Holidays

[Hardy]

London...best city in the world after NYC...imho.

Nonsense. Haven't you ever been to Birmingham?

I'm trying to mend some fences here.

[Minder]

London...best city in the world after NYC...imho.

Nonsense. Haven't you ever been to Birmingham?

I'm trying to mend some fences here.

The fences would be broken if they were in Birmingham

[ziggy90]

I bow to your experience/expertise Minder.

[ziggy90]

London...best city in the world after NYC...imho.

Agreed 5 Sams.

im pretty sure they dont have any sams!

Bollocks Touche, as they say around here.

[JimStynes]

What about Croatia? Not dubrovnik but the rest of that coast line? I hear some of the islands are lovely.

[muppet]

10 year wedding anniversary is a month away

We are looking at a European weekend away somewhere, any suggestions?

Already been to Amsterdam, Paris, Rome and Barcelona but apart from that........

Nice, only two hours away. Get the train to Monaco, on the way back and get off at Eze:



Then there is Cannes nearby as well.

[ross4life]

Nice, only two hours away. Get the train to Monaco, on the way back and get off at Eze:



Then there is Cannes nearby as well.

Visited all those places on my last trip to France. Would highly recommend them all especially Eze.

[Smokin Joe]

Cheers.  Sounds like a big push for Nice then.

I was worried that there wouldn't be much to do other than look at the beach.  You know us Irish like a bit of culture.

[armaghniac]

Nice should be grand for a few days. Bring herself to the perfume factories in Grasse and get her something nice.

I was worried that there wouldn't be much to do other than look at the beach. 

Quite the reverse.

[AZOffaly]

OK. Great and good of the GAABoard, I humbly seek your advice.

I wasn't going to go anywhere this year, as we have a baby that's just coming 1 in may, and I don't want to be lugging a whole pile of crap around Europe, or worrying about her handling the heat etc. However, as we get closer to the summer I'm getting guilty for our other little lad, who is 7.  We went as far as Kerry last year when the baby was just a couple of months, and he was happy out with the cousins but I'd like to give him a chance to see somewhere else as well. Why work if we can't give our kids some nice treats every now and then eh?

Anyway, bearing in mind the constraints with the baby, which still apply!, I was thinking of somewhere reasonable, for a week say, and probably within Ferry distance. I say Ferry because then I don't have to worry about luggage etc.

We did France before, when the little lad wasn't much bigger than the new baby is now, and we had a great time there, but we got a very good deal on the accomodation . I was thinking somewhere in Southern England, maybe Devon, Dorset or Cornwall? I was looking at those 'Haven' places. Has anyone any experience of them, or heard of them? The main thing would be that there's activities for the 7 year old to enjoy, and maybe a bit of seaside and restaurants for Mammy and Daddy to relax with as well.

Looking at July timeframe. Any thoughts greatly appreciated.

[mackers]

Did it last year AZ and going again this year.  Plenty for the 7 year old to do.  We went in the heatwave last July so it would have been a waste going foreign to be honest.  We stayed at the Devon Cliffs Haven and it has its own beach.  The evening entertainment is great for the kids and allows you to get a couple of pints and relax.
You need to go in the early weeks of July before the English schools are off otherwise it could get too busy.
Good pools, both indoor and outdoor with Starbucks and Spar shop onsite.
Big downside is that it does attract a certain amount of the English tatooed fraternity but I didn't find it too bad.  Motorway/dual carriageway from Holyhead to Exeter with only 20 minutes out of the 5 hours on "normal roads".
Stopped half way down in a service station to give the kids a break. 
Devon is a beautiful part of the world, we went to Torquay but it was bunged with the good weather, went cycling on the Moors which was nice although a little hot.  Plenty to do. I'd recommend it.

[AZOffaly]

Did it last year AZ and going again this year.  Plenty for the 7 year old to do.  We went in the heatwave last July so it would have been a waste going foreign to be honest.  We stayed at the Devon Cliffs Haven and it has its own beach.  The evening entertainment is great for the kids and allows you to get a couple of pints and relax.
You need to go in the early weeks of July before the English schools are off otherwise it could get too busy.
Good pools, both indoor and outdoor with Starbucks and Spar shop onsite.
Big downside is that it does attract a certain amount of the English tatooed fraternity but I didn't find it too bad.  Motorway/dual carriageway from Holyhead to Exeter with only 20 minutes out of the 5 hours on "normal roads".
Stopped half way down in a service station to give the kids a break. 
Devon is a beautiful part of the world, we went to Torquay but it was bunged with the good weather, went cycling on the Moors which was nice although a little hot.  Plenty to do. I'd recommend it.

Cheers. The bit in bold worries me a bit I must say though. Would it be any more than you'd see on holiday in Portugal or Spain? I'm assuming early July would minimise that a bit as well?

[Bingo]

Did it last year AZ and going again this year.  Plenty for the 7 year old to do.  We went in the heatwave last July so it would have been a waste going foreign to be honest.  We stayed at the Devon Cliffs Haven and it has its own beach.  The evening entertainment is great for the kids and allows you to get a couple of pints and relax.
You need to go in the early weeks of July before the English schools are off otherwise it could get too busy.
Good pools, both indoor and outdoor with Starbucks and Spar shop onsite.
Big downside is that it does attract a certain amount of the English tatooed fraternity but I didn't find it too bad.  Motorway/dual carriageway from Holyhead to Exeter with only 20 minutes out of the 5 hours on "normal roads".
Stopped half way down in a service station to give the kids a break. 
Devon is a beautiful part of the world, we went to Torquay but it was bunged with the good weather, went cycling on the Moors which was nice although a little hot.  Plenty to do. I'd recommend it.

Cheers. The bit in bold worries me a bit I must say though. Would it be any more than you'd see on holiday in Portugal or Spain? I'm assuming early July would minimise that a bit as well?

Centre Parcs might be more up your street if you want to avoid of that but you'll pay for a holiday there and expensive I believe to do activities and eat in the Parcs. I looked at them last year but was hard to justify when you looking round the peak season.

Devon is a lovely part of the UK, my brother leaves in Paington beside Torquay and its nice down round that nexk of the woods. Lost of day trips and the like.

[mackers]

There was no loutish behaviour or anything like that. They're all there with their young children. No worse than I would have seen in Spain or Portugal to be fair. The early July thing would cut out any potential problems with teenagers/older children.

[seafoid]

10 year wedding anniversary is a month away

We are looking at a European weekend away somewhere, any suggestions?

Already been to Amsterdam, Paris, Rome and Barcelona but apart from that........

I like Ireland's blue book for ideas - the wider group they are part of is

http://www.historichotelsofeurope.com/Default.aspx