Holidays abroad waste of money or essential getaway

[Dan2501]

Definitely not a waste of money. It is a getaway from the day-to-day grind. I go away for the weather, 2 weeks of guaranteed golf in the sun, and for the love of travel. I like to explore new places, cultures, try new food, and experience different lifestyles. There are so many fascinating places around the world, I don't know why you wouldn't want to explore them and experience new things. I've been to some amazing places already but there are so many more I want to visit. I've never been to America, I'd love to see the Great Pyramids, I want to see the Northern Lights, I'd love to see Christ The Redeemer in person, the list goes on.

 

[MegaSteve]

Yes indeed!

We're off to Portugal early March for 5 nights. Nice hotel in Silves we've been going to for years. We know where the locals eat and it's opposite the hotel, well almost. £280 for two B+B, including car hire. You tell me where in Britain you can get this.

Sun holiday for £9.50....

 

[Marshy77]

Sun holiday for £9.50....

That newspaper and holiday's for that amount sends shivers down my spine.

 

[Blue in Munich]

As Hobbit wrote, if it's not as good as or better than home then it would be a waste of money.

Nashville & Memphis last year, neither hotel anywhere near as good as home.

National Civil Rights Museum.
Graceland.
Gibson Guitar Factory.
Stax Soul Museum.
Sun Studios.
Country Music Hall of Fame.
Museum of Rock & Soul.
Musicians Hall of Fame.
The Grand Ole Opry (backstage & show).
The Ryman Auditorium (backstage & show).
Johnny Cash Museum.
RCA Studio B.
Various local restaurants.
More blues bars & honky tonks than I can name.

Someone please explain to me why I need to have an empty 5 star room waiting for me whilst I'm enjoying all this? Surely that's a bigger waste of money; I don't live in it, I don't eat it it, I crash in it at the end of the night, get up, shower & start again.

 

[Jimaroid]

I've been around the world a number of times for work, seen lots of amazing and awful places. As a result I have zero interest in flying to a different country in pursuit of relaxation. If Hell exists, it's an airport

 

[Smiffy]

Abroad waste, UK essential.
Too much to see on our own shores.
I see no appeal in being stuck in a high rise with plastic "local" food for two weeks.

As others have said, you're doing it wrong or still watching 70's repeats of "Wish you were here" with Judith Chalmers.
Wife and I went to Kos a few years ago.
Rented a car and explored the island, absolutely beautiful secluded bays and restaurants. Sure, we weren't the first tourists to ever visit them, but certainly not plastic food.

 

[davidy233]

An absence of other British tourists is what I look for

 

[rosswilliams]

All about preference, so it becomes an impossible question to answer. Having moved away from the UK 5 years ago, I end up holidaying in the UK an awful lot just to see family but given the choice I wouldn't go back.

There are obviously beautiful parts of the UK, but I would prefer to go abroad and see new things given the opportunity.

 

[Val]

An absence of other British tourists is what I look for

Couldnt agree more.

We went to Treviso just 20 miles north of Venice over new year and it was fantastic, very little brit tourists, some fantastic food and great little bars. Venice itself was good to see but that box has been ticked and would happily say i'll not be back.

 

[Beezerk]

Holidays abroad? Never again for me!
Three times we've been, third time I've had tummy trouble.

 

[davidy233]

Couldnt agree more.

We went to Treviso just 20 miles north of Venice over new year and it was fantastic, very little brit tourists, some fantastic food and great little bars. Venice itself was good to see but that box has been ticked and would happily say i'll not be back.

Went to Florida and toured places we hadn't been before in January and once we were off the plane I doubt we encountered more than half a dozen Brits in a fortnight.

Went to quirky places off the beaten track but even the couple of days the missus wanted to spend in Orlando to see the Harry Potter stuff were mercifully bereft of UK people - we played three rounds of golf but deliberately went to out of the way country clubs rather than well known tourist trap courses - the trip was fascinating and gave us insights to that part of the world that we'd never got on previous trips when we've done the more obvious tourist attractions.

 

[User62651]

Holidays abroad? Never again for me!
Three times we've been, third time I've had tummy trouble.

Understandable but doubt you'd get food poisoning in USA, Canada, Australia, France, Germany, Scandinavia etc any more than you'd get it here so maybe choice of destination is key, eat cooked food and avoid prawn cocktails?
When younger I did get bad guts in Morocco and in Greece but as you get older you get wiser and know what to avoid eating better.
I like ski holidays and you need to go abroad for them, very intense week physically, feels like a good break in the mountain air. Haven't done a sun holiday abroad since 2003 but want to rent a villa/cottage with pool in rural inland France with family this year.
Travelled a lot as a young backpacker but that wanderlust has really gone now with middle age, happy enough in UK generally for summer breaks but have to consider kids now. Airports are hell though. Have become more averse to heat with age too, happy with a nice 21 degrees for golf etc.

 

[Val]

Went to Florida and toured places we hadn't been before in January and once we were off the plane I doubt we encountered more than half a dozen Brits in a fortnight.

Went to quirky places off the beaten track but even the couple of days the missus wanted to spend in Orlando to see the Harry Potter stuff were mercifully bereft of UK people - we played three rounds of golf but deliberately went to out of the way country clubs rather than well known tourist trap courses - the trip was fascinating and gave us insights to that part of the world that we'd never got on previous trips when we've done the more obvious tourist attractions.

Sounds great, but is Florida not just all about Disney? :rofl:

Always laugh at that comment.

 

[Lambchops]

Love a holiday - whats not to like spending time away from everyday life spending time with the wife and kids or mates

 

[Rlburnside]

Love a holiday too, rarely go seeking just sun, to visit different places and meet different people is a joy,so far from a waste of money for me.

I vividly remember our Safari in Kenya and a week in Zanzibar, the safari was without doubt the best holiday I've had, to see elephants close up in the wild was magical, the experience and memories are what make holidays great.

 

[Marshy77]

Holidays abroad? Never again for me!
Three times we've been, third time I've had tummy trouble.

Same thing happened to me in Manchester

 

[Hobbit]

Nashville & Memphis last year, neither hotel anywhere near as good as home.

National Civil Rights Museum.
Graceland.
Gibson Guitar Factory.
Stax Soul Museum.
Sun Studios.
Country Music Hall of Fame.
Museum of Rock & Soul.
Musicians Hall of Fame.
The Grand Ole Opry (backstage & show).
The Ryman Auditorium (backstage & show).
Johnny Cash Museum.
RCA Studio B.
Various local restaurants.
More blues bars & honky tonks than I can name.

Someone please explain to me why I need to have an empty 5 star room waiting for me whilst I'm enjoying all this? Surely that's a bigger waste of money; I don't live in it, I don't eat it it, I crash in it at the end of the night, get up, shower & start again.

You don't need anything to satisfy you. For me, without a comfortable room it would be waste of time and money. Sadly, I'm not fit enough to survive without the comfort.

 

[upsidedown]

Love my foreign holidays, exploring different cultures, cuisines and local beverages .

In fact enjoyed our New Zealand trip so much ended up living there for 6 years . Normally explore France / Italy in the Summer but this year will be doing Cornwall or Scotland depending on weather but will not be stimping on accommodation because as like Hobbit we enjoy our comfort.

 

[stokie_93]

Definitely worth every penny.

Not sure on the 'only coming back with a tan' part of your post too.

We went away to Budapest in October and loved every moment of it despite it being freezing. Worth every penny!

 

[Rlburnside]

Went to Brugge recently for a long weekend stayed in a 5 star hotel ( I like my comfort too) cost probably the equivalent of a new set of clubs , I got far more enjoyment from that break than I ever would with a new set of clubs.