Holiday costs

Parents with school age children are being well and truly ripped off lucygran as what might be an affordable holiday in June or September is completely out of reach for many in July and August . This applies to holidays in this country as well as abroad . We are currently on a 5 day, UK activity holiday with our 3 oldest DGC which has cost more than 3 times more this week than it will next . It’s getting to the point where many children will never experience a holiday away from home of any kind and that’s sad .

Yes you're being unreasonable. Hotels have to keep up occupancy levels so will reduce prices as an inducement. This is nothing new. Hotels aren't charities. They are employers and purchasers of local produce and services. That's what keeps the economy going.
We didn't take our children out of school to go on foreign holidays at lower costs. We went where we could afford during the school holidays.

I agree with jane10, if the hotels didn’t reduce their prices at less popular times they would have fewer visitors and the business might not be viable.
My DD and SiL take DGCs camping for their summer holidays and they have a week with us too.
There’s more than enough to keep small children happy and stimulated without going to expensive resorts abroad.

Hugely debated topic but it is up to travel firms and hotels to pitch prices therefore if EVERYONE boycotted summer holidays in the school holidays the prices would come down! Not a feasible proposal but other than have the whole of the school terms with classrooms disrupted by constant holiday absences (as well as sickness) I can’t see any solution. Maybe wait till kids leave school to enjoy the perks?.?

Don’t forget it’s not just the kids but teachers and admin staff who are caught in this also.

Another who agrees with Jane10. Would anyone prefer something other than a free market economy?

I do feel that people rather expect to have what they want rather than what they can afford. I can only speak for myself but we bought a very small touring caravan and parked it in farmer's fields at very low cost for our family holidays. Now that our children are adults with their own children they have happy thoughts about their childhood holidays and take their loved ones to the same places we took then in the caravan.

Couldn’t agree more Nonnie. My kids loved nature rambles that cost nothing! Probably more than sitting abroad in an all inclusive watching Mum and dad drinking all day! ?

Supply and demand - that's just how it goes unfortunately!

Rather like bars & restaurants have Happy Hours, and wine at half-price at certain times e.g. Sunday evening and Monday.

'Dynamic pricing' is another phrase.

That is definitely a first world problem for those going on holiday. The resorts have to support the locals during off season so of course they will be cheaper.

We are only in a caravan so nothing luxurious whatsoever . Prices are ridiculous. The children love outdoor activities but all verynexpensive . Quite a few assumptions Bluegal that holidays equal drinking ????? I think it’s sad that many children will never experience a holiday ( or even a few days ) away . But hey ho I’m obviously wrong .

I just find it a shame that some children and parents will miss out on these experiences, including holidays in the UK

Yes me too Lucygran seems that we are in the minority though .

Although I understand, in these competitive times, schools have to be more rigid, I am glad we were allowed time off during the term to take our children away. The issue was not cost, although campsites and ferries were slightly cheaper. It was being able to spend time with their father, and visit family members at suitable times.

As my husband was a teacher (only just retired) we were forced to take our holidays in the expensive season long after the children left school.

I'm afraid I agree with most others, though - why go on expensive holidays? It's the time spent with the children as a family that counts - doesn't have to be a plane ride away. We used to chuck a tent into the car and drive off. (Well, a little planning was involved, but the children mucked in with everything).

You don't say how old the grandchildren are.

JackyB They are 8 and 10

When ours were young, holidays were one of our economies. We stayed with family, begged and borrowed accommodation, hired static caravans and chalets in out of the way places.

We did take the children out of school on a couple of occasions because DH's work meant he was sometimes unable to take leave during the summer school holidays. One year we had our 'summer' holiday over the February half-term, but the locations for our holidays didn't change, even then . Ours was the only leisure cabin cruiser on the Broads that week. The DCloved it and still talk about it.

I just find it a shame that some children and parents will miss out on these experiences, including holidays in the UK I doubt anyone disagrees with you, but the assumption that high season holidays mean high costs to foreign destinations and high costs of hotels just shows a lack of imagination. There are many ways you can reduce holiday costs to minimum.

Some parents will not be able to go away on holiday even if children could be taken away in exam weeks. Providing holidays and experiences for children whose parents struggle to make ends meet let alone fund holidays is important, but that discussion is for another thread.

This thread is about those who can afford holidays and do not want to take them in the high season. The answer to that is cut your coat to fit your cloth. It is only for a few years then you will be able to holiday where you like, when you like.

My older C used to spend most of the summer holidays in Spain were my parents lived, they were extremely fortunate.
By the time my youngest was born they were back in UK.

We knew our budget for holidays, and used to discuss it with the C, i.e. one big foreign holiday, or several cheaper ones spread over the year, all within school holiday times as some were at senior school, some college and youngest at junior school.

As previous posters have said, every family has a different budget and you have to holiday within it.

Typical Sour grapes and “I’m all right jack” with little thought for those on a tight budget . Or indeed those parents who have 4 weeks annual holiday per year ( set by their company ).

Probably more than sitting abroad in an all inclusive watching Mum and dad drinking all day!
The OP didn't mention that that was the type of holiday her family went on, so that's not a very fair remark, Bluegal

We used to take ours camping in France and that was always more expensive in the school holidays too.

This year a holiday in the UK could have been wonderful with the lovely weather we've had - but so often it is very hit and miss weatherwise.

I take the point about filling hotels out of season but I do believe there is a huge mark-up in the school holidays which is not fair on those who have no option but to go then - and that includes teachers.

When our third was born, the other two were just starting school or about to start the following year. There was no way we were going to be able to afford foreign holidays at any point in the year and in any case we had not been abroad ourselves since we were carefree students who could kip down in places we couldn't have taken three small children to. Even holidays in this country were impossible to consider.

Our answer came when someone we knew said they were selling their caravan (A Sprite Major) We bought it and had many years of touring with it. We feared that small children wouldn't enjoy touring, but they loved moving to different places every few days.

At night there was no problem sleeping in unfamiliar beds. They each had their place and their own tiny cupboard for their books and toys (baby slept in a carrycot until his head and feet were pressing obvously on the fabric at top and bottom and he graduated to being tucked in beside his sisters) If we didn't feel like go out, we sat and read, the girls drew, read, or played with their toys and baby played on the floor. When that palled, we put on our coats and went exploring.

We saw a lot of our own country, in all weathers (steaming heat and midges in Western Argyll, torrential rain on Skye, winds on the East coast that made us wish we could tie the van down, sun and sand at Yellowcraigs, fog at Whitby.) We investigated forest walks and paddled in burns, we walked where Roman soldiers with cold feet sent messages home asking for a friend to send them warm socks and where smugglers brought contraband ashore on moonless nights and ponies with cloths tied round their hooves carried it past the excise men.

Why do so many people feel that if they haven't flown to somewhere with a label "Holiday Destination" they have somehow been cheated of a holiday?

Missing the point though GrannyGravy of course one has to “holiday within budget” but you are basically saying that those who have a tight budget can’t holiday at all during school holidays as the prices are often quadrupled or more . Your family were very fortunate “ choosing between one big foreign holiday or several cheaper ones” one of your several “cheaper ones ” could be the holiday of a lifetime for some children who have never had a holiday in their lives .

Why do so many people feel that if they haven't flown to somewhere with a label "Holiday Destination" they have somehow been cheated of a holiday?

That’s not fair Elegran and not like you at all . No one has mentioned a “Holiday Destination” . ALL holidays inflate their prices during school holidays even those in the U.K. Why? Because they can get away with it !

gillybob, I am of the generation that had mortgage interests rates of over 16percent, we gave up things during the year to pay for our holidays, making memories with our children.

I appreciate the fact that my family has benefited from Husband and I working all hours, at the expense of missing out on some of our children's 'firsts'. Paying for childcare as no family close enough to help out. I will not apologise for it though, I know some families struggle, we all have at some time, it's not right or nice. Unfortunately it's always been the way and always will until someone comes up with a solution to all the wrongs in this country.

HA HA...I was waiting for someone to pick up on that....
It was said more in jest and my own experience of people holidaying with children outside of school holidays...am sure we've all met them? "yeah we just told the school to sod off cos after all they are experiencing another country...whilst sitting by the pool bar all day" obviously not ALL but there are a lot of folk who do just that.

I think the general gist is that children don't actually NEED holidays as such and are happy with parents time more than anything...camping, fishing etc even just days out!

The OP stated that it took the parents a long time to save up to go to Spain and I think most are saying WHY? if they can't comfortably afford it why is it a necessity? Its nice...sure...but not one of life's necessities.

The problem I find is this cultural feeling of 'entitlement' that exists now and if you can't afford it then somehow the kids must be suffering?

My kids never went abroad until they were adults because I couldn't afford it but its not sour grapes, I don't feel they missed out on anything and anyway have made up for it since! Did anyone complain that parents or children were being treated unfairly back in our day? NO! the ones who could afford it went wherever and the ones who couldn't settled for what they could afford and this is the message that most people are trying to get across - I think!

gillybob why do you not start a thread about families who cannot afford to holiday. You would get a sympathetic hearing.

This thread is specifically about those who can afford holidays but object to paying high season prices. Every time most people keep to the thread subject you object to it not discussing something else entirely different.