How much do you spend on your annual family holiday?

**RealGoneKid** · 24-05-2012, 06:17am

The year before last we went to France on a Eurocamp holiday with Eurodisney in the middle. That was £550 plus about £150 diesel and spends of (much) less than £500.

Last year we went camping in Cumbria for £80

This year we've got a Haven caravan booked which was £250.

I can't afford several thousand pounds on a holiday and DH wouldn't pay it unless it was for somewhere that interested him. We're not really beach loungers and the kids aren't old enough yet for traipsing around ruins etc, which is the type of holiday we used to go on.

We've been AI prior to having the kids and hated it, much prefer mooching around to find nice places to eat. I can definitely see advantages now we have the kids though, much easier than being mithered to death for money for drinks, ice cream etc

**Bluebabe75** · 24-05-2012, 06:36am

We're spending the same this year as we spent on our honeymoon in Mexico, two weeks in Florida the following year (inc. Disney / Universal for a week, although we stayed in a cheap hotel on International Drive and then a posher one in Clearwater) and, more shockingly, only £100 less than we spent for the four of us to go to Australia last year

We are self-catering this year as I really don't like AI food - why do they have to make it so boring and unrepresentative of the country you are actually in?

Our Easter week in Cornwall cost £175 but that was a 'family' rate

**Adelelee** · 24-05-2012, 08:38am

Originally Posted by Dr Spouse

Are we the only people who would just hate an all-inclusive/full board holiday?

My idea of hell. But then my friends ( who LOVE AI) think that we are mad loving a villa type of holiday. She thinks that it is not a holiday as you are still preparing food but I really dont see it like that. Breakfast usually consists of DH and the children wandering down to the shop for fresh baked bread, then lunch is thrown together bits of cheese/ham/salads etc by the pool (and maybe a cheeky sangria if we are not driving later

) Then we eat out in the night. Not a bit taxing at all

**Abbie** · 24-05-2012, 09:41am

Originally Posted by Dr Spouse

Are we the only people who would just hate an all-inclusive/full board holiday?

No, I don't do all inclusive holidays. I love scouting around for different restaurants, maybe even slobbing in the apartment with a bowl of pasta or something.

We usually hire a car and not spend too much time in the hotel/resort so it's a bit of a waste for us

**Roseyposey** · 24-05-2012, 09:47am

This year we've spent £3k on a cottage in Cornwall. ITs because its in the school holidays. We always book the same sort of house: 3-4 bed, plenty of living space, secluded garden, detached. Before she started school it was nowhere near this expensive and we went 3 times a year, normally for about £500 a week. Now we just go once for two weeks.

**Bubble** · 24-05-2012, 10:00am

We're going to a villa for a week in Menorca in August. The villa was £950 and the flights (Easyjet) were around £150 each return for five of us, so the holiday itself has come in at around £1600, which for us is a lot of money. Spends will be on top of that but we're fairly frugal, we don't eat much during the day as it's too hot so it'll just be breads/salads etc then something at night, although the villa does have a BBQ so we'll probably use that a bit plus we will eat out a couple of times.

**S-J** · 24-05-2012, 10:09am

I would hate AI as well. We like B&B if we can as that way we love looking around all the local restaurants etc. Last year we did this and one couple we made friends with were AI and never left the hotel. Not for me

**Adelelee** · 24-05-2012, 10:14am

Originally Posted by S-J

I would hate AI as well. We like B&B if we can as that way we love looking around all the local restaurants etc. Last year we did this and one couple we made friends with were AI and never left the hotel. Not for me

Exactly

My friends have paid a fortune to go away this year, very nice hotel in Mexico, AI. They will not leave the complex at all, so what is the point in going ALL that way not to see any of the country you are in

xx

**Miss P** · 24-05-2012, 10:24am

Really pleased you started this thread, faith, as it's made me realise the real cost of holidays during the school hols. I've been looking on and off about going to France and was astounded by how expensive it was but thought I was just looking on the wrong sites, turns out I wasn't

which is a real shame.

Maybe we should start a thread for tips on putting together a family holiday on a budget? I'll have to make myself a note to look at Money Saving Expert for pointers

**Samba** · 24-05-2012, 10:24am

Pre kids, my idea of a holiday was sooo different to now - we would go climbing in the Alps, skiing, backpacking-typey exploring places ... but at the minute, AI is the way to go for us

. The boys dip in and out of clubs, DS1 spent 95% of the time in the pool last year and his swimming improved fantastically. DH and I got loads of quality time together to just relax and chat and read our books.
The sun really helps DH's skin and we need that 100% guarantee of sunshine.
We went to the beach a couple of times last year, but the boys moaned so much about everything (mainly having to walk in the heat) that it made me so glad we were AI and didn't need to go through it all every day.
We always look for somewhere that lists the food as being good, I am not going for a cultural experience at this stage in time, just want good, fresh food and the boys to eat whatever's on offer.

I'm hoping in a couple of years time we start doing something different ... possibly going with another couple, or I'm vaugely interested in going on a cruise after hearing people rave about them.

It's kind of the same as ending up living in a 'housing estate' - used to be my idea of absolute hell, but now with kids, its fantastic!