14 replies to this topic

[Patriot]

Hi,

 

Just thought I would ask the Forum if anyone has managed to book a holiday abroad (Family of 4 - France, Spain etc..) in the Kids Holidays, without having to pay the £3000 price tag of the main line travel agents.

 

Don't mind booking separate flights / hotel etc.. but I am rubbish at finding where the deals are, how to book them and which websites.

 

Anyone with any ideas / suggested website or holiday companies.

 

Thanks

[yeti21586]

Have you tried first choice ?

[Moggyton]

http://www.laterooms.com/

http://www.cheapflights.co.uk/

http://www.opodo.co.uk/

[Tamworthbay]

Euro camp do some good deals. They do cabins (posh static caravans) that are really good. We got one for £700 last year, would have slept 6 and there is the cost of a ferry and petrol on top.

Edit: looked at the catalogue, it was vacance soleil not eurocamp we went with last year.

[Wise Old Elf]

Me the wife and 2 kids in the first week of the school holidays. 8 nights in Majorca = £2,000

 

Not how I would choose to spent that sort of money but its cheaper than a divorce 

 

 

http://www.lowcostho...ca-holidays.htm

Edited by Wise Old Elf, 01 March 2014 - 10:29 PM.

[Craig89]

As soon as you enter the school holidays you are just violated by the holiday companies! I believe they will go up even more with the introduction of these fines for taking kids out of school. Basically they know they have got you by the balls and they charge you according!

[Tamworthbay]

As soon as you enter the school holidays you are just violated by the holiday companies! I believe they will go up even more with the introduction of these fines for taking kids out of school. Basically they know they have got you by the balls and they charge you according!

And if Gove's idea of four weeks in the summer comes it will twice as bad again. I can see family holidays being impossible for a lot of poorer families.

[sonikk4]

They can be found but you will need to spend time trawling around the internet.

The biggest hurdle as mentioned is the dramatic increase in prices for School holiday periods. The fact the government has let the go on for so long beggars belief.

You really need to add up the cost of the fines you will incur for taking the kids out early over the total cost of booking a holiday in peak holiday time.

Now personally I know exactly what i would do and a few work colleagues and friends already do it and that is take the fine hit. One lass worked out she will still save over £500 by doing this so food for thought.

[Craig89]

I have also heard of somebody that took the fine and saved money by going in term time

[Bungle]

how about holidaying on the island of Kernow

 

it's almost like a foreign land

[deanymini]

You're allowed to go on holiday during term time if it's for religious purposes. Is there any possibility that you may be getting the odd urge to become a Sikh, Muslim, Christian, Catholic, Buddhist, etc?

[Tamworthbay]

You're allowed to go on holiday during term time if it's for religious purposes. Is there any possibility that you may be getting the odd urge to become a Sikh, Muslim, Christian, Catholic, Buddhist, etc?

Wasn't Jedi listed as one of the most popular religions in the last census? Just take the holiday on may the fourth.

[Bungle]

good idea that's the sunday of the riviera run

[Black.Ghost]

But it's basic economics. Supply and demand. The government can't and shouldn't interfere in a free market economy. And all the time there are people who will/can pay the prices, the travel companies will charge more.

While foreign holidays are nice, it could be good for the British economy if more people stay and holiday in Britain. The small local towns might see more money from customers in turn seeing more investment in the areas. Not a bad thing.

The other option is book mega in advance. And don't use a holiday company, do it yourself. Yes it's more time and effort but if you do t have the money it's the better option. The internet has made things like that increasingly more doable.

If you use the travel companies you will always be paying more.

[Black.Ghost]

In my opinion, if you start taking kids out of school for the sake of a holiday, and your kids fail key exams or fall behind, its your fault and yours alone. But parents will blame schools. 

 

It will also result in parents demanding to know the curriculum so they can best plan to take the family away. Teachers have enough crap to deal with, without having to answer to parents that want to dictate to the school. You are already getting a free education, don't take the piss.

 

All that will happen if it keeps happening is that holiday companies will put up prices at other times as well. And what about those people without kids, that enjoy going on holiday and not having kids running around everywhere? 

 

You have to make choices in life. If you want kids, you have to accept everything that comes with that. If you want cheap holidays, don't have kids. You can't have everything in life. 

 

Personally I believe a full education is more important than a cheap holiday. It might only be a week or a few days, but could potentially have quite significant impact later on. Unlikely, but it could happen.