How, where, and when do you holiday?

[keyboardkat]

As this board is aimed at those of us who don't have children, I often wonder what others in this position do for holidays. The main holiday board is often full of theme parks, days out and focused (naturally) on catering to children and family holidays.

What do you like? Are you a sunbed person, do you like resorts? Do you prefer adult only, and do you/are you able to travel term time?

I don't like sunbeds, or resorts, or places catering to children and families, and fortunately can travel outside of school terms. I usually go to Europe, so I pick a country and spend 10 days+ travelling around using trains. I enjoy that. I like city breaks too. Never been on a cruise, have done all the long hauls I ever want to do, so it's easy access and pottering around for me!

We sightsee.

I don't mind parking myself on a sunbed with a book but DH hates it and tbh it is brilliant seeing different places rather than baking myself!

We pick and area and explore, sometimes by car, sometimes by public transport, and lots of walking depends on the area.

We always avoid school holidays and child centric hotel complexes, though this does sometimes mean we are the only under 60s there!

We have had some fantastic trips, we sometimes do major tourist sites other times it is picturesque hilltop villages and countryside or national parks.

We try and do one 'big' fancy type holiday a year that has caught our attention; last year this was Zanzibar, but we've also been to Thailand, Sri Lanka, Hong Kong etc. All outside of term time where possible.

We have friends living in Egypt, so this year's trip will be a river cruise down the Nile. Never done a cruise before so figured a river cruise is a toe in the water so to speak, for the big cruise ships we are intrigued by (and which my DM raves about!)

Just another thought, have you watch Joanna Lumley's travel series...they might give you food for thought!

@crabbyoldappletree Thanks for all that great information!

The Azores chimes with me, as my neighbour's son was doing a transatlantic rowing challenge a few years ago, and the crew were doing great, but met with trouble near the Azores. They were fine in the end, but it was a worrying time. He had lots of pictures of their stay there while recovering, and it looks stunning for sure.

Although I don't want to do longer flights anymore, I am tempted by a trans Canada train trip via the Rockies. Hmmm.

Will have a look at Joanna. I can only remember her doing a trip on the Nile. I have that box ticked, Cairo, Nile cruise, temples out of my ears, and Luxor/Valley of the Kings. Was absolutely magnificent and exhausting, glad I did it a few years ago, not so sure security (or energy) wise about it now.

Camping in Europe. We drive, so can take all the camping stuff easily and find small-ish sites usually near mountains as we are big hikers. Going back to Germany for the third time soon, because we love the place and there's lots to explore. The drive can be a slog so we break it up, this time with a couple of nights in Belgium and the Netherlands on the way there/back. Have also done Canadian Rockies this way, fly-drive. I try and avoid flying but needed to go to Calgary for work so tagged a three week break on afterwards. Love camping all the time, school holidays or not but admit it is calmer and more peaceful in European term times where possible, though the sites we choose tend not to have lots of facilties so am guessing they are never really too family-friendly.

Pre child we went to Mexico which I loved. But I like being in and around water so spent a lot of time in the sea and cenotes.

Also absolutely loved Cape Town which I wouldn't say is really a child friendly holiday destination.

Both slightly further afield than Europe.

Ooooh, Zanzibar. Did you go to Stone Town and Pemba?

5 nights in a European city, twice a year. Choose from Nice, Girona, Toulouse, Perpignan, Barcelona. Budget airline, 4 star boutique type hotels, spend the time mooching around, day trips by train, visiting museums, art galleries, nice café for lunch, nice evening meal, all on sensible budget. My favourite thing is locla supermarkets. I still sing Prisu - Prisu - Prisunic! even thought they've been Monoprix for 20 years.

local supermarkets

I wanted to ask if anyone has stayed in any of those Warner Leisure hotels, where they are adults only. Some are in lovely buildings and I like the idea, but I wonder if they are a bit staid and stuffy. I like a nice relaxed breakfast and so on, and from the ads, they sometimes look like I might be told to sit up straight at the table and shushed if I laugh. Has anyone got any experience to share?

My mil goes to them and loves it. She says the food is always excellent, and she's not the staid and stuffy type so it must be ok!

I have two types of holidays - have done these variations alone, and with a partner, and sometimes with friends too.

Type one is the big city - a nice hotel or airbnb, eating, wandering around, art/culture, sea swimming or mountain climbing if that's nearby; I often book somewhere where I have at least a few friends nearby that I/we can meet for some dinners.

Type two is the luxury slug - either a spa hotel in the countryside, or a fancy hotel in a holiday resort by the sea; spending the days rotating between sleeping, eating, reading, swimming, sauna, a little walk around the local area, rinse and repeat.

I really want to do a proper 'learn to surf' holiday soon as well!

Also to say - I try not to fly so much these days but I love a good train journey to get somewhere too, which I try to treat as part of the experience. First class on the London-Edinburgh train is lovely, as are any of the Eurostars.

Campervan.. we are currently in NL on the homeward leg of a 5 week trip which took us meandering up to the very top of Denmark.. Have seen only three other British vans in all that time .. Though we did tip up in one place on the same day as a British cruise ship was in! - a bit of an unexpected shock ( But they'd all gone back on board by 4pm)...

Next trip will be Cornwall before summer holidays and then a wander around NW Spain in September October..

We also like city breaks ...last ' away' one was Bologna before Covid , but weve been to Bath and Edinburgh recently ..

(Yes ...fortunately we are retired)

Florissante: yes went go Stone Town, very cool, loved looking round the streets and market. Really interesting place, really enjoyed looking round. Very sad history about the slave trade, just awful. Didn't go to Pemba, but Zanzibar is a very interesting place to go to.

It’s our Silver Wedding in August, and 99 days from today (me, counting?! As if!!!), we’re going from Heathrow to Vancouver and then spending 16 days on a cross Canada trip with a company many of you might know - Great Rail, based in York.

We went to Austria with them in 2008 for our 10th anniversary and it was wonderful. A guide is on your trip, in Austria it was the lovely Andrew. We were met at St Pancras, boarded Eurostar and within 10 minutes were served our first drink, stunning lunch a short while later.

We decided then that it was Canada this year with them, and that is what we are doing. I am sooo excited. I’ve never been across the Atlantic. Closest is to Lanzarote, where IL’s retired to, so the vast majority of our holidays since 2009 have been there. I don’t mind but I’ve never been to Germany or Italy or any of the Eastern European countries.

Next year is a Northern Lights cruise with Cunard. Widowed MIL is paying, surprising us and 2 SIL’s after we had already booked and paid a deposit. She has decided, after a probate nightmare with FIL’s will, that she doesn’t want to leave much but have family experiences now. She’s nearly 75, fairly healthy for her age and I love her. Looking forward to next October immensely.

Not in school holidays........... Not beach or theme park. Last few holidays based round genealogy, starling murmurations, DH's military history research, avoiding midge season in Scotland and a long standing desire to visit some particular gardens. Also had holidays based round food (Tuscany and Bordeaux), WW1 research (Flanders and The Somme, Alsace and Picardie), many holidays based round walking routes.

Medium/Long term plans include Japan, Umbria, New England and Seville.

We go away in April or October ( depending when the kids holidays fall so we avoid those dates ) and go on a dual holiday destination so a week or two in a city ( for hubby) followed by a week or two on a beach ( for me) we particularly love, Canada, Italy, Caribbean, Asia and for European getaways we love Italy and the islands around it or France

We also go on a cold break to Iceland , Norway or Finland etc. every couple of years.

We are really lucky to have travelled the world and we now also have a place in the uk so we can go away at weekends if we fancy a cottage getaway

I usually go on group holidays with companies like Exodus or Explore, so I can go to places that may be tricky to go by myself like South America (and I've got no wish to sort out my own itinerary and backpack, did all that in my 20s).

Then aside of that city breaks in Europe and UK.

I do theme parks!

Just planning 3 weeks going to Japan China and Hong Kong to visit Disney parks. Plus city tours.

Being able to book holidays when I want is great. Can avoid busy times and mostly heat! (Just manage around work month ends)

I go away to summer schools related to my hobby.

DH and I do the Edinburgh Fringe every year, and I spend a week away (in the UK) by myself every year to spend some focused time on my hobby (creative writing).

Where? A whole range of places,
When? As often as possible!

We like variety and use pretty much our full annual leave entitlement on holidays, combining with bank holidays where we can to stretch it out as much as possible. In the last 12 months we've had:
A weekend in Ripley with gin making
Five days at the Edinburgh Fringe festival
Five nights in Berlin seeing my favourite singer (Frank Turner)
A weekend in the Lake District (that was a girls' trip)
Three weeks travelling round Thailand over Christmas and New Year
A weekend in York
A weekend in Yorkshire (another girl's trip)
An all inclusive week in Agadir, Morocco

Before dd, we used to do a few city breaks every year and usually a self catering holiday in the summer (a mix of this country and various European countries).

TBH, most of the time since dd we've done the same, sometimes slightly more child-centred options of museums etc, but she's been to plenty of non-child-centred museums, culture spots etc over the years. We did 1 Disney holiday once as a big trip to the US, and did NASA and a kayaking trip out in the wilderness in Florida. We took her white-water rafting and dune-buggy riding up mountains in Canada (she was 7). She has done a lot of hiking with us all over the place. And she and I both did a lot of learning to sail (separate groups) while DH did a lot of walking and cycling locally another year in France. And all went skiing another year (she was 9 that year).

So we haven't been stuck doing child friendly things.

But last year, we went to Amsterdam for a week just exploring and relaxing while she did a training camp for her sport nearby, just flew together but split in Schipol. This year, she'll fly alone. And we plan to go to Berlin 2 weeks later without her as she'll be working. The main difference without her is the chance to sit and have a beer in a pavement bar on a hot afternoon and go back to the apartment for some quiet time or read in a coffee shop in peace, which is an important part of holidays for me as life is too hectic normally.

But we do a lot of exploring a city or hire a car and get out in the region, cook nice food ourselves (having fun exploring local markets and food shops), but also eat out a lot and have someone else cook nice food, have a few adventures, see some culture, do a lot of walking and usually some cycling and always try the local public transport system....we were never ones for sitting on a beach or by a pool all day. Have a swim to refresh in the morning or unwind in late afternoon yes, but I'd perhaps manage 1 morning lounging if I had a really good book to entertain me.

We try and do one long haul AI and one Mediterranean self catering holiday a year. The long haul in spring/term time, but we do the short haul in August because we had a run of being unlucky with the weather in September. Top tip for avoiding the crowds: get accommodation with a private pool. Get up early and be snoozing on the beach by 9. When the families show up around half 11, retreat to the privacy of your own pool. Perfect!

Nice to see someone else who goes to the Fringe every year. I always say I enjoy it more than Christmas!