costs so much money and flights are so expensive in the summer holidays, it seems that most people are considering a 'staycation' Owning a static caravan is a way that family and friends can have a great time here in the UK.
If the English summer is kind to us, sunny days at a great caravan park in a country that is just beautiful, is becoming more of an attractive option for people booking a holiday.
There are so many caravan parks in the UK to choose from. but dont despair, there is some help out there, and you can even try before you buy.
jointhecaravanoflove.co.uk issues out Free Passes to Parks up and down the UK so you can enjoy the parks entertainment & pools, and see if the park fits you!

MortgageMamma

I've been holidaying in the UK for the last 15 years but this year decided to go abroad due to the last two hols being ruined by bad weather. I expect the brexit will make people more edgy about going abroad it did occur to me to book last minute to ensure we'd be ok

Dragonqueen

Personally, I would recommend the Greek Islands, like Corfu, Zakynthos, Kephalonia, Rhodes, Kos, Thassos etc etc.

We go every year for our fortnight in the height of Summer (August) and, for a family of four, it never costs us more than £2000 (£3000 was the max one year but it was special, for my husband's 50th!) and we always come back with change from £1500 spending money - and that is after going self-catering!

We don't skimp, we have lunch, two course evening meals, with wine and beer and go to the bar afterwards too. We also have a drink on the balcony / terrace, along with essentials like water, pop and juice for the kids, croissants, crisps etc. We hire a car for three days to go out and about too - visiting many of the available places to go.

All that with almost 100% guaranteed sunshine, clear, warm seas, gorgeous beaches and a laid back attitude to life.

What's not to like?

This year there will only be three of us, as our daughter is at Uni now and doesn't want to come this time - so it has cost us under £1600 for the holiday! Fantastic bargain!

Plus, even with the Euro at 1.18 now, that is still more than the dismal 1.08 and 1.13 we were getting 3 or 4 years ago - so we are still happy with that.