To ask for your holiday suggestions please?

[boffin9207]

DM has a big birthday coming up. I want to surprise her with a short trip away, not too expensive but a bit of luxury.

Please can you give suggestions as to where I can take her? Either UK or abroad in the beginning of next year.

Well what does SHE like? Would tickets to the opera at Covent Garden be her idea of heaven? Or perhaps a night or two at a spa hotel or one with a Michelin starred restaurant? That should be your starting point.

Is she into stately homes, shopping, sight-seeing, gardens...?

Well she complains that she never gets to go away as much as she would like, stress and wants a break etc. Her and DF have a holiday coming up but I thought a long weekend or mid week break would be a nice way to celebrate and show appreciation from her children for everything she does / has done.

I took her on a spa trip a few years ago for Mother's Day but thought maybe I should do something different for her birthday. I know she would like a trip away, I would appreciate some suggestions on where to take her!

Was thinking respite. A break from everything.

Late February in Rome is wonderful. Accommodation can be found at a reasonable cost and flights are also at the cheaper end of the scale. Don't be afraid to look at places like www.robertonaldicollection.com/eng/splendide_roma/home.htm
Which is 5* luxury but at a much cheaper rate than high season.

Seville is gorgeous in late Feb/early March too.

Good luck!

This 5* hotel looks lovely for a January break in London!

NYC?

Maybe Eurostar? I think a train is probably a lot less stressful than airports at the moment.

Or you maybe able to find mini-cruises? These aren't too expensive I believe and cruising still has a luxurious feel (I'm told).

What sort of budget?

Mini cruise may be a nice idea?

Sorry should probably add that we live in London so staying in London seems a bit of a waste.

I hadn't really thought about budget. My Dsis seems to have ignored my messages on the topic so if just me and my mum then probably around £500-600.

Funnily enough was talking to DM this evening and she was saying she really wants a holiday where she doesn't have to do anything, can sleep in the sun etc. Is anywhere in Europe really that warm in the early part of the year? Realistically my budget isn't going to stretch THAT far and I don't want to take her away only to have not so great weather. E.g. If I look at the canaries or a Greek island are there better ones to go to / resorts to avoid?

Jersey or Guernsey?

Amsterdam

Bruge

Sorry, not hot places but nice places to go.

We just did a couple of nights with spa and dinner in Celtic Manor Resort, Newport for £528. Highly recommended and only a couple of hours from London. Plus, bonus shopping trip to Cardiff before you go home.

What about Cape Verde? I haven't been but a friend did. She said there wasn't much to do apart from lie in the sun but it sounds like that's what your dm is looking for.

Venice! Not a 'sleeping in the sun' type of holiday but it can be relaxing. So much to see but also lots of wonderful places to sit and watch the world go by. Fabulous in winter but avoid Carnevale in Feb (unless you like crowds!).

Recommend Madeira from March, as rainy season Dec - Feb. Good for a relaxing holiday. Porto Mare hotels highly recommended if your budget will stretch that far.

Your budget would stretch to Gran Canaria, as well other parts of spain.

If she doesn't want to do much you want somewhere with an island feel, rather than city.

Just go for the quieter resorts.

I'd forgotten about Cape Verde, it sounds like what your Mum would want.

Playa Blanca. Good weather and decent prices around that time I think.

You won't get a break in the Canaries for £500-600 pp, I don't think. The flights are 4 hours, even from London, so they're more expensive than going to say Malaga or Palma. If you want warm sun in Feb though you have to go quite far. I think I would either up your budget or go later in the year when you can do something warm for less money. By May you could head pretty much anywhere in the Med and have nice sun for sitting out in.

Jersey. Lovely scenery, excellent food, both nice places to visit and nice places to just hang out, and a flight that's quicker than most tube journeys.

The Jersey tourist website is very good: www.jersey.com/

Madeira is lovely for a 3/4 night break, and can be great value compared to the canaries. It won't be hot but certainly better than home. If it wasn't for needing sun I'd probably look at a shirt Cruise from Southampton, P&O or RCI do some nice short itineraries taking in Bruges, Guernsey, Le Havre etc. - nor sunny but nice and relaxing, she'll be waited on hand and foot, could do a spa day, see some shows, great food and cocktails. It'll be higher standard than anything canaries for the same price.

antinvasion I want to move into the Porto Santa Maria, beautiful hotel!

I second Madeira (Easyjet fly there daily). Hotels are nice and you could easily do 4 or 5 days there.
Alternatively, The Sunborn (it's a moored yacht type hotel) in Gibralter is very, very nice and Fleetway Travel do 5 night breaks (in fact they do a lot of 5 night city type breaks for reasonable prices).

A short break in Lisbon is also popular (Monarch airlines started a new route there recently).

I've just been to Madeira and really liked it - it's a volcanic island but is really green and lush. The south of the island is warmer and in winter the temp is about 18 degrees I think. It's not very beachy but some hotels have created their own beaches. Flight time is 3.30 to 4 hours. Cape Verde is a much longer flight time but is no doubt hotter.