How essential are holidays?

chucknorris

lostinrates wrote: »

Yes, its horrid, hold travel.

ps, you didn't, I agree with your opinion, but think it goes further.

How did you find the drive to Milan?

lostinrates

chucknorris wrote: »

How did you find the drive to Milan?

Through France, beautiful.

Recors time, including UK, and I'm in SW, was 17 hours, because I don't speed and we don't rush. But did that in one.

Italian side after Mont Blanc tunnel the motorway is horrid, full of pot holes, terrible signage (remarkble the only place in Italy where was under signed not over signed!).

The roads frequented by both Swiss and Italian drivers are ....disturbing, even the good ones, simply becuse they don't care f they hit stuff it seems.

I've driven as far south as around Bologna and Florence, its all ok: not as bad as I was expecting. British plates help I think, people steer clear. I noticed in an Italian car I was less avoided.

chucknorris

lostinrates wrote: »

Through France, beautiful.

Recors time, including UK, and I'm in SW, was 17 hours, because I don't speed and we don't rush. But did that in one.

Italian side after Mont Blanc tunnel the motorway is horrid, full of pot holes, terrible signage (remarkble the only place in Italy where was under signed not over signed!).

The roads frequented by both Swiss and Italian drivers are ....disturbing, even the good ones, simply becuse they don't care f they hit stuff it seems.

I've driven as far south as around Bologna and Florence, its all ok: not as bad as I was expecting. British plates help I think, people steer clear. I noticed in an Italian car I was less avoided.

The AA's route finder says Dorking to Malaga would be almost 23 hours. I think if I drove I would split that up into 3 days. Which is why I prefer the look of the ferry route. Although Carol is saying that it is awful, she did take the Bilbao P&O ferry. The Brittany ferry to Santander uses a newish ship I think which has a lot of things to do on board (it's only for less than a day anyaway) so it might not be that bad.

lostinrates

chucknorris wrote: »

The AA's route finder says Dorking to Malaga would be almost 23 hours. I think if I drove I would split that up into 3 days. Which is why I prefer the look of the ferry route. Although Carol is saying that it is awful, she did take the Bilbao P&O ferry. The Brittany ferry to Santander uses a newish ship I think which has a lot of things to do on board (it's only for less than a day anyaway) so it might not be that bad.

Maybe horses for courses?

I'd be prepared to try ferry, certainly. I do know I get a bit restess on a shorter ferry crossing though, so....I also love that you can just go off routein a car.

There used to be trains you could drive onto from Tuscany to Nice, I think, but they stopped or are only summer running. I wonder if there is an equivalent?

chucknorris

lostinrates wrote: »

Maybe horses for courses?

I'd be prepared to try ferry, certainly. I do know I get a bit restess on a shorter ferry crossing though, so....I also love that you can just go off routein a car.

There used to be trains you could drive onto from Tuscany to Nice, I think, but they stopped or are only summer running. I wonder if there is an equivalent?

Unfortanately not, for some reason Spain does not have these. So the only option is drive all the way or use the ferry to Santander. But I am quite happy using the ferry, I only see it as transport rather than an essential part of the holiday.

I like the fact we can visit our dog as often as we like, I will really tire him out before we take him. As well as visit him often we will probably have a game of scrabble right outside his cage too (he is a rescue dog and doesn't like to be eleft alone).

SailorSam

I've nearly always been self employed and a bit of a workaholic, so jobs around the house have always been put on hold. Any time off work has been an opportunity to catch up on what needs doing, decorating; gardening etc etc.
If i go away on holiday all the time i'm there i'm thinking , 'i should be at home, this needs doing that needs doing.
No i don't enjoy them, i find it hard to relax.

carolt

chucknorris wrote: »

Unfortanately not, for some reason Spain does not have these. So the only option is drive all the way or use the ferry to Santander. But I am quite happy using the ferry, I only see it as transport rather than an essential part of the holiday.

I like the fact we can visit our dog as often as we like, I will really tire him out before we take him. As well as visit him often we will probably have a game of scrabble right outside his cage too (he is a rescue dog and doesn't like to be eleft alone).

I think if you go not expecting it to be nice, just a way to get from a to b (and take some travel sickness pills), you'll be fine.

We made the mistake of thinking it would be part of our holiday, and an experience in itself, so were a bit underwhelmed.

A cut-price cruise it is not.

Pee

I love holidays and like to get away somewhere every couple of months - either in the UK or abroad. To be honest, it's usually cheaper abroad.

It would be the first thing to cut out if we were short of money and I am trying for a baby and once that happens, there won't be any more trips for a while!

Mr_Matey

My life's a bit of a holiday at the moment. Except for that thing called work which sometimes gets in the way. I guess it depends how you differentiate travel with holidays. When you live away from family in a new country, every weekend is yours to explore somewhere new, and flights to Europe are so cheap from London!

I've gone holiday mental over the last year, had some great experiences and it's definitely opened my eyes up to the world. When we don't have a holiday planned for the next few months it's depressing.

Holidays are definitely our biggest discretionary spend. If times were tougher we'd go on "cheaper" holidays, after that I'd cut back on other things before cancelling holiday plans.

On an aside, I've found holidays can be useful in business situations too. Foreign clients and colleagues love it when you've visited their country, know a bit about their culture and can speak a few words of their language.

PasturesNew

lostinrates wrote: »

17 hours

I go stir crazy after 1.5 hours. At this point in a journey I am rocking and saying out loud "BORED, BORED, BORED, BORED .... IIIII AAAAAAM SOOOOOOOO BOOOOOOOOORED".

To drive for 17 hours would take 2-3 days too. I'd have to kill some people I think.