i would like to go to Hong Kong or Florida, but the idea of a 12ish hour plane journey does nothing for me at all. i find that any plane journey is boring and only a means to get where i want to go. i have done 4 1/2 hour flights to cyprus and was climbing the walls when we got as far as the alps, so i cant see me on a 12 hour flight.
i have done the coach journey to spain on quite a few occassions, 20 hours, but they at least let you get off every 3 or 4 hours for a cigarette and a drink.
having travelled cattle class on 1 coach journey and on charter flights in the past i would need to ensure i had proper legroom on any flight above about 2 hours or i would not contemplate it; so thats even more money to pay.
i have resigned myself to not going to HK in this lifetime.
another reason for me not travelling too far is that i nowadays take my holidays in 5 or 6 day breaks and so have (almost) as many breaks as i want during the year and so have always got something to look forward to or make arrangements for.
i understand where you are coming from though; with the current exchange rate a trip outside the Euro zone makes perfect sense, but this may in fact be spoiled by the airlines charging much more (including the deadly fuel surcharges).
Cyprus always used to be quite expensive to get too, but was very cheap once you were there, but i think that has now gone the way of all european resorts.
i suppose it all comes down to personal choice and finances, but if your circumstances allow it then its something to bear in mind when planning a holiday.
maybe we could add something to the resort reviews listing the prices for holiday essentials like vodka/coke/food/suntan lotion/paracetemol.

I know what you mean about climbing the walls. I don't actually enjoy flying but do try to sleep for some of it. I've done several long hauls for a week. In fact I did Goa for 5 days ( but that's another story!) My of my favourite destinations is Rio and twice done that in a week. I've been to Thailand for a week and last Christmas I went to HK and Bangkok in 8 days!Saying that, you have picked an expensive destination there

never even thought of it, firstly we could not hack over 41/2 hrs in an aircraft and secondly there are so many beautiful and historic places around Europe we haven't seen yet and theres my ambition to visit all the inhabited Greek islands [ only 258 to go ]

We would like to try Thailand this year but I don't know how long I could cope on a plane..and of course there is the cost too.
There are so many places in Europe that I like to travel to and so many places yet that i haven't been as well.
I think when the kids are off away doing their own thing then me and Rob will probably explore the world a little more on our own...mind you, by that time we will probably have grand kids in tow!

I've been to America 4 times and I must admitt long haul travel really isn't for me anymore. As much as I am tempted by some of the destinations I dont think my poor old joints can cope with it anymore and even if they could the bordom and claustrophobia is interminable, add to that the worry about DVT and having to get to the airport hours before etc. I think that despite the dodgy Euro rate I am going to have to stay closer to home.

Even the 5 hours to Sharm seems daunting.

We don't have the Euro so how about staying here???

We are now holidaying both abroad and in this country - we may not always get the weather (although very recently it was warmer here than in Greece and Spain) but we do have some stunning scenery.

I know what you are going to say..............petrol prices and the like but you don't have to venture too far from home.

Pippa

I've just come back from 11 days in Portugal and the difference in the exchange rate has made what used to be a cheapy for us quite an expensive destination, when compared with the likes of the Far East where we prefer to spend our winter hols. However even the Far East is getting expensive with the fuel supplements being added on these days. Still reckon I will spend half the amount daily in the Far East on trips and eating out well, than I would in the Euro zone and the food and accom will be better.

There are plenty of places in the world that I would have loved to have visited, but I've resigned myself to the fact that I won't be seeing them either, not in this life-time.
Spending more than 2½ hrs on a plane would drive me around the bend, I've even knocked the 4 hours torture to the Canary Islands into touch because of the boring flights, anyway, I've been there and done it, so I'm afraid these days it's mainland Spain/Balearic Islands or nothing.
I wouldn't waste my money going away in this country, it's over-priced and over-rated and whilst your £1/Euro won't go very far in the euro-zone at the moment, your pound sterling in the UK won't either, as prices are bound to rise with the rising costs of energy and food, so I'm afraid hoteliers will have no other option than to pass the increase in operational costs, on to the customer.

Now if I was 40 years younger, I might be tempted to put a haversack/sleepingbag on my back and drift around the world wherever the wind decided to take me.

However even the Far East is getting expensive with the fuel supplements being added on these days

Talking of fuel supplements, I think we are being shafted by companies protecting their profits. Ok the price of aviation fuel has rocketed and whilst I don't understand the fine investment details, I do understand that companies like BA have a fuel hedging policy and they bought their fuel when oil was $86 a barrel and that price is protected until next march.

Most airlines have a fuel hedging policy for at least 2/3rds of their fuel, plus the profits they made when they were having the "good times", so why are they passing fuel surcharges onto customers this year.?......protecting their profits maybe ?.

Most of the "hype" is speculation, Air France-KLM have said its profits would fall by a third under the weight of rising fuel costs and there is talk of job cuts and planes being grounded, but they don't tell you exactly how much profit they made in previous years and a third cut in profit is a third of what.?

Low cost airlines will feel the pinch more and invariably those cheap flights will no longer exist.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/may/23/theairlineindustry.ryanair

Sanjiiii

To answer your question on BA - £875million profit:

CLICK HERE

Mark

sanji wrote:

wouldn't waste my money going away in this country, it's over-priced and over-rated and whilst your £1/Euro won't go very far in the euro-zone at the moment, your pound sterling in the UK won't either, as prices are bound to rise with the rising costs of energy and food, so I'm afraid hoteliers will have no other option than to pass the increase in operational costs, on to the customer.

This country is most certainly not over-rated - it is beautiful. We had a fabulous cottage in Cornwall last year which cost £200 for a week - everything included and it was extremely well equipped. If you are careful you can still eat out and have a good holiday without it costing an absolute fortune. We are returning to Cornwall in September.

Pippa

We used to just take the car and drive off. There were always cheap B&Bs. I'm sure we'll get round to doing it again as I loved the freedom of not having a definite plan.With a bit more planning nowadays I'm sure we could still have a cheap enough holiday. However, we are both in good jobs at the moment and have the attitude that we want to see as much of the world as possible. Who knows what's round the corner? At least if something happens workwise and we can no longer afford to go all over the world then we will have memories. My screensaver is my photos and I often sit like an idiot unwilling to touch the keyboard as I want to see what photo comes up next.
Anyway, that's totally offtopic so I'll give myself a ticking off
Really, for those with a hankering to go further afield- don't discount it with flight costs only. Do some research on the hotels and daily expenses and you might be surprised.

You're so right about that, Fiona.

You may remember me from the Far East & Goa forums and to be honest, we always look at the total cost of holidays - flights, hotels, spending money - and a 3 week stay in Goa will work out about the same as 2 weeks in Greece as it's so cheap to eat out.
We can eat very well in Goa for just over £20 per day between both of us. That's soft drinks & beers on the beach, lunch, G&Ts watching the sunset, evening meal, more G&Ts.
We spent about £750 during 2 weeks in Corfu, mainly on food & drink.

Of course, that's before I hit my favourite jewellery shop in Candolim.

There's not many cheap B&B's these days Fiona, unless you want to stay in a hovel and it depends on the time of year you take your holiday, either in the UK or abroad.

My SIL (3 in total in family) came up from London last year and hired a caravan in Cleethorpes for 2 weeks on a site, they wanted to see members of the family and parts of Yorkshire.
It cost her £1000....just for the caravan and out of interest I've just been onto the site and put in a random date of 5th July.
They want £895 for 2 weeks and the kiddies haven't even broke up from school.....I (we) could stay either in a luxury apartment or a 3/4* hotel in Spain for that price,(again depending on the date) food included and depending on the time of year, guaranteed sunshine.

When you are comparing prices, you also have to compare the standards of accomodation in the various countries, what is rated as a 4* in one country, can be rated as a 2* in another and it can actually be giving the services of a 2 *.

You couldn't live on £20 a day in this country, a pint of beer can range from £2 to £3-50, so I can appreciate that people will go abroad where they can get a pint of beer for half that cost.

The last hotel I stayed in, one was at EMA and the other was in Hammersmith (outer London) where I got 5 pence change out of £5 for 2 cups of coffee and the same change for a pint of beer and a lime & lemon.

2 cups of coffee will cost me less than 3 euros in Spain and one of those coffee's will have brandy in them....there is no comparison, this is rip off Britain, I'm not saying there arn't no beautiful places in the UK, I've had some lovely holidays in North Devon in places such as Woolacombe, Ilfracombe and Combe Martin, but I wouldn't spend my money in this country anymore, given the choice and taking into consideration what exactly you get for that money.
Value for money Britain, IMO it certainly is not, look at the prices to stay in a hotel in the UK, I can stay in a 3* hotel in Benidorm with full board for 30 euros a day.

PS: The people who are hyping up the prices in the euro-zone are the greedy TO's and anyone who has booked All Inclusive are the winners, they have no need to spend another centimos once the holiday is paid for, and the way to beat the greedy TO's is to go DIY, I have just saved myself £600 by going DIY for the same holiday, same date, same hotel, same everything, compared to what Thomson wanted to charge me.

Well said Pippa,

This idea that everything is cheaper and better abroad is most ridiculous. Whilst i do enjoy a change of scenery and culture, if it wasn't for the weather i'm not sure i'd go!

This idea that everything is cheaper and better abroad is most ridiculous

The idea that 2 cups of coffee costing £4.95 in the UK compared to £2.50 in Spain, or beer at £2-£3-50 a pint compared to €1 in some resorts is far from ridiculous IMO.

£1000 for a caravan for 2 weeks on the East coast, when I can stay in a villa, apartment or hotel for the same.?

Enough said.

I'm sure it is possible to holiday cheaply enough here- you may pay extra in daily expenses but don't have airfare to fork out on. The point of my first post was that when planning a holiday abroad you should figure in all expenses to work out the final cost. If you do this, that long haul you may always have wanted to do, may not be as expensive as you think.

Actually with the Euro the way it is I suspect it may be a little difficult to get 2 cups of coffee for £2.50 in Spain at the moment. Ok so alcohol is generally cheaper although not always in hotel bars but perhaps that is why the Brits have a bad reputation when it comes to drinking abroad?

It also is not necessary to pay £1000 for a caravan for 2 weeks - take a look at the many cottage companies and holiday rental sites and you will find plenty at less than that - especially for a small family out of peak dates. Ok so they will not be on sites with bars, clubs and childrens activities but they will be better value for money.

When we are self catering either in this country or abroad we do not eat out every day - in fact when we were in Cala D'Or in Majorca we did not eat out at all - we had such a stunning view from our apartment we prefered to sit and eat there! We also drink very little so that keeps the cost down. Preparing meals is not a chore for me - I can manage if the apartment only has a microwave and rings.

Pippa

Pippa, we always go self catering whether home or abroad, and yep, we don't go eating out every night either, we enjoy having meals in the apartment or caravan

Also, as i pointed out on another thread, in Estartit it would cost me €5 for a Jack Daniels and coke (nearly £4 with the current exchange)

Cheap?????

A couple of weeks ago I spent my two weeks Summer holidays in the UK. West Sussex, Dorset and Devon, apart from the last two days the weather was glorious, the scenery fantastic and I could speak the language. I didn't find prices over expensive and would be quite happy to holiday in the UK every year apart from the fact I have to trail round visiting all the family.