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And was it in the UK?
In the last week I've had three of my customers in who run holiday homes say they've had zero bookings in January. And bookings for summer are thin on the ground, and they expected a flurry after Jan pay day, but hardly anything.
These are nice cottages in nice areas and usually at good occupancy levels - probably middle/upper end of the market so not aimed at those on a tight budget.
Seems contrary to media reports at the start of the year saying 2023 holiday bookings were strong.
Only last night; just booked again at a place we often stay in Fife for a week in July. According to the calendar on the agent's website, it is fairly busy through the spring. Not chock-a-block though (spelling?)
There will be others booked over the next week or two if I can get my act together.
Seems contrary to media reports at the start of the year saying 2023 holiday bookings were strong.
Probably done on the back of pressure from travel companies seeing low booking levels in the hope people will panic into booking something.
But we haven't booked anything yet - looking at Norfolk in April.
Booked a few days in a cottage in Lincolnshire and then 10 days on a tent only campsite in Devon early July. Probably be a Premier Inn on the way back north.
We've booked an Airbnb in the Pyrenees in July. Just had a quick look for somewhere closer to home out of interest, cheapest is almost twice the price. It'll work out more expensive eventually with flights and car hire but at least we'll be in the Pyrenees.
Fort William and Glencoe.
Mrs Weeksy is inspired, honest.
We run a holiday cottage in the highlands. Bookings are down - currently have 13 weeks booked for the season (April-Oct). This time last year we had 19 weeks booked. I fear it's going to be a thin year.
We have a few long weekends away in the UK booked in the camper.
Tunnel was booked this week for mid September for a week in Finale and then roaming round SE France.
Looking to Austria and elsewhere in June but still debating.
We use our Tesco vouchers for the Tunnel.
Had noticed last year that the UK campsites are almost double the price what we were paying for the equivalent in Europe and its looking from enquiries this year that the gaps getting bigger.
Yes we have, and the place we are staying has a few available weeks still which is unusual-on St. Martin’s IOS. Normally fully booked by now.
We live near a holiday let which hasn’t had anyone in since before Christmas which is also unusual so perhaps there are fewer people wanting to stay?
Seems contrary to media reports at the start of the year saying 2023 holiday bookings were strong.
Budget airlines are having a really strong year...
https://www.ft.com/content/79ec42b8-d41d-416f-8c45-a04d2d8013ef
There was a similar article elsewhere about Wizz Air having best bookings ever.
Maybe it's just that there's still a huge latent demand for foreign travel post-Covid?
Yes, going to Northumberland for a week at some point. Considering a few extra days away too (up to a week), but the prices seem extravagant.
Not yet, I know my annual leave dates for the year, just need to decide when/where to go.
We just booked a villa in Corfu with friends, through AirBNB. Price was comparable to a UK cottage so even though we will get bent over on flights it seemed worth it. The few places we looked at/spoke to didn't have that much availability.
I suspect now that we are "living with" covid a lot of people are desperate to get away. I love the UK but I don't want to holiday here every year and I'd like the kids to see a little bit of the world, even if it is a tourist ridden beach on a tourist ridden island.
Not yet, but only because we're trying to get a rescue dog so can't book anything yet 🙁
Got one weekend away in the UK booked up for a specific event and planning something for the next weekend in Germany. Hopefully taking my mum away for a week too but that's dependant on a few things. Other than that no plans although I have the small possibility of having a short week away with the bikes, hoping in the PDS region but most likely in the UK.
Holiday?
I have Not been away since lock down started.
I will only go for holiday next year if I can plan properly.
Fort William then onto Oban for a few days.
World champs at the start of it but only get there in time for the finals on Saturday also taking our bikes up so hopefully the family will get some riding in round the area the rest of the time we’re up there.
We struggled finding places round Oban to book they were either booked up or far too expensive But did eventually find a small holiday cottage.
Huh.
No choice saloon here.
Son is getting married (well technically its a service, but still has to actually get married here in the UK.
So, you might say, What is unusual about that?
They have chosen Ravello, Amalfi Coast, Italy in August !!
Thats our holidays budget gone for this year, and probably next year as well.........grrrr.
2 summer weeks in Morzine are pencilled in and hope to confirm soon. No idea how we’re going to pay for it but can’t cope with not going. With a 16 year old in the house we’re running out of years where we can have family holidays!
Ferry to Spain booked for the beginning of May,2 months of going where the fancy takes us
3/4 nights riding the Rebellion way in September too
They have chosen Ravello, Amalfi Coast, Italy in August !!
But what a lovely spot to get married! We stayed in a hotel opposite Ravello, ooh, 15 years ago now. We walked over to Ravello a couple of times, it's beautiful. Amalfi itself is lovely too, but it's a long way back up! I was younger and fitter then and decided to run up the road from Amalfi, got some very funny looks/comments from the locals 😀
Half term in Feb Yorkshire Dales in a lux cottage, was surprised it was free given its fantastic reviews?
Its the first time in my life I've had to book during school holidays so come the summer it will be even more of a shock!
Didn't factor this in when choosing to date a teacher 😀 Having said that I did 2 months of last summers road trip during school holidays and AirBnB for 1 or 2 was plentiful and cheap.
We have three different UK self catering trips already booked this year. One is a canal boat but the others are cottages. Last year's wet Welsh trip broke our camping spirit 😂
Our rescue dog has anxiety and separation issues so kennels and sitters are an issue. Sticking to the UK for now. Not sure how he'd cope with a car ferry in kennels or solo in the car either 🫤
We’ve not booked anything yet. My wife’s holiday let is booked up through the next few months so we are tied in to doing changeovers every week for the forseaable. Not complaining mind as it’s good to have bookings this time of year. A friend has offered to cover for us if we go away on holiday so may need to use that option to get away this summer.
We are absolutely rammed. January was fantastic, February very busy. July/August pretty much full. Busiest year for a long time (self catering units, West Highlands). Forward bookings are way up.
Amsterdam in April and Gran Canaria in May.
We have a static van in Wales, but hoping that the recession will reduce the demand for them as our site, after taking all our rent in covid, is kicking all the older vans off the site by the end of the year. Ours still looks new as we've looked after it, so somewhat hoping the site has lots of empty plots and don't kick us off. Quite a number left at the end of the season.
We have a Northumberland place booked in August. A repeat booking from last year. Going direct with the owners rather than via a company. A bit cheaper than last year.
We were looking for another week earlier in the year. Seeing lots of availability and high prices. May still do a second week but last minute if any good deals come up.
Also looking at a month in USA mainly camping in Sept/Oct. Can't book until time off confirmed in early March but pleasantly suprised by flight prices. BA doing £580 for Glasgow-Heathrow San Francisco and San Diego - Heathrow - Glasgow. Obviously plus bike fee and exit row fees. At 6ft3 economy not an option for 11 hour flights.
Not me. I'll be disappearing in the van for a while I reckon. Mrs S is off to Oz for May (all of it) so I might not go until June 🙂
Yep, off to see the family in Barbados, and pay our respects to an uncle that died during Covid. Managed to get a package the same cost as the last visit in 2018 thanks to the Virgin Christmas sale. Same seats on the plane, same hotel.
Nope, holiday money just went on a private operation for our son as the NHS obviously decided he wasn't worth seeing. 6 months on from being rushed to A & E and mutiple referals from our excellent GP we still dont have an initial consultation appointment. We can't book an appointment despite having the referral letter as the online booking service doesn't have any appointments. Apparently the hospital is managing appointments outside of the system, you have to wait for them to ring you. In our case no call in 6 months and no way to chase it up as we've been effectively locked out the system.
So no, we don't have a holiday booked.
@the-muffin-man to go back to your original question, could be those better off are feeling more comfortable booking abroad post covid which may mean bookings are up but not in UK. Those staying in UK probably looking more budget so the UK premium market is the one squeezed.
Yep 2 nights with me mate in Mojacar as Mrs DoD was unhappy with us having too much fun in Benidorm.
It’s weird when you actually live reasonably close to the places people go on holiday.
I run an Airbnb in the Cotswolds in our garden (separate unit to our house), we've had one weekend booking for January and only a couple of bookings for the summer... Normally full every weekend.
We mainly have under 35yr old couples without kids who have a dog. 2 night minimum stay and it's cheapish a night for the type of accommodation, when compared to similar in the area. So I think the drop off must be down to the type of customer and cost of living.
Comparatively, we had our only holiday for the year, a week at end of December/start of January in Beer in Devon - 2 bed cottage. That's pretty much 70% booked through to Christmas next year and beyond.
Going to the Le Mans 24H again. They're expecting 300,000 people, I hope some don't turn up!
A week booked in Amroth in a nice cottage for us two and two dogs, summer shutdown season as well. Prices were similar to last year and the place was booked out either side of when were going.
Got a week of skiing coming up and a long weekend in the Peaks at Easter time. Summer will hopefully be 3 weeks interrailing. I’ll try to squeeze in a couple of cheap, long weekends biking in Wales too.
We usually holiday in Uk, Northumberland and Cairngorms. We have a week in the former in May, outwith school holidays as youngest has a break after his highers. We usually go for quite large self catering as youngsters and partners tend to join for some or all.
Surprised at the price hike this year, what cost £1300 a week last year is now £2000, though appreciate we may be in a niche zone.
Week in Cornwall at the end of the month. Week in Devon in May and 2 weeks in Cornwall end of September.
We had 2 weeks in Mustique last year and I'm genuinely looking forward to a wet week in Cornwall more.
Just love the fact that we can load the car up and off we go.
I will add that 2 weeks in a Cornish house in September costs the same as our friend's all inclusive ,with flights to Sharm at the same time .
Les Deux Alpes in April for a week, then will be going out to my sister's place in the Pyrenees (France) in summer and will head over to Spain for a weeks camping while we're down there. Taking bikes and new dog, will be great fun.
TBH I can't wait to get away from this shit hole.
No, but I'll be finally taking the holiday I first booked in 2019 and have been rescheduling ever since!
If we hadn't already booked it, we might not be taking a holiday this year - we're usually comfortable enough (no kids) but we've had to do some belt-tightening lately.
It’s weird when you actually live reasonably close to the places people go on holiday.
Welcome to my life 🙂
Pros: Lots more facilities, cafes, pubs, activities etc than the resident population could support. Employment.
Cons: Ridiculously busy at times, low paid jobs, lack of affordable housing (buy or rent). Over-development.
Had one holiday this year and will be organising the summer holiday soon.
Very fortunate to have a French girlfriend, summer holiday will be at her gite (with Ventoux as a background).
I plan on riding to her place from either from Marseille or from Geneva.
Was looking at trip to Isle of man to race the 2 day enduro there
Prices were twice the price of ferry to France!
It's hardly surprising demand is low, money is tight, plus still pent up demand to go abroad post covid
My brother and his family is coming over from Australia for the first time in about 10yrs. My mum has booked a cottage in Cornwall for 7 days. There will be 6 adults, 4 kids. One dog. House sleeps 8. My wife pointed out my autistic daughter doesn't cope well with people she doesn't know and new places. My mum dismissed it, blamed my wife for causing trouble. Wife isn't happy. I already feel like it's going to be a shitfest
Yep, 2 weeks in UK (easter, 1st week of summer hols) and week holland/week Germany end of summer hols. Happy days 🙂
House sleeps 8
you know that’s code for 1 decent double, 1 tiny double, 2 bunks in a cupboard and a sofa bed in the kitchen?
3 weeks in California leaving end of April and 3 weeks in France/Spain in camper leaving Aug bank holiday. Not flown since lockdown.
Booked last week of July (9 nights) with the touring caravan near Padstow. We may change dates, or go elsewhere, or go abroad, but wanted to book whilst there's availability.
Things will be dynamic this year though as for a huge amount of work about to drop
Yup. A week on Skye, the finishing up at fort bill for the MacAvalanche
Well excited.
3 weeks in California leaving end of April and 3 weeks in France/Spain in camper
God, that sounds brilliant
I’d normally book a week in a cottage in the U.K., my son’s allergies make going to furrin difficult enough that it’s not a holiday.
But this year we need a new bathroom, so no planned trip. May do something towards the back end of the year, weather and funds left over permitting.
Not booked anywhere in the UK this year. We'd normally go to Scotland at Easter, but daughter if in a level year and wants to stay home and study.
Off to Spain to visit family in Feb, and then to the states in July for an "end of school" roadtrip.
Will probably book somewhere UK in autumn once we know about uni's.
God, that sounds brilliant
I do hope so! It’s our finished paying the mortgage/wife’s 50th extravagance.
Off to whiterooms in July, Mrs100th in Mallorca in April.
New roof and other building work needed so UK weekends is all we can squeeze in.
Not many nice places take 2 dogs so caravan, which is only just cheaper than renting.
Got a week booked in a chalet just outside Bude in October, stayed there before so got a good deal on it. Other than that nowt bar the odd long weekend on the bikes probably.
We can't really have foreign holidays with the way the families are spread, this summer we have a couple of weeks booked up in Scotland to see the family and friends, then we have a week in Devon booked for the other in-laws.
It's never cheap booking in the UK, you just have to factor in the benefits of being in the UK for the holiday, and happy to explore the country rather than just sit on a beach for a week.
Going to Aus in April - delayed due to house move, COVID - will be first holiday since 2019. Holiday businesses here expecting a lean year as there’s been a big drop in EU visitors and many struggling to find staff/operating at reduced hours.
No. My kids have back to back scout camps which have written off the first 2 weeks of the summer holiday.
My eldest is also doing her GCSEs so needs to be around for results day - which gives us a 10 day window in Aug. We decided it was just too much hassle to fit something in.
I can't complain as last year we had a 3 week holiday to Italy in the summer (1 week in Venice +2 weeks in Garda) then a week in Rome at Christmas for my 50th.
We'll do something good in 2024 though...
Kind of live for the holidays. The further you get away from the South East UK (where I live) the better. Devon/Cornwall, Scotland, Wales, Northern remote parts of UK are all amazing. But prices can make it much cheaper to run to the sun. We were lucky enough to get a campervan in Covid and it’s been great for family trips and weekends away. Have noticed camping prices on the increase in UK/abroad.
Going to Ile de Re in August. Busiest possible place to chose in France, but it is by the sea and others requested this location! The ferry prices in August (and same comment goes for Eurotunnel) are insane. I would recommend going mid week if you can (we couldn’t) as the August tax is a lot.
I think crazy prices for camspsite/ferry will make this trip the most expensive camping holiday ever; that is saying something, as last year we went to the Swiss Alps.
We go away quite a lot but tend to do hostels in the Uk and hotels abroad. Can't see the point on splashing out loads of dosh on somewhere I'm going to be asleep and I don't like how communities have been completely hollowed out by AirBnBs like Robin Hood's Bay and Croyde.
@convert - not sure if the messages is working at the moment?
Is your cottage in the highlands pet friendly?
If so please could you send some details.
Thanks
Dan
Oh yes. Just got back from a weeks riding in la palma. Skiing in March and the ferry booked for 2 weeks of summer alpine fun. Finally the annual trip to the Tweed valley in the autumn
City break in Reykjavik in March. Was supposed to be going with mrs_d but she sadly passed away, so I cancelled that & re-booked it for one, same dates, different hotel
Gigging holiday to Scotland at end of May, coming back via Lindisfarne.
Just booked a week in Dubrovnik, haven’t been anywhere warm & sunny since 2018
The wife had booked quite an expensive summer holiday in Crete for 2 weeks in a nice hotel - but looking at our mortgage fixed rate running off in July I made some noises about it being too expensive. Managed to cancel with only a loss of a small deposit and talked her down to 10 days in Majorca and over £1k less.
Jet2 acruslly rang up to say sorry we cancelled and they’d give our lost deposit back if we used it to book a holiday for summer 2024 before mid Feb this year.
So I reckon loads of people are pulling the belt in and cancelling / not booking the usual holidays. We’re not going to take up the Jet 2 offer - don’t want to do an all inclusive type holiday in 2024. Going to see how the money goes and maybe do our own thing.
I did get myself a big new tent for Xmas - the wife hates camping but either I’m going to go just with my 6 year old or maybe I’ll convert her to the joys of camping (I doubt it). Hard to beat sat in a field on a sunny summer evening with a bbq / mates / cider etc
Yuup,A week April in Pebbles- my 60th birthday.
A week by the coast in Wales in July.
Just got back from 3 days in Seville. Nice city break and good to get some sun on the face after a cold winter in UK.
2 days was enough to see the city so we bought tickets to see the mighty Real Betis play Barcelona. The atmosphere was outstanding, far better than any premier league game I've been to.
This was only our second holiday since start of covid.
Not showing off , in laws both gone he was mega tight so we now have the means 👍 Going to Canada in July starting on the East Coast finishing up in Vancouver with a day in Whistler via float plane for old time sake . In between taking in the Calgary Stampede and a trip on the Rocky Mountaineer .
We are both the wrong side of 60 I'm fast approaching 70 so not sure how many more long hauls we can be assed to do 😔😔😔
Ernie feel for you and your wife. My parents know my son is autistic but it was only going away together 18months ago they saw how hard it can be. Holidays aren't easy with some autistic children. Talk to your mum. I'm having to take my girls away without my son now.
Last year was so tough, a week in Cornwall, that I'm just going to do a couple of long weekends locally with activities filling the daylight hours.
Long weekend at house in Kerry coming up, Easter there as well. Couple of weeks working in Albania but I don’t think that’ll be any holiday!
Not sorted summer yet, talk of Canada or Japan - probably end up in Kerry again (which is fine with me).
Got a week in Bourg with Bike Village that's a carry over from a cancelled by covid trip.
Hope it goes better than our trip the Spain last year which was also a cancelled by covid trip that we both got covid on the second day there.😒
Not booked yet but should be able to get a few weekends away a bit further north.
Nope. The nearest I’ve got to a holiday in the last six or seven years was a weekend at End Of The Road Festival last year, nobody playing this year I’m at all interested in, plus I’m facing redundancy at the end of the month, and not sure after that quite what’s happening, and I’m not in any particular state of mind to think about it right now.
A few days in the Peak District
We've booked a couple of days in Tongue and a week in Orkney.
TBH I can’t wait to get away from this shit hole.
TBH, I just left this 'shithole' for a few days work in a popular southern European capital city. It was just as big a 'shithole', with a lot more poverty with added queues and prices at every turn for anything vaguely touristy.
The royal 'we' have just booked a week at Easter in the Dales. House share with my in-laws. My bike will heavily used 😜
So that's us sorted. Easter the Dales in a house, summer in Devon in a tent.
Booked a week in NW Scotland at the end of April and a week in Snowdonia at the beginning of July. Plenty of cottages we looked at were booked up during these periods.
Looked at cottages in the Lake District but very poor value compared to Scotland/Wales.
plus I’m facing redundancy at the end of the month, and not sure after that quite what’s happening, and I’m not in any particular state of mind to think about it right now.
Wish you the best CZ, I’ve fortunately just come out the right side of that and the nerve jangling time it took was quite debilitating. Focus on you.
We've both just started new jobs. Want to get a handle 9n those and let things settle down a bit before we book anything. Having said that, it's not uncommon for us to not have a holiday, or book something last minute.
Going to Malaga for my 50th (it's today btw🥳) though going in April. We've also booked a place in Seahouses in Northumberland and a stint in Centre parcs on the way back. Haven't been to either so it's something different for us.
Before covid we used to book a fantastic house in the lakes and go away with the parents in law. It was a great location but a bit run down, tired but reflected in the price.
After covid the price has more than doubled and priced us out of the market. It's now cheaper to book a flight with all inclusive.
Some places cashed in after covid, tried to make up for losses etc but haven't dropped the prices back down. Market forces will kick in now hopefully.
Probably be a Premier Inn
We've got a campervan, I can't believe how much prices have gone up for a pitch, a lot with 3 day minimum bookings. It's not much more for a premier Inn with full breakfast included!