645

Sorry if you think this is really nosey and intrusive, but my curiosity has got the better of me!

Never spent mega bucks on hols myself (and I know it's all relative), but Mrs wants to go long haul this year... looking at brochures has made my eyes water Would love to know what other folks spend - we've always spent around £1500 on the main holiday (2adults, 2kids)... but the half decent hotels in places like Mauritius cost around £5,000 (with the usual hike in price during school holidays).

I've got a mate who spends LOADS of cash each year on hols - 15-20K.... for me, that's quite a lot!

Anyway, would love to hear what you lot spend!

DCI Gene Hunt

£18K... two adults, no kids

1 x Barbados (May) & 1 x St Lucia (Oct), London a few times a year, Dublin a few times and Marbella for a couple/three of weeks in the summer

Once paid £5K for a week in Crete

fitzscoob

I normally only go somewhere like the canaries, only pay for flights as my dad has a nice little time share out there, so cost runs to about £100 - £200 per person for a week or two.

I am looking to go long haul next year though, and have been going through Virgin Holidays looking for inspiration, I would like to think I would be spending around no more than £1200 per person for a couple of weeks in a decent resort.

fitzscoob

Actually, I will regret asking you this DCI lol, I want to take the new mrs to the Barbados or St lucia somewhere like that next year. Where would you reccomend and at what times of the year?

Bear in mind I will not have thousands to throw at it, hoping the holiday will cost around 2.5k ish at most. Not including spending money etc.

davegtt

I pay as little as possible, depending on who I go with. £100-£200 max for a lads type holiday. If I was taking a woman I'd go the best I could afford though tbh. Spend about £500 a week on my own eating and drinking.

Got a £2500 holiday to take which work have given me 18 months ago... Still not been anywhere with it yet though as I have nobody to go with. Had Vegas in the back of my mind for some time though. Put everything I own on Black

Snazy

Spend while away or on the actual holiday ?

Next years Florida trip is costing about £4500, plus a couple of grand spending money easily.
Snowboarding cost about a grand earlier in the year.

Jamescsti

Most I paid was £1600 2 adults no kids on an 8 day cruise.
Seems quite cheap now!

645

Just the holiday, excluding spending money...

mrtheedge2u2

I usually go all inclusive in places like St. Lucia, Mexico etc etc for between 1000-1500 pounds per person per second.

I am almost as rich as PSL.....

Clarebabes

Our week in Switzerland didn't cost much at all. Just diesel to get there and back, £125 for the campsite. Spending money was much more than the actual holiday as Switzerland is not cheap. However, still spent les than £1K IN TOTAL for 2 adults and 1 child.

I think that the cheaper you can do it, the more holidays you can have! Had 10 days at Easter, a weekend in May, a week the first week of the summer holidays, a week the last week of the summer holidays and will be having 4 days in half term

michaelro

Depends where we've gone.

Shorter trips under a £1k (EU etc)
Long haul stuff - £2-3k

Room only or Breakfast - Don't like to be restricted to the hotel all day.

DCI Gene Hunt

We did a cheap one this year to Barbados, just under 2.5K for nine nights, room only. This was due to us upgrading our seats to premium economy both ways. Well woth doing as you get huge fat **** seats and priority boarding etc.

Stayed near St Lawrence Gap on the South West side of the island (avoid the East side... Atlantic side!.. rough seas etc.) Plenty of bars, good resturants, entertainment etc... all in easy walking distance and reasonably priced

St Lucia is nice we stay on the North West side, 5 star... there's a couple of nice eateries around but its more of a chill out place..

Avoid travelling between June & Sept as that's the tropical storm season (as seen on TV) also December/January as prices creep up another 30% in some resorts

fitzscoob

Thanks for that, I was planning to book through Virgin, have you used them for this trip before? I get a 10% discount on total cost of the holiday by using their credit card - then pay the amount in full

Hoping to try and get out there for 10 days to two weeks. We shall see.

DCI Gene Hunt

Always fly Virgin, we tried BWIA in the past... British West Indies Airline... or something like that... it was crap, crammed in... awful experience!

Virgin do an all inclusive "Time Out at The Gap", which is alright... not the biggest place but ideally located on the beach.

There's a few hotels dotted along the gap, of varying costs... cheapest is (was) Blue Horizons (I think)... next door to the Virgin one, its a good pool, bar... rooms are airconditioned albeit basic.. but that's all you need, as the days spent in the pool/sunbathing and the nights eating out & drinking!!

CooperS

what's a "holiday"??

DCI Gene Hunt

Less talk more work

mrtheedge2u2

Well, I do enjoy my holidays, so off to Argentina for a month just after xmas, and may stop in at Buzios (Brazil for a week) on way back

pwhittle

altogether, for 2 adults and a toddler, for 3-4 weeks, about £700.
That's why I have a caravan

pwhittle

too true
we did 2 weeks touring Scotland this year, spent about £400 plus food (which you buy at home anyway), which left money for several mountain bike excursions, white water rafting, cayaking and shopping (not a shopper, but I always ge the urge to replace my cycling kit when on holiday)

did 3 days in Prague for my birthday last year, really pushed the boat out at about £300 for 2

logiclee

We have weekend breaks once a month, some turn into long weekends.

Usually have a week in March, a week in June and two weeks in September.

Would hate to actually add up the cost but I would say under £10k

Cheers
Lee

logiclee

Add in the vans depreciation, running costs for bigger tow car, fuel, gas, site fees, caravan insurance, servicing.
I'll bet you come to more than £700

Cheers
Le

logiclee

Double Post.

billythekid

Not been on overseas hols in 3 years... can you all stop going on about it!

This working for yourself idea is all well and good to make money but you dont have any time to spend it!

FlightMan

20 nights on Florida this year cost us 5k. 2 adults 2 kids, under 12. About par for the course for longhaul I reckon.

dpb

about a fiver a night

Clarebabes

Well, we look at it this way. We could have one huge holiday for 2 weeks and go somewhere like Florida, or we can have several holidays throughout the year. I prefer little and often

Helps that my parents have a house in Britanny and we camp alot. Saves a great deal of money that way!

We have also realised that it's quite easy to get quite far in Europe when you're on the motorway. We all hate flying, so being able to take a tent with you is great. Might go back to Switzerland next year, or venture a bit further. Quite flexible really! Oh, and we never book anything, (apart from the ferries - 225 for 10 single crossings) more than 2 weeks in advance!

Lydia72

We spend a lot on holidays but it is a huge priority for us. When I am on my deathbed I don't want to think about what possesions I own, I want to remember moments and occasions and happy memories - holidays are a big part of that for me.
In just over fourteen months we spent about £16k, that was a cruise to Alaska and the Canadian Rockies, short trip to Center Parcs, week in the Lakes, five nights in New York, a cruise to South America and Antarctica (2 adults, no kids).
Some people would rather spend every other night in the pub/ buying designer clothes/ new car every year, we prefer to do without those things. When I was young my parents could never afford to take us on holiday so I am making up for it now

pwhittle

but things like site fees are part of the holiday costs, just like hotel fees are. yes, you do have depreciation and insurance, at about £3-400 pa, which decreases every year, and we had a large TD tow car anyway for other things.

Site fees, say £80 per week
gas - only used for cooking, so about £5 per week
insurance, depreciation etc say £80 per week for the weeks of actual use
total cost £165 for a week for upto 7 people, plus petrol and food
still half the cost of a cheap B&B, which are hopeless for kids

some people tow £20k caravans with £50k Range Rovers - that must work out v. costly.

there aren't many cheap options for a family unfortunately. we looked at Centre Parcs, who wanted £500+ for a week in November. you still have to get there and eat.

still, I don't like having a caravan, and hate towing*, but needs must.

very different when I was towing the race car, still tiring, but at least not so embarassing!

logiclee

Well you certainly do it cheaper than some.

I work out at depreciation £1000 a year on £15k Challenger on 5 year cycle.
£450 a year insurance.
£200 a year service.
£200 fuel for a week in cornwall.
£36 a night for premium pitch peak season
Gas £16 for 6kg.

And the cost of running a 28mpg 4X4 all year, 18-20mpg towing

Luckily I dont have to pay the average £600 a year storage fee.

Cheers
Lee

TopBanana

I've found that holidays are worth spending out in, if you want to totally relax and ensure everything's top notch.