Holidays 2023

andya700 said:
It is a wonderful place, lots to see and do, we went there many moons ago.
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We went in 2018 and stayed just outside the centre at Malcesine. It's wonderful. We took a ferry across to Lamone for one trip and a bus to Bardolino.

The Charming Town of Limone in Lake Garda, Italy

Last year I wrote a post about how much I loved Lake Garda, the northern Italian lake I visited with my sister. This lake is amazing, and although I haven't been to Lake Como I would bet they would be
www.travelingigloo.com www.travelingigloo.com

(https://lakegardatravel.net/bardolino-italy/)

I have many wonderful photos.


Really good to see so many getting abroad again.
 
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JohnC6 said:
We went in 2018 and stayed just outside the centre at Malcesine. It's wonderful. We took a ferry across to Lamone for one trip and a bus to Bardolino.

The Charming Town of Limone in Lake Garda, Italy

Last year I wrote a post about how much I loved Lake Garda, the northern Italian lake I visited with my sister. This lake is amazing, and although I haven't been to Lake Como I would bet they would be
www.travelingigloo.com www.travelingigloo.com

(https://lakegardatravel.net/bardolino-italy/)

I have many wonderful photos.


Really good to see so many getting abroad again.
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That's where we are going yo. Limone Sul Garda.
 
Ricardodaforce said:
That's where we are going yo. Limone Sul Garda.
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That's great, then. You are at the north end where it's mountainous (Dolomites) so much more picturesque and also no water sports with noisy engines, just sail-boarders. Only sail-boarders are allowed there. At the south end there are jet skis. Don't want that spoiling such an idillic place. It's the reason we went that end.

At Lamone we walked up out of town to get wonderful views. You'll get lovely photos of the picturesque church/town at Malcesine,too.

I have the same photo as the first (blue sky one) here. Limone is just out of view on the left side https://www.travelingigloo.com/2014-2-imone-lake-gardal/

Also, you'll get good shots of the harbour/church from the ferry as you approach it from Lamone so try to get a seat on the port (left) side. Also...just check when the last ferry leaves Malcesine. I've just done a quick check.1830.. but still ask to be safe. From Lamone we got the one before the last one, which was about 6.00pm, to make sure we got back.

Have a good trip.
 
AshleyC said:
anyone been through Heathrow or Manchester recently? Just wondering what the queues are like, if any, for security? I'm going to Heathrow on Saturday to drop the step daughter off, then Manchester on Tues evening for me to go to the isle of man. Id normally give it the usual 2 hours prior thing but you read about horror stories on the news lately so any intel would be useful :)
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Manchester looked bad on the news the other week but often these things are unpredictable. Are you checking in bags? If not maybe just get fast track for security. - at Stansted it is only £7
 
Ricardodaforce said:
That's where we are going yo. Limone Sul Garda.
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We stayed in a place called San Zino di Montagno, which was not far away from Limone. The food was superb at the hotel we stayed in, lots of fish dishes, including Perch from the lake - so fresh and delicate. You will have to do Monte Baldo by the revolving cable car, it terrified me.
 
andya700 said:
We stayed in a place called San Zino di Montagno, which was not far away from Limone. The food was superb at the hotel we stayed in, lots of fish dishes, including Perch from the lake - so fresh and delicate. You will have to do Monte Baldo by the revolving cable car, it terrified me.
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Yes..it would terrify me too and that's why we didn't do that trip. :D I don't do heights especially in cable cars yet 33,000 ft on a plane is fine and I like the window seat. ...for photos. Go figure,as they say in the US..:D
 
JohnC6 said:
Yes..it would terrify me too and that's why we didn't do that trip. :D I don't do heights especially in cable cars yet 33,000 ft on a plane is fine and I like the window seat. ...for photos. Go figure,as they say in the US..:D
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I am exactly the same in aircraft, love having a window seat, but I didn't know it was a revolving cable car until it was some way off the ground and my somewhat safe, comfortable seat facing the rocks, became an instrument of torture:)
 
andya700 said:
I am exactly the same in aircraft, love having a window seat, but I didn't know it was a revolving cable car until it was some way off the ground and my somewhat safe, comfortable seat facing the rocks, became an instrument of torture:)
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Ah..I missed the revolving bit...well,it didn't sink in. Even worse....:D
 
Craig1912 said:
Well weathers picked up- some heavy rain yesterday. We are staying just west of Heraklion and loving it.
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Apparently no rain at this end, just around Heraklion!

Been watching a Buzzard, some Carrion Crows and a selection of LBJs and swallows from the balcony. 6 minutes until Ouzo time!!!
 
Nod said:
Apparently no rain at this end, just around Heraklion!

Been watching a Buzzard, some Carrion Crows and a selection of LBJs and swallows from the balcony. 6 minutes until Ouzo time!!!
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Ouzo is a nono for us, but do love a drop of Raki at the end of a meal!
 
Ricardodaforce said:
That's where we are going yo. Limone Sul Garda.
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Re the church (tower)at Malcesine ...It's Scalager castle :)

www.garda-see.com

Castle of Malcesine. Discover Lake Garda!

Here you will find all information about the well-preserved Scaliger castle in Malcesine at Lake Garda and its museums and exhibitions.
www.garda-see.com www.garda-see.com

Just a quickie It's really worth giving yourself some time after walking around the town at Malcesine to walk out of town alongside the lake (it's right after getting off the boat..town is left)and going right round the end-bend towards a grassed area and you'll get a wonderful view of the town and castle for a photo with the mountains as a backdrop. Like the photo in the link in my other post. You just need 100mm. The walk is 10 mins and you'll pass lovely flower-bed displays by the footpath.
 
Nod said:
Apparently no rain at this end, just around Heraklion!

Been watching a Buzzard, some Carrion Crows and a selection of LBJs and swallows from the balcony. 6 minutes until Ouzo time!!!
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I've just looked at Heriklion. It looks really attractive. I'll mention it to Mrs JC. We're leaving going abroad until next year re the airport chaos. Surely, it will be sorted by then.
 
Exeter airport was absolutely no problem but Heraklion was chaos. Then again, Heraklion is ALWAYS chaos!!!

TBH, John, Heraklion is probably the least attractive of the major towns/cities on Crete - Rethymnon and Chania are far nicer (speaking from experience), especially for the over 30s! The food and drink is also better towards the Western end of the island, possibly because the general year round climate is damper so the area is more agricultural than much of the Eastern end (there are [as always] exceptions to the rule!) Other than a day trip to see the palace at Malia, that place is best avoided.
 
Nod said:
Exeter airport was absolutely no problem but Heraklion was chaos. Then again, Heraklion is ALWAYS chaos!!!

TBH, John, Heraklion is probably the least attractive of the major towns/cities on Crete - Rethymnon and Chania are far nicer (speaking from experience), especially for the over 30s! The food and drink is also better towards the Western end of the island, possibly because the general year round climate is damper so the area is more agricultural than much of the Eastern end (there are [as always] exceptions to the rule!) Other than a day trip to see the palace at Malia, that place is best avoided.
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I’m not sure I agree. We were out of Heraklion airport in 30 mins and it’s never been chaos and hasn’t been for the 20 times we’ve been through it in the last five years(there are far worse Greek airports and we’ve been to many). It was even well organised during Covid. I wouldn’t go east of Heraklion as that’s where all the Brits go. Heraklion old town is nice as is a sail over to Dia and a visit to Knossos(although I agree that Chania and Rethymnon are nice). I think Heraklion is the 5th largest cities in Greece so is never going to be the most attractive to tourists.. We are 20mins west of Heraklion and food, service and welcome is excellent. Very few U30’s here.
 
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Brussels airlines cancelled (2nd time ) my flight home from Italy, no warning, just an email from booking.com saying call us (all lines go to America) and the guy on the phone says sorry, my computer is broken.
I managed to book another flight myself at double the cost of the original return but it's not a nice feeling being dumped like that.
 
Steep said:
Brussels airlines cancelled (2nd time ) my flight home from Italy, no warning, just an email from booking.com saying call us (all lines go to America) and the guy on the phone says sorry, my computer is broken.
I managed to book another flight myself at double the cost of the original return but it's not a nice feeling being dumped like that.
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That is not good at all. I am reading so many tales like this on other forums, so commonplace, it doesn't encourage me to book anything anytime soon.
As an aside, I wouldn't ever use Booking.com again, after an experience in 2013. We went through the usual process of booking online through them, giving credit card details for a gite in Alsace. It actually said that the owner only accepts credit card payments, which was fine by me. On arriving at the place, the owner insisted on cash up front, which I didn't have (£600 plus). They then tried to force us to go to the local bank to withdraw cash, which I refused to do (extra charges would have applied). I got in touch with Booking.com and they virtually called me a liar, saying the owner only accepts cash - so why take my credit card details?
They are a useless bunch IMHO.
 
I think booking far ahead is maybe not a great idea. I did it to get a decent price but have ended up paying far more. Even the phone call to try to fix it has cost me £42.
Still, there's worse places to be
 
Ricardodaforce said:
That's where we are going yo. Limone Sul Garda.
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I would also recommend going to Verona and booking a night at the Arena there. We paid less than 20 Euros each to see Verdi's Aida - it was spectacular.

Events Calendar: Arena Opera Festival & Teatro Filarmonico

Explore the schedule of performances at the Arena di Verona Opera Festival and Teatro Filarmonico di Verona. Book now for an unforgettable experience!
www.arena.it www.arena.it

Arena di Verona | Opera and Theater Season

Discover the events and scheduled performances at the Arena di Verona and Teatro Filarmonico. Find out the info and buy your tickets online!
www.arena.it www.arena.it
 
Dropped off the step daughter at Heathrow yesterday. Haven't been there for a couple of years now and was surprised to see that you don't get 2 hours free in the long stay carpark anymore, you have to pay £8. Also, they charge £5 for a dropoff now! Bloody gouging swines.

Anyway, she got through security pretty quick so it looks like they're on top of that at least
 
If you ever do visit Florence I recommend the Leornardo Da Vinci interactive museum. That man was prolific!

IMG20220619105401_01.jpgIMG20220619105112.jpgIMG20220619104348.jpg
 
Steep said:
Brussels airlines cancelled (2nd time ) my flight home from Italy, no warning, just an email from booking.com saying call us (all lines go to America) and the guy on the phone says sorry, my computer is broken.
I managed to book another flight myself at double the cost of the original return but it's not a nice feeling being dumped like that.
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We're not contemplating any flights until at least next summer and maybe not until 2024. This summer is going to be chaotic.

Starters....https://crisis24.garda.com/alerts/2022/06/belgium-unionized-brussels-airlines-workers-to-strike-nationwide-june-23-25-to-protest-working-conditions
 
JohnC6 said:
We're not contemplating any flights until at least next summer and maybe not until 2024. This summer is going to be chaotic.

Starters....https://crisis24.garda.com/alerts/2022/06/belgium-unionized-brussels-airlines-workers-to-strike-nationwide-june-23-25-to-protest-working-conditions
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You're not wrong, so far on this one holiday I've had my return flight cancelled and had to rebook twice and my return rail journey cancelled as well.
I'm on a bus for four and a half hours once I get off the plane.

P.s. thanks for sleuthing the reason for my Brussels Airlines cancellation
 
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Just back from Crete. Both Heraklion and Gatwick airports were a breeze and landed early and out of the airport within half an hour. No queues anywhere. EasyJet didn’t have any sandwiches on board but some may say that’s a good thing!
 
Think I can see ma hoose on the far shore;), enjoy your stay.
 
Yes they used to be called HomeAway, I used some of their properties a few years back when I did a road trip round Florida, Georgia and South Carolina, they were fine easy to deal with and good communication.
 
Madeira tomorrow, only 7 days but it's a start, will restart planning the next when we return.
 
andya700 said:
I am looking for a gite in France and when I do a search this com-[any keeps appearing - VRBO - I have never heard of them before.

www.vrbo.com

Vrbo | Book your holiday lettings: villas, apartments, cottages

Find stunning holiday homes on Vrbo - a holiday lettings leader ✓+2 million rentals worldwide ✓19+ million reviews ✓Secure online payment ✓24/7 Customer Service
www.vrbo.com www.vrbo.com
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They seem to come up a lot over the last 12-18 months for France on Expedia.com - not a company I'm familiar with, but that's not unreasonable.
 
So, we have booked an appartment in Dinard for just short of two weeks. Despite being apprehensive about this holiday, I am now looking forward to it. I hd three browser screens open yesterday, with gites showing, Google Earth and my email. I was also looking at the best local supermarkets, as we are going to be self catering for the stay. I was amazed at the low food costs in France, which when coupled with the good exchange rate, are going to make this a very reasonably priced holiday.







 
tarric said:
Yes they used to be called HomeAway, I used some of their properties a few years back when I did a road trip round Florida, Georgia and South Carolina, they were fine easy to deal with and good communication.
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Same experience for me for a UK holiday
 
Just booking a quick week for me to nip over to the Greek house and just check alls well.
We have a neighbor who keeps a very good eye on it but it will cost me buttons to head over
My boss is on holiday so its a sold work from home week for me with no other work coming my way.
I also want to look at getting some of the back of the house cleaned and painted so I might just do that while i am therefffff.jpg
 
Mr Bump said:
Just booking a quick week for me to nip over to the Greek house and just check alls well.
We have a neighbor who keeps a very good eye on it but it will cost me buttons to head over
My boss is on holiday so its a sold work from home week for me with no other work coming my way.
I also want to look at getting some of the back of the house cleaned and painted so I might just do that while i am thereView attachment 360222
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Good grief that is cheap. Who’s it with? We paid a lot more than that (EasyJet from Gatwick) a few weeks ago.
 
andya700 said:
So, we have booked an appartment in Dinard for just short of two weeks. Despite being apprehensive about this holiday, I am now looking forward to it. I hd three browser screens open yesterday, with gites showing, Google Earth and my email. I was also looking at the best local supermarkets, as we are going to be self catering for the stay. I was amazed at the low food costs in France, which when coupled with the good exchange rate, are going to make this a very reasonably priced holiday.







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I'd suggest local markets rather than supermarkets, costs will almost certainly be lower and quality higher (in terms of taste - the fruit and veg might not look perfect but...)
 
Nod said:
I'd suggest local markets rather than supermarkets, costs will almost certainly be lower and quality higher (in terms of taste - the fruit and veg might not look perfect but...)
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Looks like a good one as well.

www.ville-dinard.fr

Les Halles et les marchés

Le marché de Dinard est l'un des plus grands de la région. En complément des 3 marchés hebdomadaires place Crolard, d'autres marchés annexes, brocantes, expos-ventes, marchés nocturnes sont organisés périodiquement ou ponctuellement.
www.ville-dinard.fr www.ville-dinard.fr
 
Craig1912 said:
Good grief that is cheap. Who’s it with? We paid a lot more than that (EasyJet from Gatwick) a few weeks ago.
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jet2 from manchester i am flying out tomorrow booked it this AM got my mate wolfgang grabbing me from the airport
 
Mr Bump said:
jet2 from manchester i am flying out tomorrow booked it this AM got my mate wolfgang grabbing me from the airport
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Jet2 is superb and consistently come top in Which ? magazine surveys. We've flown with them three times and actually seek out holiday destinations that they fly too. After booking a Lake Garda holiday with them we wanted wanted to go to Lake Como in 2018 before the pandemic and it was Tui. Jet2 didn't fly there.
 
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JohnC6 said:
Jet2 is superb and consistently come top in Which ? magazine surveys. We've flown with them three times and actually seek out holiday destinations that they fly too. After booking a Lake Garda holiday with them we wanted wanted to go to Lake Como in 2018 before the pandemic and it was Tui. Jet2 didn't fly there.
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That’s who I’m going with to Limone tomorrow.
 
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