Lots of forum members and contributors are going all over the place and appear to have endless supplies of money to travel and the desire to complain when delayed. I’m not necessarily against this except if you read some other threads there are people who are really struggling financially and not able to travel anywhere. I’m lucky, I perhaps could travel abroad except not had a passport for several years after some travel abroad and some frustrating airport experiences we started exploring the countries where we live. We now travel in the UK even though we’ve got dear friends in California that we’ve visited many times.
Our reasons for not travelling abroad are perhaps environmental, moral and maybe financial to be honest.
Could we perhaps share ideas for low cost holidays, activities and things to do with children or adults that are free or cheap?
We're taking our 22 year old caravan to North Wales this year, again. Staying in a field with a tap and some plugs.
Ride a bike and camp? Ok a trailer with the whole famy might be a bit heavy.
Tonights escapade got me enthused about neolithic shit again klmartin on tbe west of scotland is just littered with it and so is the bit of wales i am in
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Look on the map and then the adventure is in finding it. Im 15 miles north of Hay on Wye. Its everywhere. Standing stones and barrows and all sorts of shit
We have a week and an air B&B as our first holiday for 3 years. We choose other ways to spend the money. Too much travel with work made me realise the world is all much the same and the really beautiful photos and films you see require much time to get them and are unlikely to happen on a 1 week trip. The people are what count and there are people in most countries.
Canmore is a great resource for findibg this stuff in Scotland.
We’re taking our 22 year old caravan to North Wales this year, again. Staying in a field with a tap and some plugs.
Same here, Harlech next month.
Camping in this country has to be amongst the cheapest & best things ever. Travelling far is expensive, renting holiday accommodation is expensive, going abroad is expensive, but camping far away from home but not too far must be a great option?
When I was a kid we had nowt, but most weekends Mum Dad & me would head off to the Lakes for 2 nights camping, I grew up camping.
Go camping!
I’m now 66, there’s not a chance on Earth you’d get me camping now!
61 here and im in my tent right now.
Yer getting old esselgruntfuttock
What mattress are you using, I just found even at a spritely 50 that sleeping on the ground was grim.
My main summer holiday is nearly always a week on Tiree. This year it rained every day but still loved both the journey there but also a week of relative solitude.
The most expensive holiday I’ve had, on a per night basis, was in this country.
The cheapest was in France.
Neolithic stuff in Ireland
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And dogs playing Scrabble
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The most expensive holiday I’ve had, on a per night basis, was in this country.
The cheapest was in France.
I was going to say don’t forget the weather but last week:-)
As per the other thread, can heartily recommend the last week of August camping in Scotland. Cheap, beautiful and empty.
Yer getting old esselgruntfuttock
Don’t I know it Teej.
Stop by Boroughbridge on your journey & you won’t need your tent!
Dudeofdoom. Thermarest prolite. Sleeping is no issue but getting from horizontal to vertical in the morning is difficult
In a cottage on the Hartland coast typing this. Traveled down yesterday (Friday) and had the best run down we've ever had at this time of year. The traffic woes and slow fuel protests have scared people off it seems.
Surprisingly quiet in Bude today both on the roads and on the beach.
Not sure we'll have saved any money over going abroad mind....
We are off to France eurocamp later in the summer (hopefully Eurotunnel sorted by then)
First time abroad in 3 years
We've got a busy summer, 2 weddings my brother's 40th so I'm actually pretty gutted we won't get to go camping in the UK somewhere
2 years ago we found a Wildish camping spot in North Wales on a farm, totally isolated Farmer drops off firewood & water canisters and there's a composting toilet and thats it
Yep. As already pointed out, going on holiday in this country isn't cheap. However, there are other benefits too, not least the reduced emissions - something I'm gradually, but increasingly trying to reduce. Our main holiday this year was in Uist (again). We'll have other short breaks interspersed throught the year too, in our campervan. My bucket list of places to go and things to do in Scotland has been getting longer year-on-year so I'll not be running out of ideas any time soon.
Not sure we’ll have saved any money over going abroad mind….
Its tricky isn't?
I guess it depends on how many dependents and whether you are willing to go for basically wild camping but still be charged for it but it soon mounts up in the uk.
I am mostly driven by a mix of environmental plus not being arsed to take a kayak/bike overseas when in the uk is plenty challenging but it aint exactly cheap nowadays playing in the uk. My dad who likes a bit of walking and sightseeing can find cheaper holidays abroad even with our current exchange rates.
We're off to Les Gets, via Tours. And now I'm feeling guilty. But the Tours leg is to visit my 89 y.o. MiL for the first time in 3 years. FWIW, to offset the guilt I've offerred my house for friends and family to use whilst we are away.
If you want cheap and around the UK, look for deals, Sun Holidays and so on, loads of parks around the UK that you can get cheapish and use them as a base to explore.
Our 6 year old gets travel sickness, so we tend to spend our holidays an hour from Bristol, i know FoD and South Wales well over the years, so use that to do decent family stuff, as well as a couple of trips on the bike!
Back up in Scotland, i use those holiday parks a bit to visit family and friends, you get deals usually dependent on time of year, like an our of season trip to Tummel Valley, we did that a couple of years ago as a base to visit family, do stuff around Aberfeldy/Pitlochry/Dunkeld and so on, but as with all things, cheap is getting more expensive every year!
getting from horizontal to vertical in the morning is difficult
Does this involve what we refer to chez Sandwich as "old man noises"? 😀
Just back from Orkney, stayed in a hostel as a family group of 6 and it was fantastic (Orcades Hostel in Kirkwall). Plenty to do if you have Historic Scotland membership and plenty to see. The neolithic stuff is pretty mind blowing tbh, Maes Howe and Cuween are pretty awe inspiring when you think of how old they are and still standing. Scara Brae is good but the new stuff along the Ness of Brodgar is shaping up to be a whole other level, plus you have the ring and standing stones within walking distance (best viewed at sunset though IMO). TBH that was most of our 3 days, I'll definitely be going back to see the other islands.
As for Tummel Valley, my ears still haven't recovered after about 4 years, I think half the kids went home deaf from their "entertainment". There's a nice site down by Dunkeld if the loud disco isn't your scene or Comrie Croft if you can get in.
Notjut staying in Britain, not having a holiday! Haven't had a break since last April when I went to the IOW for 3 days, the last week I had off was used flat hunting and the next one looks like going the same way too. Last proper holiday was over 3 years ago.
I have not traveled home to see any of my family members or relatives or holiday etc for nearly 4 years now. I did not go anyway apart from around the North East just for a day trip to the coast or walk around the quayside.
I want to travel to other countries to people watch or look around but I don't have the time nor money so my holiday is mainly having BBQ whenever I could.
If I want to stretch my money then I would travel to the Far East like Thailand or N.Borneo (my home town) just because I like the food there and they are not expensive.
I have seen most of the EU countries many years ago but there are really noting of interest to me apart from few locations where I find slightly interesting. Couldn't afford fancy food in those days so only managed to enjoy plenty of beer in Prague (20p per pint in those days).
If I were to travel again I would go to Norway, Sweden or Finland to see how expensive life is over there. I might get a chance to work in Denmark for few weeks during the summer if I can come up with a good project but it is still work, not holiday.
Countries that I will not want to visit are France, Belgium and Italy for whatever reasons.
However, I do wish to visit Iran because I think they have good food.
Apart from that I only travel when I need to and I don't do tourist things.
One day I shall travel to NZ to visit my childhood friends who migrated when we were in our mid teens.
oh ya ... UK is long term "holiday" for me ... LOL!
If you're "roughing it" let me give you a way to manage it. You don't have to balk at the idea of anything less than a 4* hotel bed.
Do Tai Chi.
I used to spend summers camping in alternative communities and when I did Tai Chi at the camps daily I was able to sleep on a slim self-inflating rollmat and get up in the morning and get moving without crippling pains/stiffness.
It's not just for sleeping, it can make your day's movements easier too.
Farm-work such as fruit-picking? My parents did it when they were young.
For a number of summers I volunteered my time to help supervise international (and national) summer volunteers on an eco-project. Time well spent, IMO. There are many hosts who will offer accommodation and even food in return for four or five hours a day help, leaving you the rest of the time to explore/do what you want
Get registered with HelpX and/or workaway or wwoof etcetera, then browse hosts and apply. Worth planning ahead. Many hosts will like a longer commitment such as four weeks but some are two weeks or less.
My own cheap holidays in the UK are camping/cycling/walking/swimming/painting. A couple of weeks ago I found a campsite for £5 a night (it even has a shower and a toilet block !) only two hours drive from home (or two days cycling w/trailer), so that’s me sorted for long weekend breaks for the next few years. Looking forward to exploring the area
Does this involve what we refer to chez Sandwich as “old man noises”? 😀
Yes indeed.
Plan ahead my sister bought the Sun for tokens and she's had 3 weeks eurocamp style camping for not much. Great for kids.
This was Northumberland last weekend. We did luck out with the weather, but happy days.
Off up to Scotland for the end of August. Maybe we'll luck out with the weather again...
Most years since 2007 we've gone to Longleat Center Parcs, typically between March and end of May, outside of school hols and Mon-Fri (so ~£400 for self catering villa). ~90mins to drive, not much different using public transport (or bike) with quick 50min train to Warminster since we ditched the old car. Only taken a bike for explore of the lovely lanes that start immediately outside campus for last five years.
Unusually going after kids summer hols this year, bit more expensive for villa, but MIL basically covering extra cost to tag along and better half gets a lift which is great while she is still struggling with long Covid.
Hopefully popping up to Prestatyn alone to see family again before CP, taking the bike on the train, one way or another (train to Blaenau Ffestiniog, or continue ride from Llyn Brenig) I hope to finally tick off Stwlan Dam this year.
Living on the Isle of Wight every day is a UK holiday for us! Helps that my partner is from Italy so everything is sort of new and interesting for her
Since 2020 when I converted us a van we’ve been holidaying in the UK alot and have found it great, although now I have a broken knee the last 6 months we haven’t done too much and the next 12 months will be the same.
I can drive and sleep in the van despite the knee, we go down the local beach on Fridays when we can with a fire pit and stay the night, but right now driving too far doesn’t make sense as once we get there it’s a bit boring in the van all day if you can’t ride a bike or go for walks etc
Had the genius idea of going to Zanzibar and chilling out on a beach and maybe doing some scuba in December but now seems she might be pregnant by then and she’s understandably not too keen on being in Africa for that
So between my knee and Covid in the last 3 years we’ve had to cancel
Nepal
Madagascar
Morocco
Zanzibar
Norway
Indonesia
Instead we’ve been to
Dartmoor
North Wales
Scotland
Glastonbury
Canterbury
New Forest
Quantocks
Afan valley
Local beaches x100
Sardinia
Plus solo trips and bike trips with mates
And to be honest when cancelling the flights it seemed like we were missing out but actually it’s been really enjoyable, alot cheaper even including the van, and we’ve saved tonnes of emissions and single use plastics
Once we have a little one I am very keen to get back out there occasionally though, I wish I had seen places like India as a kid
Currently staying in a field with a tap in Suffolk. It's cheap, lots of families here, and incredibly beautiful and restorative. Would highly recommend
My bucket list of places
You know, id actually quite like to see a compiled list of UK bucket list destinations for STWers, itd add a common interest slant to the list.
LOL - I rather suspect that my bucket list would be a bit too niche/specialist to be of much interest. That's something I need to be careful with when selecting routes for the magazine.
I am taking the family to stay with my mum in Scotland as our holiday. Loads of activities planned for the kids. That said it involves a 12 hour car trip and a ferry and is therefore the same as someone going from UK to France so maybe not ideal for this low-cost/travel thread but shows not everyone travelling is spunking cash on long distance holidays.
we're going down to visit my MiL near Yeovil. Kids have a basic itinerary, mainly going to interesting shops, they're both 'free spirits' when it comes to style.
So one day will be to Bristol, specifically Gloucester Road. Any Bristolian tips / also where to park?
@theotherjonv interesting shops on Glouceater Rd - are the kids into modellingand collecting? If so Area 51 and park around the residential streets. Some lovely foodie places nearby and down in tbe lower bit of Glos Rd - La Ruta, a Spanish deli, Le Cave, Grape and Grind, the beer shop. Basically it's a mile of random shops of all sorts. At the bottom is Stokes Croft. Have a cider round a fire with crackheads then buy a £30000 piano at Michelburghs. At the top it's local artists and shisha bars. If you like kebabs eat at Lona.
it can make your day’s movements easier too.
i find a strong cup of coffee has the same effect
last week of August camping in Scotland. Cheap, beautiful and empty.
It is beautiful you are absolutely correct. Is it empty? Of humans yes, but not of those evil basteward midges. Aaarrrrgggghhhh 🤣🤣
Oh. Forgot to mention. Anyone spreading mis/dis-information about Northumberland should be banned from the forum. Yes @jeffl looking at you 😉 this is a desperate and barren wilderness with nothing to see or do. 🤔
Not really, unless it's related to the TV stuff they watch, Stranger Things currently. More fashion and music - but not high street fashion, they're into these vintage shops and pay per kg fairs, so Brighton Lanes and Camden Lock, etc. Oddball jewellery and piercing accessories, and so on. Korean food and poke bowls, quite happy with the non-mainstream.
Only had two hols abroad in 16 yrs. was to be caravan again for us this year and should be on the shore of Loch Lomond right now with friends, but the van failed it’s MOT and we’re not getting it back till it’s sorted. Hopefully early this week and we can still get to the week in the Lakes. I’d love to take us all to show the kids where I lived in Aus at their age but can’t justify the £ at all.
Our last two nights away in the van have been about 30 mins from home. So my suggestion is that you don't always have to go somewhere else to find beauty and share some quality time. For us its partly about getting away from the distractions of life at home.
Apart from a yearly snowboarding trip it would'nt bother me if I never flew again. Hopefully, one day we will retire and spend lots of time campervanning in Europe, untill then we will carry on exploring the UK. Its a beautiful place isn't it 🙂
I think I'd have been better off flying to the Maldives this year.
June 23rd went for 2 weeks in Moray at a static caravan site, diesel about £100 and £1200 for the caravan.
Van had a major mechanical wobbly that seemed to be fixed then wasn't thn was then wasn't, ended up having to leave it there for the repairs to be completed - total cost around £1000.
Luckily some of our Elgin friends lent us their car so the holiday went OK.
Had to do a one way hire to get home - £600.
Needed a car for work (we were planning to do this anyway to ease the mileage on the camper now savings were earning sod all) so bought one online from a main dealer to be delivered home when we got back - £11,000.
We did toy with having one delivered to Moray but that would have necessitated a couple more nights stay and we couldn't find anywhere.
Flying back up tomorrow to Inverness to go collect the van and drive it home- about £300 including diesel.
So roughly a £14,000 fortnight for 2 people and a dog in a caravan in Scotland.
🙂
We brought Covid back with us too.
On the plus side we won a crocheted cow at the Forres Highland Games.
