Holidays... not for me I'm happy at home

Not odd at all, paddyann. DH had health problems earlier this year which meant we had to cancel a couple of trips away. I felt a huge amount of relief because deep down I didn't want to go anywhere and was glad of an excuse that people would easily accept.

We like our day trips and the occasional night away but it wouldn't break my heart if I never had another so called 'holiday'.

I'm a little like you paddyann in that I don't like being away from home for longer than a few days. I don't mind a long weekend, but I have no interest in going on holiday abroad any more, simply because of the queuing, check in and delays etc at the airport. But I do like to discover new areas around Britain a couple of times a year. But I'm happiest at home.

I also quite like just a few days away. A city break to Barcelona or Berlin is nice but more often it is likely to be somewhere within about a 3 hour drive.
However, living in NI it's easy to run out of somewhere New. Sometimes further afield will take us to the west of Ireland or south of Dublin.
To go across to the mainland means a ferry crossing and the cost of this will more than cover a couple of Easyjet flights for a city break. To go by car from NI to the north of England to visit our son takes longer than a short flight and costs more.

I'm with you Paddyann. DH and I are home birds. We do enjoy short breaks away, but don't feel the need for a long holiday - anywhere! We are content at home. I understand that some people do not feel able to relax unless they are 'away from it all' so each to their own, but 'holiday' to me just means not having to rush and plan ahead all the time.

Oh how I wish we could get away for a proper holiday. But sadly work commitments and lack of money prevent us from doing so. The thread about Cyprus is making me long to go back. We are all different aren't we? It's just typical that those that can get away don't want to and those that can't get away do. [Smile]

With two abroad we travel a fair bit but they are in oz and Canada so none of the European rushing holidays where so many go, I love the travelling but having five weeks annual leave is restricting and some years I like taking leave in bits and bobs so I can spent it at home. Next year is one of those years so I am looking forward to uk breaks already.

Don't get me wrong I would like to see Europe but it will always be where the children are first so that will always come after long haul travel and time at home so until I retire that's how it will be.

We generally have a week somewhere in this country or, more usually, Wales - not abroad these days; DH hates airports. I wouldn't miss it if we didn't have a holiday, but, like you, I hate it when people think this is a strange thing. Much as I love my DiL she is always banging on about how we should go on a cruise and how much we would love it. Well, no, actually, we wouldn't and I have politely pointed this out to her but it does not slow down her crusade to get us on a ship!

How nice to find some like minded people!

I find that a week away is plenty although we took longer holidays, driving and camping around Europe when all the children were younger.

People seem amazed that we don't want to fly somewhere exotic and sit in the sun, or do the Inca Trail or Great Wall of China.

I have a huge bucket list of places we want to see in this country and four or five days away at a time is fine by us.

Another thing is that Dh loves jazz so we take the opportunity to stay away and look around anywhere we visit.

I have never travelled abroad and have no wish to, I don't like hot weather and as for being stuck on a ship with loads of strangers... no thanks.
We used to have a holiday somewhere in the UK when the boys were young but since they have been off on their own we haven't bothered. Don't miss the rushing about, packing etc. I always think you need a week at home to recover from going away lol.

In a way I agree with the OP but when we actually do go away I find the change of scenery so refreshing and enjoyable that I kick myself for not doing it more often.
It's so easy to get stuck in a rut and travel really does broaden the mind.

I am not alone then ! There are such great expectations of holidays and they rarely live up to it. I enjoy a few days away prefer to stay in an hotel rather than with friends so I am a free agent. I hate all the hullabaloo at airports so like to drive to my destination. Like other posters I enjoy days out. As for camping ugh !
My granddaughter is in S.America for a month doing all sorts of adventurous things, I love to hear about it but don't want to do it myself.

jusenoneed we definitely want a balance that includes holiday time at home to 'recover' - or just 'be' if we also choose to go away.

When my children were little we travelled extensively in the UK, - top, middle and bottom of Wales, a London-based week to cover our national heritage , Norfolk for beautiful beaches and so on.

Going on holiday can be very stressful and it is a wonder to me that people, especially with young children, want to put themselves through the stresses of navigating airports, travelling to places that are uncomfortably hot and paying high tariffs for just a.n.other beach / pool / hotel experience that may not be that dissimilar to somewhere nearer home. If you want to explore the culture of a place, that is different, but if we want a break 'away' we can achieve that by travelling 15 miles down the road .

I think sometimes people feel they should be able to say thy have been somewhere 'exotic' - when the reality may be a lot more expense and stress for very little substantial gain.

we will be camping soon - when people have asked where we are going and I say, the subject is often quickly dropped, as if it is a 'poor man's holiday' that can be of little interest. It suits us to a tee and we get to see a lot of brilliant places, eat as and when we want to - no waiting for a dining room to open ... no being ripped off food-wise and our accommodation costs at a picturesque location for 7 nights: £133! I keep reminding my DH that I am cheap to keep .

There's such a lot to be said for taking short breaks in the UK.

You can wait until the weather forecast is favourable and grab a last minute bargain - preferably when the kids have gone back to school in September!

No packing stress - just chuck it all in the boot of the car and what you don't need can stay there till you get home.

No extortionate kennel fees for just a couple of nights away.

No airport/travel stress.

Easy to extend your break for a night or two if you want to.

Journeys can be flexible - if you want to stop for a break or take a detour just do it.

No massive expectations as it hasn't taken you months to plan.

And if it all goes pear shaped you can just jump in the car and Go Home.

Wow! so many like minded people!

I have no urge to travel to another country (maybe one day I will but at the age of 61 and no passport)
My late dh loved going to Wales Anglesey with our little tent before we moved up to 5 star luxury caravan (actually it was a little 2 birth tiny thing but to us it was lovely)
When his health became a problem we sold the van and had little weekends away in Landudnno we loved it.

Then as health got worse we were quite content to stay at home potter in the garden and round town and odd day out at Fleetwood/Blackpool/etc dh would sit in the car over looking the sea and I would go walkies.
I am quite content to holiday in this country I don't yearn for hot weather and lounging by the poolside.
We had our honeymoon in Malta and we went to Spain..never wanted to re visit.

People seemed shocked! that I ave never been to LONDON! lol I have no urge/yearning to go there it is of no interest to me and certainly isnt on my bucket list.

and if it all goes pear shaped you can just jump in the car and go home! You have hit the nail on the head, Merlot!

You are definitely not alone as we can see!

I am in the situation where OH is unwell and getting away is a bit of a problem. But even before that we did not go away much. When the children were little we took more holidays as they enjoyed the beach; and we sometimes went to summer schools for a week, where each did their own courses.

But now we go to St Davids each year for a week and I go to the festival concerts whilst OH lolls about. Next year we are also going to the seaside with a DD and family - but that is as are as we go. I was brought up by the sea and need my "fix" every year.

But big trips involving planes and airports hold no appeal and never have. I enjoy travel programmes on TV - that is enough for me - let someone else do the traveling!

Why don't my italics work??? B****r!

Merlotgran - your style of holiday just chucking it in the car and being flexible is great. That was my holidays once the DC grew up and before my DH died. We loved wandering around the country, stopping where we felt like. Equally, if we weren't going away, I liked relaxing sitting in the garden reading. I refused to go on a package tour to Europe again with awful Europop blaring all day and awful English style food.
As a widow, my holidays are a few days away at a holiday camp with DGC. It's enjoyable but exhausting, especially the travelling without a car.

Another home body here, I find thinking what to take, packing so stressful,I have been abroad a couple of times also a mini cruise, that was before E was born....my OH and I havent been on holiday since we got together 14 years ago..we are quite happy with day trips and the very occasional weekend away

We love being at home pottering, it suits us to have short breaks by the east coast. We are thought of as odd/tight! But I'm ok with that
We have been abroad in the past & the pyramids are definitely on my bucket list, just when I'm not sure

We used to have 3 foreign holidays every year until I got skin cancer on my face and then we tried a narrowboat holiday in this country and fell in love with boating so joined a boatshare syndicate . We did It for 9 years before selling our share. We miss the boating and finding beautiful little villages but don't miss the share side of It. We had some "not very clean "people join it and i spent hours cleaning the boat before we could use it.
Now we have a caravan which we have bought with our youngest son and Dil .
Seeing the news today i am pleased we dont travel abroad.

....and, another one here!
After years of holidays in Europe ( long camping trips with the children in France, years ago) and of so many holidays abroad in far flung places, have reached the stage where holidays in the UK are fine for me.DH still wants to go to a few places abroad though, so will have to compromise on that.All the airport rush and faff, and especially the hold ups now because of anti-terrorist checks, just don't seem worth it.To throw your cases in the car and just drive off to a destination here is very relaxing. The only thing that still tempts me is somewhere sunny in the middle of Winter.

But then Paddyann, I love travelling and new places and friends/relatives are always saying saying "where now" disapprovingly and telling me I should be spending more time at my house -I guess people just like telling others what they should be doing