A mobile home on the Atlantic coast, a road trip in the Alps, a house lent by family in Brittany… More than one in two French people (55%) plans to go on vacation this summer, according to an Ifop study (PDF). A percentage up compared to the summer of 2020 (47%), marked by the health crisis. But as inflation exceeded in May the 5% mark over one year for the first time since 1985, the future vacationers remain attentive to expenses: a quarter of them foresee a smaller budget than last summer. Choose your destination according to price, leave for less time than usual or go downmarket in the choice of accommodation… How did those who had the idea of leaving adapt to the often tight budget? Seven French people who responded to our call for testimonials explain these arbitrations.
>> Inflation: “There will be departures on vacation closer to home, for less time and for less”, according to a specialist
Laurence, school teacher and single mother, 2,550 euros per month
“Since my divorce, my 13-year-old son and I have only been away every other summer for financial reasons. This year, with the increase in the petrol budget, our standard of living has dropped: we cut corners on outings to avoid to drive too much, we sold our little above-ground swimming pool… We’ve been doing our shopping at Lidl for a while now, and I’ll wait until next month for my dentist appointment.
We chose to go on vacation when it was the least expensive: early July. Usually, we rent a mobile home in the Gulf of Morbihan. But this year, I used a comparator on the internet to find the most affordable destination.
“This is the first time that I have chosen my destination based on price.”
Laurence, school teacherat franceinfo
It will be a studio in a small residence with swimming pool, in the Dordogne, for 1,000 euros for two weeks. We won’t each have our room, because it was 300 euros more. I try not to see it negatively, I tell myself that we are going to discover a new region. And I kept a small budget to be able to do activities on site and order pizza one evening.
“Summer holidays are a bit like Christmas gifts, it takes me two or three months to recover financially.”
Laurence, school teacherat franceinfo
I am lucky enough to live decently: I have a salary and my ex-husband pays me a pension of 150 euros. But everything is calculated. When you reach your fifties, it should be easier, but it’s the opposite, I feel like I’m regressing. And my son also feels these financial constraints, especially since he compares himself to his friends: when he found out he wasn’t going to the sea as usual, he was disappointed, even if he understands the reasons.“
Matthieu, night supervisor, 3,700 euros per month for six
“My companion is a regional business manager and I am a night supervisor at the Children’s Social Aid. We have a blended family, with four children, between 21 and 1 year old. We both work in different schedules and about thirty kilometers from our home in Guichen Pont-Réan (Ille-et-Vilaine), so we each have a car. With the rise in fuel prices and baby-related costs, we are a bit However, we are not idlers, but there comes a time, no matter how much we do, we still get eaten…
With my older children, we went on vacation in the tent every summer, but there with the little one, it’s complicated. Last year, we rented a mobile home for a week near Oléron (Charente-Maritime), for 500 euros. But this year, the rental budget in that area is more around 700 euros and with the price of fuel, it has become impossible.
“We are lucky, my in-laws have a house in Finistère, 150 meters from the beach, and my parents have a house inland in Morbihan. So we will go to Grandpa and Grandma!
Matthieu, night watchmanat franceinfo
We’re not the worst off on the planet, but they don’t have enough to accommodate everyone, so the elders will have to sleep in tents in the garden. And then two weeks with the grandparents, it’s not the same as being solo.”
Romain, computer technician and single, 1,600 euros per month
“In 2016, I left my job as a salesperson at Darty where I earned the minimum wage to become a computer technician in wage portage, with double the salary. I lived in a 32 m2 in Niort (Deux-Sèvres) and I wondered if I had to completely change my lifestyle or if it was better to continue living in a basic way. I preferred the second option, indulging myself punctually rather than buying myself the latest iPhone and changing my car for a bigger sports one. If one day my salary went down, I didn’t want to get used to a standard of living that I could no longer sustain. And I did well, because since my contract ended, I get less money again!
“Inflation does not really penalize me, because I have always limited myself by reserving my savings for real pleasures.”
Romain, computer technicianat franceinfo
I do my shopping according to promotions, I don’t buy prepared meals, I don’t give in to impulse purchases and I favor hobbies that cost nothing. Result: I didn’t need to change my plans for this summer. My family and I rented a mobile home in a campsite on the island of Oléron for two weeks. We share the rental and the costs on site, but I still have enough to do some activities and go to a restaurant.”
Nicolas, manager of a cultural establishment, 4,800 euros per month for five
“We cannot say that we are unhappy. But with the rise in prices, all the little extras went to the ace. This summer, we are going to Martinique for a fortnight to visit my in-laws. We already don’t see them often so it was out of the question to cancel when inflation hit. But to afford it, we had to limit our expenses in everyday life in recent months: we’ve been traveling less by car, we’ve started shopping at a discount supermarket and I don’t splurge on my clothes to give priority to my three children, aged between 5 and 10. Fortunately, we are traveling together so we were able to take advantage of a 20% reduction.
“I took out a loan of 3,500 euros to finance our trip. It makes me feel strange to think that I will be paying off this vacation for four years!”
Nicolas, manager of a cultural establishmentat franceinfo
We have always thought before making a big expense, but here we have to think all the time. And while there are two of us working full time with relatively high salaries. We have the feeling that work no longer allows us to live properly, or at least no longer allows for small pranks. I can’t imagine what it must be like for those who are less fortunate than us.”
Anne*, educator for young children, 2,900 euros per month for three
“Twelve years ago, my husband and I managed to own a house in a village in Aude, because prices were more affordable in the countryside. But if we had known the increase in fuel , we wouldn’t have gone so far… We work half an hour from home, and ona two cars that run on gasoline, so for a few months, it’s complicated.
And with groceries costing more, our expenses have increased by several hundred euros per month ! Now, I’m going to work by bus three days a week, when the schedules of the line allow it. And next year, it’s not sure that we can allow our daughter to continue her extra-curricular activities.
After the pandemic, we was finally left in a dynamic where we wanted to go out. We had to going to Lyon for a week this summer, me for the cultural side, and my husband for the gastronomy.”
“The ‘pleasure’ budget has gone into gas and food, so we haven’t booked anything. Too bad, we’ll stay at home and go for bike rides.”
Anne, early childhood educatorat franceinfo
Julie, reflexologist, 5,000 euros per month for two
“I am a reflexologist in Paris and my companion is an executive at Orange. We have no financial worries and we don’t want children so we take advantage: we go to the restaurant, to the cinema, to the theater… Since a first trip to Ireland twelve years ago, we love to go on road trips. This summer, we were supposed to go to Croatia for three weeks: we had found nice little hotels and the price of plane tickets was not exorbitant…
But between the rental of the car and the price of gasoline, the transport budget on site reached 2,000 euros! It shocked us. We even thought about buying a car and then reselling it. Finally, we will borrow that of my in-laws and spend two weeks in the Pyrenees. We’ll go to the Spanish side because it’s cheaper, and we won’t eat not at the restaurant every night.
“This is the first time that we have asked ourselves the question of how to go on vacation without breaking the bank.”
Julie, reflexologistat franceinfo
It’s a rich man’s problem, I’m well aware of that, but it’s weird. I wonder if this inflation will last, and if we will ever be able to go on vacation like before.”
Muriel, retired, 3,500 euros per month for two
“Usually, we try to leave for a week in June and another in September camping in France to avoid the crowds. But this year, reservations have become too expensive for our retreats. We left for a week in May in a Drôme campsite, and we will see at the last moment if we can afford a second week in September.
Normally on vacation, it’s a restaurant every lunchtime so as not to cook twice a day. Here, that will not be the case. The goal is to leave without going crazy but without calculating every day either: if it’s to do like at home, it’s useless.
“After the Covid, we would have liked to let go, enjoy our retirement…”
Muriel, retiredat franceinfo
And even, we have good income: jI worked for Social Security and my companion was a maintenance manager in a factory. But I’m appalled at the price increase. On food budget went from 400 to 600 euros per month! Now ILook at all labels before buying.
We don’t miss anything so we don’t dare complain: it’s for the families that I’m worried. Moreover, we help our children, because they are more picky than us! The little check [le chèque alimentation] what the government will send, it’s better than nothing but it’s not enough.”
*Name has been changed.