Holiday costs

I really don’t expect anyone to agree with me pollyperkins . Apologies I thought this thread was about inflated holiday costs during school holidays? Anyway I will leave the thread now saying I feel very sorry for poor families and children who can’t afford a few days away as a holiday . What does it matter what happened “back in the day” . Some children in my DGC’s school haven’t even had a day at the seaside and we are a seaside town ! Such a shame .

Gillybob I'm sure we all feel for poor families who can't afford any holiday at all but that's not really what this thread is about. I don't know what you want us to say really except to agree with you. Well, I do, but what can we do about it except give to children's charities that provide holidays?

As we were both teachers we were never able to have holidays outside term time. We couldn't afford much in the early days either -usually took the children to my parents who lived in the country and we all went for days out. We did have a very wet week in Wales once staying in a guest house. In later years we took to house swapping and had some lovely holidays abroad at no accommodation cost, staying in a family home while the other family stayed at our house. The worst aspect was having to leave our house clean and tidy but it was really very successful as there were toys, bikes etc for our children to use and lists of places to visit etc. We stopped that when they were teenagers and no longer wanted to go with us. We only ever had one holiday abroad with the children although they, and we, do travel abroad now.

I don’t expect anyone to agree with me ever Jane10 just as long you and yours are okay that’s the main thing right? Stuff poor families .

Not exactly. Of course they are entitled to enjoy the holiday they have saved up for, but not necessarily to complain about travelling in the summer holidays.
And to start the term late is the worst possible start to the academic year - timetables given out, friendship groups forming within classes, getting to know new teachers etc
If anything, the last week of the Summer term is a better time to miss as not a lot gets done then (and most of it forgotten during the holidays)

I wish we'd known about Youth Hostels (ie that they're not just for groups of teenagers) when our children were little. What a brilliant way to holiday in this country, even now.

Gosh there are some jealous miseries on this site! They saved for the holiday and are entitled to go where they like.

I always remember in adult family chatty conversation declaring how I had wished we could have afforded to go to 'posher' spa type hotels rather than the youth hostels we used. Both children looked at me in astonishment and declared they had loved our trips and regarded them as real fun times. I had no idea. Certainly didn't think they were awful but unaware they held them in such high esteem. As a trip down memory lane two of us returned to one for an overnighter recently. Just terrific. Same building decidedly updated inside but totally recognisable.

We didn't have holidays when we were children but did have the odd days out travelling by steam train, these trips were magical.
I can only recall four family holidays when DC were growing up and two of them were to stay with a relative.
I do not think it is unfair to have to pay a premium at peak times, a foreign holiday is not essential but a luxury that you have to budget for.
My GC get yomping holidays in Scotland.

What do you actually want us all to say gillybob? That we completely agree with you? Well unfortunately, and for the myriad of reasons put forward already, we don't!

As someone who loves their foreign holidays, what I can't understand is the need to take little tots abroad.
As a child we were lucky enough to have family in different parts of the country with whom we could stay with in school holudays. I can only remember twice staying in a bandb. Yes I know things change and I was lucky enough to be able to take my kids abroad sometimes, but when they are little they just like being with mum and dad anywhere. They aren't going to get much cultural value from it when they are small. (especially in Benidorm)
I know of families who go abroad every other year and spread the cost. I think older children appreciate the holidays abroad, that is until they become older teenagers, and find its "borrrring". Quite often foreign holidays are more about the parents than the children.

From a business viability point of view the holiday companies and hotels etc. have little choice but to have higher prices in the school holidays, and to lower them to try and attract custom during term time, when fewer people will want to go away.

I agree that foreign holidays are not an essential. When we were young (here we go!!) we did have foreign holidays because we slummed it in a big tent (and I mean slummed it!) and we went to France, Germany, Italy, Switzerland in the school holidays but very much on the cheap - we did not once eat out, for instance.

When our children were at primary school (teachers close your ears!) we regularly took them out of school for two weeks each year, as my OH could not take his holidays in the summer. It did them no harm whatsoever; in fact it enhanced their lives and learning in a myriad of ways.

Given the high pressure environment of schools now, I should think that taking them out for a holiday is a positive thing to do.

My youngest daughter and her family are coming back from Spain 2 days into the school term as it saves them £800 in flight costs. The children will miss two days of school.

As a child in the 70's, one of six, I never once went on a holiday - we had days out. None of them were very far away from home, but thoroughly enjoyed.

One of my fondest memories, always guaranteed to bring a smile to my face, was visiting a beach we had never been to before. We were lost in country lanes with high hedges when my mother spotted seagulls and told my father to head towards them. We ended up at a rubbish tip !!!!

As long as the “I’m alright jack” brigade are happy that’s the main thing eh ?

My gripe isn’t for my family as we muddle along and manage, so no it’s not sour grapes at all, its for those thousands of families who will never know a short break away from, the often very harsh realities of home .

It isn’t fair but unfortunately due to the way we arrange school holidays, originating from harvest times and the need for child labourers on the farms, we have to accept it. I worked term times and as a family felt well and truly shafted by the cost of holidays. Recently a man not far from here, lost his case in court for taking his child out of school in term time. As this is a tourist area where wages are low, families cannot take holidays in the high season as that is when they can earn their money, but if they take their children out of school they are fined. I do not think it is good to take children out of school as it disadvantages both the child concerned but also others in the class. So, what is the answer? Staggering school holidays , shorter school holidays? Maybe worth some consideration.

We've rarely had holidays of any kind in the summer ,its our peak time for work.My daughter had only 2 holidays before her brother was born 10 years later .He had only 3 holidays before he was 15 .We dont feel deprived either .

I was from a family who holidayed "doon the watter" so a week in Rothesay or Millport was the order of the day,a couple of wee suitcases held all we needed for all 6 of us for a week.We rented bikes and cycled round the island .
I understand childrens expectations are much higher ,but thats because parents fuel the expectations.
Mine all went to Disney last year .It was way to hot for them and they were tired and fractious and the two youngest fought constantly.BUT they can say they've been!!
This year my kids and their partners decided a holiday park in the UK would suit them all better and it did ,they had a great time and with the weather being so good it was the beach most days.Cost a fraction of the Disney trip.

Perhaps we can elect a Labour government so they can build and operate readily affordable holiday camps subsidized by the rest of us?

Or insist that our parliament legislates to cap the prices of package holidays?

Or parents and grandparents could get creative and share ideas for making holidays for our children and grandchildren without forking out our precious savings for overseas travel.

Indeed, that would be a more useful discussion than griping on here.

I grew up in Lancashire and went away every year with my parents to the same holiday camp run by the union my dad was in. Our holidays too were early, so many of our fellow holidaymakers were Scottish. We were back in school by mid August and I still remember having our O Level results read out in assembly - no brown envelope for us back then!
My family were not poor but we always stuck to school holidays as my mum was a teacher. The only year we didn't have our usual holiday was the one when dad's boss wouldn't make up his mind when he was going away so by the time he agreed dad's holiday dates our usual destination was booked up! We spent some time visiting friends and relatives and a tour of Scotland staying in B&Bs that year. I didn't go abroad until I was a teenager when my dad won us a holiday to Yugoslavia as it was then - the only foreign holiday I ever had with my parents. I never felt deprived by not going abroad then, though I sometimes wish I could afford different holidays now but can't as I work in a school. I look forward to retiring soon and being able to take holidays when I can afford them. However I have colleagues who are similarly restricted to school holidays, on as low an income as me, who still manage to give their children some time away - usually camping. In my childhood we didn't have the same expectations of holidays abroad etc whereas foreign travel being more generally affordable these days, has resulted in people feeling a sense of entitlement that we didn't experience. I think it is sad that people don't always have the imagination to find ways of making memories with their families without spending a small fortune.

I agree you don't have to go abroad to have a lovely holiday, I go during school holidays as I like to go with my son or daughter with my gc, and although I love caravan holidays in this country, it's great if you have nice weather, but we've been on many where it's poured down most of the week, and it's cost a fortune to keep the children amused,. As you can't spend all day in the caravan playing cards and board games.

Oh and meant to add that 7 people in a camper van would be illegal today Baggs unless it was a 7 seater motor home with 7 seat belts !

We really shouldn’t try to compare the 50’s, 60’s irceven 70’s with today when rules were much more relaxed .

Unfortunately The holiday companies have well and truly “cottoned on” to that trick now granny23 ( not that I have ever taken advantage of it but I know people who have in the past) .

Some of these posts are nothing short of ridiculous . Camping holidays are no longer cheap and assume you have a large car and all the camping gear of course. Does everyone know a friendly farmer who will let you pitch up for free in some picturesque setting ? I doubt it .

Everywhere remotely connected with holidays, whether it be in the U.K. or not inflates prices during school holidays . Try looking at a few web sites.

As Granny23 posted at Thu 30-Aug-18 23:39:52, Scottish schools also go back earlier, as well as breaking up earlier, so parents in other parts of the UK have as much chance as Scottish ones of taking advantage of better prices on dates when their own children are not at school.

Craftcat why? These businesses have to make a profit during the peak months as other times can be lean.

This point has been made, and made well, upthread.

Having worked in education for 40 years I've never been able to have a cheaper holiday and even in this country the caravans are very expensive in peak season. I think that local authorities should have different holidays to spread the summer. This would mean more peak weeks for the leisure industries and more availability for holidaymakers