Tell me about your lovely holidays…

[MoiraRoseIsMyQueen]

…so we can decide where to go!

DH and I are both turning 40 within a month of each other next year, so we’re planning a special holiday. We’ve drafted in grandparents so we’ll be child-free, which is a massive treat for us and almost never happens, so we’d like somewhere that is not child-friendly 😁

We don’t have a vast budget, maybe £2k (that we can stick on a credit card), and we probably want somewhere no more than about 8 hours-ish travel time from the UK (and we definitely want somewhere abroad). We love the outdoors, walking, food, and culture/history, and we don’t like big cities (so eg New York would be no good for us I don’t think).

So, have you been anywhere that fits the bill? Give me all the details of your lovely holidays 😊

I do think it will be quite expensive.
We went to Rome and Naples in September and were surprised how reasonable eating out was! Had a lovely time but may be too busy for you.

We are looking at Vilnius in Lithuania which looks very affordable and have heard some good recommendations

You would afford Iceland for 5 days comfortably OP as long as you're not a) big drinkers or b) foodies who want to eat out at restaurants every night.
Flights are usually around £300-400 for 2 adults, hotels perhaps another £600, leaving you with £1000.
You can get fresh Iceland cod and chips or traditional Lamb stew and potatoes on the seafront for £15 a head or spend £80 at a restaurant for 2 course a head. We normally balance it out so if we've been hiking through the National Park or seeing waterfalls / geysers which are free, we'll have a sit down dinner. If it's been an activity day, we'll slum it with a seafront tea! It will take more organising than a package however to get the most of your time. May or June would be beautiful.

@bruffin We had considered Rome, but I’d assumed it would be too expensive, so I’m interested to hear you say it’s not too bad! I went when I was younger and adored it, and I know DH would love all the history, so we’ll have another think about it.

@Lordofmyflies now Iceland has been mentioned I desperately want to go 😁 We aren’t big drinkers, I’m going to have a look into self catering and Air BnB to see about costs, your post is really helpful - thank you!

A cruise?? Loved Iceland, south of France, Lisbon, Adriatic and always Greece...but on a cruise you could do a couple and not have to worry about packing/unpacking between places!!

'I always have the perception that Lake Garda is full of old people?!'

Didn't think that was the case when we went there.Lots of families about,particularly at the southern end of the lake where Gardaland is

Suitable for all ages.We went when we were in our mid 40s with DC who were 20 and 16 at the time

Dubrovnik!

Lots to do but equally, very relaxed. 3.5hrs from the UK with EasyJet or Jet2. Quick, easy commute from the airport, sunshine, crystal clear water, good food... Well worth considering if you've not been.

Just looked at my CC for Rome and we were paying between £40 and £60 for evening meal including wine and dessert £2.50 for a coffee and £2.50 for gelato

We did leave it to the very last minute to book ,so had to pay way too much for the tours of the Colosseum, because they were all sold out

Seville. Your money would go a long way and you could also visit Grenada/Malaga.

We went on a cruise to the Norwegian Fjords in May, amazing views, loads of waterfalls, we went on some fab excursions to a viking farm, Flaam Railway and Briksdal glacier. I'd highly recommend it.

'The magic of Budapest lies in is its stunning historical architecture. You'll find fairy-tale-like structures, such as the neo-Gothic Fisherman's Bastion, the medieval Buda Castle, the neo-Renaissance St. Stephen's Basilica and the second-largest synagogue in the world, the Moorish Revival Dohány Street Synagogue. Plus, the "City of Spas" sits on top of 118 thermal springs and features several thermal baths, including the Széchenyi Baths and the Gellért Thermal Bath, making it an excellent destination for a relaxing vacation. Another bonus: Prices for lodging in this Hungarian city are a fraction of what you'll pay in cities like Rome and Paris.'

Most amazing holiday I've had was Jordan. The red sea, desert scapes and then Petra were just amazing.

If you like walking, I'd also highly recommend the Atlas mountains in Morocco which you could combine with a smaller city eg Essaouira.

@BringMeMyOodie ooh yes, we’ve done Dubrovnik and absolutely loved it (as well as Split and Hvar) - that would have been perfect if we hadn’t been!

@Flibbertigibbettytoes I realise I’m making myself sound like a nightmare, but I’m very much not a fan of sand, or excessive heat 😂 so I’m not sure the desert is for me (although I watched Giles and Monica visit a hotel there and was blown away by how beautiful it is).

@Thejackrussellsrule cruises are usually worst nightmare territory, but I have seen the Norwegian Fjords cruise before and considered it. Is it super expensive? And is it typically ‘cruisey’ (lots of people, all being shipped off for a day to shop and then back onto the boat for a hideous amount of food?!)

Cinque Terre, although budget might be tight. Flight to Pisa then train.

I'll second the Slovenia recommendation, absolutely beautiful country with very friendly people, we did the majority of a week in Ljubljana and then went to Lake Bled for a few days. In hindsight we should have had less time in Ljubljana as it's such a tiny city and that would have given us time to do more walking and a trip to the Julian Alps but we still had a fab time.

Going to look into Slovenia, thanks both!

We travel most months, Iceland would be amazing for you ! It’s really doable in 3-5nights depending where you want to go.

Mmmm, think you might have been watching Carry on Cruising!

Any holiday is what you make it, I take it as an opportunity to see new places and experience things I wouldn't normally do. We tend to organise things ourselves that we want to do, sometimes the ships excursions look good so we choose to do that. Sometimes we just wing it.

We went in May, we pushed the boat out (pun intended) as it was a special wedding anniversary, the cruise with drinks, balcony cabin and spa package was £2300 for both of us. We didn't use the balcony much though, so inside cabin would actually be fine and a lot cheaper.

Greece or Crete.
Fly to Athens for a few days sightseeing and then move on (car hire?) to other sites like Olympia and oracle of delphi.

If it's a special holiday, it has to be just right so you should be picky 😄 We went in December so heat wasn't an issue. It was pretty hard sand too, we went scrambling up the rocks which are incredible.

How about hiking between mountain huts in the Swiss or Austrian alps? It’s not too expensive - you should be able to have a nice holiday for 2K.

The Peloponnese in Greece would fit what you’re looking for - and would be perfect in May time. Bucket loads of history, mountains & gorges for walking, plus the usual Greek food and beach time! You can fly to Athens and hire a car or Kalamata if your local airport flies there.

@Rocket1982 that sounds like a proper adventure - but maybe lacking a little bit of luxury?