Only annual leave this summer is in school summer holidays - we have no kids. Best place in UK to go?

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OctopusArmWrestling@reddit

Would you go camping? I hesitate to recommend the Lake District because obviously it’s very popular, especially in school holidays. However, the area around Wast Water and Wasdale is absolutely stunning and - because it’s much more difficult to get to than the eastern side of the Lakes (there’s basically only one road in) - it’s actually relatively quiet. We went camping at the National Trust site at Wasdale in August once (with no kids) and had a lovely time. There were children around, but it’s not necessarily a “family friendly” campsite (no specific kids’ activities for example). The landscapes around there are simply jaw dropping too.

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KawaiiBunBun097@reddit

I second this. Having been to the other National Trust campsites in Eskdale and Low Wray, both were great. Going to Great Langdale in a few weeks and then Wasdale in the summer. Honestly can't wait. I wasn't a camper, but I've been converted.

The campsites limit number of berths allowed, so it's not like some which get packed to the prim. They've all had a very relaxed feel, but there would be children inevitably. We never had any trouble. Low Wray have a pizza truck in the summer which you can preorder in advance.

We're thinking of getting my parents to join us but put them in the pods as they have no tent.

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OctopusArmWrestling@reddit

Ahh hope you have an amazing time! We much preferred Wasdale to Langdale - although both campsites are lovely so I’m sure you’ll have a fantastic time. Wasdale is very much my happy place.

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RestaurantAntique497@reddit

It would be helpful to know your budget. What's expensive to you might not be to me.

On another note though I just wouldn't work in a place that did holidays like that. Sounds like a way to make most people unhappy as they won't get the time they actually want

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Curious_Monkey27@reddit

Ah welcome to some parts of the NHS…which is the monopoly employer for many healthcare staff.

Most jobs will try and accomodate leave requests but some just straight up tell you when you are working

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RestaurantAntique497@reddit

I mean my Mum works for the NHS in Scotland and definitely does not get her holidays rostered at set times.

Obviously some specific specialised roles might be like this but nursing definitely isn't. She puts in a request like and it's first come first served

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Curious_Monkey27@reddit

Doctors are in Scotland as per contract. Most jobs will not operate like this but some absolutely and definitely do

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McSmellen@reddit (OP)

Nailed it - slightly niche NHS job!

They try and be accommodating but sometimes it doesn’t work out.

Love my job and not looking to change!

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Enough-Ad3818@reddit

Hello fellow niche NHS role!

I also love my role, and put up with the irritations of NHS life because the job is exactly what I want to be doing. Sometimes I wonder if it's worth it, and then some random staff member from a Trust at the other end of the country contacts you for advice and support about something, and I remember why I like it.

To answer the question, I would be looking at Ireland, France, Belgium or Holland. Somewhere there are direct ferries so not too expensive, but that also don't rip people off in the shool holidays, like the UK does.

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Bowtie327@reddit

If it were me I’d expect a bonus/payrise to offset the extra costs of going away in summer holidays

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McSmellen@reddit (OP)

Thank you for replying!

Budget aim is £750 for the week for 2, including all accommodation, food, travel/ fuel, activities etc.

Realise this is quite a large budget for some and low for others!

Very happy being entirely self catered.

We are pretty thrifty and have a tent, too, though know campsite spots will be at a premium!

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Streathamite@reddit

£375 per person to cover a week’s worth of travel, accommodation, food and activities is not a large budget for anyone.

You’re going to really struggle with that.

Do you have camping equipment? Pitching a tent in a campsite for at least some of the nights is likely your best bet

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McSmellen@reddit (OP)

We have a tent, camping equipment and are used to a tight budget.

Just looking for a new place to go 😄

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Brickie78@reddit

Also, where are you? No point suggesting somewhere that's a five-minute drive away...

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luckeratron@reddit

You will need to be thrifty with that budget in the summer holidays unfortunately it's very expensive. But camping should be within your budget. Have you been to North Wales?

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runawaydebt@reddit

Yeah how can you book time for specific events if it's all pre planned out by the boss?! I couldn't handle that, I like to choose my own time off to suit me.

OP maybe try less family friendly accommodation like a one bed flats/houses on Airbnb? But I'd probably just go to France (or Belgium like another person has said) especially if you are happy to drive yourself there.

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DaveBeBad@reddit

Lots of places only allowed long leave during set periods. Around here, they traditional shut down Whitsun Bank holiday week, in the summer and Christmas and the rest of the year it was 1-2 days at a time.

This was more manufacturing though than office work.

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RestaurantAntique497@reddit

Yeah how can you book time for specific events if it's all pre planned out by the boss?! I couldn't handle that, I like to choose my own time off to suit me.

This was exactly what went through my head. A guy in my team just got married and took a couple days before and the week off after. Imagine not being rostered in that week and having to ask others to swap

I'm also married to a teacher so actively want the school holidays so we can be together. Seems like a faff to do it this way

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insomnimax_99@reddit

On another note though I just wouldn't work in a place that did holidays like that. Sounds like a way to make most people unhappy as they won't get the time they actually want

Very common in service industries - especially 24/7 industries like the railways.

At my TOC frontline staff have four weeks of their annual leave entitlement rostered for them. They can swap those weeks with each other or move weeks if there’s a slot available, but no more than a set number can be on rostered leave at any one time and they have rules that stop them from bunching up their weeks together.

Remainder of their leave is floating days which can be on any day of the year but again, there’s a limit on how many people can be on floating leave at any one time so it’s granted on a first come first serve basis.

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RestaurantAntique497@reddit

I'm assuming you have more than 4 weeks entitlement though? I can understand that in some industries it's necessary to allocate some of the leave and then you get to choose the rest.

OP is saying their whole entitlement has been chosen for them

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CulturedClub@reddit

Fly from Scotland from mid August onwards. The schools are back so the flights are cheaper (although our flights are typically more expensive than down south so maybe still not a bargain)

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ci_newman@reddit

Well done on reading the OP where he says he can only go in July.

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CulturedClub@reddit

Where does it say he can only travel in July?

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ci_newman@reddit

"Only time I have between now and autumn is the first week of the school holidays"

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CulturedClub@reddit

That doesnt say July though. Here the first week of the school holidays is June. And I believe some places the school holidays are August and September

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RealLongwayround@reddit

There is too little information here to be able to give a particularly helpful answer.

If you live in Kent then by the time you’ve driven to the southwest you will have spent more on fuel than if you got the ferry to France.

We live in Lancashire. We typically spend our summer holiday camping somewhere in Europe and save more than the price of a ferry on accommodation costs since good sites in France, Belgium and Germany are often much cheaper than in the UK.

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Smeee333@reddit

Plus French campsites are brilliant!

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Broad-Raspberry1805@reddit

Scottish Highlands are always quiet compared to the rest of the country. I did the north coast 500 with my son in August a couple of years back and you’d never know it was the school holidays. I’d avoid Skye though as that does get busy.

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A_In_Wonderland@reddit

We’re hoping to go to the highlands this summer, but are the midges really as bad as people say?

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Broad-Raspberry1805@reddit

Depends entirely on luck. I’ve never had an issue but some have. I think on balance you’re more likely to be ok than not. I wouldn’t let it put you off as you can always move on somewhere else if they make an appearance.

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A_In_Wonderland@reddit

Thanks, we’ll keep our fingers crossed!

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Madyakker@reddit

The Scottish schools go back in the second week of August, so it may not have been.

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Rainbvw@reddit

Yeah, OP needs to say where they are from. Judging by the username and "expensive in Scotland" comment, I'd say Scotland. I'm in England and went to Turkey in July a few years back (took the kids out of school - cheaper) and the resort was full of Scottish people. Turned out, it was their school holidays. Some had paid a great deal more than me, others had driven down to England and flown from there because it wasn't school holidays yet and was much cheaper.

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PmMeLowCarbRecipes@reddit

Anywhere in the UK in summer holidays is going to be crazy prices. I would just get on sky scanner and search “everywhere” and find somewhere with decent prices to fly to, then find an adults only hotel in that place.

Where did you look in Scotland? The Edinburgh fringe starts in August and prices are absurd to stay there or in commutable towns.

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Head-Instruction-801@reddit

get a tent, and go to Scotland?

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McSmellen@reddit (OP)

Thanks for all your replies! I will take a look around.

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moreboredthanyouare@reddit

Bit of wild camping is alwsys a winner

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McSmellen@reddit (OP)

Any places you love?

We have in Dartmoor a bit but very willing to try anywhere!

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McSmellen@reddit (OP)

I live in the midlands, for those asking.

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McSmellen@reddit (OP)

Sorry for not being more specific - afraid colleagues will see and think I’m being a moaner!

But happy to go in the midlands if somewhere we have not explored! Sometimes there are places not far away which you have never considered.

Would just be good to get out of the house and switch off for a bit

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JoeDaStudd@reddit

If you've got camping gear, get some midge spray and head up to scotland.\ Lots of outdoors space, wildcamping and cheap campsites if you want a proper toilet.\ Island hopping on the ferry's is a amazing, but you could just stick to the same area. I'm a big fan of the Galloway and Dumfries area.

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Delphinastella37@reddit

Belgian coast, easy to travel to and great stretches of beaches

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NoCold3997@reddit

Wasn't aware Belgium was in the uk but hey 🤷

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Thandoscovia@reddit

Bro is making the same joke twice like he’s marking an exam

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NoCold3997@reddit

France and Belgium ain't the same place and op asked for places in the uk no ferry's..can't you understand that it's a comment not a joke ..chill BRO

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RealLongwayround@reddit

“No ferry… unless the destination is very cheap”

In my experience, as someone who routinely gets the ferry to Europe for my summer holiday, I save the cost of the ferry in accommodation costs.

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captain_crackerjack@reddit

Knolls-Heist is beautiful.

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noileum@reddit

Second this - plus super easy to explore using the coastal tram

Also could do the Harwich - Hook of Holland ferry and explore the Dutch coast which has similarly nice sandy beaches. Easy train access to Amsterdam for some culture/smoke/smut (delete as applicable 😂) as well

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GlumAd9856@reddit

Have you camped before? That would be one way of keeping the costs down - though, you would probably still need to go to a national park location (like the Lake District) rather than a seaside resort. I've heard that even a pitch for a tent down in Devon/Cornwall during August is insane.

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heartleaf1234@reddit

Can you not swap with someone who has kids?

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Jimbob136925@reddit

I took a week at a eurocamp in France last year, cost like £330 for a 2 bed chalet on a holiday park. Me, misses and daughter. £98 ferry crossing and fuel (around £120) It was either last week of July or first week of August, cant remember exactly but it was a great value week abroad for that time of year. we had lovely time.

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Specialist_-Berry@reddit

I know you have specifically mentioned the UK, but accommodation will be super expensive. Probably cost effective to catch a cheap flight somewhere in Europe ( Portugal, Spain, Croatia, Greece, etc, etc)

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Effective_Taro4601@reddit

I know you said no ferries, but Ireland (all of it) is fairly cheap to get to and it’s a brilliant place if you don’t mind rain.

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Violet351@reddit

Dawlish Warren, hazlewood holiday park

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cuccir@reddit

There's some good value in southwest Cumbria, look around Ulverston - it's a nice market town, you can get easily into the Lakes but there's also a few local attractions eg Piel Island.

The North Pennines could work - good remote walking in Teesdale, you can do day trips to Beamish, Hadrian's Wall.

Galloway Forest Park is an underrated part of Scotland, fantastic castles, hiking.

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Wild_Honeysuckle@reddit

Northumberland is huge, and relatively quiet. If you stay away from the coast you can probably find something not too expensive. The coastline is lovely, particularly for walking along, and you have the Cheviot hills within reach, too. It’s also a bit cooler than down south for the summer months.

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MDL1983@reddit

Isle of Man Ile de Re

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EyeAware3519@reddit

Best place to go would be a different job.

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NoCold3997@reddit

Wherever going going in the uk i suggest you sort it now.. i feel the uk is going to have a bumper year this year with English tourists.

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Mammoth-Temperature3@reddit

You'd think so but i live in a very popular higher end sea front area that is normally extremely busy this time of year but its a ghost town. It's now vastly cheaper to go abroad for a week than it is to come here for a few days.

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Electricbell20@reddit

High end sea front won't be doing well right now.

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Mammoth-Temperature3@reddit

Mine is connected to another very famous one that is also more or less empty. Think the extremely popular, tacky one. It's still very expensive to go to any uk seaside town when you compare it to an all inclusive in turkey for example. Why would you spend £500 here with dicey weather and £15 fish and chips for 3 days when you can have turkey or greece for a week with all you can eat and drink.

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NoCold3997@reddit

Let me see . Rising aviation fuel costs , a very real chance of having flights cancelled, new ees European entry followed by etias.europe airport hubs running out of jet fuel with very little notice.

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Electricbell20@reddit

Because of the risk of not getting on a plane or the flight being cancelled altogether.

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NoCold3997@reddit

The tide is about to turn watch this space.

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TMI2020@reddit

Freshwater East in Cymru. There’s a holiday village that has chalets, and a pub/restaurant.

There is not much there apart from the beach and dunes, so it shouldn’t be crazy busy but Tenby and Saundersfoot are a short drive away. You’ve got stunning beaches like Manorbier, Broadhaven South and Barafundle Bay right on your doorstep too.

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amibothered666@reddit

Do the North Coast 500 around Scotland. You can’t beat the scenery and walking. Take a road trip and love it.

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mattjimf@reddit

Have a look at Glen Affric holiday park it's a small park surrounded by hills and waterfalls not far from Loch Ness and Inverness.

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Key_Seaworthiness827@reddit

Where do you live? If you're in the north of Scotland a week in Devon (for example) is probably not viable.

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Hour-Acanthaceae7081@reddit

Wales? To avoid families, choose places with fewer amenities, more rural. If camping is an option then there are adult only campsites. Ones without showers tend to have fewer kids, too 😂 The camping and caravan club have some very small campsites.

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Spikyleaf69@reddit

We live in Staffordshire and there are some great National Trust houses & gardens plus Cannock Chase forest all within the area. It is not a popular holiday destination so you are likely only going to run into local families. Lichfield is a lovely city to stay in for a base.

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Gjase@reddit

The northern France is well worth a visit. You have loads of historic towns and villages, plus the D day beaches.

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NoCold3997@reddit

France is in England? Didn't know that

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Thandoscovia@reddit

Bro is making the same joke twice like he’s marking an exam

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NoCold3997@reddit

Who is ?

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jsm97@reddit

Not yet

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NoCold3997@reddit

Does it move?

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RelativeShoulder370@reddit

If it's first week of the holidays check further south, some areas don't start the holiday's at the same time so the children are still in school and the prices are cheaper.

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quagaawarrior@reddit

Camping on dartmoor, free and easy, lots around to go see. Near some of the lovely beaches. You'll just have to cross your fingers for the sun.

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SuperDinkle406@reddit

Scilly Isles, Western Isles of Scotland, Anglesey.

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Baskham@reddit

My girlfriend is a teacher and I have set holidays too (that mostly line up with school holidays) so I feel your pain.

We’ve gone over to Europe a few times as others have suggested. We’ve been camping, costs are low. Can usually find an adults only/limited kids site as well.

Probably left it a little late, the key is to book early unfortunately

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BG3restart@reddit

I don't imagine anywhere would be cheap in peak season. How about a house swap, so you only have travel costs and no accommodation costs? There are probably childfree teachers who have to holiday in school holidays who'd like cheap accomodation too and might be on house swap sites.

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