Nah, few people believe anything applies to/ might happen to them until it does! They'll just demand to know why the next volcano hasn't been blocked up!

I for one wont, would love to have a nice sunny week in Cornwall but it will rain!

And it takes longer to drive there in summer than to get to the airport, have a meal then fly to the canaries.

Actually the last couple of times we have been to Cornwall the weather has been lovely.

You can get bad weather abroad too - sun is not always guaranteed.

It doesn't take longer to drive to Cornwall if there are no flights operating or you have some serious delays!!

Pippa

We took our two eldest grandchildren out for the day yeserday & spent over a £100- no way will I be spending my main holidays here! The hotels are way over priced as is the entertainment. We went to a 3*+ hotel in London for 3 nights in October & between the hotel & spending money we spent close on £1000 for just 3 nights - no way will I pay those prices again!

I think the prices in Hotels kill it for me - was looking at a good Hotel in Brighton for 3 days, with parking facilities as not many hotels in Brighton with on site average for B & B only in a reasonable Hotel was £250 plus a parking fee of £25.00 PER DAY - I love the English coast line, and a bit of rain does not put me off I can always find something to do, but the pricing does.

We have a caravan in the beautiful North Pennines and if I could guarantee the weather I wouldnt go abroad as there is no better place to be on a fine day,But when it rains it rains and becomes a quagmire.

It wont stop me going abroad. It's the one thing every year I look forward to

Living five minutes from the beach means we can go anytime when the sun shines in Devon

This year we are not able to travel abroad so booked a holiday in this country. The price for a week works out more expensive than having a fortnight in the sun. Between hotel prices and fuel and food, I realise now that we cannot go on having holidays at home. Am I the only one who thinks some of our accomodation is quite horrible?

Digby I don't necessarily think our accommodation is 'horrible' however I do think its very expensive compared to what you get when travelled abroad - I have stayed in some lovely hotels and some very good B & B in this country however the prices are not great.

I think the secret is to really do your homework - that applies to holidays here and abroad. There is plenty of horrible accomodation abroad too!

The self catering cottages in this country have improved no end. We had a couple of cottages last year - both of which were about £250 a week. Both had beautiful kitchens and superb bathrooms with roll top baths and also a welcome pack in the fridge. Everything (including wood for woodburner if need) was included in the price. Ok so this wasn't in the peak season but still good value for money.

Our cottage near Looe in Cornwall is just £225 for a week in May and once again extremely comfortable and well equipped - even produce from the owners garden.

I do think compared to hotels abroad our large hotels are not as well priced or even as good in many cases. However, we do have some lovely b&b's which can be very well priced.

One other thing to bear in mind is that in many of the euro countries eating out is as expensive and sometimes more so than eating out here because of the euro rate not being very good.

I, for one, am glad we are not going abroad in May - driving down to Cornwall seems a much better prospect at the moment. We are though heading for Croatia in September but hopefully by then flights will be well and truly back to normal!

Pippa

digby wrote:

This year we are not able to travel abroad so booked a holiday in this country. The price for a week works out more expensive than having a fortnight in the sun. Between hotel prices and fuel and food, I realise now that we cannot go on having holidays at home. Am I the only one who thinks some of our accomodation is quite horrible?

Like Pippa I have stayed in some lovely B&B's in the UK I have also stayed in Premier Inns when visiting England and up to now they have always been clean with decent funishings. Having travelled around the world on holiday and for work for almost 50years now I have experienced some dire hotels as well as some superb ones. I wouldn't compare prices in London with a foreign beach holiday, almost all capital or large cities are expensive.

Just because there is problems in the air there are plenty of ways to get away Eurostar is certainly having a good selling time but as for whether is will stop us or make us stay at home then no this is our itinerary for 2010 and this is constantly in flux

March was Twin Lakes France in caravan

May is going to be Haven @ Prestatyn in the tourer
June is going to be Penara- a real cheapo holiday
July is going to be Haven @ Clacton On Sea in the tourer
September 4th is TWIN LAKES in caravan as Rally tourist guide
August is going to be Haven@ Filey in the tourer
September is going to be Haven @ Northumberland in the tourer

there may be more but at the present we haven't decided where

We take our accommodation with us as well, i.e. the tourer, the rates are very reasonable!

numberplease wrote:

We take our accommodation with us as well, i.e. the tourer, the rates are very reasonable!

I agree that some sites are very reasonable even Haven but there are some commercial sites charging an arm and leg for 100sqm of grass with electric adding on little charges for this and that and they all add up I don't mind paying around £25 an night IF the facilities are there
but I do not like paying for my dog when there is no dog walk or doggie bin or premium prices when the place is a dump

Which is why we like to go with our caravan using Camping Cheques all over Europe not bad for £13.95 a night

Oh yes, I agree about some site charges. As a rule, we make a point of never paying more than £15 per night, preferably less, the most we`ve ever paid is £16. However, as this year may be our last ever holiday in the tourer, due to reteirement and less money, we`re splashing out and paying £25 a night, I just hope that when we get there it will be worth it.

We always moan when our static fees rise each year but I have just worked out it costs us £24.97 a week during the 7 month season.

Last year we went on a touring holiday and stopped off at some 4* hotels. They were expensive, but were so mediocre that I was ashamed that tourists from abroad were having to stay in them. I am sure the b/b's would have been far nicer, so it's just another lesson learned, thats why we are going to a b/b this year. If what we got was 4* I cannot imagine what 3 or 2 would be like. My comments were posted on another site to save others from staying at these places. We have also been going abroad for many years and have always found that 4* was always a safe bet.

We too have stayed in some lovely parks at a fairly reasonable rate in a tourer. However a holiday for me, means little if any cooking - and the prices of eating out in this country are atrocious. We have a Haven site a mere 9 miles form us & with hubby & myself having worked there for a few years - I wouldn't take my dog there!! Peak weeks this summer are over £700 per week - no way would I pay that sort of money in this country & then probably have to pay out an arm & a leg for things to do, because the weather's bad. We enjoy an occasional weekend break here - usually on Tesco vouchers, but that's it.

I really don't think you can say that prices for eating out in the UK are atrocious any more. More and more pubs are doing 2 for 1 credit crunch deals and other special offers. Cheap doesn't have to mean McD! In the Algarve last year we found prices for eating out sky high (we were half board in hotel so didn't need to eat out).

Also todays supermarkets sell some fabulous ready meals of all descriptions which simply need popping in an oven or microwave - what could be easier?

Thankfully our tourism industry has been getting a boost over the last couple of years mostly due to the euro. But also I think because more and more people are discovering how beautiful our country is and how much less hassle it can be to just put everything in the car and go when ready rather than tedious airport journeys and possible delays once there.

Pippa