Mayo view: The holiday abroad and how it compared
by Barbara Daly
My family and I decided to holiday abroad this year rather than at home, put off by the cost, the lack of facilities and the weather.
We returned on August 29 after our week away. So how did it stand up against what we might have had in Ireland? Am I as determined that holidaying abroad is the best option?
We had booked last minute for a cabin in a family park near Lake Garda in Italy. I felt we got a good deal (€1,185), until I heard what the early bird prices for next year were going to be (€488 in June).
However it still seemed a good deal compared to what we would pay for seven nights’ accommodation in Ireland in August.
The downside: the cabin was not as I had imagined from looking at photos on the website. It was smaller, sandwiched between other cabins, so close that you could see in and hear every word.
There were a number of minor maintenance issues with the cabin too – dripping taps, etc. While it had a kitchen, basic items like washing up liquid, tea towels and cloths were not provided.
The facilities including the pools and water slides were fantastic - ideal for our family and with lots of choice. The downside: almost all other activities cost extra – go carts, bikes, mini-golf, etc.
There was a kids club but the instructors and the activities were a bit lacklustre and did not interest our children very much. There were not many English-speaking children and therefore they struggled to make friends.
The weather was hot and sunny all the time we were there. This was great but if there was a downside, from 12 p.m. until 4 p.m. it was too hot to be outside apart from in a pool.
We took a daytrip to Verona one day and the heat was overwhelming in the city. We were very glad to get out of there.
The cost of dining out was definitely cheaper than in Ireland. Not so cheap in the park where we were staying but when we ventured out to a nearby restaurant there were main courses for as little as €7. Beer and wine was much cheaper too.
However the most challenging part of the holiday for us was the travelling. We arrived on an evening flight with Ryanair from Knock (we had no other option for times).
The flight was delayed by 45 minutes and then we were delayed by the crowds in passport control by a further hour. As a result we were late collecting our hire car and had to pay extra.
We collected the car at 11.30 p.m. There followed a very stressful few hours of getting lost, before finally checking in to our cabin at 4 a.m. Not good with two small, tired children in tow. Gary had never driven on the right-hand side before and this was not a good first experience.
So would I repeat this particular holiday again? No, but we definitely learned from it. Hiring a car was the wrong option for us. Daytrips in hot weather with two small children are not a great idea.
It would not stop me from holidaying abroad, I would just choose better. However it did make me appreciate the ease of holidaying in Ireland and would encourage me to look into this option again.
I still believe that my family need to discover more of their own country and I do not want my children assuming they are going on a foreign holiday every year.
One thing for sure, there is nothing quite like coming back to Ireland after being away. The friendly welcome at Knock, the fresh air and the cool breeze and the unique beauty of the landscape all stood out on my return.