About going to the same place on holiday?

[potatopotato]

This is my first AIBU so don't be too harsh

Last year me and DP went to Portugal for a week's holiday. I'd been to the same resort/town twice before (and stayed in the same hotel once) and it was DP's first time there. We had a lovely time and were both sad to leave.

Now it has come to booking this year's holiday and I think we should go back to the same place, but he disagrees.

My reasons are: it will be a boozy beach/ sunshine holiday somewhere in Europe wherever we go, so not like we will be exploring culture/sightseeing etc. It is probably the best place i've ever been to for this kind of holiday- lively strip but it's not full of massive groups of teenagers like Magaluf or Kavos etc. Everything is close by- beach, strip, shops etc not more than 5 mins away. Lovely, mainly English hotel with nice staff and a HUGE infinity pool. Portugal is (correct me if i'm wrong) hotter than Spain etc.

Basically I think we are lucky to have found such a perfect place for the type of holiday we want. I've been on lots of holidays that seem perfect but when you get there they are just a bit lacking in something. I work hard all year and this is my only break so I want the holiday to really live up to my expectations.

DP, however, feels that we should go somewhere new to 'experience it' and try new things. I've been to a lot of European beachy resorts so I don't feel the need to try new ones just for the sake of it, they are normally pretty similar, except this place in Portugal which really stands out.

Also, all we will be doing is sunbathing and drinking, so I don't see why we should risk ending up in a shithole just for the

[Bakingnovice]

When travelling with kids it's really important to me that it's the right place. My biggest requirement is that it's CLEAN. Spotless in fact as I have issues around the state of a place. For the kids it must have good facilities abd activities as they are under ten so need pool slides, horse riding, footy etc. hubby needs some watersports. It's hard to find somewhere we all enjoy so once I find somewhere I like to go back. But Dh doesn't like this. What this means is that I spend weeks and weeks researching every potential place until I find something good. It's boring and tiring (and funny if you use tripadvisor) but it has to be done. The only place my Dh has vowed to not return to is Dubai. We all loved it but he thought it was soulless and weird.

I can't believe how much prices ate going up year on year for family holidays.

[Hullygully]

Zakynthos is Buppers' fave - can't have a higher recommendation than that.

I'm very old Exit and I've been abaht a lot, travelling and work. We had a camper van so we drove round all of Europe for eg one Summer.

[Badvoc]

My sis and bil went to Zante every year for ages - they loved it :)

[EchoBitch]

This year i am going on holiday.
First proper one apart from camping in The Purbecks (20 minutes drive away and never more than five nights) for 21 years.
I am going on a train trip around Scotland and going on the 'Harry Potter' viaduct no less.

I can't wait.

[AnyFucker]

My teenagers would hate that. Happy(ish) teenagers, happy parents, innit

I am pretty sure they would actually prefer bungy jumps, waterparks, nightclubs, foam parties, funfairs and all that jazz...but there is only so much I can tolerate

[IamtheZombie]

We don't have to take children into account, so we stay in a small family run no one under 16 hotel in Kos Town. It's just far enough out to have a field of goats next door but we can be at the Dolphin roundabout in 10 minutes max. And that's shuffling along at Zombie speed.

Best of both worlds for us.

[AnyFucker]

have been to Kos

I hope it will be similar (but a sandy beach, found the place we went to on Kos didn't have great beaches)

I like a sandy beach and shallow water, just right for lying in

[IamtheZombie]

Ah, OK. It's just that we discovered Kos a few years ago and go back every year. At least once...

[AnyFucker]

It's all right zombs

Not being mysterious really, just didn't want someone to come along and say "oh no, you haven't booked that have you, it's really horrible" and burst my little bubble

it's Zakynthos/Zante, not the rowdy part

[IamtheZombie]

Which island, AF?

PM Zombie if you want to stay all mysterious publicly.

[AnyFucker]

It's booked.

< gulp >

[BegoniaBampot]

Well hope it's nice. No Idea where we are going yet this summer. Decisions, decisions!

[ExitPursuedByABear]

Hully How old are you? Or how many holidays a year do you take? You seem to have been bloody everywhere.......

[Trills]

You wouldn't pay £3k for 4 people for 2 weeks?

I might, depends what was included.

If I could persuade DP to join in and pay half I might pay £3k for 2 people for 2 weeks, depending on what I got for that.

I'd be expecting people to being me nice alcoholic drinks in hollowed-out pineapples for that though.

[AnyFucker]

Seriously, haven't decided yet, but might have found a good compromise on a greek island. Close to airport (cannot be bovved with another 2 hour journey after a flight), small and friendly but stuff going on (sports/quizzes/waterpolo etc). Busy (but not crazy) town/nice beach 20 mins walk (or by free courtesy bus) away.

[AnyFucker]

I am not even looking at 14 nights, Hully. It's 11 nights.

< flips bird > TravelAdvisor agrees with me...

[Hullygully]

I think it's a lot of money as well. I wouldn't pay that for four people for two weeks.

[Hullygully]

oh COME ON

You meanie

[AnyFucker]

I have found something nice. Am not going to tell you though, because you might all book it

[AnyFucker]

< sigh >

Is 3-3.5k not a lot of money then ? It seems like it to me.

[BegoniaBampot]

Anyfucker, I'd forget AI on that budget. Better to go to an OK SC or apt with kitchen and feed yourself and eat out or you'll be in the worst AI with likely crap food and dishwater drinks. Don't risk it.

[AnyFucker]

hey, soap take my two as well to keep you and your ds company

erm, Malia ? Put a few packs of condoms in his suitcase.

[Bearbehind]

I'm with you potatopotato but luckily my DH is too. We've booked to go to the same place twice this year (we do stay in different hotels) and we'll have been 10 times in 6 years which I totally agree is disgraceful given the number of places in the world there are to see. The trouble is holidays aren't cheap and we only get 4 weeks a year so we can't bring ourselves to risk somewhere not coming up to the same standard.

[AndABigBirdInaPearTree]

(only read first page)

I'm sure someone has suggested this, but just in case, why don't you take it in turn to choose, you have even years he has odd years. You will always choose that place and he will choose somewhere different.

[landofsoapandglory]

AF I've just paid for DS1 to go to Malia with his mates on a post A levels holiday! DH said he doesn't want to come on a beach holiday, he wants to go on a walking holiday, so DS2(16) has suggested we go somewhere together!