How much do you spend on a beach holiday ?

roundthebend

@octatonic ;
fair points indeed. We have 2 "kids" (18 and 16 years old). We had them at a young age so have never known life without them really, therefore I can't relate to the DINK life. We're at the other end of the deal now, where they don't want to come on holiday with us (thank God!) and that means we have more flexibility about when we can go. However, our years of watching the spending means we will still be quite frugal and, to a large degree, we've learned to enjoy that aspect of the holiday. I can see us doing a big spend cruise or tropical island trip in the near future, but mostly I think we like to have a modest self-catering place with some nice scenery and things to do nearby. 

boogieman

I’m not normally a beach holiday type either, the Chania trip was because we’d had my old Mum living with us while she had builders in at her place. She drive us both nuts so we decided to have a week away in the sun, doing sod all to make up for it. 

We normally do a couple of trips a year, including some long haul stuff to places on our bucket list. B of B and I have only been together for six years and for various reasons we never got to half the places we’d always wanted to visit before we met. Now we have the time, the opportunity and the money we’re trying to get things crossed off that list ASAP. Some of this is prompted by it getting harder to do as we get older, firstly the jet lag takes weeks to get over, secondly it’s physically more difficult to do things we want to when we arrive (I’ve got a dodgy knee, my wife has the beginnings of arthritic hips). We’ve managed India, Nepal, Alaska, Malawi, China and the US so far. There’s a few more to go.

I guess you could say we’re spending our kids inheritance but I don’t want to end up like my old Mum, with money in the bank but lots of regrets for not spending it while she was able. 

jonnyburgo

Snap said:

breakstuff said:

Just had a week in Menorca with the wife and two kids staying in a villa also with my sister and brother in law.Cost me around £4500,including spends.Off to Moraira in Spain in a couple of weeks,again in a villa but without the kids,and that'll owe me around £2000 with spends.

Obviously we could get something a lot cheaper staying in a hotel but I prefer the privacy of having a villa and not having to share my holiday with a bunch of random strangers.

And I hate the general public 

We are much the same. We love the sea, the beach, but also countryside, history and cities. Also we have only so much tolerance for somewhere that is overly touristy - just gets too busy. Can't be doing with having to fight to get into cafes and that. Last year we went to Begur, Catalonia, for 2 weeks in August. Lovely part of Spain, lots to see and do, and great beaches, walking, food, etc etc. But Begur was just too packed, all the time. Even getting a seat in a café mid morning was a chore. Go out of August, different story.

Not a fan of hotels - prefer to spend my holiday with my family/friends, in peace and quiet. Never really understood the appeal of hotels in general, I find them impersonal and just not private enough. The idea of an all inclusive type thing is just not for me at all.

@the OP - you should get a good saving as you are outside school holidays.

You will get a very good deal on a villa in Turkey if you fancy that. Also, as the lira is snookered, your money will be almost lasting forever. Fly to Dalaman and go somewhere like Kalkan or Kas, or even Dalyan (much nearer the airport). Beautiful scenery, loads of ruins to see, sunken cities, great food, lovely people, and all dead cheap. Oh, and guaranteed good weather.

Near Kalkan, there is a huge beach, Patara, which you access through a ruined Roman city. You pay a small fee to enter the site, and you get parking and access to the ruins included. Couple of quid for a day. Sun loungers cost peanuts, the beach is so big (11 miles) its never even remotely crowded. Warm sea too. Have a dip, chill out, then have a gander round the ruins and feel like Indiana Jones! Sounds just about right to me. Only downside is that Kalkan is a 2 hour drive from Dalaman or Antalya airports, but its dead easy. The town is full of restaurants and little alleys, shops, cafes, and a nice marina. All very civilised.

Dalyan is not as nice as Kalkan, but is only 20 mins from the airport. Its up an estuary which is lined with cliffs containing ancient tombs, very atmospheric. You get to a nice beach, on a river taxi, which will take you through a turtle nesting lagoon. The beach again is massive, quiet and laid back. At the head of the estuary is a lake and mud baths, which people reckon sort you out. Bit of a local thing, to go up there and get caked in mud. The town is all flat, full of places ot eat, but its not as upmarket as Kalkan, but still nice enough. Plenty cheap too.

I’m currently in Fethiye at my dads just been out for a meal of Turkish pizza and a couple of beers for £6 8 lira to the pound at the mo here.

stickyfiddle

We're lucky to be in a similar position to @octatonic, but Abu Dhabi based. I don't think we've ever spent close to 10k on a single trip, but we do a couple of what most would probably call "big holidays" a year plus a couple of short breaks, either to the UK or somewhere reasonably local. 

I'm not sure exactly what we spent on our US road trip, but probably in the region of 5k, for 2.5 weeks, including 10 days car hire and an internal flight. That was helped greatly by our flights being free via a credit card loyalty system.

Emp_Fab

Well, I've just paid £857 for two for a week, "5*" H/B in Kefalonia - incl flights.  It was heavily discounted and I'm a sucker for a bargain.  The place gets an average of 4.5/5 on Tripeadvisor, but it's not the kind of place I usually pick.

However - I always suffer immediately with buyer's remorse - and this one is no exception !  I'm flapping that I've made the wrong choice because of my desire for a bargain and the only reviews I believe now are.......

Michael McIntyre has a handle on it !.... :-)

Nitefly

Kefalonia is fine, Emp.  We had 10 days self-catering in Skala 2 years ago, that's right at the southern tip.  Whereabouts are you staying?

57Deluxe

I went to Bosham on the last really hot day and it only cost about £15 in petrol and £5 for a couple ice creams...

That was all I needed of the sea this year.

http://i63.tinypic.com/15g5fut.jpg
http://i63.tinypic.com/2lt2a3d.jpg
http://i64.tinypic.com/345lv6g.jpg

Zoolooter

fastonebaz said:

Minimum £15000.  This year was £19000 as i hired a yacht with strippers. 

Got to have skippers and kippers with the strippers.

Emp_Fab

Nitefly said:

Kefalonia is fine, Emp.  We had 10 days self-catering in Skala 2 years ago, that's right at the southern tip.  Whereabouts are you staying?

Xi, near Lixouri, on the other side of the 'lagoon'.  We've been to Kefalonia several times over the years.  I know Skala well !

underdog

Sporky said:

We find a small, moderately plush, dog-friendly UK hotel. A week typically comes to under 2 weeks' wages once you've factored in some posh dinners and drinks and suchlike.

Sitting on a crowded beach for a day, let alone a week or two, sounds like hell. 

On a similar note this October we will spending a week in a log cabin like we did last year, up on the edge of Snowdonia national park. £350 for the cabin for the week, can take the dog, hot tub, wood burner, lots of stuff to do close by. Really enjoyed it last year.