So where are you going?

So you live in France or perhaps you have a holiday home here, well here's a question - other than France where do you go on holiday? For a few years now we have travelled between France & the UK so haven't really had a holiday as such - it's always visiting family or work related travel. This year we are going to Spain for a friend's wedding so will be driving from Herault to Andalucia at the end of May for a week. We talk about going to Italy and once we even thought of driving to Cyprus through Europe (but it involved car ferries which I'm not keen on!). So where are you planning on going this year?

If you are going to Oxford I would suggest using the park and ride bus, the traffic and parking in town is terrible and the buses are excellent. Don't miss the Pitt Rivers Museum (at the rear of the Natural History Museum). It is an Edwardian delight, not been messed about with like the Ashmole. And another missed gem are the Pre-Raphaelite murals at the Oxford Union Society. If you want any other tips let me know, it's my home town and can tell you the best places for people watching ect. :)

Ouch!

Last year we took a first holiday in about 4 years and went to Croatia. Lovely place, followed the coast road all the way down to Dubrovnik - where they serve the most amazing ice-creams in the world!!!

Bad part the horrendous Italian motorway across notably between Milan and Venice, apllied lunacy all the way!

New Zealand wins over Australia for me. Lovely people and one of the most beautiful countries I have ever visited,

Apart from going for a long weekend to some European capital for "big" birthdays (5's & 10's) I don't even have to think about it. Hubby is Portugese, comes from a totally untourist area (Alentejo). His parents are only 20 mins from beach & it's only just over an hour to Lisbon for a bit of culture. Problem solved.

Lovely area...

End of next month taking the maiden voyage of NCL Breakaway to New York from Southampton (no icebergs please) to celebrate 25th wedding anniversary.

In May, welcoming Classic Team Lotus to Duns, in Scotland for a weekend.

In June, cycling coast to coast in Englandshire for Prostate Cancer UK.

In July, a week at house in France.

September sees us over for Circuit des Remparts in Angouleme.. look out for some Lotus cars.

Thinking of planning to go over to Vegas to see Celine Dion as a surprise extra for Mrs as part of 25th anniversary.

April: staying here, my sister is coming here for a week with her 2 kids.

July: 2 weeks in Provence with OH and a few members of his family.

August: 7-10 days with my sister, destination undecided.

September: 3 weeks in Guadeloupe with OH, and we will try to spend 1 week on 1 of the British islands.

And in between all that I have to find the time to go back to the UK and visit my eldest daughter in Switzerland.

This all has to be planned with military organisation because I work full-time and I have a lot of animals and my youngest daughter who is an apprentice hairdresser is dépendent on me to get to the Luxembourg border every day.

I didn't find the medina scary at all, but things have changed a lot in the past 10 years. We've traveled to more than 30 countries on 5 continents, so we're fairly seasoned travelers....but I do not recommend Morocco.

We stayed in a hotel just outside the medina, it was peaceful and relaxed, First time we went into the medina I was scared stiff, I thought we were going to be kidnapped or something, yes I was not and still am not a seasoned traveller. we ended up in some very poor areas...we tend to walk randomly everywhere and got lost. Anyway 2 days later we took a guide from the hotel around 20 pound I think but he escorted us all around and the experience was totally different. I relaxed as I felt reassured and safe, the areas we had been to we revisited but he told us the no go places which was exactly where we had strayed. After his tour, we went back in on our own quite happily and we knew our way around. There was some bartering but not too much hassle, no more than in Turkey,but then this was 10 years ago. Our hotel was beautiful, the staff fantastic, most of the restaurants we ate in were hidden away in the French district and the food was excellent.

I would recommend it but I would say get a guide to take you into the Medina, it is very busy, a bit smelly and you walk thru donkey poo but after living in France you should be used to watching where you put your feet! )

We had an absolutely miserable time in Marrakech in Feb. this year. I don't recommend it, though others may disagree.

Bit of Italy, Asti I think...

I'm gutted reading this. Have wanted to go to Marrakech for so long, but not gone as didn't want to take the kids. Now we're starting to think about it seriously i read this. Really don't like aggressive sales, when we were in Egypt a couple of years back, we only went into Sharm el Sheik once and hated it, never left the hotel again all week.

Avoid Marrakech very dissapointing and the sales pitches are aggressive and tiring also prices are not good. India and parts of the MIddle East are more rewarding

I think they’ve moved on from hanging foreign primates. They’re quite happy knocking lumps out of each other nowadays.
:wink:

Sounds lovely Terry, but it's hardly a 20 minute drive lol, i have bought books on walks in the Pyrenees but they are soooooo big. One book i got, i think the shortest walk was 4 hours, we thought, oh ok that's not bad we'll take a picnic, then on closer reading that was only in one direction, then it was another 4 hours back!

We really should have a like button here you know.

We also miss the beach, a lot more than any of us thought we would and (i forgot about this does it class as a holiday) went to the Biaritz coast last September camping for the weekend, with our doggies, it was lovely and we plan to do it again, soon!

We have done similar to you Suzanne....though we are lucky to have a home in the Dordogne and a flat near Spain...so we motor between our flat in the UK and properties in France. This year though we are off to Dubai to visit two of our offspring...and next year....its Australia...and if we havent sold either of our French properties by then, we will be doing a property exchange for the holiday...swapping to visit, Sydney, Melbourne, Darwin, Brisbane and we hope to visit New Zealand as well. This is making up for 10 years where apart from one trip to Thailand...the only places we visit are France and the UK...oh...and the occasional day trip to Spain.....Cadaques etc...very pretty part of Spain.

I´m there now - Playa Blanca in Lanzarote, its lovely 28 degrees and great relaxed place.

Pam, if you miss the lakes then come to Lozère. Our local town's twinned with Cockermouth and you can see why. Fabulous for a walking holiday. You can do a chunk of the pilgrimage route to Compostela and stop for an aligot-saucisse chez Germaine in Aubrac (just over the border in Aveyron). No pubs but lots of local bars and restaurants. No real ale, though.