Is It Really cheaper to stay in the UK I do not think so

[headlineplus]

I get a lot of emails from people like Butlins who claim that it is cheaper to stay in the UK for a holiday and I keep on seeing articles in the newspapers saying that it is cheaper to stay in the UK, but with my research I have found this not to be true.

The other month I was looking for a weeks holiday and could not believe it when i looked at butlins and it would have cost me over £1500 for one week for three people. I thought there was a mistake on the website. Another time when i looked for four people for two weeks, the price came over £2300 and then I had my food on top.

How can these companies tell us that it is cheaper to stay in the uk when it is not.

I compared early this year some UK holidays compared to Benidorm, and I could not believe it when Benidorm came out cheaper, all inclusive than staying in the UK.

Does this mean that UK holiday companies really need to look at their prices and could this cause problems for holiday companies in the UK.

In the old days we had the likes of Butlins and Pontins all over the show but now Butlins are the major player while pontins only have a couple of sites. Could we see in the future where Butlins are a thing of the past and Pontins gone all together with the prices they charge?

[paul]

It all depends on what you do.

Personally, I wouldn't touch Butlins. Not because of the prices... it's just not a holiday I would consider.

Holidaying in the UK can be really inexpensive. Not so long ago I went up to Scotland and we wild camped. We went out in a boat and caught fish which we barbecued later. You don't get much cheaper than that.

The other weekend, though, I was at a (admittedly luxury) hotel where we charged £17.50 for a kid's breakfast.

So yes... it can be expensive too. It's all down to what you do, what deals you find, etc.
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[Mar]

I think there are all sorts of ways to find a cheaper holiday in the UK; booking well ahead on some of the £29/night deals in a family room would be one of them although I don't suppose you'd get a completely relaxing holiday if you were to do 14 nights like this. We like self-catering - it probably doesn't work out much cheaper than doing bed and breakfast but it does give us the option of setting our own timetable and choosing whether to eat in or have fish and chips on the pier somewhere. Some people do home exchanges - so they just have travelling costs, food and entertainment. I haven't tried that but friends rave about the houses they've stayed in.

The ultimate cheap holiday in the UK is visiting relatives; you just have to adopt the right relatives, LOL

Margaret
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[mike_like_travel]

That sounds like advertising speak. I agree, it could be cheaper to stay in the UK, or it could be more expensive. All does depend on your travel style. My trips to the UK have all been very affordable. Would have been more affordable if I didn't frequent the pubs so much.
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[blackpool_hotels]

I was browsing to book a weekend away somewhere and was quoted in the region of £340 for a short break in the South West of England. Then I checked the price of a 3 night/4 days All Inclusive hotel in Spain and was quoted £230 and that was All Inclusive by the beach. But, a holiday in England is totally different to a holiday in Spain though.
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[The Dutchman]

Of course certain areas are more expensive than others. The minimum I had to pay was 25 GBP per night (b&b). I've always been able to book between 25 and 35 so if you keep looking you can find the right prices.

For foreigners like me the UK has become a lot cheaper since we exchanged the Dutch 'Gulden' for the Euro. Let 's hope the Euro survives.

[hrtfreeman]

I had a friend who stayed in Barcelona whilst paying next to nothing. It was all about hitch-hiking, finding a friendly place to stay, and I have no idea what he did about food, but he's still alive.

You can pay as little or as much for a holiday as you want, just depends on the experience you're looking for.

[jojones]

Ive noticed you can get much better service in the UK. If you go abroad on a cheap package holiday it will basically be a warmer version of Butlins. If you are in the UK you will probably of seen the TV series Benidorm which sums it up very well

There are some great value small bed and breakfasts all over the UK. The type where people let you into their home and just have a couple of spare rooms. You can even get these for free if you go down the Couch Surfing route.

[FlyingFran]

As everyone else has said, it all depends on what type of holiday you go for. Another option for a cheaper holiday is a stay at home holiday. This means you stay in your own home (saving accommodation and travel costs) and check out all those local tourist attractions that you never normally get round to visiting because they are right by your home. Can be a great alternative way to spend a holiday.

[MadPlanetEarth]

A holiday in the UK doesn't have to be expensive but if you want to go places then it eassily adds up. Transportation is quite expensive, but there are some good value deals if you book ahead. The problem comes when you want to travel across the whole country. If you're going to fly then you might as well head over to other countries. Countries like Portugal and Greece are considerably cheaper then.