the point I was trying to make is what is the point of spending "quite a lot of money" to get "not a lot of difference" from normal life when, with a couple of hours flying, you could get a "signficant difference" for the same "quite a lot of money". Look at it as a "difference per £" factor.

I think that I'm still not getting your point, Steve, because there's a huge amount of difference between places in the UK. I take your point that many of our provincial cities have very similar shops and chain restaurants etc but then so do many of the provincial cities elsewhere in Europe given globalisation. I don't base my choice of holiday on the type and quality of shopping to be had but the historic sights to be visited, the scenery to sit and gaze at etc. And that's why, much as I love my winter sunshine and my regular trips to Cuba, I also regularly holiday in the UK - there's still so much to see and do here at home. But a lot of people do like their holiday destination to be like home - what other explanation is there for the desire to stay in hotels aimed at British tourists and complaints about there being too many foreigners and the food not being like at home that surface in so many reviews?

The little east coast town I live in up here in Scotland relies on the tourist trade and is still thriving on it in no small measure because of the number of British based visitors who come up for short breaks or part of a longer golfing trip to Scotland. And my nieces are really looking forward to coming up next week because living in the landlocked West Midlands they love being so close to the beach. They don't even seem deterred by the prospect of how cold the North Sea is! As part of their visit we might even take a trip farther north because there really is nothing to compare with the northwest Highlands. We've regularly done walking holidays in the Austrian and Slovenian Alps but the beauty of places like Sutherland and Easter and Wester Ross lies in the close proximity of the mountains to the beaches. I can think of nowhere in mainland Europe where the mountains sweep down down to snow white beaches in quite the same way. There's a huge amount of difference between this and where most people in the UK live!

In the end, like many other posters, I don't see this an either/or choice and regularly holiday both in the UK and outside of it depending on what I want from that particular holiday. And whilst of course budget is important I don't make my decisions solely on cost and go somewhere just because it's cheaper. Instead I always ask myself, am I prepared to pay this price to get what I want? And the result is that sometimes, yes, I do pay more to holiday in the UK than a cheap and cheerful week in the sun would cost because the cheap and cheerful week on the Costas won't provide me with what I'm looking forward to. I've just come back from a near three week trip in Cuba, the cheapest element of which was 4 nights in an all inclusive beach resort hotel in Varadero which frankly was money wasted. I agreed to it and booked it because this extension to the main holiday was offered to me so cheap - I actually rationalised it to myself on the grounds that it was costing less than a weekend in London would cost me. However, within hours of arriving at the hotel I knew that I would have been better off flying back to Gatwick on my original planned return date and spending the extra for a long weekend in London before travelling back up to Scotland. I'd have enjoyed it far more!

SM

PS It rains quite a lot in Cuba at this time of year - especially in the mountains but that's why the scenery is so lush. And you don't get rainforest without the rain which is why none of us in my tour group minded, even though as 2 Danes, 1 Irish and 1 naturalised Scot we all come from countries where it rains a lot too.

Good post SMa



Judith

steve8482 wrote:

the point I was trying to make is what is the point of spending "quite a lot of money" to get "not a lot of difference" from normal life when, with a couple of hours flying, you could get a "signficant difference" for the same "quite a lot of money". Look at it as a "difference per £" factor.

I have to agree with Steve here! I have worked hard all year (in a primary school) and now I'm on my lovely 6 week "summer" break and it's absolutely pouring down outside! The weather reports suggest no chance of anything better for at least the next couple of weeks and if it wasn't for the fact that my daughter refuses to have another holiday (she's got mysterious teenager stuff to do) we would be up, up and away within the next few days for two weeks of sunshine I don't go abroad just to lie on a beach all day either, I like to get out and about, see the sights and absorb some of the culture and history of wherever I'm visiting.
I do agree that there are lovely things to see and plenty of great thing to do in the UK. We live in Manchester which is pretty much central to everywhere. There are lots of places I can get to on a day trip, and many more places I can go for a nice long weekend, but I wouldn't want to go for longer than that.
My nextdoor neighbours are currently in a caravan in Wales for two weeks with their daughter, son-in-law and grandchildren. I'm sure they're having a lovely time but with the weather being as it is they will no doubt be spending a fortune keeping the kids amused if they can't go on the beach. Yes, Wales is stunning in good weather, the Lake District, Scotland and other places are also very beautiful but you can't see the scenery through heavy clouds, and children aren't interested in natural beauty anyway.
Obviously at the moment, with the £ being quite weak against other currencies, it's not quite as cheap to be spending money abroad as it used to be, but I still find the money goes further when the weather is better.

SMa wrote:

I always ask myself, am I prepared to pay this price to get what I want? And the result is that sometimes, yes, I do pay more to holiday in the UK than a cheap and cheerful week in the sun would cost because the cheap and cheerful week on the Costas won't provide me with what I'm looking forward to

I understand your point, SMa but I have to say I would be disappointed if I couldn't enjoy the UK holiday I'd looked forward to, if the weather stopped me doing all the things I'd planned!

if the weather stopped me doing all the things I'd planned!

Yes, it can be disappointing if the weather prevents you doing what you want to do - but never going in the first place will always stop you doing it I'm willing to take those chances. You'll never get to see our beautiful and varied scenery up here in Scotland if the prospect of rain is enough to stop you booking in the first place. It's a bit like saying 'I'll never buy a lottery ticket because I mightn't win' - if you never buy it, you're guaranteeing that you'll never win. But my main point was, why is this topic always presented as an either/or when so many of us can choose to do both?

I just thought I would share and experience with you that I have had on Saturday.

As many of you know I live in Germany and I had met up for a shopping trip with a friend and as we were having a break with a coffee and piece of cake a youngish german couple came up to us and said hello to my friend, apparently the women was one of my friend's pupils in her English classes. We asked them to join us and she proceded to tell us about the holiday that she had had at the end of May. They had spent two weeks touring the eastern side of England from the Scottish borders all the way down to Dover. She was extremely enthusiastic about the whole trip from the beautiful scenery in Northumberland to the long deserted beaches in Norfolk. Apparently for years now they have spent their main holiday every year touring the UK. They have visited all of the countries apart from Ireland (though they are planning a trip there) and had an extensive knowlege of many areas I am barely familiar with. . They love English Pub food and the first thing they eat when arriving in the UK is Fish and Chips. They raved over the scenery which given the fact that we live near some of the worlds most awesome views here in the Alps, was nice to hear.
I realise that this doesn't have much to do with the drop in the pound making british people holiday in the UK but it is nice to hear of people who view the UK as a special place to visit.

I agree judith, as I've said, I live in the lake district and work in a gents hairdressers and we get many visitors of all nationalities popping in for a haircut and most of them say that they love our area and how lucky I am to live here, but as I'm born and bred, I tell them that I can't compare any other place as I've always lived here ( and can't imagine living anywhere else ), so don't appreciate the stunning sights as they do. But I would probably say the same to any local in any area that I have loved visiting.
We are off to edinburgh in a coule of weeks for the fringe for 5 nights, and I've no doubt we will enjoy this holiday as much as any overseas holiday !

At the end of the day a holiday is what you make it regardless of what the weather does or whether you are holidaying in the UK or abroad.

We do have a beautiful country - so many different types of scenery without having to travel too far.

I have to say that whilst I look forward to my winter break abroad I also look forward to my two cottage holidays here in the UK. I find it more relaxing just being able to put everything I think we need in the car and setting off as and when we are ready - no airport hassles and delays to contend with!

Pippa

At the end of the day a holiday is what you make it regardless of what the weather does or whether you are holidaying in the UK or abroad

I totally and utterly agree with you It is what you make it. Regardless of the weather and regardless of whether your room/caravan/chalet is top of the tops, you can still have a good holiday. It is what you make it, if you spend it moaning, oh it's raining, what is the point in that? Do something indoors, go to an indoor event centre, go to a pub, or whatever you enjoy. Go on a tour of beautiful scenery by a bus or take photos of the rain hitting the sea or whatever, you can make the most of it.

(My last long holiday it rained most days, but I still enjoyed it)