Holidays

Started by Oakleafer93, June 03, 2009, 01:17:25 PM

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JimStynes

#240
I'm thinking of London or Paris at the minute. I'd love to go to New York again but would rather wait until the summer and tie the New York trip in with somewhere else.

Anybody been to Germany? Munich or Berlin?

The Worker

Quote from: JimStynes on November 04, 2012, 12:47:35 PM
I'm thinking of London or Paris at the minute. I'd love to go to New York again but would rather wait until the summer and tie the New York trip in with somewhere else.

Anybody been to Germany? Munich or Berlin?

You win the lotto?

JimStynes

Quote from: The Worker on November 04, 2012, 01:33:59 PM
Quote from: JimStynes on November 04, 2012, 12:47:35 PM
I'm thinking of London or Paris at the minute. I'd love to go to New York again but would rather wait until the summer and tie the New York trip in with somewhere else.

Anybody been to Germany? Munich or Berlin?

You win the lotto?

Says the man who's away every other weekend

Hoof Hearted

Quote from: Norf Tyrone on November 04, 2012, 12:36:11 PM
Quote from: Rois on November 04, 2012, 12:21:31 PM
Paris or London. I love both.

Off to Krakow on Thurs, not sure what to expect.

In order. London, Paris, Barce, Prague. Everybody talk about pop music.

London's just a superb city IMHO.

Edinburgh is great too - 1/2 hour flight from Belfast and 1/2 hour on a bus to city centre.
Treble 6 Nations Fantasy Rugby champion 2008, 2011 & 2012

Newbridge Exile

Quote from: laoislad on November 04, 2012, 12:28:30 PM
Quote from: JimStynes on November 03, 2012, 08:10:24 PM
Any recommendations for a 3 or 4 night city break? Want a good hotel, city that has plenty to do and see and good shopping. Thinking of going in the new year with the wife

Portlaoise..

Other than that I would recommend Prague or Barcelona.
Have been to Budapest three times now, fantastic for a city break

camanchero

Quote from: Family guy on November 02, 2012, 09:27:13 PM
Anyone been to any of the islands in the carribbean??Any suggestions?The girlfriends looking to go in the new year,i havent a clue,just asking has anyone any advice?
have been to a few - Aruba, Cuba and Grand Cayman.
All of them have fantastic beaches.
If you can speak a bit of spanish then you can go off and do your own thing, hire an appartment etc and pick your way arond the place reasonably cheaply eating in palladars etc.
However, for those of us who can just about mange English, the mainstream hotels are great.
Stayed in Varadero for a week and Havana for three nights 9 years ago.
Beaches, beautiful sea and tranquility in Varadero hotel strip were fantastic. Food in hotels was ok, nothing fantastic - but they are under rations and embargo etc.
People fantastic. Would recommend trips around the place- we did a day trip of bay of pigs, trinidad heritage town and ended up in Che's museum in santa clara. Brilliant trip.
the thousands of wee red crabs crossing the road for half a mile in front of the mini bus beside the bay of pigs and the impromptu orange then purple lightining storm on the way home were out of this world.
Varadero town had a couple of good and cheap restaurants - even though we were all inclusive at the hotel. Beer is cheap (or was - about €1.50 a bottle for the local beers - buccanero being one and quite nice).
~Havana was fantastic, do the tour of partagas cigar factory. Go around on a city tour. See the hemmingway bars and spots. See the hotel nacional. Check out the hotel inglaterra and you must get dinner in the 'La Guarida' which knocks the spots off the best Belfast has to offer (like james st south or Deane's - though i think they are way over rated anyhow)
http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/travel/destinations/2008-04-09-cuba-paladars_N.htm
You wil no doubt have conflicting emotions about Cuba - the obvious lack of wealth , but the fantastic beautiful place it is. I'm trying to get the missus to go back - maybe at Christmas.
Grand cayman has beautiful beaches and seas, but apart from a raft of hotels on 7 mile beach, doesnt really cater for tourists as the main stay of the island is the banking/insurance etc industry with the ex pats and yanks etc.
Aruba is a great place to go to get a cheap engagement ring if the girlfriend is to get an upgrade anytime soon. prices were more than half what they are here. like Grand cayman, slightly lacking in variety of places to go and eat etc- and its around the same price as here - though the seafood is fantastic (all around the carribean). As the island is so small, it is quite breezy and the beaches experience the sand lifting often - which isnt nice if you are sitting there reading or relaxing!
I prefer the carribean to anywhere else. There isnt much shopping worth talking about in any of those places. I hear mexico - cancun might have though. You could always get a flight in via miami and go shopping there..

southdown

Im for Fuerteventura on Sunday, anyone been? Any decent trips I can go on?

southdown

Cheers for the tips, as above!

Fuerteventura is a lovely place for a week of winter sun, mid twenties all week long and the scenery and beaches were spectacular.  Stayed all incluxive in the Elba Carlota Hotel and it was by the far the nicest place I have ever stayed.  Highly recommended.

Bingo

Time to look at the holidays for 2013 and gloomy January seems as good a time as any.

One of the options is a Center Parc holiday - in UK or mainland Europe.

Be myself and 2 kids ( 3 & 5(and a half). Prefer self catering, outdoors and activity based hence the Center Parc. Although it does seem a bit pricey and everything bar swimming in the sites are extra.

Anyone ever been or suggest alternatives?

nrico2006

Thinking about a holiday for the summer, not fussed on a specific location to be honest, as long as there is a beach, pool and good weather.  Was thinking of a week and probably looking all inclusive for 2 adults and a 3 year old and a child under 1.  Anyone any ideas of what kind of price I should expect to pay and where is the best place to get the best deal?

Thanks.
'To the extreme I rock a mic like a vandal, light up a stage and wax a chump like a candle.'

Tony Baloney

Quote from: nrico2006 on January 03, 2013, 03:44:06 PM
Thinking about a holiday for the summer, not fussed on a specific location to be honest, as long as there is a beach, pool and good weather.  Was thinking of a week and probably looking all inclusive for 2 adults and a 3 year old and a child under 1.  Anyone any ideas of what kind of price I should expect to pay and where is the best place to get the best deal?

Thanks.
You won't see much of the sun yourself if you take a baby on holiday in Jul/Aug (if going to the Med I assume - 30 to 40degC. As you don't have any in school I would wait go offpeak when a bit cooler.

Rois

Bingo - four separate people I work with have all gone to Centre Parcs in different locations in the UK and all had a ball. 

It's quite upmarket, hence the high prices.  Though one of my colleagues is from Ballymena, he wouldn't have been forking out loads of the paid activities, but still managed to have a great time.

My sis brought her kids to Legoland and Chessington near London where they had a ball, the younger kids particularly.  Not the same resort-feel that you might be looking for though.

nrico - sounds like Portugal for you (again, sis, husband and kids went there last year and liked it).  It appears to be the most accessible place for holidays from NI at the minute if you want to avoid the Canaries. 

Bingo

Quote from: nrico2006 on January 03, 2013, 03:44:06 PM
Thinking about a holiday for the summer, not fussed on a specific location to be honest, as long as there is a beach, pool and good weather.  Was thinking of a week and probably looking all inclusive for 2 adults and a 3 year old and a child under 1.  Anyone any ideas of what kind of price I should expect to pay and where is the best place to get the best deal?

Thanks.

Friend of mine went to Furtaventura in Canaries last year - stayed in Atlantis Suite resort which is all inclusive resort or has the option. He loved it, kids would have been a bit older than yours though. He went off season, so weather was milder but still warm. Said there was plenty to do onsite, so he wasn't dragging kids off somewhere every day.

Cheers Rois. Was thinking that would be the case re the cost and that there would be ways round it. Heard good things about legoland as well. Will look into a few of them.

nrico2006

Quote from: Tony Baloney on January 03, 2013, 04:21:31 PM
Quote from: nrico2006 on January 03, 2013, 03:44:06 PM
Thinking about a holiday for the summer, not fussed on a specific location to be honest, as long as there is a beach, pool and good weather.  Was thinking of a week and probably looking all inclusive for 2 adults and a 3 year old and a child under 1.  Anyone any ideas of what kind of price I should expect to pay and where is the best place to get the best deal?

Thanks.
You won't see much of the sun yourself if you take a baby on holiday in Jul/Aug (if going to the Med I assume - 30 to 40degC. As you don't have any in school I would wait go offpeak when a bit cooler.

Aye, thinking about September or even around next Christmas time.  Not after any extraordinary heat, just warm enough so that the 3/4 year old will get enough enjoyment at the beach/pool. 
'To the extreme I rock a mic like a vandal, light up a stage and wax a chump like a candle.'

Sportacus

We've been to center parcs three times.  Absolutely brilliant.  It's full on sport for a week though, bikes. Pool, tennis, zip line...... but everything is top class and very well supervised.  And if you like a wee bit of wildlife at the back door of your lodge, it's hard to beat for that as well.  Kids love it, you won't be disappointed.