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Holidays with family

(85 Posts)
Luckygirl3 Tue 19-Jul-22 13:36:02

Anyone do this? How does it work for you?

Sara1954 Tue 19-Jul-22 19:18:20

We usually all pay for our own accommodation, although we have paid for younger daughter and family when she was on her own (but that’s not common knowledge)
Then the other grandparents and us, pay for all the meals, outings, treats etc.

notgran Tue 19-Jul-22 18:53:58

Have holidays with sister and partner. Holidays with in laws and short breaks with daughters. Always great fun and there is no set pattern, can be self catering or hotels, favourite so far are ones in North Wales usually at Portmeirion. We get on with all the family so it has always worked a treat.

M0nica Tue 19-Jul-22 18:19:11

For us it varies. We are better off than our son and family, although our daughter, who is single, is doing very well.

We pay for son and family to come to France because DD travels with us on our ticket and we try to achieve parity between them, then expenses are shared on an adhoc basis.

We are going on a cruise for a week this autumn, DD decided she would like to come and is paying for herself.

It is horses for courses.

Joseanne Tue 19-Jul-22 18:14:39

We pay for the venue too, and have the best bedroom!

LauraNorderr Tue 19-Jul-22 18:10:04

silverlining48

It’s my experience that grandparents often paid for multi generational family holidays, or is cost shared by everyone.

We always pay for the venue when it’s a family holiday but we have a family kitty which pays for all the food and outings together. Individual outings are up to the individual to finance.
It does work well for us and even the teenagers are asking when the next one will be.

NotSpaghetti Tue 19-Jul-22 18:04:58

We rented a big house in Italy with a pool and outside kitchen etc.
It had 9 bedrooms all ensuite.
There were 6 households. 17 people.
We had lots of space and it was quite easy as everyone shared cooking/shopping.
I did the (big) first shop and got there first to unload it.
It's a villa we have used several times but only once as a group. Quite rural.
My youngest daughter suggests we have another holiday together next year.

I did spend quite some time making sure the villa was as perfect as possible (within our budget) and visited it the year before to see it in the flesh.

Lucca Tue 19-Jul-22 18:04:28

Did it in 2019 son daughter in law grandkids 2 and 5 plus my bloke. A week in Portugal own pool hired a people carrier my son drove and did most of the barbecue dinners

We had a brilliant week and I would so love to be able to do it again.

You need to know that you all get on together.

Joseanne Tue 19-Jul-22 17:58:09

It works well for us and everyone keeps wanting to do it again year on year. We rent a big house in Cornwall that takes dogs too so no one is left out! Family members pretty much do their in thing in the daytime, but DH does most of the meal organising and barbecuing.
We have never gone abroad together, but I guess it might work well.

Sara1954 Tue 19-Jul-22 17:50:59

We have done quite a few breaks , never longer than four days.
Usually, my daughters, husbands and their children, my eldest daughters in-laws, and brother in law and his son.
But we always stay separately, meet with them all day, then go back to the hotel for a relaxing dinner.
We’ve had loads of fun, the children love it, but I have to have my own space.

silverlining48 Tue 19-Jul-22 17:44:25

It’s my experience that grandparents often paid for multi generational family holidays, or is cost shared by everyone.

Yammy Tue 19-Jul-22 17:43:10

I've done it, all the ways mentioned with DD when she was a student with DD and her then fiancé,with another dd and her partner and then when they married and had a family.
I think you all need to agree to go your separate ways if you want to. We help out with babysitting and go out for a night ourselves. We share cooking . There has to be negotiating but it all works out.
Must admit I do like my own bathroom, when we have all had our own they seem to run smoother.

LauraNorderr Tue 19-Jul-22 17:30:17

We do a full family holiday every three or four years. Usually a big house in France with a pool. We all do our own thing whenever we want to and hang around together in between, meet for our evening meal together. Usually do a fortnight and have at least two meals out together. It changes as children are born, children get older, teenagers are formed. Always great fun.
We also holiday with friends mostly the same format.
Our ‘just the two of us’ holidays tend to be short U.K. city breaks.

Baggytrazzas Tue 19-Jul-22 17:15:05

I'd need a minimum of guaranteed own bedroom and bathroom. I'd suggest separate rooms in a hotel, separate units if self catering. And options rather than compulsory attendance at meals, outings, etc

AGAA4 Tue 19-Jul-22 17:10:41

I have had a lot of holidays with family and it has always worked out well.
I probably won't now though as the dynamics have changed. GCs have grown up and both sons are divorced, although I did have a few days away with one of my sons which was really good.

Grannytomany Tue 19-Jul-22 16:22:16

Quite a while ago we rented a very large house on the cliffs in cornwall and invited all the family down. It was my husbands idea but unfortunately it was also my husbands behaviour which made it unsuccessful. To the point that one of our sons went home early. So for me it was a never again thing.

However, a couple of weeks ago I went for a big family holiday in Cornwall again with as many of our children and extended family as could get the time off work and school. And we all had a really lovely time and in fact have already rebooked for next year.

But here’s the difference. Instead of sharing one property my daughter found a lovely group of farm cottages which gave us exclusive usage as long as we booked most of the cottages. So each household had their own place for privacy and retreat but were next door to or just across the courtyard from everyone else. Which was excellent.

PollyDolly Tue 19-Jul-22 16:06:44

I love my AC and GC unconditionally but I wold rather stick pins in my eyes than go on holiday with them.

MerylStreep Tue 19-Jul-22 16:06:41

We go every year with daughter, son in law and children.
We absolutely love it.
Sometimes we have a cabin or if we’re in Spain with the motohome we camp on the site near them.
I can’t recommend this site enough for adults and children. It’s on the beach.

www.google.co.uk/maps/uv?pb=!1s0x12ba50c7d577ea59%3A0x88ebc7ca7581a98!3m1!7e115!4shttps%3A%2F%2Flh5.googleusercontent.com%2Fp%2FAF1QipPkFdqYDJwDFF_mlnuEFR99S8ZeyWWsHJ9jhwEM%3Dw480-h320-k-no!5sEl%20delfin%20verde%20%2B%20spain%20-%20Google%20Search!15sCgIgAQ&imagekey=!1e10!2sAF1QipPkFdqYDJwDFF_mlnuEFR99S8ZeyWWsHJ9jhwEM&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjujrXwm4X5AhVxh_0HHfLwDiMQoip6BAhbEAM

Hithere Tue 19-Jul-22 16:04:36

We go on trips with friends and it works great!

We have lots of fun, we do things together or separate as it is convenient for either family, meet or no meet for dinner ...we go with the flow

When I used to visit my parents, it was just torture.
Parents expected parents and AC to be together 24/7, eat when the parents were hungry, take 100000 pics when they knew I hated it, long talks to convince me to move back to my home country....

Reading a book or watching tv were considered huge offenses as it wasn't part of family time's "acceptable activities"

Going to a hotel was also an offense, 10 adults under one roof with one bathroom was part of faaaaamily togetherness

rosie1959 Tue 19-Jul-22 16:01:36

We do it every year taking our children and grandchildren to a hotel complex in the UK
We still have separate holidays but really enjoy our few days together

Madgran77 Tue 19-Jul-22 15:50:32

Would love to do it but it will never happen. Agree with Hithere ..it really depends how everyone gets on

ginny Tue 19-Jul-22 15:30:35

We do it regularly. Either in Caravans or a large house.
At the end of May, 11 of went to Devon.
Ages 1,6,19,37,37,40,43,44 67, 70 and a 90 year old.
We did some things altogether but nobody minded if some wanted time on their own .
One son in Law enjoyed a fair amount of fishing and the little ones and parents went some places separately.
All meet up in the evenings for a shared dinner provided by different people each night or a take-away.
Works for us . Fortunately we are a family that can always agree to disagree if needs be.

AreWeThereYet Tue 19-Jul-22 15:20:53

We did once, when DS1 booked a huge villa with lots of rooms, but prefer to have a separate cottage/chalet so we can have some peace and quiet now and again. GCs stay with us now and again to give their parents some alone time. Fortunately for us DS1 and DD discovered they preferred to take holidays in the UK after lock down as it was more restful all round, rather than take young children abroad.

Kate1949 Tue 19-Jul-22 15:10:11

We've done it with my sister and brother in law. It's great. When our daughter was small, we holidayed with family members and their children. It was OK. We have never holidayed with our grown up daughter and her family. They have never asked us to. I love my daughter but she can be a bit impatient and snappy with me. So best not to.

Hithere Tue 19-Jul-22 15:09:12

It depends how everybody gets along

M0nica Tue 19-Jul-22 15:06:27

We do it, and have always done it. We have a holiday house in France and both children come over with us for at least a week each summer. We have just returned from a week in France with DD and DS and family are coming over in August. Both DGC, now both at secondary school love coming to France.

Other than that, we all had a holiday in a cabin cruiser on the broads at Easter, a few years ago we celebrated our golden wedding anniversary by renting a big house in Bath and inviting our extended family, including DiL's family. to stay for as long as they liked within a given week. Most stayed the whole week.

DS and family usually spend at least a week at home with us Christmas and Easter. All of us go on separate holidays as well.

We all get on really well, and seem to be able to arrange joint and separate activities without much formality and respect each others likes and dislikes.