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Holidays without air travel
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jon14


Posts: 145
Joined: Sep 2007
Post: #41
11-05-2009 10:39 AM

shlz400 wrote:
Jon - you don't have children, do you? (if you do, I eat my worms ....) Then you'd know that they constantly demand food & drink. Elevenses and tea are required for the sanity of the parents. However, I would say, with a big "full english" under their belts, having stayed in a b&b, the demands can be substantially reduced....


I just don't think Elevenses for 4 has to cost ?20. I bet if you tired you could manage to get Elevenses for 4 for ?10 - I've just halved your bill!

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roz


Posts: 1,796
Joined: Mar 2005
Post: #42
31-05-2009 07:38 PM

Had a romantic notion of going back to the Isle of Lewis for summer hols as it was so fabulous last time. However reality kicked in when realised that it would cost us IRO ?2k for just over a week. ie 2 adults one toddler-

?740 plane fares
?200 car hire
allow ?80 per night for accommodation ?560( and we are only talking B+Bs)
ok, well ?1500, but there is still food on top; can't believe it as managed to get there so much more cheaply about 5 years ago. Even if we get a daytime train to Glasgow then fly onwards, and return for fairly cheap fares, the one way train fare for a departure in late July is ?216.

I'm still of the view that this country is extortionate and it is still more cost effective to go abroad, regards of the current exchange rate. Can't you get a week in South Africa for less than this? We are two reasonably paid professionals but having a decent time seems increasingly to be the preserve of the very rich. What does everyone else do?

Devastated that it looks that once again we won't be able to afford a decent family holiday doing something nice. And our child won't see much of the UK growing up. Whats going wrong.?

Any suggestions, pop them on a postcard please( as it looks like I won't be writing any this year)

Wonderously yours.

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steveb


Posts: 113
Joined: Nov 2007
Post: #43
01-06-2009 08:55 AM

1. Don't fly (see title of thread).

2. If you must, look for cheaper flights: try BMI.

3. Go by car.

4. Self catering is usually cheaper for a family.

5. Choose a slightly more accessible destination.

To make a more serious point, the cost of a holiday is stongly linked to the wages of those who provide the services, which will reflect the standard of living in that country. So I'm not surprised if a holiday in SA comes out cheaper. But ask yourself whether your waiter or chambermaid can afford the holiday you are enjoying?

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roz


Posts: 1,796
Joined: Mar 2005
Post: #44
01-06-2009 09:30 AM

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!

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shzl400


Posts: 729
Joined: Oct 2007
Post: #45
01-06-2009 12:02 PM

Went to London Zoo at the weekend. ?60 for a family ticket.

I'm with Roz. My kids will know more about Crete (all inclusive package ?360 pp) than Cornwall (B&B similar to Roz' quotes above + costs of eating & drinking on top.)

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michael


Posts: 3,255
Joined: Mar 2005
Post: #46
01-06-2009 12:41 PM

I have found flights from Gatwick to Stornoway via Edinburgh for half the price quoted by Roz, and Edinburgh is a much nicer city than Paris for a few days stop over.

There are plenty of mobile homes to hire in Cornwall for approx. ?500 per week (high season) for the whole family (up to six people), and because they are self catering the additional costs are minimal. You can also avoid night flights, massive car parking charges at the airport, and the cost of car hire.

This is what I did for most of my childhood holidays, visiting Southern England, Northern France and Belgium. It was not until I went to university in Edinburgh that I had visited Scotland, despite (or possibly because of) my father coming from Glasgow.

I wish that when I was a child I had the opportunity to visit Greece and South Africa rather than England and France every year. You all make it sound such a disappointment that you have so much choice of affordable holidays in Europe, Africa, and in the UK (mobile homes are a lot nicer for a family holiday than most B&Bs).

I suspect that some people are just looking for excuses to get out of England and enjoy the consistent sunshine of Greece and Spain. No worries from me, but don't pretend that there are not cheap holidays in this country, you just want something better - fair enough.

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shzl400


Posts: 729
Joined: Oct 2007
Post: #47
01-06-2009 02:30 PM

michael wrote:
but don't pretend that there are not cheap holidays in this country


Oh, I'm sure there are, but since social mores dictate that I can't leave the ankle biters at home, I'm damned if I'm going to bring the rest of the housework - cooking, washing up etc. - with me. That's not a holiday! Of course it can be done on the cheap. But the price I quoted for the med. holiday was also 4* all inclusive, not self catering either - if you want budget, for the same week, I've just looked up a s/c in Majorca for ?178pp. Gotta compare like with like!

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roz


Posts: 1,796
Joined: Mar 2005
Post: #48
01-06-2009 03:17 PM

Michael , let me know about these cheap flights please as I am probably looking in the wrong place however I did trawl through several sites and it was all the same. We also have to pay full fare for our child as shes over 2 so this pushes the price up. Ditto shzl 400 on the Mallorca hol at ?178 pp- would love to hear more.

I'd be happy to hear of cheap hols in the UK. If they exist I've never been able to find them.

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brian


Posts: 2,002
Joined: Apr 2005
Post: #49
01-06-2009 04:17 PM

Yes but Roz you are being patriotic and helping your fellow Britons hold onto their jobs many of whom may not be as affluent as some in SE 23.
You can get very cheap rail travel if you book well in advance.

Last June got return from Forest Hill to Penzance for about GBP 25.00

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roz


Posts: 1,796
Joined: Mar 2005
Post: #50
01-06-2009 04:18 PM

Actually, just tried Expedia, and flights are now over ?1000; tried BA direct and its ?895. At that rate we could hire a personal driver to take us up there and back for probably half that price..... as I said, if anyone can find me a cheaper deal I'll buy them a pint...

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steveb


Posts: 113
Joined: Nov 2007
Post: #51
01-06-2009 05:25 PM

Opodo show Easy jet flights to Inverness for ?111.

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michael


Posts: 3,255
Joined: Mar 2005
Post: #52
01-06-2009 06:13 PM

I was basing my calculation on your daughter being under 2. So Gatwick to Stornoway works out as ?680 for flights on 21st July -28th July for the three of you via Inverness.

The cheapest possibility is to fly from Stansted to Glasgow Pestwick (from ?8 per person) and then fly from Glasgow international to Stornoway (from ?32 per person). Obviously the connection is a pain, but if you are staying overnight in Glasgow then it could work well.

I do all of my calculations on http://www.skyscanner.net which also has a very helpful route map http://www.skyscanner.net/route-map

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shzl400


Posts: 729
Joined: Oct 2007
Post: #53
01-06-2009 06:37 PM

The cheap holiday was on Teletext http://www.teletext.co.uk.

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roz


Posts: 1,796
Joined: Mar 2005
Post: #54
02-06-2009 01:14 PM

Thanks, will look into all of these leads and report back on the Holiday Challenge! They had an interesting programme on Radio 4 about this very subject today.

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brian


Posts: 2,002
Joined: Apr 2005
Post: #55
02-06-2009 02:59 PM

The main problem is that air fuel is not taxed internationally . Air fares should not be cheaper tha road or rail is does not make enviromental sense. EU seems frightened to impose EU wide air tax.

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Londondrz


Posts: 1,538
Joined: Apr 2006
Post: #56
03-06-2009 09:44 AM

Had an email yesterday from a very well known boating holiday company. A 4 berth Thames cruiser is now "only" ?1,756 for 7 days. For that money my wife and I along with our 2 daughters could fly to South Africa and spend a week there.

Eco huggieness aside lets think.....a boat on the Thames or Cape Town......mmmmmmmmmm, hard choice.

Oh, and before anyone says I should holiday here. We are this year, 1 week in a National Trust house. Luckily the in-laws are paying as there is no way we could afford it.

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Cellar Door


Posts: 356
Joined: Oct 2007
Post: #57
03-06-2009 10:47 AM

Londondrz wrote:
A 4 berth Thames cruiser is now "only" ?1,756 for 7 days...
We are this year, 1 week in a National Trust house. Luckily the in-laws are paying as there is no way we could afford it.

You should check if the in-laws are tempted to take to a 4 berth Thames cruiser for 7 days after the NT holiday?

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Londondrz


Posts: 1,538
Joined: Apr 2006
Post: #58
03-06-2009 11:40 AM

7 days at the NT holiday home is already waaaaay to much time with them thank youLaugh

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michael


Posts: 3,255
Joined: Mar 2005
Post: #59
03-06-2009 12:38 PM

Londondrz wrote:
....?1,756 for 7 days. For that money my wife and I along with our 2 daughters could fly to South Africa and spend a week there.


I'm impressed. I can't see flights for less than ?2,500 for a family of four travelling this summer. And in my experience the cost of accomodation in South Africa is not exactly cheap, and you would definately need to hire a car.

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Londondrz


Posts: 1,538
Joined: Apr 2006
Post: #60
03-06-2009 02:03 PM

OK, I am cheating a bit. Flights on Qatar are (or were when I flew out just over a month ago) ?430 per adult and ?390 for my oldest daughter with a little less for the youngest but lets say ?390 to keep it simple. So ?1640 for flights.

My parents live in Cape Town so accomodation free and we have the use of a car although having hired one before they are pretty cheap (?130 for a week and we got a Merc (an upgrade as the requested car was not available)).

Bed a breakfast in SA is very good value for money and nothing like a stereo typical English B&B (I said stereo typical before someone bites my head off).

So if we take flights at ?1640 add a car at ?130 and accomodation at ?20 per night for 6 nights it comes to ?1890 which is ?134 more expensive than the boating holiday. Factor in food for both and with the Pound/Rand exchange rate you are almost going to bring the figures to parity.

So, Thames or Cape Town!! Cool

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