Up until October of this year, I had never been on a proper holiday in the UK. I think a lot of this is down to not being able to drive as a lot of places I would want to go are not easily accessible by train or the journey would take a VERY long time. For example, I would love to go to places like Cornwall, Brighton, Newquay and to rent a cute little cottage in the middle of nowhere. Without being able to drive, it sometimes seems that holidays abroad are easier and I guess that’s probably why I have been to plenty of amazing places overseas. So, UK Or Abroad?
Abroad
Although I have been to quite a few places abroad, I have had very mixed experiences. My very first holiday was to Benidorm when I was 18 and since then I have been to places like Rome, Paris, New York, Florida… just to name a few.
Something that I love about holidays abroad is that you get to see a completely different way of life. I used to love a city break and to discover somewhere completely different to where we live. Although I might not have loved Rome or Paris, for various reasons, I still loved exploring and see the way that other people live. City breaks can be quite exhausting but there are so many amazing cities and so much to see!
Since going to Orlando in 2013 to get married I realised that I do actually like laying by a pool and relaxing. I never thought that would be me but after years of being so busy and tired, I do need a real break and to relax. Our next holiday booked is for 7 nights in Majorca in April and we’ve gone All Inclusive. I have never had a holiday like this in my life. However, I am so excited it’s unbelievable. Now, we have Erin to think about as well as me and John and our needs have really changed compared with a couple of years ago.
Going on a holiday abroad now could mean a real adventure or it could mean a week of relaxation, fun and loads of food not to mention some warmer weather!
UK
In October we went on our first family holiday to Center Parcs Elveden Forest. I had always heard great things about Center Parcs but for whatever reason, just never chose it over going abroad. Erin was 22 months old when we went and I just wasn’t ready to attempt to take her on a plane without seeing what she’d be like on holiday. Luckily, Elveden Forest is only about an hour and a half away from us by train and super easy to get to so the not driving wasn’t really a problem here.
Erin had a blast on holiday at Center Parcs and we did the whole holiday on a budget. Our lodge cost £359 for a Monday to Friday break which was in term time and this was for 4 adults and Erin. We then spent about £200 on food while we were there but we could have eaten at our lodge a lot more and saved more money there. We also booked a few activities online but paid for these before our holiday.
I thoroughly enjoyed our UK break and I was actually surprised at how much I immediately wanted to go back. I would have booked another holiday the second I got home had I been able to afford it.
Verdict
I don’t want to cheat here and not pick one of the options. It’s such a hard choice though because each option has so much to offer. However, right now I would definitely choose a UK break if I had to pick either one. This is mostly down to Erin’s age though I think. We haven’t yet been abroad with her and I know how much she loved the animals and freedom at Center Parcs. In a couple of years, my answer might be different!
What would you choose: UK Or Abroad?
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