Can we have a Stay ...
 

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Can we have a Stay in Britain thread as not everyone is flush?

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Lots of forum members and contributors are going all over the place and appear to have endless supplies of money to travel and the desire to complain when delayed. I’m not necessarily against this except if you read some other threads there are people who are really struggling financially and not able to travel anywhere. I’m lucky, I perhaps could travel abroad except not had a passport for several years after some travel abroad and some frustrating airport experiences we started exploring the countries where we live. We now travel in the UK even though we’ve got dear friends in California that we’ve visited many times.
Our reasons for not travelling abroad are perhaps environmental, moral and maybe financial to be honest.
Could we perhaps share ideas for low cost holidays, activities and things to do with children or adults that are free or cheap?


 
Posted : 23/07/2022 8:56 pm
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We're taking our 22 year old caravan to North Wales this year, again. Staying in a field with a tap and some plugs.


 
Posted : 23/07/2022 9:02 pm
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Ride a bike and camp? Ok a trailer with the whole famy might be a bit heavy.

Tonights escapade got me enthused about neolithic shit again klmartin on tbe west of scotland is just littered with it and so is the bit of wales i am in

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Look on the map and then the adventure is in finding it. Im 15 miles north of Hay on Wye. Its everywhere. Standing stones and barrows and all sorts of shit


 
Posted : 23/07/2022 10:27 pm
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We have a week and an air B&B as our first holiday for 3 years. We choose other ways to spend the money. Too much travel with work made me realise the world is all much the same and the really beautiful photos and films you see require much time to get them and are unlikely to happen on a 1 week trip. The people are what count and there are people in most countries.


 
Posted : 23/07/2022 10:30 pm
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Canmore is a great resource for findibg this stuff in Scotland.


 
Posted : 23/07/2022 10:32 pm
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We’re taking our 22 year old caravan to North Wales this year, again. Staying in a field with a tap and some plugs.

Same here, Harlech next month.
Camping in this country has to be amongst the cheapest & best things ever. Travelling far is expensive, renting holiday accommodation is expensive, going abroad is expensive, but camping far away from home but not too far must be a great option?
When I was a kid we had nowt, but most weekends Mum Dad & me would head off to the Lakes for 2 nights camping, I grew up camping.
Go camping!

I’m now 66, there’s not a chance on Earth you’d get me camping now!


 
Posted : 23/07/2022 10:36 pm
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61 here and im in my tent right now.

Yer getting old esselgruntfuttock


 
Posted : 23/07/2022 10:39 pm
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What mattress are you using, I just found even at a spritely 50 that sleeping on the ground was grim.


 
Posted : 23/07/2022 10:41 pm
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My main summer holiday is nearly always a week on Tiree. This year it rained every day but still loved both the journey there but also a week of relative solitude.


 
Posted : 23/07/2022 10:43 pm
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The most expensive holiday I’ve had, on a per night basis, was in this country.

The cheapest was in France.


 
Posted : 23/07/2022 10:44 pm
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Neolithic stuff in Ireland
[url= https://i.ibb.co/xHNpcBX/PXL-20220722-060651605.jp g" target="_blank">https://i.ibb.co/xHNpcBX/PXL-20220722-060651605.jp g"/> [/img][/url]

And dogs playing Scrabble

[url= https://i.ibb.co/nD05cC5/PXL-20220723-091020111.jp g" target="_blank">https://i.ibb.co/nD05cC5/PXL-20220723-091020111.jp g"/> [/img][/url]


 
Posted : 23/07/2022 10:46 pm
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The most expensive holiday I’ve had, on a per night basis, was in this country.

The cheapest was in France.

I was going to say don’t forget the weather but last week:-)


 
Posted : 23/07/2022 10:48 pm
 csb
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As per the other thread, can heartily recommend the last week of August camping in Scotland. Cheap, beautiful and empty.


 
Posted : 23/07/2022 10:48 pm
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Yer getting old esselgruntfuttock

Don’t I know it Teej.
Stop by Boroughbridge on your journey & you won’t need your tent!


 
Posted : 23/07/2022 10:54 pm
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Dudeofdoom. Thermarest prolite. Sleeping is no issue but getting from horizontal to vertical in the morning is difficult


 
Posted : 23/07/2022 10:55 pm
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In a cottage on the Hartland coast typing this. Traveled down yesterday (Friday) and had the best run down we've ever had at this time of year. The traffic woes and slow fuel protests have scared people off it seems.

Surprisingly quiet in Bude today both on the roads and on the beach.

Not sure we'll have saved any money over going abroad mind....


 
Posted : 23/07/2022 10:59 pm
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We are off to France eurocamp later in the summer (hopefully Eurotunnel sorted by then)

First time abroad in 3 years

We've got a busy summer, 2 weddings my brother's 40th so I'm actually pretty gutted we won't get to go camping in the UK somewhere

2 years ago we found a Wildish camping spot in North Wales on a farm, totally isolated Farmer drops off firewood & water canisters and there's a composting toilet and thats it

https://flic.kr/p/2nzSMBo

https://flic.kr/p/2nzXRCi


 
Posted : 23/07/2022 11:10 pm
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Yep. As already pointed out, going on holiday in this country isn't cheap. However, there are other benefits too, not least the reduced emissions - something I'm gradually, but increasingly trying to reduce. Our main holiday this year was in Uist (again). We'll have other short breaks interspersed throught the year too, in our campervan. My bucket list of places to go and things to do in Scotland has been getting longer year-on-year so I'll not be running out of ideas any time soon.


 
Posted : 23/07/2022 11:12 pm
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Not sure we’ll have saved any money over going abroad mind….

Its tricky isn't?
I guess it depends on how many dependents and whether you are willing to go for basically wild camping but still be charged for it but it soon mounts up in the uk.
I am mostly driven by a mix of environmental plus not being arsed to take a kayak/bike overseas when in the uk is plenty challenging but it aint exactly cheap nowadays playing in the uk. My dad who likes a bit of walking and sightseeing can find cheaper holidays abroad even with our current exchange rates.


 
Posted : 23/07/2022 11:12 pm
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We're off to Les Gets, via Tours. And now I'm feeling guilty. But the Tours leg is to visit my 89 y.o. MiL for the first time in 3 years. FWIW, to offset the guilt I've offerred my house for friends and family to use whilst we are away.


 
Posted : 23/07/2022 11:14 pm
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If you want cheap and around the UK, look for deals, Sun Holidays and so on, loads of parks around the UK that you can get cheapish and use them as a base to explore.

Our 6 year old gets travel sickness, so we tend to spend our holidays an hour from Bristol, i know FoD and South Wales well over the years, so use that to do decent family stuff, as well as a couple of trips on the bike!

Back up in Scotland, i use those holiday parks a bit to visit family and friends, you get deals usually dependent on time of year, like an our of season trip to Tummel Valley, we did that a couple of years ago as a base to visit family, do stuff around Aberfeldy/Pitlochry/Dunkeld and so on, but as with all things, cheap is getting more expensive every year!


 
Posted : 23/07/2022 11:19 pm
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getting from horizontal to vertical in the morning is difficult

Does this involve what we refer to chez Sandwich as "old man noises"? 😀


 
Posted : 23/07/2022 11:41 pm
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Just back from Orkney, stayed in a hostel as a family group of 6 and it was fantastic (Orcades Hostel in Kirkwall). Plenty to do if you have Historic Scotland membership and plenty to see. The neolithic stuff is pretty mind blowing tbh, Maes Howe and Cuween are pretty awe inspiring when you think of how old they are and still standing. Scara Brae is good but the new stuff along the Ness of Brodgar is shaping up to be a whole other level, plus you have the ring and standing stones within walking distance (best viewed at sunset though IMO). TBH that was most of our 3 days, I'll definitely be going back to see the other islands.

As for Tummel Valley, my ears still haven't recovered after about 4 years, I think half the kids went home deaf from their "entertainment". There's a nice site down by Dunkeld if the loud disco isn't your scene or Comrie Croft if you can get in.


 
Posted : 24/07/2022 1:39 am
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Notjut staying in Britain, not having a holiday! Haven't had a break since last April when I went to the IOW for 3 days, the last week I had off was used flat hunting and the next one looks like going the same way too. Last proper holiday was over 3 years ago.


 
Posted : 24/07/2022 1:52 am
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I have not traveled home to see any of my family members or relatives or holiday etc for nearly 4 years now. I did not go anyway apart from around the North East just for a day trip to the coast or walk around the quayside.
I want to travel to other countries to people watch or look around but I don't have the time nor money so my holiday is mainly having BBQ whenever I could.
If I want to stretch my money then I would travel to the Far East like Thailand or N.Borneo (my home town) just because I like the food there and they are not expensive.
I have seen most of the EU countries many years ago but there are really noting of interest to me apart from few locations where I find slightly interesting. Couldn't afford fancy food in those days so only managed to enjoy plenty of beer in Prague (20p per pint in those days).
If I were to travel again I would go to Norway, Sweden or Finland to see how expensive life is over there. I might get a chance to work in Denmark for few weeks during the summer if I can come up with a good project but it is still work, not holiday.

Countries that I will not want to visit are France, Belgium and Italy for whatever reasons.

However, I do wish to visit Iran because I think they have good food.

Apart from that I only travel when I need to and I don't do tourist things.

One day I shall travel to NZ to visit my childhood friends who migrated when we were in our mid teens.

oh ya ... UK is long term "holiday" for me ... LOL!


 
Posted : 24/07/2022 2:32 am
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If you're "roughing it" let me give you a way to manage it. You don't have to balk at the idea of anything less than a 4* hotel bed.

Do Tai Chi.

I used to spend summers camping in alternative communities and when I did Tai Chi at the camps daily I was able to sleep on a slim self-inflating rollmat and get up in the morning and get moving without crippling pains/stiffness.

It's not just for sleeping, it can make your day's movements easier too.


 
Posted : 24/07/2022 3:54 am
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Farm-work such as fruit-picking? My parents did it when they were young.

For a number of summers I volunteered my time to help supervise international (and national) summer volunteers on an eco-project. Time well spent, IMO. There are many hosts who will offer accommodation and even food in return for four or five hours a day help, leaving you the rest of the time to explore/do what you want

Get registered with HelpX and/or workaway or wwoof etcetera, then browse hosts and apply. Worth planning ahead. Many hosts will like a longer commitment such as four weeks but some are two weeks or less.

My own cheap holidays in the UK are camping/cycling/walking/swimming/painting. A couple of weeks ago I found a campsite for £5 a night (it even has a shower and a toilet block !) only two hours drive from home (or two days cycling w/trailer), so that’s me sorted for long weekend breaks for the next few years. Looking forward to exploring the area


 
Posted : 24/07/2022 5:51 am
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Does this involve what we refer to chez Sandwich as “old man noises”? 😀

Yes indeed.


 
Posted : 24/07/2022 6:03 am
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Plan ahead my sister bought the Sun for tokens and she's had 3 weeks eurocamp style camping for not much. Great for kids.


 
Posted : 24/07/2022 7:26 am
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This was Northumberland last weekend. We did luck out with the weather, but happy days.

beach and dog

Off up to Scotland for the end of August. Maybe we'll luck out with the weather again...


 
Posted : 24/07/2022 7:28 am
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Most years since 2007 we've gone to Longleat Center Parcs, typically between March and end of May, outside of school hols and Mon-Fri (so ~£400 for self catering villa). ~90mins to drive, not much different using public transport (or bike) with quick 50min train to Warminster since we ditched the old car. Only taken a bike for explore of the lovely lanes that start immediately outside campus for last five years.

Unusually going after kids summer hols this year, bit more expensive for villa, but MIL basically covering extra cost to tag along and better half gets a lift which is great while she is still struggling with long Covid.

Hopefully popping up to Prestatyn alone to see family again before CP, taking the bike on the train, one way or another (train to Blaenau Ffestiniog, or continue ride from Llyn Brenig) I hope to finally tick off Stwlan Dam this year.


 
Posted : 24/07/2022 7:54 am
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Living on the Isle of Wight every day is a UK holiday for us! Helps that my partner is from Italy so everything is sort of new and interesting for her

Since 2020 when I converted us a van we’ve been holidaying in the UK alot and have found it great, although now I have a broken knee the last 6 months we haven’t done too much and the next 12 months will be the same.

I can drive and sleep in the van despite the knee, we go down the local beach on Fridays when we can with a fire pit and stay the night, but right now driving too far doesn’t make sense as once we get there it’s a bit boring in the van all day if you can’t ride a bike or go for walks etc

Had the genius idea of going to Zanzibar and chilling out on a beach and maybe doing some scuba in December but now seems she might be pregnant by then and she’s understandably not too keen on being in Africa for that

So between my knee and Covid in the last 3 years we’ve had to cancel

Nepal
Madagascar
Morocco
Zanzibar
Norway
Indonesia

Instead we’ve been to

Dartmoor
North Wales
Scotland
Glastonbury
Canterbury
New Forest
Quantocks
Afan valley
Local beaches x100
Sardinia

Plus solo trips and bike trips with mates

And to be honest when cancelling the flights it seemed like we were missing out but actually it’s been really enjoyable, alot cheaper even including the van, and we’ve saved tonnes of emissions and single use plastics

Once we have a little one I am very keen to get back out there occasionally though, I wish I had seen places like India as a kid


 
Posted : 24/07/2022 8:04 am
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Currently staying in a field with a tap in Suffolk. It's cheap, lots of families here, and incredibly beautiful and restorative. Would highly recommend


 
Posted : 24/07/2022 8:06 am
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My bucket list of places

You know, id actually quite like to see a compiled list of UK bucket list destinations for STWers, itd add a common interest slant to the list.


 
Posted : 24/07/2022 8:14 am
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LOL - I rather suspect that my bucket list would be a bit too niche/specialist to be of much interest. That's something I need to be careful with when selecting routes for the magazine.


 
Posted : 24/07/2022 8:18 am
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I am taking the family to stay with my mum in Scotland as our holiday. Loads of activities planned for the kids. That said it involves a 12 hour car trip and a ferry and is therefore the same as someone going from UK to France so maybe not ideal for this low-cost/travel thread but shows not everyone travelling is spunking cash on long distance holidays.


 
Posted : 24/07/2022 8:23 am
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we're going down to visit my MiL near Yeovil. Kids have a basic itinerary, mainly going to interesting shops, they're both 'free spirits' when it comes to style.

So one day will be to Bristol, specifically Gloucester Road. Any Bristolian tips / also where to park?


 
Posted : 24/07/2022 8:32 am
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@onehundredthidiot, you stole our dog!
It's the spit of our Barney!


 
Posted : 24/07/2022 8:46 am
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@theotherjonv interesting shops on Glouceater Rd - are the kids into modellingand collecting? If so Area 51 and park around the residential streets. Some lovely foodie places nearby and down in tbe lower bit of Glos Rd - La Ruta, a Spanish deli, Le Cave, Grape and Grind, the beer shop. Basically it's a mile of random shops of all sorts. At the bottom is Stokes Croft. Have a cider round a fire with crackheads then buy a £30000 piano at Michelburghs. At the top it's local artists and shisha bars. If you like kebabs eat at Lona.


 
Posted : 24/07/2022 9:09 am
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it can make your day’s movements easier too.

i find a strong cup of coffee has the same effect


 
Posted : 24/07/2022 9:29 am
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last week of August camping in Scotland. Cheap, beautiful and empty.

It is beautiful you are absolutely correct. Is it empty? Of humans yes, but not of those evil basteward midges. Aaarrrrgggghhhh 🤣🤣

Oh. Forgot to mention. Anyone spreading mis/dis-information about Northumberland should be banned from the forum. Yes @jeffl looking at you 😉 this is a desperate and barren wilderness with nothing to see or do. 🤔


 
Posted : 24/07/2022 9:44 am
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@csb

Not really, unless it's related to the TV stuff they watch, Stranger Things currently. More fashion and music - but not high street fashion, they're into these vintage shops and pay per kg fairs, so Brighton Lanes and Camden Lock, etc. Oddball jewellery and piercing accessories, and so on. Korean food and poke bowls, quite happy with the non-mainstream.


 
Posted : 24/07/2022 9:45 am
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Only had two hols abroad in 16 yrs. was to be caravan again for us this year and should be on the shore of Loch Lomond right now with friends, but the van failed it’s MOT and we’re not getting it back till it’s sorted. Hopefully early this week and we can still get to the week in the Lakes. I’d love to take us all to show the kids where I lived in Aus at their age but can’t justify the £ at all.


 
Posted : 24/07/2022 9:56 am
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Our last two nights away in the van have been about 30 mins from home. So my suggestion is that you don't always have to go somewhere else to find beauty and share some quality time. For us its partly about getting away from the distractions of life at home.

Apart from a yearly snowboarding trip it would'nt bother me if I never flew again. Hopefully, one day we will retire and spend lots of time campervanning in Europe, untill then we will carry on exploring the UK. Its a beautiful place isn't it 🙂


 
Posted : 24/07/2022 10:15 am
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I think I'd have been better off flying to the Maldives this year.

June 23rd went for 2 weeks in Moray at a static caravan site, diesel about £100 and £1200 for the caravan.

Van had a major mechanical wobbly that seemed to be fixed then wasn't thn was then wasn't, ended up having to leave it there for the repairs to be completed - total cost around £1000.

Luckily some of our Elgin friends lent us their car so the holiday went OK.

Had to do a one way hire to get home - £600.

Needed a car for work (we were planning to do this anyway to ease the mileage on the camper now savings were earning sod all) so bought one online from a main dealer to be delivered home when we got back - £11,000.

We did toy with having one delivered to Moray but that would have necessitated a couple more nights stay and we couldn't find anywhere.

Flying back up tomorrow to Inverness to go collect the van and drive it home- about £300 including diesel.

So roughly a £14,000 fortnight for 2 people and a dog in a caravan in Scotland.

🙂

We brought Covid back with us too.

On the plus side we won a crocheted cow at the Forres Highland Games.


 
Posted : 24/07/2022 10:41 am
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We are lucky enough to live in a place we love and I’m not sure we will ever get bored exploring Shropshire with trips across the border into Wales thrown in. We have an Airbnb booked next week that is pretty much sat on a very quiet Welsh beach, coastal walks and exploring by bike will be the perfect week. We camp across Shropshire and Wales too, great fun.

I’ve been lucky / unlucky enough to travel quite a lot, and have the opportunity to travel long distance several times a year. I do everything I can to avoid it, not only for environmental reasons, but I just don’t enjoy it more than places closer to home. Me and Mrs A are always perplexed that people spend so much money to travel vast distances to sit on beaches in exotic locations, genuinely our idea of purgatory and made us twitch when we’ve done it in the past, give me the Shropshire hills any day 🙂

As our little girl gets older, we will hop on a train and explore Europe and its history, although trips like that will be infrequent!

We live in a wonderful country 🙂


 
Posted : 24/07/2022 11:06 am
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We had an Easter weekend away in the Scottish Highlands this year. Dunno if adverts are strictly allowed but search for Portsonachan and you'll find where we stayed. Total gem of a place, the setting is absolutely spectacular on the banks of the aptly named Loch Awe. Hotel had a slight Fawlty Towers feel to it, but in a good way, and the food they served was excellent. Very heartily recommended as a base for exploring the area, although it's nice enough to never have to leave the hotel area if you didn't want. For a 2-bedroom apartment for 3 nights inc. continental breakfast cost us about £250 iirc.


 
Posted : 24/07/2022 11:11 am
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I will have 2 weeks on the east coast of Scotland again for the 49th time in August.

First time I ever flew was for my honeymoon, never had a holiday abroad as a child. Isle of White, Devon, Scotland camping or staying with family. One of my early happy memories is sitting in the back of Hillman Hunter in Devon having a take away jacket potato and a little pot of beans. Highlight of the holiday was this take away as we never had such things at home.


 
Posted : 24/07/2022 11:20 am
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It will be 2 weeks in our caravan Lincolnshire with the family. We go away with another member of this forum and his family. Always lovely holidays. We consider ourselves very fortunate to even have holidays. Growing up the boys loved the caravan holidays, eldest is now too cool to want to go on holiday with us, but hopefully he'll look back and cherish the adventures. As a child my holidays were always to relatives in either Birmingham or Colwyn Bay.


 
Posted : 24/07/2022 11:30 am
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@OP or anyone else who needs it, I have a spare tent which I'm happy to hand over for the cost of the postage. It's one of these:

https://www.vango.co.uk/gb/camping-equipment/1270-beta-450xl.html

It's well used but should have plenty of life left in it.

I live in East London if anyone would prefer to just pick it up.


 
Posted : 24/07/2022 11:58 am
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some of the suggestions above had me about to look about for localish, camping options which might facilitate a weekend away.
then i remember its school holidays and i neither want to pay the premiums nor be surrounded by kids
then i remember the **** who stole all my camping kit, particularly all the bits ive never managed to replace
then i notice that my current, hand-me-down tent (cheers sis), is in full time use in the garden for homeless stepson2, has been for three months already and no end in sight.

im booking a cheap flight outta here.


 
Posted : 24/07/2022 12:15 pm
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We’re taking our 22 year old caravan to North Wales this year, again. Staying in a field with a tap and some plugs.
yes, if you forget about the thousands of pounds and many, many hours spent on the car to tow said 22-year-old caravan, it probably does seem quite cheap 😉 😂

As above, some UK campsites are neither cheap nor quiet/relaxing especially during the school holidays, so you have to pick carefully or have a bit of local knowledge (which this place is actually very handy for!!)

I do like a UK holiday though, generally less fuss/stress if you can dodge the traffic jams, plus better for the environment & good to support local economies. And there’s still so much of the UK I haven’t seen! Always good to come across some Neolithic stuff too! Saw some on Anglesey but there’s loads down south too of course, Avebury being the epicentre but even in Kent we have the Medway megaliths - just randomly found in woodland or farmers’ fields!
[img] [/img]


 
Posted : 24/07/2022 12:44 pm
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We have dogs, which were not prepared to leave in kennels, so always holiday in the UK in cottages (my last passport expired on 2010). It's never been much cheaper than probably going abroad, and with the COVID tax, UK holidays are far from cheap nowadays. We have not long come back from a joyous week just south of Harlech in a (quite reasonably priced, but no kids so no school holiday tax) holiday cottage, with that great weather (we'd take rain coats and jumpers...). Even managed a proper swim in the sea without it being a plunge pool challenge.
I went to New Zealand twice in the early 2000's and thought about emigrating, but realised I hadn't even scratched the surface of all the stuff to see in the UK, and am still enjoying finding it 20 years later.


 
Posted : 24/07/2022 1:03 pm
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Going to Skye in a couple of weeks. We very rarely go abroad for anything but work and I never went abroad for a holiday as a kid.


 
Posted : 24/07/2022 1:07 pm
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Flip side camping is not for everyone, personally I enjoy it and love exploring the UK. My other half really doesnt so much as I'd be happy to holiday under canvas in the UK it's not an option for us.


 
Posted : 24/07/2022 1:33 pm
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Currently in our old but gold caravan in harlech in the rain. Seasonal pitch on a farm looking over llandanwg. £1700 for 9 months a year. Good deal that is. Friend has just been rinsed for £750 for 6 nights in haven. 😐


 
Posted : 24/07/2022 4:30 pm
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We thought we would avoid airport chaos, and stop in the UK. Booked 2 weeks in Folkestone.


 
Posted : 24/07/2022 4:54 pm
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£1700 for 9 months a year
perfect, if you never want to go anywhere else or see anything different. Not everyone’s the same…


 
Posted : 24/07/2022 4:58 pm
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@tjagain trailer plus family needn't be too bad.tandem


 
Posted : 24/07/2022 5:09 pm
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We thought we would avoid airport chaos, and stop in the UK. Booked 2 weeks in Folkestone.

Lol


 
Posted : 24/07/2022 5:19 pm
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perfect, if you never want to go anywhere else or see anything different. Not everyone’s the same…

Seasonal pitches are seasonal shocker! 😀😀

You can move the caravan to somewhere else in the country the following year. Explore an area properly over 6-8 months rather than bolting around the honeypot areas in a week. You can pick the best weather too.

For me though camping and carvanning can do one! Every holiday as a kid was in a caravan, and they certainly aren’t cheap anymore. Camping, we did loads when my daughter was young as it was all we could afford.

Now it’s just me and the wife we’d rather have two or three short breaks in a decent hotel/cottage.


 
Posted : 24/07/2022 5:29 pm
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TheFlyingOx

We had an Easter weekend away in the Scottish Highlands this year. Dunno if adverts are strictly allowed but search for Portsonachan and you’ll find where we stayed. Total gem of a place, the setting is absolutely spectacular on the banks of the aptly named Loch Awe. Hotel had a slight Fawlty Towers feel to it, but in a good way, and the food they served was excellent. Very heartily recommended as a base for exploring the area, although it’s nice enough to never have to leave the hotel area if you didn’t want. For a 2-bedroom apartment for 3 nights inc. continental breakfast cost us about £250 iirc.

I've never stayed there but ridden passed it many times, we used to stay just up the road at Ardbrecknish House First stayed in 91 on a road trip in my MG Midget then went for our honeymoon in 99 and in 04 IIRC. Planning on a September visit there this year. Sadly on my own this time but I hope the memories make it good.


 
Posted : 24/07/2022 6:02 pm
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We're currently on holiday with family in S. Wales borderlands then off for a week camping in Anglesey next week.
Roads were very few delays traveling NE to SW on Friday despite first weekend of the school holidays and so much less hassle than kids in an airport.
Why Anglesey? Because only ever been there before to climb sea cliffs and saw someone else's holiday pics and it looked great so booked on a whim. So may places to explore so this year that's where the pin landed. Here's hoping for decent weather. Happy days 🙂

PS loving some of the other suggestions, random neolithic stones etc.


 
Posted : 24/07/2022 6:23 pm
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Couple of weeks ago we had 4 nights at a Camping & Caravan Club Ready Camp in Suffolk - kind of like a Eurocamp set up.

Cost us £180, plus £50 membership to get members discount. Doing same again at another site up north August Bank Holiday week.

We couldn't find a cottage for two for less than £400. Our eldest has just had a long weekend in Brussels with his girlfriend which he said was cheaper than they could find in the UK.


 
Posted : 24/07/2022 6:27 pm
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I gave up looking for a foreign break this year due to a combination of factors.
Finally booked a cottage for a week in Port William, Dumfries & Galloway. Back garden overlooks the sea and I can’t wait for a week of doing very little


 
Posted : 24/07/2022 6:33 pm
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Id be interested in wild camping but need a clue as to where
I can. Cant walk too far/happy to sleep in the car. I dont tend to sleep anyway, least of all camping
Got locked in a car park in Forest of Dean a few weeks back, that worked out well but couldve easily gone wrong. Nowhere to park off the road there. Various pubs in the area will let you park/camp for not much
Im in mid england
Id be back to Borneo or thailand , like chewkw, if I had the money, otherwise hostelling in the Canary Isles is probably as good n cheap as anywhere


 
Posted : 24/07/2022 6:51 pm
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Cottage in dorset for a week, and a further week camping on the family farm planned.
Can't be bothered with going abroad.

On the tent line i have a wildcountry homestead 5 that can go to a good home for a small charity donation if anyone is interested.
Based in Bedfordshire and can meet at chicky


 
Posted : 24/07/2022 7:00 pm
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If you see a small stone circle in welsh towns, that means they have hosted a national eisteddfod.

Been around a bit and it’s definitely quieter this year than last.


 
Posted : 24/07/2022 7:37 pm
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Lz at nealc


 
Posted : 24/07/2022 7:44 pm
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We've got a static caravan in North Wales so will be using that. We did pop down to Cardigan and stayed in a lovely little B&B for £113 for two nights - sme lovely beaches down there, and went dolphin spotting !

We've also had a couple of cheap overnight stays in Manchester after various concerts - just saves the hassle of getting a taxi home/or leaving the concert early for the last train.


 
Posted : 24/07/2022 7:54 pm
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Noticeably quieter here in Tobermory this year, despite the increase of foreign travellers. Expect that the price of petrol and food is putting people off, lots of “last minute cancellation” availability too whilst quite a few hospitality businesses are running reduced hours due to difficulty finding staff. Saw an article saying some businesses have seen a significant reduction in turnover in comparison to pre-COVID. Did consider taking the camper off-island for some short trips, but the 💩 weather has put those plans on hold - hoping for a drier autumn.


 
Posted : 24/07/2022 7:58 pm
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zilog6128
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£1700 for 9 months a year

perfect, if you never want to go anywhere else or see anything different. Not everyone’s the same…

Yeah I'm definitely not allowed to go anywhere else. Written in the contract that I can only be at home or there.


 
Posted : 24/07/2022 10:54 pm
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Interesting thread.

The majority of our holidays are UK, cheaper holiday cottages. We do very few paid days out - vast, vast majority of our holiday days are walking, cycling or canoeing. We limit cafe stops and maybe have one meal out over a fortnight holiday. Packed lunches and self catering are the order of the day.

Mrs_oab has never got on with camping, other than a night on a hill or riverbank. We found it's also difficult to keep bikes and kit secure with 5 of you camping - but we only tried once...

We do save up, and so have been fortunate to be able to afford a few foreign trips. We've driven to Massif Central, Les Gets and northern Spain. We've flown to Poland. Again, all these trips were self catered, staying in cheapest places we could (booking waaay ahead helps). Les Gets was most expensive because of uplifts and more pricey accomodation. Poland was cheap as the Easy Jet flights were direct and £60 each all in, return...

I've just worked out that this year's Basque Country and Picos de Europa fortnight cost exactly the same as last year's two weeks in Harris and Torridon. The difference in holiday cottage prices paid for the £700 overnight ferry...and they were nicer houses in Spain.


 
Posted : 25/07/2022 8:46 am
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We have had our caravan ten years and it gives us cheap holidays. Ok fuel is expensive and we are currently on Orkney and ferries cost.
We often stay on caravan club cl’s dirt cheap and the camping and caravan club have a similar network that take tents.

At the start of the break we stayed at Altnaharra and had the non electric area to ourselves just like pre covid times and £10 a night

Alt

Alt


 
Posted : 25/07/2022 9:01 am
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I need to start me a 'lighweight, cheap, 2-berth caravan' thread...hmmm


 
Posted : 25/07/2022 9:12 am
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Currently in our old but gold caravan in harlech in the rain. Seasonal pitch on a farm looking over llandanwg.

Argoed Farm? We’re off there on 19th August.


 
Posted : 25/07/2022 9:23 am
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Yeah I’m definitely not allowed to go anywhere else. Written in the contract that I can only be at home or there.
well if you're spending £1700 on a pitch and then paying again to go somewhere else, suddenly it's sounding less good VFM isn't it 🤣 and this [I]is[/I] a thread for cheap holidays... ooh, there's an idea though, you could let someone else less-well-off from STW use it when you're on one of your other holidays somewhere else? 😃


 
Posted : 25/07/2022 9:32 am
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Just booked 2 nights in a campsite, non electric pitch, in Yorkshire dales for me and my son, in a small 2 man tent. 62.50!!!! i dont mind paying over the odds as its our main holiday but still. It reeks, and im not talking about the inside of the tent after 2 nights


 
Posted : 25/07/2022 10:17 am
 a11y
Posts: 3618
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Camping ain't always as cheap as you'd expect. Glen Brittle campsite on Skye is utterly delightful: great location well off the main, fairly quiet, basic facilities, no phone signal. It was £40/night for family (2 adults, 2 kids) inc electric though! It's a personal favourite we keep on returning to.


 
Posted : 25/07/2022 10:32 am
 nbt
Posts: 12381
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I need to start me a ‘lighweight, cheap, 2-berth caravan’ thread…hmmm

Caravan are going for insane prices right now, they market went bananas due to covid and it's still on a massive high. We've a 2006 caravan that cost us £4k to buy 5 years ago, fully-equipped and ready to rolk. Market value at the moment is £4.5k for the caravan alone.

Sadly it's got damp so it isn't going to fetch that price, and we can't afford the kind of 'van we'd like (newer and therefore less likely to suffer the same issue), so we are more likely to be looking at holiday apartments for the next year or two while we save up.

PM me if you want a chat about a project caravan, btw...


 
Posted : 25/07/2022 10:39 am
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