So when you go away on holiday (with 5-12s rather than tinies), what do you actually DO all day?

[roisin]

Often when I look at photos of hotels and resorts and read their descriptions, it just makes me shudder.

I think I just don't like people, let alone crowds. And when on holiday I make the most of the idea of getting away from everything/everybody.

So, when you go away for your main summer holiday, what do you actually do whilst away? What is a typical day for you?

Skribble - the aupair would be a family member too (a cousin)

Well we left them swimming in the pool with friends and a lifeguard and got busy making twins! Wasn't the plan to make twins... but make them we did!

LOL Mars. Are you recommending it to roisin? (NB doesn't involve socialising with strangers!)

(PS Have posted you s'thing today )

Well to be honest I didn't even know who started the thread. I just posted the answer to the title question! lol

Why have you posted me something?

Wait and see! It's a bit overdue (promised it weeks ago)! (Oh, but don't get too enthused... it's not that exciting!)

We don't talk much to strangers, but often go on holiday to meet/stay with friends (eg to friends in Italy just now, or friends in Chicago earlier this year).

What we do depends on type of holiday. We've just been to Tuscany, and in our friends' villa, we did a bit of lounging by the pool, interspersed with trips to local towns or churches. We then went to Rome for 3 days, where we left our hotel mid-morning and walked around all day seeing things, stopping for regular ice-creams and pizzas. Came back to our hotel at 5.00-ish for a rest and a wash and walked some more to dinner.

We're going camping later this year and will do a mixture of days by the beach and pool, and driving around to see things.

My boys are nearly 9 and nearly 6 now and quite travel-trained - they are good in cities and trudge stoically for miles on a good day.

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We always take books/magazines with us, so if we have to wait for a long time anywhere (restaurant at dinner, bus-stop etc) they can sit down and be quiet.

cod are you one of those people who thinks that "you must drop in some time" means something?

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Me thinks you are winding us up Cod

lol@marslady!

Roisin, interesting thread. We spend holidays in Devon. We do lots of beaches, daily if possible. Youngest ds and I especially. Dh and older ds go fishing a lot. The boys tend to make their own friends. Dh and I do a lot of reading as well. We like to head for a pub in the early evening - sit outdoors. This is when we chat to people (sometimes). Rarely make plans to see them again.

I try to avoid many of the things we can do in or near London ie cinema, musuems, shopping, theatres and theme parks.

Just returned from a week on a boat on the Caledonian Canal in Scotland - between Inverness and Fort William and including Loch Ness.

FANTASTIC - The boys loved driving the boat. Peace and quiet by the bucketload if you want it, with the little town of Fort Augustus roughly half way along if you like pub meals, bagpipe music and that sort of thing.

HEY COD...

I know you've been looking at funny footwear lately - have a look at these...

www.vibramfivefingers.com/

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It depends on the location of the holiday. We do very different things but like to stay in good hotels. If its a cultural holiday eg. Venice then we go to art galleries etc. If its a beach holiday then that's what we focus on with maybe a couple of outings to places of cultural/historic interest. If its in the country then we chill out and go for nature walks. We always dress up and go out to eat in the evenings.

We found the teenagers preferred as they got older holidays where there were other teenagers to drink, dance or just sail or whatever with. Some teenagers do want to spend all day with their parents but may be not most of them.

We've now at the point - the last two summers and this when the girls' boyfriends are with us... a whole new stage.

This year, all five of our kids had camp from 10am - 4pm including through lunch. Therefore DH and I pottered about - pool, boat hire, hiking, etc. and lunch, of course.

COD... they made me feel like that, too! Imagine wearing them in public - no one would talk to you then, let alone go on holiday with you the next year!

cat64 - thanks for the idea... it's all maturing at present

Xenia - you are introducing me to a whole new concept - family holidays with university-aged children in couples - I've never come across that before .

I am well surprised that all of you don't like talking to other people.
Here you all are chatting to other mumsnetters, but you don't do it in RL ?
Dh and I were in Ibiza, we were in a resort. I chatted to a nice lady, with a son the same age as ds, almost every day.
It was nice. I didn't take her adress or phone no, but it was nice at the time.
I just don't get, how most of the people on mumsnett, are really sociable and chatty, but not when they go on holiday ? How does that work ?

Oblomov - I agree with you - it's odd, isn't it.

I like talking to other people on holiday - not all the time, but it's interesting to meet people who lead very different lives to one's own and chat to them from time to time. It really adds something to travel.