Unexpectedly lovely holidays

[JenaWren]

I've just got back from a last minute trip to Paris to see a bit of the Olympics.

The Olympics were amazing as you'd expect. And the city has done an incredible job of hosting. I'm so glad I went.

What was totally unexpected though was my very budget hotel room. It had the most amazing view of Sacre Coeur.

It got me thinking - what unexpectedly lovely holidays have you been on?

A week in Whitby!

We travel extensively but this was amazing - relaxing, fun, quant, cosy and beautiful all at once.

A Week in Ibiza- I think I left a piece of my heart there.

Wow. That really is an amazing view for a budget hotel. Where were you (I want that room!)

My favourite unexpectedly lovely holiday was a jaw-droppingly cheap Park Resorts deal. Four nights over the Easter holidays, in one of their apartments, not caravans, for £60 in total (It was a while ago but they do still do incredible deals.) It was just me and 2 DC. The flat was clean and spacious and overlooked the playground, so I could let them go out and swing while I cooked and kept an eye on them. There was a miniature railway that stopped right inside the resort.

At one end of the line was Derek Jarman's garden, a lighthouse and a nuclear power station that DC were fascinated by. At the other end was some tiny seaside town with a fairground, donkey rides and 1950s ice cream parlours that sold banana splits as big as my DC's heads. The beach was on our doorstep, huge, with silky sand and completely empty. There were two free swimming pools - one for children, so it was safe for them to play while I did a couple of lengths. And at the far end of the park was a massive lake with swans on and vast old radar discs set up in WW2 to try and misdirect Nazi planes, which also fascinated DC.

We had fish and chips on the beach and explored and had the most brilliant time. We were very broke back then and I honestly felt they had as good a holiday as all the kids at school who'd been somewhere exotic.

This will sound strange, but the one we had in 2020 when we couldn't go away anywhere to stay, but they'd just eased lockdown restrictions so we could travel within the UK again - it was so nice to get out and about even to local places where we'd not been able to go for months.

Very young, agreed, casually, to go Rome as a last-minute change from somewhere else, wow, changed my life.

When covid restrictions were lifting we booked a last minute week on Mull It was amazing so peaceful our hotel was cheap as anything food was good and it was just a lovely holiday.

Rooftop apartment in Barcelona, I took my two daughters by easyjet flights and a booking.com apartment while I was in the process of getting divorced and was broke. The whole holiday was as cheap as chips as we got around by local transport, the apartment very inexpensive as it was up a steep flight of stairs and right at the top of the building but our terrace looked out at the rooftop of Casa Mila and we were right in the middle of the city.

What is the name of the hotel, pls?

@Meadowwild which resort was that please? Sounds like just the type of place I’m looking for!

Glad you had a lovely time op.

Where did you stay? Me and dd thinking of going for one or two days of the paralympics.

My photo isn't posting for some reason, but we're currently eating breakfast on a rooftop terrace at a backpackers hostel in Douro, looking at an amazing view of the Douro valley.

Not bad for 60 euros for a double room with shared bathroom, free breakfast and aircon and wifi better than the 4 star hotels we have stayed at.

I'm not the OP but sounds like romney marsh

I'm loving these stories. Some brilliant memories and ideas for holidays that don't cost the earth.

Meadow and Tiny - it's the Hotel Avenir in Monmartre. Rooms are very small and basic but clean and the staff are lovely. Make sure you get a room on the 5th or 6th floor with a view of Sacre Coeur. And it only cost about 60 EUR a night!

It's within walking distance of Gare du Nord, right on a Metro stop and loads of great cafes, bars and restaurants on your doorstep.

@CaptainCrocs it's Romney Sands I can tell from @Meadowwild wonderful description of her and her childrens lovely holiday
I have been there as well and it is a great location

I love threads like this. following for inspiration

I find generally the holidays I've been on without reading every review, kept an open mind, had low expectations barring a clean hotel room and a few days away from home, have been more enjoyable.

Oh I meant to say we visited Iona you sail from Mull it is spectacular such a beautiful place.

One would expect this to be a holiday of a lifetime and it was. But there were doubts!
My husband had a sabbatical and our kids were three and 20 months - couldn't change the timing it was then or never. We decided to go to Australia for a month. We moved nine times, going from coast to coast. It could have been tricky with such little kids, and it was peak summer so temps as high as 40, but it was an amazing time.

Tenby- quaint and charming. It was a wonderful seaside holiday, with a lovely trip to magical Caldey Island.

@JenaWren I have stayed at the Hotel Avenir too - what a find! Like you said, very basic and when I was there, they delivered a simple breakfast tray to your door. But having a balcony with that fantastic view was amazing especially for Paris!

Last min trip with college friends to Rome, Pope died and new one elected while we were there at the Vatican with the world's media! It was amazing 🥰

We had a lovely staycation that August as well. I had two weeks of annual leave and we alternated days at home enjoying the garden with days out to places we'd never been to before. It was very relaxed and great fun.

5 days in Valleta ( Malta) last year - work related trip - rest of Malta was a bit meh but I really loved Valleta and also Victoria on Gozo. Was like a great Italian city except with the sea and half the price- stayed at an amazing town centre boutique hotel owned by a bunch of gay guys - and the breakfast was the best I've had in the world- all served on a beautiful terrace on cake stands - amazingly beautiful rooms too ( not cheap)

I went to Kent in 2020 and it was gorgeous. Perfect weather and lovely cottage.

We went glamping in a bell tent on the edge of Luton, of all places, in lockdown when things very carefully were re-opening. DC was 10 and we had such a simple happy time, toasting marshmallows and playing silly games, I loved it.

Many years ago, when my children were very young we booked a last minute week on a caravan park in Cornwall. It was fabulous. We had great weather and there were loads things that the children really enjoyed doing It was nothing fancy, but a really happy week that the whole family thoroughly enjoyed.

Oh my gosh ToBe - we’re hotel buddies!!