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Thank you very much.
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Holidays 2021
- Thread starter Ricardodaforce
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Thank you very much.
OP
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This week I have my first overseas trip since March last year. Can’t wait!
Bobsyeruncle
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Arrived in Lisbon today to spend a week staying with my daughter....First overseas trip since 2019.
ancient_mariner
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Current plan is to go house hunting in France first 2 weeks of October.
I have now gone from my usual shade of white/light pink to vivid green. Where are you looking you lucky bu**er.
ancient_mariner
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Don't be jealous - haven't done it yet, and the travel logistics are giving me a headache. Top choices are Poitou Charante within a couple of hours of the coast, the Cantal for the mountains and down to the Pyrenees/Languedoc. It's hard to be specific because most of France is lovely and finding the right house is key. We want to stay south of Loire for a slightly warmer climate.
Houses are highly cost effective, and we've seen apparently liveable 2 bedroom house s for 30k to 40k in Brittany.
tijuana taxi
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Had my eye on a rather nice level crossing keepers cottage on a now defunct railway.
Very liveable and on a cycle track that ended at Mont Saint- Michel, all for 35 grand.
Wanted it to spend half the year or so there then along came the B word and bang went that idea
The Poiteau Charente is really pleasant, we stayed at Jarnac, East of Angouleme a few years ago. Mind you we have been all over France in the last twenty five years. The Alsace around Colmar is incredibly pretty. Have you ever read - "A year in Provence" by the late Peter Mayle?
ancient_mariner
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And Toujours Provence.
We've been quite a bit too over the years, though not to Alsace, but Charante Maritime, Loire at both ends, Biarritz area and the Landes. The only places we found disappointing were Brittany, which is a bit dull and the north east side around Verdun (miles of nothing). Just trying to see whether we're better off in the Chunnel or flying, ferries no longer being the best way to travel for us.
The Alsace has lovely countryside and some of the prettiest villages in France. If you went to Colmar, you could hop over the Rhine and explore the Black Forest, which is just magical. We discovered it on a trip to Italy back in 2012 and returnes a couple of times since then.
Colmar - Wikipedia
Eguisheim - Wikipedia
Riquewihr - Wikipedia
Kaysersberg - Wikipedia
Château du Haut-Koenigsbourg - Wikipedia
tijuana taxi
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The Alsace has lovely countryside and some of the prettiest villages in France. If you went to Colmar, you could hop over the Rhine and explore the Black Forest, which is just magical. We discovered it on a trip to Italy back in 2012 and returnes a couple of times since then.
Colmar - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
Eguisheim - Wikipedia
Riquewihr - Wikipedia
Kaysersberg - Wikipedia
Château du Haut-Koenigsbourg - Wikipedia
They also have a good Christmas market in Colmar
Spent a month in Laroque des Alberes last year and really enjoyed it. Close to Collioure and the Spanish border. Used to go to Brittany fairly often but it can be rather wet and not to warm a lot of the time. Far preferred the south. A fair drive from le Havre but find distance driving in France so much easier than this country,
ancient_mariner
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Just booked the ferry crossing and 5 different French hotels. Our trip is happening. 
Best of luck, where are you staying?Just booked the ferry crossing and 5 different French hotels. Our trip is happening.
ancient_mariner
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Thanks. A couple of nights near Niort, a couple near Toulouse, 3 near Bezier, 3 near Clermont Ferrand and a couple up near Autumn. It's a 2200km loop.
OP
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Travel rules have changed significantly for you lucky devils in England from today.
ancient_mariner
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I *think* we're going to allowed to return at the weekend. There just seem to be so many steps in managing travel at the moment, it feels like one could so easily just overlook something and be blocked. I've booked and paid for day 2 covid return tests in order to get a code that will allow me to complete a passenger locator form in order to be allowed on board the ferry.
I am also concerned that I might get asked for a visa, but my settled status is linked to my passport, and if the gov web site is to be believed, that should be enough.
I am also concerned that I might get asked for a visa, but my settled status is linked to my passport, and if the gov web site is to be believed, that should be enough.
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Fingers crossed that it all goes smoothly.
I‘m off to Valencia on Monday for some late autumn sunshine.
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We had day 2 PCR tests booked, paid for, received and registered. Did the swabbing and posted the tests off to Klarity. Who then claimed we hadn't registered the tests (if we hadn't, we wouldn't have had the PLFs back from border control or the email from Klarity acknowledging the registration...) Managed to contact the lab who actually processed the tests and found out that they had been received and processed but they couldn't tell us the results (GPDR?). After they (Klarity) stopped answering the emails, Mrs Nod asked for and got a refund. Klarity are the company used by TUI.
Did lateral flow tests every day for a week just in case - all negative.
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We had a 10 day self catering in the highlands this yr.... COVID scuppered our plans for a driving holiday to Innsbruk thats been on the cards for a few years
I am hoping to do it next summer as time is running out.. its a 3 day drive 6hrs per day .. Myself and my car are both getting a bit old for the trip.. I feel if I don't do it this coming summer then I never will (I am a non flyer so)
I am thinking driving through france germany austria italy etc will be OK in summer.. probbaly OK now?
I am hoping to do it next summer as time is running out.. its a 3 day drive 6hrs per day .. Myself and my car are both getting a bit old for the trip.. I feel if I don't do it this coming summer then I never will (I am a non flyer so)
I am thinking driving through france germany austria italy etc will be OK in summer.. probbaly OK now?
ancient_mariner
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I would expect it to be fine. We've done about 1900 miles through France so far, and provided there aren't border controls in place then you should be fine. Watch out for speed cameras in France - their limits off the motorway are lower than one might expect, and on the autoroute they change between 130, 110 and 90kph for reasons that are not always obvious. If you see locals sticking to the speed limit then that seems to mean there's a camera around.
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I went to Marrakech. Very interesting place. I’d not go back. Walking back to where we were staying at night was actually quite scary. So many very small, dark alleyways.
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Probably no holiday for us this year. My wife was made redundant earlier this year and we're still recovering financially.
I've not been abroad since 2004. I don't miss it, I enjoyed the times I did fly away but in all honesty, I'm happy to stay in the UK. I'm not keen on flying, until we get to the bar, pre flight.
I'm originally from South Wales but now live in Ayrshire. I've been here since 2005. We go to Wales occasionally and we make a holiday of it, staying at The Elan Valley Hotel, near Rhayader. It's a good base in stunning scenery (very close to the huge Victorian dams) and my family can come visit us too. Due to the pandemic though, we haven't been to Elan since 2017, we'd have been back there by now.
Another favourite holiday we had was to the North Coast, as far as you could go without falling off, a very small village called Kirtomy. A friend of ours has a cottage there that we stayed at. It's a different way of life, you hardly see a person, unless you go into nearby Bettyhill. There are no street lights, just a single track road down to the cottage and I loved being able to open the windows at night and just listen to the sea crashing against the cliffs. No internet or signal, bliss. Nearest big town (and chippy) was Thurso, 30 miles away.
Hopefully, we'll be back to one of them next year but nothing planned for this year and not much of it left.
I've not been abroad since 2004. I don't miss it, I enjoyed the times I did fly away but in all honesty, I'm happy to stay in the UK. I'm not keen on flying, until we get to the bar, pre flight.
I'm originally from South Wales but now live in Ayrshire. I've been here since 2005. We go to Wales occasionally and we make a holiday of it, staying at The Elan Valley Hotel, near Rhayader. It's a good base in stunning scenery (very close to the huge Victorian dams) and my family can come visit us too. Due to the pandemic though, we haven't been to Elan since 2017, we'd have been back there by now.
Another favourite holiday we had was to the North Coast, as far as you could go without falling off, a very small village called Kirtomy. A friend of ours has a cottage there that we stayed at. It's a different way of life, you hardly see a person, unless you go into nearby Bettyhill. There are no street lights, just a single track road down to the cottage and I loved being able to open the windows at night and just listen to the sea crashing against the cliffs. No internet or signal, bliss. Nearest big town (and chippy) was Thurso, 30 miles away.
Hopefully, we'll be back to one of them next year but nothing planned for this year and not much of it left.
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ancient_mariner
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I would not return to Marrakech. Tourists are a crop to be harvested, and it's one of the few cities where I've had real concern for the safety of my wife and myself. If you want to see Morocco, try Essaouira, which, while it has some anti-western tension, is much more pleasant.
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Not just me that felt like that then.
Hogboy
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I have been fortunate to have visited many countries over the years, but Morocco sticks out as a place i would not ever return to,i can deal with a bit of hassle, but its on a different level there, there are better places to visit.
My faves so far
Argentina
Costa rica
Mexico
Thailand
Almost anywhere in spain.
My faves so far
Argentina
Costa rica
Mexico
Thailand
Almost anywhere in spain.
ancient_mariner
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Came to complete the passenger locator forms tonight. The code we've been given by 'boots' testing service is considered invalid. Going to try to unpick this at the ferry terminal tomorrow with Brittany Ferries staff help.
I have to say that throughout this 2 week trip in France, the people have been amazingly kind and helpful. we have a tiny bit of French between us, but they've been so helpful over language, food, allsorts. The only fly in the ointment is speed cameras, but that's another story.
I have to say that throughout this 2 week trip in France, the people have been amazingly kind and helpful. we have a tiny bit of French between us, but they've been so helpful over language, food, allsorts. The only fly in the ointment is speed cameras, but that's another story.
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Bobsyeruncle
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We had a great time in Lisbon. Its a great city.
Good food, lots to see and not expensive.
My daughters balcony looks across to the castle that sits on top of the hill.
Looks like she's moving to the coast though, a place called cascais which is also nice.
We went there for the day to have a look around. Nice beaches and some great scenery.
Ronaldo is building his new house there.
ancient_mariner
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Enjoy the trip.
OP
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Just as well, Morocco has just banned flights from the U.K..
AshleyC
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Yeah, dodged a bullet there, in more ways than one possibly
Although starting to worry other countries might do the same now with the state of things here. Here's hoping Portugal stay open for a few more weeks.
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Just on the way back from Valencia, fabulous place. No more overseas trips planned for this year.
Next one, COVID-19 permitting, will be Alicante in January.
It‘s been so nice feeling the warmth of the sun!
Next one, COVID-19 permitting, will be Alicante in January.
It‘s been so nice feeling the warmth of the sun!
ancient_mariner
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Wishing you safe journey back.
onomatopoeia
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I went to York at the start of the month for a few days. Had planned to drive and had booked a Travelodge with a car park, but everyone emptying petrol stations meant I ended up taking a train, which took as long as driving (more when you add driving to the station and walking from the station to the hotel) and cost 2.5x what driving would have.
Was nice to get away though, first visit to the railway museum in about 40 years, first visit ever to the Minster and art gallery, and with mobile phones being what they are nowadays I left my DSLR at home
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Was nice to get away though, first visit to the railway museum in about 40 years, first visit ever to the Minster and art gallery, and with mobile phones being what they are nowadays I left my DSLR at home
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