Cost of holidays in Britain

[Anna B]

I'm getting a bit fed up of the ridiculously high costs of a holiday in Britain, particularly at the lower end of the market. Even a simple caravan in the back of beyond is getting beyond us.

 

I've just been quoted £890 for a week's fishing in a static caravan in a field with no other facilities than a pond to fish in. Needless to say I won't be taking it.

 

Since when did the idea of charging twice for the same week come into fashion? Splitting the week into Monday - Friday, then Friday - Monday (both at the cost of what used to be charged for a week,) is a nice little earner for some.

 

Add to that the prohibitive cost of family entry fees into attractions (eg family ticket for Warwick castle £69.00) and we are talking of a holiday beyond the means of many people.

 

Throw in unpredictable and often rubbish British weather and it's a whole lot of money for very little.

 

What a pity as Britain is such an interesting place to visit, but no wonder people go abroad for their holidays.

[souShofsheff]

You can get a caravan in skeggy for the week for 150 this time of year

 

Yougetss what you pays! !!

[ECCOnoob]

I'm getting a bit fed up of the ridiculously high costs of a holiday in Britain, particularly at the lower end of the market. Even a simple caravan in the back of beyond is getting beyond us.

 

I've just been quoted £890 for a week's fishing in a static caravan in a field with no other facilities than a pond to fish in. Needless to say I won't be taking it.

 

Since when did the idea of charging twice for the same week come into fashion? Splitting the week into Monday - Friday, then Friday - Monday (both at the cost of what used to be charged for a week,) is a nice little earner for some.

 

It might well be a nice little earner but they are businesses. Its nothing new and certainly not some trend. Simple supply and demand. Places are more popular at weekends and they put the price up. Hotels have been doing it for decades. You get rooms at £50 midweek but increase to £100 over a weekend.

 

£890 does seem a lot but I don't know where you are staying or what you are getting for that money. How many people are staying in the van? What is included in this amount. From what I gather from a fisherman at work, its an expensive business with passes/permits, lake fees, surcharges etc? Are they included?

 

Add to that the prohibitive cost of family entry fees into attractions (eg family ticket for Warwick castle £69.00) and we are talking of a holiday beyond the means of many people.

 

I don't think they are prohibitive at all. Tourist attractions are businesses and they cost money to run. Places like Warwick Castle have massive upkeep costs, staff to pay for, actors, props, sets, shows, special effects. Places like Alton Towers etc spend multi millions on developing/building and operating their thrill rides. They need to make money.

 

I don't think its exclusive to Britain. Have you seen the costs of going to Disneyland. Have you seen how much these Waterparks/activity centres/go karting places charge in Spain/France/Italy.

 

Its part of the holiday. You save up for it and you pick what "treats" and "attractions" you want to see.

 

A nice walk along a coastline, playing in the park, exploring the local town or day on a beach is free. Nobody is forcing people to pay money for things.

 

Based on your example a £69 family ticket bought online covers a family of 2 adults and 3 kids. That's just under £14 each. Really that much of a rip off?

 

Throw in unpredictable and often rubbish British weather and it's a whole lot of money for very little.

 

What a pity as Britain is such an interesting place to visit, but no wonder people go abroad for their holidays.

 

I agree totally regards the weather and THIS is the reason why people go abroad. I don't think its costs at all. Everywhere costs.

 

The fact is that plenty of people only drag themselves abroad for nothing more than the sunny weather. You know the ones. The ones who sit in 90 degree heat with their plate of pie and chips and a pint of John Smiths.

 

They don't travel because they are interested in being abroad. They don't travel because they want to explore a new country. They don't travel because they want to experience the culture of a country. They want a van man tan and a dip in a overcrowded swimming pool whilst being served all you can drink cocktails.

 

I can guarantee that if Britain regularly had 90 degree heat and sun, Cleethorpes, Skegness, Scarborough, Blackpool, Southend etc would be very very different resorts and the Ryanair crowd would drop dramatically.

Edited April 12, 2015 by ECCOnoob

[Anna B]

Agree to some extent Econoob, but some people on low wages are now priced out of a holiday altogether. What with not being allowed to take the kids out of school in term time, even Skeggy's out of their price range. Don't forget it's only for acconmmodation, they still have food and entertainment on top of that, and that's not cheap either.

 

I'm all for travel broadening the mind, and when my kids were young we used to take them places (in Britain) as often as we could. I agree a walk costs nothing, but I think it's educational and good for them to see and do things. But there's no way I'd be able to afford it now.

 

If we don't want a nation of chavs who think holidays are just an opportunity to get drunk and disgraceful, then childhood is the time to broaden the mind and show them what's out there.

[Longcol]

£890 would get you, for example, 7 nights in August in a well equipped mobile home (ie static van) on the top site on the Ile de Re, one of the more "exclusive" areas of France.

 

The site has direct beach access, pool complex, restaurant, takeaway, bar, shop.

 

The local council run a free bus from the site into the nearby village which has a daily market, small supermarket, restaurants etc.

 

In fact for that price you would get a quality mobile home on more or less any of the top French sites in Brittany, the Loire, Dordogne etc.

 

You can pay considerably less for a gite in a village / countryside - you'd get a fortnight for £890.

[Anna B]

£890 would get you, for example, 7 nights in August in a well equipped mobile home (ie static van) on the top site on the Ile de Re, one of the more "exclusive" areas of France.

 

The site has direct beach access, pool complex, restaurant, takeaway, bar, shop.

 

The local council run a free bus from the site into the nearby village which has a daily market, small supermarket, restaurants etc.

 

In fact for that price you would get a quality mobile home on more or less any of the top French sites in Brittany, the Loire, Dordogne etc.

 

You can pay considerably less for a gite in a village / countryside - you'd get a fortnight for £890.

 

Exactly. Bargain holidays all over the place abroad, but not in England.

[Longcol]

Exactly. Bargain holidays all over the place abroad, but not in England.

 

I have to agree - for 15 years we went to France as a family of 4 and we could afford 3 weeks in August in mobile homes & gites - £2,000 would comfortably cover all accommodation and travel (fuel, tunnel, motorway tolls).

 

Now there is just me and my wife we'll camp for 3 weeks end of August / begining September on 4/5 star sites and I reckon the whole holiday (inluding some very good food and wine) will cost under £2k.

 

When we got our tent about 4 years ago we went for a try out - basically pitching in a field near Retford with a water tap and a loo costs the same as a beautiful campsite in the Loire where you get your own demarkated pitch, electric hook up, plentiful on site toilets / showers (cleaned twice daily) washing up facilities & laundry facilities and free entry into the outdoor municipal swimming pool next door. This is ten minutes walk from a village centre containing one of the most picturesque chateaux in France. Oh - and you can fish in the River Indre which flows alongside the site.

Edited April 12, 2015 by Longcol

[tinfoilhat]

Exactly. Bargain holidays all over the place abroad, but not in England.

 

There must be somewhere in France you could go and wet a line anna without resorting to getting a bivvy out. I read of a place in TCF but don't know if it's still running - it sounded idyllic.

[Anna B]

There must be somewhere in France you could go and wet a line anna without resorting to getting a bivvy out. I read of a place in TCF but don't know if it's still running - it sounded idyllic.

 

Unfortunately holidays abroad are out for the time being. One of our party is disabled and cannot travel far, and the cost of holiday insurance is prohibitive.

[tzijlstra]

We just spent a full week in a cottage a stones throw from the sea on the beautiful Tarbat peninsula (north of the Black Isle) for 620£, if a caravan costs whatever it is you claim it costs than they are pricing themselves out of the market spectacularly.