Going on Holiday in the UK - WHY?

[okgo]

Looks like we’ve found the U.K. holiday business owner

Mate, it’s impossible to argue the U.K. is something it isn’t. Give it up.

[Antony Moxey]

okgo said:

Looks like we’ve found the U.K. holiday business owner

Mate, it’s impossible to argue the U.K. is something it isn’t. Give it up.

I'm not arguing it's something it isn't, no more than you're arguing it isn't something that it is. Why don't you give it up instead? The fact that millions from both this country and overseas holiday here each year proves you're wrong to dismiss the UK as you're doing, but the fact that apparently you never holiday in the UK yet somehow are an authority on how poor UK holidays are doesn't seem to stop you. So yeah, why don't you give it up and enjoy what the continent has to offer instead of continuing to knock something that apparently you have no interest in?

I'm done here now, suffice to say this year I'll be holidaying in both the UK and abroad and hoping to enjoy both.

[ecsrobin]

Antony Moxey said:

I'm not arguing it's something it isn't, no more than you're arguing it isn't something that it is. Why don't you give it up instead? The fact that millions from both this country and overseas holiday here each year proves you're wrong to dismiss the UK as you're doing, but the fact that apparently you never holiday in the UK yet somehow are an authority on how poor UK holidays are doesn't seem to stop you. So yeah, why don't you give it up and enjoy what the continent has to offer instead of continuing to knock something that apparently you have no interest in?

I'm done here now, suffice to say this year I'll be holidaying in both the UK and abroad and hoping to enjoy both.

+1

[okgo]

Almost June now, it’s 18 degrees and grey. What a place!

[Hants PHer]

I'm broadly in agreement with Antony Moxey regarding food in Britain. I can't remember the last time I had a truly poor meal in this country, although we tend to avoid chain places (Prezzo, Cafe Rouge and the like) and use Trip Advisor to find good places. I will agree that it's got more expensive to eat out in Britain, but we recently holidayed in America (California, Nevada, Utah and Arizona) and boy, that was properly expensive, sheesh!

I think this "you can't get good food in Britain" assertion is a lazy stereotype and not one with which I agree.

[ATG]

okgo said:

simons123 said:

That's nonsense though isnt it....where can you get decent food in the UK for a reasonable price? Minimum for a pub meal now is around £17 and that's usually just reheated, frozen crap.....in Spain you could eat fresh fish or Paella for the nearly half the price you would in the UK......not to mention a beer here is around £5-6 a pint....in Spain you would pay half that.

Exactly right.

My wife and I both had a dish at a place the other week in Southern Spain, beachside, turbot and prawns with potatoes etc it was £18 each.

You’d do amazingly to find turbot here for anywhere near that. And as you say, a beer was half that of the UK.

If you want to sit in the sun on a beach, and that's all you want to do, then ... strangely enough ... you'll get more reliable weather south of the UK. But quite a lot of people find that type of holiday very boring, hence why they choose to do something different. Horses for courses.

[ATG]

Hants PHer said:

I'm broadly in agreement with Antony Moxey regarding food in Britain. I can't remember the last time I had a truly poor meal in this country, although we tend to avoid chain places (Prezzo, Cafe Rouge and the like) and use Trip Advisor to find good places. I will agree that it's got more expensive to eat out in Britain, but we recently holidayed in America (California, Nevada, Utah and Arizona) and boy, that was properly expensive, sheesh!

I think this "you can't get good food in Britain" assertion is a lazy stereotype and not one with which I agree.

A lot of Brits tolerate dreadful food, but, exactly as you say, read a few reviews and you can easily find good food at all price points.

[simons123]

Antony Moxey said:

simons123 said:

Antony Moxey said:

okgo said:

eat better (and probably vastly cheaper) food.

That's certainly not a given by any stretch. I think it's an absolute nonsense that you can't get decent food in this country, and at a reasonable price too.

That's nonsense though isnt it....where can you get decent food in the UK for a reasonable price? Minimum for a pub meal now is around £17 and that's usually just reheated, frozen crap.....in Spain you could eat fresh fish or Paella for the nearly half the price you would in the UK......not to mention a beer here is around £5-6 a pint....in Spain you would pay half that.

Oh for goodness sake - where can you get decent food? What a bloody stupid question. There's no point trying to answer because you'll only point to your one example in Spain which trumps the entirety of the UK hospitality sector. Go abroad, enjoy and have a great time - seriously - but don't try and pretend to know about something you have no interest in, or will ever experience.

I have been away in the UK you know....devon, cornwall, wales....i know how much things cost here and i know you cannot get a decent meal in UK holiday spots like Padstow or Poole for anything less then £40 a head (thats not reheated, frozen crap).

I also guarantee that millions of people, like yourself or a other poster mentioned, are not coming on there holidays in the UK from abroad. They will go to London, Edinburgh, The Cotswold.....no one from Spain, for example, are going to places like Norfolk on there holidays I can guarantee that.

[Bill]

okgo said:

Almost June now, it’s 18 degrees and grey. What a place!

Glorious down here on the south coast, the beach is busy and people are in the sea having a great time...

[okgo]

ATG said:

If you want to sit in the sun on a beach, and that's all you want to do, then ... strangely enough ... you'll get more reliable weather south of the UK. But quite a lot of people find that type of holiday very boring, hence why they choose to do something different. Horses for courses.

There’s absolutely loads to see and do in many holiday destinations in Europe. The beach certainly doesn’t have to be it. Malaga is older than London, and has much to see. I’ll be in the South of France in a few weeks, exploring the ardeche, visiting a vineyard or three, and much more. All things you can do here but it would last about 20 minutes. Last summer I drove from the Alps back to the U.K. via burgundy/Epernay - there’s simply nothing like that here.

I’d find going to a campsite for a week or center parcs very boring too, obviously I’ve done it, but people holidaying in Britain aren’t exactly doing anything all that interest most of the time I’d imagine. And they’re wet and cold for most of it

[okgo]

Bill said:

Glorious down here on the south coast, the beach is busy and people are in the sea having a great time...

The water is freezing. And it’s barely 19c in Central London, it’s 17c in Bournemouth. Stop talking balls, Bill.

[ecsrobin]

okgo said:

Almost June now, it’s 18 degrees and grey. What a place!

And a couple of weeks ago Scotland was warmer than Monaco for the historic Grand Prix (and it rained there on the Monday we departed).

The Met Office have already said this is the warmest May on record as well.

So what’s your point?

[ecsrobin]

okgo said:

The water is freezing. And it’s barely 19c in Central London, it’s 17c in Bournemouth. Stop talking balls, Bill.

The one talking balls is you. Just checked the Bournemouth webcam and can confirm the see is not frozen.

[simons123]

ATG said:

okgo said:

simons123 said:

That's nonsense though isnt it....where can you get decent food in the UK for a reasonable price? Minimum for a pub meal now is around £17 and that's usually just reheated, frozen crap.....in Spain you could eat fresh fish or Paella for the nearly half the price you would in the UK......not to mention a beer here is around £5-6 a pint....in Spain you would pay half that.

Exactly right.

My wife and I both had a dish at a place the other week in Southern Spain, beachside, turbot and prawns with potatoes etc it was £18 each.

You’d do amazingly to find turbot here for anywhere near that. And as you say, a beer was half that of the UK.

If you want to sit in the sun on a beach, and that's all you want to do, then ... strangely enough ... you'll get more reliable weather south of the UK. But quite a lot of people find that type of holiday very boring, hence why they choose to do something different. Horses for courses.

You dont have to just sit on the beach though if you go abroad so dont get your point.....take cornwall for example...it's very pretty but it's a nightmare to park, it's full of people everywhere, restaurants are a complete rip-off as is the price of beer.....what exactly is there to do in cornwall other then drive to different spots of cornwall stuck in traffic, trying to find somewhere to park (sounds like hell not a holiday), there is no swimming pools to relax around, the sea water is filthy.....in padstow for example there is a limited number of restaurants, all of which are a complete ripoff. Doesnt sound much of an holiday to me.

[okgo]

ecsrobin said:

The one talking balls is you. Just checked the Bournemouth webcam and can confirm the see is not frozen.

Does your webcam tell you it’s 56f water temp?

As for your Scotland comparison, not sure that warrants a response tbh.

[ecsrobin]

okgo said:

Does your webcam tell you it’s 56f water temp?

As for your Scotland comparison, not sure that warrants a response tbh.

It’s a 4c difference between air and sea temp so probably not bad for a dip.

Regarding the Scotland example you’re implying the weathers always better abroad and it isn’t so I can see why you can’t argue my point.

[Bill]

okgo said:

The water is freezing. And it’s barely 19c in Central London, it’s 17c in Bournemouth. Stop talking balls, Bill.

Well, I'm not going back to take a photo, but maybe people who holiday here aren't as soft as you?

[okgo]

Bill said:

Well, I'm not going back to take a photo, but maybe people who holiday here aren't as soft as you?

Good for them, bathing in cold tap temp sewage not high on my half term wish list to be honest.

[mikeiow]

blueg33 said:

mikeiow said:

blueg33 said:

Not enough of these are booking cottages at the moment.

Our bookings in AONB in North Devon are well down and my wife works for a large holiday cottage company and they see bookings are down across the board.

I would agree with that.

We had poor occupancy rates since Covid. Didn’t pick up last year (& I know the IOW has suffered more widely with reduced numbers).

We reached a point this year where we decided to stop letting it.
Regulations getting daft (essentially taking lessons from Grenfell and applying them to small places that don’t resemble them in the slighted). Sure, some made sense, but many didn’t.
We will use our place more ourselves, & let family & friends stay for a much lower price to keep it ticking over.
In some ways, it feels like the Government want to remove as many as possible to turn them into homes….not realising that in holiday areas, without the holiday lets, the areas cannot sustain the attractions/pubs/cafes etc….

I agree on the regulations. Our place is a listed building, regulations say that every bedroom has to have a fire door, planners say every bedroom has to have a ledge and brace cottage door.

The fixed costs etc are becoming prohibitive and we are unlikely to hit the occupancy rates that HMRC and LA require. I am however thinking that as people exit the market occupancy for those left will increase.

Indeed....listed building requirements trump regulations. Not the only reason we have stopped letting, but a heavy contributor!
I also agree that you might see a boom in bookings....although I am very conscious people are still enjoying the post-Covid freedom to travel to cheaper places.
Holiday cottages aren't for everyone. We tended to get multi-generational families, and always had lovely reviews in the guest book. Maybe we will go back to letting in a few years. Never say never.

okgo said:

Almost June now, it’s 18 degrees and grey. What a place!

Grey?
Which UK holiday hotspot are you at?
Rough here on the IOW today....at least RobOMow is working in the heat!


I'm having a break from the gardening, it is hot work!

I don't disagree that UK food prices can be toppy, but equally, there are a wealth of places offering good value if you do a little searching. £13 for a fabulous Sunday roast likely this weekend (pile your plate with the veggies as high as you like) in a beautiful old masonic hall....

Those who like lounging by a pool in the sun will always head abroad for more guaranteed weather. 40 degree heat isn't for me, but I can see the appeal of reliable sunshine. Something for everyone - I think many people enjoy what Britain has to offer.

[RizzoTheRat]

simons123 said:

You dont have to just sit on the beach though if you go abroad so dont get your point.....take cornwall for example...it's very pretty but it's a nightmare to park, it's full of people everywhere, restaurants are a complete rip-off as is the price of beer.....what exactly is there to do in cornwall other then drive to different spots of cornwall stuck in traffic, trying to find somewhere to park (sounds like hell not a holiday), there is no swimming pools to relax around, the sea water is filthy.....in padstow for example there is a limited number of restaurants, all of which are a complete ripoff. Doesnt sound much of an holiday to me.

You want to relax around a swimming pool in the sun, you'll have a better chance of doing that outside the UK. However many people want completely different things from a holiday than you do, and some of them find those things in the UK.

Last time I went on a holiday to somewhere with outdoor pool in the sun (Franshoek at Christmas) I think I spent about 5 minutes in total sitting by the pool.