Thanks. SA was a bit of a joke as we are not geared up for there but I take the point about wages. However my point is that everything in the UK seems so disproportionately unaffordable compared to even UK salaries; there was stuff in the Sunday papers about the cost of rail travel. You did used to be able to get bargain deals for booking far in advance but these don't seem to exist any more.

Driving there is not an option for us in a small car with a toddler for a two week break and in any case ferries are extortionate with cars. Self catering is a good idea but most places still charge ?700 per week, ?100 per night, as most seem to have two double rooms and assume two couples/small families. A more accessible location is sensible however the same costs still apply.

We are now thinking of getting a ?59 Eurostar to Paris then catching a standard French train to Brittany and trying to find somewhere there- there are some good Parisian deals to be had this summer ie train and 3 nights for ?140 pp which may give us both a city and sea kind of break. We are fairly well travelled and love going abroad however I find it a real shame that we probably can;t afford to get to the furthest parts of our own country until we get our Senior Citizens passes. No wonder we don't understand each other!