Lads trip to Spain for golf in May, favourite hotel in Palma booked for first week in July, and thinking about a week with friends on the Norfolk Broads in August.
Unlikely Vegas this year unless there's something special on the boxing front in September.
I don't count the trip to Cheltenham in March as that's work!!
Barcelona in July for Off Sonar and then want to get over to Istanbul for a few days in September before an internal flight to a beach resort on the Turkish coast.
Does anyone have any tips for places to stay in Istanbul, must see things etc?
We went last June for a long weekend. Got a deal with BA. Stayed at a small hotel called Enderun Hotel, (Mimar Hayrettin Mahallesi, Esirci Kemalettin Camii Sokağı No:4, 34126 Fatih/İstanbul, Turkey). Relatively quiet (for Istanbul), off the main drag and only a short (15 minute) slow walk to the big sights. Grand Bazaar close by, Blue Mosque (closed when we went), Hagia Sophia, Basilica Cistern, Suleymaniye Mosque (almost as big but much less busy than the Blue one), Topkapi Palace, plus the ferries (which leave from near Galata Bridge) all within walking distance. Lots of local shops and restaurants too. It was a weird place to watch England in the World Cup! Had one lovely meal round the back of the Blue Mosque but the name escapes me I'm afraid. The rest were pretty much bog standard fare. We got the ferry over to Asia and had a long walk there - went to the Maiden's Tower for a lemonade and half an hour watching the boats and birds. Saw some dolphins too which was fun. Asian side was a lot less touristy. We did lots of walking, but the trams seemed OK, plus lots of cabs. Note that there is a new airport opening soon which is a lot farther from the city than the current one. Enjoy!
Wife working all summer, so not sure we'll get away as a family... Means son and I likely heading back to Florida for some theme park fun (can't be doing with lying around on a beach...). His school finishes 2 weeks before all the other schools, so same trip 2 years ago was £1500 for the two of us (hotel, flights, car hire and park tickets)...two weeks later was double that....of course, I do pay bloomin loads of money for him to attend the school, so no actual savings :-(
Work has been a bit hit and miss for the last 18 months, so not sure on anything else....will probably buy a tent and do some weekend camping through the summer...and if wife's work calms down, then hopefully an NYC city break for the 3 of us in late autumn.
Going Santa Ponsa in July for a week our first family abroad holiday with son who will be 15 months.
Cant wait to spend a whole week with him and the wife without work, phones etc.
Ah Santa Ponsa. Thats a blast from the past for me. My first ever holiday abroad with my parents in 1986 Cracking beach and a nice resort from what I can remember.
Going Barbados for our honeymoon in September for 11 days, anyone have any recommendations for out there?
If it is on go to the horse racing at Garrison Savannah, very little round track and it was just tote betting when I went for my honeymoon albeit over 20 years ago
March 03 off on 2 weeks cruise taking in Barbados, Antigua, St, Lucia, St. Kitts, Grenada, Bequia, Aruba, St. Maarten, Curacao, and the British Virgin Isls., Will be on a beach in Mustique when we kick off against Pompey. Will be thinking of you ...
Going Barbados for our honeymoon in September for 11 days, anyone have any recommendations for out there?
Stick to the West coast unless you are a surfer then you want the South coast. Use local buses, I know it has been a few years since I was there but it used to be a low standard price to take you from anywhere to Bridgetown. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did
That’s very kind of you Robbo, I don’t mean to come across like that as I’m very lucky, just amazed some times at what some people with kids still manage to do. Good luck to them.
Completely agree - we're not on the breadline, own the house etc etc, but now the kids are at school I can't understand how so many people seem to afford/justify a few grand for a week away?
Using Swisdom's Mexico trip above as an example, it sounds amazing, worth the money etc, but I'd imagine if costs the same out of the school holidays as it would cost a parent to take kids to an average package deal in Spain etc.
I get it's supply and demand, but like you AFKA I'm just surprised so many parents manage it, especially with young kids.
I know where you are coming from, we aren't on the breadline, own house / 2 cars etc....but with 4 kids, holidays (even a cheapy 10 days in Spain all inc in the summer holidays is c4k). Hence we bought a touring caravan, 2nd hand, got a cracking 6 berth for £11k and invested in all the gear with it, now we love it and more importantly the kids absolutely love it and some of the sites we've stayed at have been amazing in the southern half of the UK. manage to get away about 4 times a year in it, a few long weekends and then about 10 days in the summer.
Did south of france last year and was amazing, staying in this country this year but then planning ferry to northern spain and somewhere within a 2 hour drive next summer.
Great investment for us, and we'll get a good 8-10 years out of it.
Love this idea and im thinking about doing it myself. Whats the cost of the upkeep of the van approximately? Mot tax etc...
12-14 of us want to rent a villa somewhere, Possibly south France, Spain or Portugal.
Has to have a pool, good cooking facilities and outside space. Needs to be close enough to somewhere with bars and restaurants, doesn’t have to be a massive town though.
Looking at Nice at the moment but open to suggestions...
Not in your remit, but 18 of us stayed there last summer. Loads of different restaurants within couple minute walks. Villas can be configured over 3 floors to fit your needs. Short taxi or boat ride to Lindos.
12-14 of us want to rent a villa somewhere, Possibly south France, Spain or Portugal.
Has to have a pool, good cooking facilities and outside space. Needs to be close enough to somewhere with bars and restaurants, doesn’t have to be a massive town though.
Looking at Nice at the moment but open to suggestions...
Never been, don’t know location although 23 miles from Bergerac and a couple of wineries within close proximity by looks of it - I give you... a french castle with its own golf course, pool, sauna, table football and pool tables plus fishing lake .... it is forever selling weeks on eBay and when you split the cost across 12 people it looks ok.
Off to Muscat, Oman in 2 weeks for 5 days of sun. Great place, peaceful, very sunny, wonderful people. Then La Manga for golf in May, South West France in June and Berlin in October to see Alice Cooper.
12-14 of us want to rent a villa somewhere, Possibly south France, Spain or Portugal.
Has to have a pool, good cooking facilities and outside space. Needs to be close enough to somewhere with bars and restaurants, doesn’t have to be a massive town though.
Looking at Nice at the moment but open to suggestions...
we went to alcudia for a cousins 40th close enough to alcudia old town, solmar villas is the company we have used in the past.
We've now booked a week all inclusive in Marmaris for early September. I haven't been to Turkey for about 6 years so looking forward to this. First time to Marmaris too.
We've now booked a week all inclusive in Marmaris for early September. I haven't been to Turkey for about 6 years so looking forward to this. First time to Marmaris too.
We took the grandkids to Marmaris last year and had a great time. Plenty of decent bars and restaurants and all very cheap. Most bars have a board up outside offering a much better exchange rate got your money than you will get in England or any hotel or bank in Turkey . Worth remembering
We've now booked a week all inclusive in Marmaris for early September. I haven't been to Turkey for about 6 years so looking forward to this. First time to Marmaris too.
We took the grandkids to Marmaris last year and had a great time. Plenty of decent bars and restaurants and all very cheap. Most bars have a board up outside offering a much better exchange rate got your money than you will get in England or any hotel or bank in Turkey . Worth remembering
Thanks for the tip. We were in Greece last June and they were offering a much lower rate out there
That’s very kind of you Robbo, I don’t mean to come across like that as I’m very lucky, just amazed some times at what some people with kids still manage to do. Good luck to them.
Completely agree - we're not on the breadline, own the house etc etc, but now the kids are at school I can't understand how so many people seem to afford/justify a few grand for a week away?
Using Swisdom's Mexico trip above as an example, it sounds amazing, worth the money etc, but I'd imagine if costs the same out of the school holidays as it would cost a parent to take kids to an average package deal in Spain etc.
I get it's supply and demand, but like you AFKA I'm just surprised so many parents manage it, especially with young kids.
I know where you are coming from, we aren't on the breadline, own house / 2 cars etc....but with 4 kids, holidays (even a cheapy 10 days in Spain all inc in the summer holidays is c4k). Hence we bought a touring caravan, 2nd hand, got a cracking 6 berth for £11k and invested in all the gear with it, now we love it and more importantly the kids absolutely love it and some of the sites we've stayed at have been amazing in the southern half of the UK. manage to get away about 4 times a year in it, a few long weekends and then about 10 days in the summer.
Did south of france last year and was amazing, staying in this country this year but then planning ferry to northern spain and somewhere within a 2 hour drive next summer.
Great investment for us, and we'll get a good 8-10 years out of it.
Love this idea and im thinking about doing it myself. Whats the cost of the upkeep of the van approximately? Mot tax etc...
@ChiAddicksince buying the van we've purchased an inflatable 'air' awning that was c£1,200 and a few bits and pieces for it, insurance is about £250 @ year and we store the van on a secure site for £70 @ month, other than that it's general wear and tear and gas bottles etc....we've not had to do anything to the van at all as it was in really good nick, have it fully serviced once a year for around £200 and this checks absolutely everything.
Off to Muscat, Oman in 2 weeks for 5 days of sun. Great place, peaceful, very sunny, wonderful people. Then La Manga for golf in May, South West France in June and Berlin in October to see Alice Cooper.
Muscat is a great shout Herts. Oman is such an underrated country; beautiful coastline, lovely hotels, great culture and the people are wonderful. I spent 4 months there with the RAF 10 years ago. Not been back since but I am currently in the Middle-East and a 'visa refresh' trip there in the very near future will definitely happen. Been going to Abu Dhabi and Dubai a fair bit when I need to refresh my work visa, not a touch on Oman at all though.
Have you been to the 'interior' and to the original capital, Nizwah? Well worth a day trip if you ever get the opportunity. What hotel do you use in Muscat?
Hoping to take the boat to Morocco from southern Spain around Easter and visit a few of the places in Northern Morocco, and planning a trip from Vienna to Montenegro in summer via Hungary, Croatia and Serbia.
12-14 of us want to rent a villa somewhere, Possibly south France, Spain or Portugal.
Has to have a pool, good cooking facilities and outside space. Needs to be close enough to somewhere with bars and restaurants, doesn’t have to be a massive town though.
Looking at Nice at the moment but open to suggestions...
We used Rustical Travel in 2017 when we booked a villa in Southern Spain (Pitres) they were very good, just the 2 of us, though they do have villa's for large groups.
Comments
Lads trip to Spain for golf in May, favourite hotel in Palma booked for first week in July, and thinking about a week with friends on the Norfolk Broads in August.
Unlikely Vegas this year unless there's something special on the boxing front in September.
I don't count the trip to Cheltenham in March as that's work!!
Cant wait to spend a whole week with him and the wife without work, phones etc.
12-14 of us want to rent a villa somewhere, Possibly south France, Spain or Portugal.
Has to have a pool, good cooking facilities and outside space. Needs to be close enough to somewhere with bars and restaurants, doesn’t have to be a massive town though.
Looking at Nice at the moment but open to suggestions...
Not in your remit, but 18 of us stayed there last summer. Loads of different restaurants within couple minute walks. Villas can be configured over 3 floors to fit your needs.
Short taxi or boat ride to Lindos.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CHATEAU-HOLIDAY-DORDOGNE-Pool-Free-Golf-course-family-holiday-season-2019/173801479234?hash=item2877601c42:g:zY8AAOSwbehbu1sN
Plenty of decent bars and restaurants and all very cheap.
Most bars have a board up outside offering a much better exchange rate got your money than you will get in England or any hotel or bank in Turkey .
Worth remembering
Thanks for the tip. We were in Greece last June and they were offering a much lower rate out there
@ChiAddicksince buying the van we've purchased an inflatable 'air' awning that was c£1,200 and a few bits and pieces for it, insurance is about £250 @ year and we store the van on a secure site for £70 @ month, other than that it's general wear and tear and gas bottles etc....we've not had to do anything to the van at all as it was in really good nick, have it fully serviced once a year for around £200 and this checks absolutely everything.
Have you been to the 'interior' and to the original capital, Nizwah? Well worth a day trip if you ever get the opportunity. What hotel do you use in Muscat?
https://rusticaltravel.com/villas/spain/andalucia/malaga/axarquia-and-antequera/antequera?sort=price_asc