Holiday habits - Your holidays v your Parent's holidays
Discussion
As I start to book my next holiday, I started thinking that I really wouldn't want to live without my breaks with both with just the Mrs and also the family holiday with the kids.
Over the next 12 months, I have already booked a week in Hong Kong, 12 days in Barbados, 2 weeks in Val D'isere plus we will have a few long weekends away at various places both in the UK and possibly European City breaks.
As a kid, I never went on holiday and neither did my parents, well slight lie, in the whole of my childhood we went to Cornwall for a week over the Di & Charles wedding week (bloody hot it was) and 1 week in France in a Gite. That's it, nothing else. They didn't even go anywhere on there own without me. Very strange now I look back on it.
Is this weird or do other people find themselves in the same boat?
Over the next 12 months, I have already booked a week in Hong Kong, 12 days in Barbados, 2 weeks in Val D'isere plus we will have a few long weekends away at various places both in the UK and possibly European City breaks.
As a kid, I never went on holiday and neither did my parents, well slight lie, in the whole of my childhood we went to Cornwall for a week over the Di & Charles wedding week (bloody hot it was) and 1 week in France in a Gite. That's it, nothing else. They didn't even go anywhere on there own without me. Very strange now I look back on it.
Is this weird or do other people find themselves in the same boat?
Hackney said:
Worst "look how rich I am and how many holidays I take" thread ever.
I think there are a lot richer people on here than me (lots of multiple company directors to start with), so that would be a pointless thread!! 
Pesonally as I get older I would rather spend my money on experiences (read holidays) than material 'stuff'
As I said, it just got me thinking and wondered whether other people had the same experience.....
Back in the 60s, hardly anyone went abroad and not even really in the 70s that I was aware of. We went to places like Devil's Bridge or Tenby or did day trips to the seaside. THose places were far harder to get to without the M4 and most A roads that now permeate Wales. My aunty, on the other hand, was always off to Spain every year ut her kids were in boarding school. I seem to recall some of my more affluent school friends went to Morocco on a school trip but not me.
In my teens, we just never went anywhere though as my parents had 4 kids, I'm not bloody surprised! In the 80s we did a bit of camping near Harlech but that was the height of it.
My parents started going abroad in the 80s - on their own and went to Thailand and Sri Lanka, USA and Portugal.
I never even considered going abroad until I was in my 40s and since 2002 have had 23 holidays. Many of those came from the noughties auction sites yielding fantastic deals like a week in Southern Spain for two for £99 and another week in Mojacar for two for £250 all in and a week in Kerala for two for £600 - all belting deals.
We have also tended to go slightly out of season to get cheaper deals. Suddenly the school holidays dictate our holidays and with 3 children, two weeks in a couple of villas in Spain in August is over £4000 which has been hard to stomach. It would probably be cheaper, overall, to go long haul but young children restrict your range. In addition, we now occasionally take my mother (my father died 10 years ago), now in her 70s, which can restrict location and plans. She's been to Spain with us twice and Tenerife once and is currently in Turkey with my sister and takes the view that she will continue travelling for as long as she is physically able.
In my teens, we just never went anywhere though as my parents had 4 kids, I'm not bloody surprised! In the 80s we did a bit of camping near Harlech but that was the height of it.
My parents started going abroad in the 80s - on their own and went to Thailand and Sri Lanka, USA and Portugal.
I never even considered going abroad until I was in my 40s and since 2002 have had 23 holidays. Many of those came from the noughties auction sites yielding fantastic deals like a week in Southern Spain for two for £99 and another week in Mojacar for two for £250 all in and a week in Kerala for two for £600 - all belting deals.
We have also tended to go slightly out of season to get cheaper deals. Suddenly the school holidays dictate our holidays and with 3 children, two weeks in a couple of villas in Spain in August is over £4000 which has been hard to stomach. It would probably be cheaper, overall, to go long haul but young children restrict your range. In addition, we now occasionally take my mother (my father died 10 years ago), now in her 70s, which can restrict location and plans. She's been to Spain with us twice and Tenerife once and is currently in Turkey with my sister and takes the view that she will continue travelling for as long as she is physically able.
Parents = Holidays booked via Travel Agent at least 6 months ahead. Suitcases packed two weeks ahead. Passports found in the same place without fail. Arrived at airport at least 5 hours before the flight. Dropped off at hotel by prearranged coach or taxi. Get to hotel, unpack everything into wardrobes/draws. Go for a walk to figure out local amenities. Get woken up by the alarm clock, down early to secure sunbeds which will be ours for the entire holiday and god help anyone who gets them before my dad. Sit in sun. Go home.
Me & missus = Holiday booked day before via internet. Clothes shoved into any bag I can find and hope to hell the hotel has an ironing board. Spend several hours looking for passports in blind panic. Arrive at airport with about 5 minutes to spare. Think about getting public transport to hotel, but then realise I can't read or speak the local language so pay royally through the nose for a taxi or hire car. Get to the hotel. Get back into a taxi when finally figured out that I've swapped the 'a' with 'e' when I wrote down the hotel name and I'm in completely the wrong area. Get to the correct hotel, throw the bags into the room. Hit the first bar we come across. chat to the locals, find out the best places to eat drink, never see the sun. Buy clothes as everything we've packed isn't suitable for various reasons. Go home. Usually on the plane that's after the one we were booked on. Usually very hungover.
Me & missus = Holiday booked day before via internet. Clothes shoved into any bag I can find and hope to hell the hotel has an ironing board. Spend several hours looking for passports in blind panic. Arrive at airport with about 5 minutes to spare. Think about getting public transport to hotel, but then realise I can't read or speak the local language so pay royally through the nose for a taxi or hire car. Get to the hotel. Get back into a taxi when finally figured out that I've swapped the 'a' with 'e' when I wrote down the hotel name and I'm in completely the wrong area. Get to the correct hotel, throw the bags into the room. Hit the first bar we come across. chat to the locals, find out the best places to eat drink, never see the sun. Buy clothes as everything we've packed isn't suitable for various reasons. Go home. Usually on the plane that's after the one we were booked on. Usually very hungover.
Family holidays when I was a kid = packed into car and driven to france, spent 10 years doing 2 week holidays like this, awesome fun and loved every minute of it.
Parents holidays now = 5* hotels and several times a year in which ever country they see fit to do.
Mine and OH = Never a hotel holiday, always something out of the ordinary, never through a travel agent, always for the culture, usually involves diving on the main holiday a year... smaller breaks usually involve scandinavian countries.
Parents holidays now = 5* hotels and several times a year in which ever country they see fit to do.
Mine and OH = Never a hotel holiday, always something out of the ordinary, never through a travel agent, always for the culture, usually involves diving on the main holiday a year... smaller breaks usually involve scandinavian countries.
Du1point8 said:
Parents holidays now = 5* hotels and several times a year in which ever country they see fit to do.
Mine and OH = Never a hotel holiday, always something out of the ordinary, never through a travel agent, always for the culture, usually involves diving on the main holiday a year... smaller breaks usually involve scandinavian countries.
Similar situation my end, glad my parents can now afford their severl trips a year...but still.Mine and OH = Never a hotel holiday, always something out of the ordinary, never through a travel agent, always for the culture, usually involves diving on the main holiday a year... smaller breaks usually involve scandinavian countries.
Any recomendations on 'something out of the ordinary'? Always looking for good ides
flyingjase said:
Du1point8 said:
Parents holidays now = 5* hotels and several times a year in which ever country they see fit to do.
Mine and OH = Never a hotel holiday, always something out of the ordinary, never through a travel agent, always for the culture, usually involves diving on the main holiday a year... smaller breaks usually involve scandinavian countries.
Similar situation my end, glad my parents can now afford their severl trips a year...but still.Mine and OH = Never a hotel holiday, always something out of the ordinary, never through a travel agent, always for the culture, usually involves diving on the main holiday a year... smaller breaks usually involve scandinavian countries.
Any recomendations on 'something out of the ordinary'? Always looking for good ides
I have done home stays in Bali with the locals as my guide for several days. Rocked up at gili islands with no accommodation to wander the beach looking for a room for the night.
I choose my locations based on what is interesting to see and try and book a villa/hut/apartment rather than a hotel as I never end up using the pool and like the quiet.
I have just hired out a boat on the nile rather than joining a cruise, we are going to stop off at the temples we decide, before getting to luxor to visit another temple, finally off to a collection of chalets to do some diving (normal part of holiday) in the red sea in search of dugons and sharks if possible.
Off to russia in July to visit the missing part of finland so i can learn the history (OH's father is originally from there before it was taken by russia).
Hire out summer cottages in Finland that are stones throw from the lake in the middle of nowhere for quiet time.
We try and stay away from any tourist spot cause we hate tourists. When in a location we like to socialise with the locals and do what they do as it gives us a more fulfilling experience than sitting next to a pool in a 4/5* hotel.
Next one I really want is truk lagoon, but I need more diving under my belt first, so Asia and island hopping is going to be first to visit the locals and stay with them. We are try to organise a few treks to see some more culture but don't know where yet, just something secluded to visit the old ruins of forgotten cities.
Will see if the OH has the bucket list of locations that we are crossing off as I lost it.
Best thing is that I do it for very little money as its not touristy, so money goes a lot further than ibiza... spend a week there and its going to cost the best part of £1k all in... my egypt trip is costing £900 for 11 days all in so far.
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