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 Rioja, at a B&B run by an 80 year old lady. She told us amazing stories about the region, shared delicious desserts with us, she decided we should do more day trips and sought out lifts for us with friends since we didn’t have a car. It was like being hosted by family. Magic! Plus all the wine tasting was great too!

Five nights in Barcelona at Easter, about ten years ago. I paid £250 including flights and a basic, clean en-suite room outside the centre. I walked miles and the weather was perfect.

A few days in Athens in May. Not burning hot but a nice change from home at the time.

The people are no nonsense but friendly. So much stuff to see. The flea market and shopping was good, and the tavernas churned out such good food! I stayed in a rough area but the staff saw I was on my own and looked out for me.

I've been to a few Greek Islands before but obviously the capital is a totally different vibe, and it was good to see the difference.

😂😂😂😂

2 nights in Margate on my own, absolute bliss and one of the best sunsets ever😎 DH was unwell so stayed home, little did we know he had a bowel obstruction and had emergency surgery a week or so later!

Whitby is glorious, our first visit was a huge surprise😎

Our first cruise from Valletta last year, no idea what to expect but Malta was beautiful and the whole cruise was incredible. Been on 3 more cruise’s since then! And

A camping holiday in Dorset when our dc were 4 and 7.
We were supposed to stay on a different campsite with a few more amenities but you couldn't pre-book and it was full when we got there, so we ended up on a very basic site with views over to the Isle of Wight, a bakery van that came round every morning and the best climbing tree where all the children congregated and made friends.
The owner came round every morning to collect the 'rent' which was about £15 a night, so we just kept looking at the weather forecast and stayed as long as the sun shone, which was about 10 days I think.
Ds2 was obsessed with knights at the time and there was an event on at Corfe Castle with jousting, knights school and stalls with people dressed up in medieval costume, we had a day at Camp Bestival, went to the beach at Studland Bay and Swanage, took the ferry to Brownsea Island and saw red squirrels...it was actually just the most perfect family holiday but could easily have gone completely wrong.

Slightly similar - .We were there for the beatification of John Paul II. We'd only booked it to take advantage of term time holiday prices when Kate & William got married & there was an extra bank holiday.

Mind you, our plane home was delayed while we waited for Robert Mugabe to leave.

@RainintheDesert we always tack a couple of days on in Athens after a Greek island holiday where you need to get the boat as no airport. Just back 2 weeks ago- I like Athens if you know where to go/really good food -love the Monastakiri bit with flea markets but leafy and the Main Street off Syntagma is pretty upmarket these days-very enjoyable- here's a pic of our hotel roof top- fab bar, nice pool

Ah - here it is - roof top in Athens hotel ( the Stanley)

Yep Romney Sands as other PPs have said. I loved it there. It is a no frills holiday camp - it's not luxury. But if you need a very budget holiday in an amazing place in UK, it's hard to beat.

I so want to go to Whitby. On my bucket list.

Ah, yes. We had one like that too. DC were both supposed to be at uni that year but both sent home for two terms due to Covid. We asked if they wanted to come on holiday with us and they both fiercely said No! as they were desperate to have lives again, to leave home and travel with mates. But one by one all those plans got cancelled by Covid restrictions, so DH and I booked a holiday home big enough for all of us in the Lakes. And at the last minute they decided to come.

The weather was gorgeous. We climbed Scafell together and other hills. Had incredible Michelin starred food at chain food prices as the brilliant restaurants were just reopening. We'd felt DC were really fed up of being with us after spending a precious year of uni back with their parents so it was lovely to see them enjoy themselves.

Oh wow - I loved reading this!

We usually go to northern Spain but in 2021, because of the huge cost of Covid testing, we spent ££££ on an all-inclusive "luxury resort" in Kos.

Never again. Your post reminded me of what a lovely holiday should be!

We've spent literally £££££ on holidays in the last decade and these posts are a real eye opener!

Broomhill Manor near Bude in Cornwall! Gorgeous accommodation , lovely pools, we were blessed with wonderful weather. Beaches just stunning. Superb holiday.

Our first lockdown holiday was the best. We rented a really good house at a bargain price and went to beach - having not been able to go anywhere for so long it was just fabulous.

@JenaWrenthank you so much for the hotel recommendation - I stayed there last weekend and it was amazing! We had room 532 which had a wraparound balcony with views of Sacré-coeur and the Eiffel tower. Yay for mumsnet!