If you had an amazing holiday this year…

[Sunnydaydreams]

…please share what you did, wherever you went. Having spoken to friends and colleagues, no one seems to have had their best time this year (although most of us have had the ‘pleasure’ of taking grumpy teens bringing down the mood!). Not to everyone’s tastes, but our best family holiday so far has been to Florida, visiting Universal Studios and Disney - it was such good fun.

10 days in a quiet village in the Austrian alps. We walked, went to the local outdoor pool, did a high ropes course and drank lots of larger. Then 3 days in Friedrichshafen on Lake Constance. Mainly swimming in the lake but also the Zeppelin museum and a boat trip across the lake.

A cruise. Waking up somewhere completely different every day is wonderful

I had a week in Ibiza with my 17yo DD (no clubbing) and we had the best time.

We went to Singapore for a few days to experience the what the city had to offer before flying onto to stay in a Villa overlooking the rice terraces Ubud in Bali. After 4 days we travelled to the Komodo National Park for 4 nights on a boat where we tracked dragons, swam with Whale sharks and mantas.
We then went back to Bali to have 4 days on a beach. It was the perfect combo of city, nature and relaxation and being Indonesia, far more reasonable than Europe once there.

Motorhome road trip!

Have stayed in Venice, Lake Idro, Colmar, Strasbourg and Ypres. Sightseeing, walking, cycling, swimming, paddleboarding…

We went to Ecuador on a group tour and had an incredible time. A fantastic mix of city centre, Galápagos Islands and Amazon rainforest. We were a bit worried about the tour aspect and it was full on but wonderful not to have to worry about all those details and to have a knowledgeable guide with us. Back to camping next year while we save up and debate a future destination!

Went to Crete, AI, with DS, DIL and three DGC under eight. Had an absolutely fabulous time and are looking to book again for next year.

We went to Canada, it was incredible!

I took my boys to Tunisia as a single parent! We had the most amazing time!

North Wales - beautiful

We did a road trip to the Côte d’Azur for two weeks staying in Troyes and Grenoble on the way there and Beaune on the way back. It was fabulous! Then eldest DD and I have just had a week in Palma before school on Monday for both of us.

I haven't had a week off work in years for various reasons, but I've been off this week.

My partner of 18 months came to stay with me in Suffolk and we had the best time. Went to Aldeburgh, Southwold, Snape Maltings and other touristy places. We had lunches out, ate copious amouts of ice cream, relaxing evenings eating snacky snacks and tonnes of laughter and fun.

I've had the best holiday ever. I cried when he went home yesterday 🙈

We had 1 week in Slovenia then 2 weeks in Croatia. Went there and back by train - Eurostar to Paris, TGV to Stuttgart, sleeper to Ljubljana then the same coming back, only from Zagreb. We did a bit of everything: beaches and and island (Croatia), lakes and beautiful mountains/countryside (Slovenia), caves, Roman remains and a gladiator show (Croatia), waterfalls and more lakes, castles, cities (Ljubljana, Zadar and Zagreb). It was fabulous (although it wasn’t the cheapest holiday - despite staying in airbnbs and mostly eating at home - and we all felt 3 weeks was a bit too long). We hired a car once we were there. Would recommend travelling by train rather than flying although also not necessarily the cheapest option!

One of the smaller Greek islands. The weather, food & apartment were perfect. We went 2nd week in July so quite quiet.

DS spent his time, post exams, swimming in little coves, reading by the pool, eating Greek food and mooching with the two teens from the apartment next door.

It was blissfully relaxed.

I have had two wonderful but totally different holidays. The first was a week in Kos with my husband, leaving our late teenaged children at home! Was a blissful, relaxing and luxurious week. I'd highly recommend Mitsis Summer Palace.
Second week was in Dorset - a lovely cottage in Burton Bradstock- near the sea, stunning weather and all the family together.

Expedition cruise to Svalbard to see polar bears, walruses and hundreds of glaciers.

We went to Thailand for 3 weeks, it was amazing.

Barbados in February. Amazing!

We stayed at a self catering place ( £130 a night) for a week where we had a car then did 6 nights at an all inclusive hotel slightly inland so affordable. It really was the perfect mix. I love going on holiday in the winter.

Ten days in Langkawi.

So beautiful, peaceful, great hotel and service. Would go back in a minute.

<The Danna>

March - had a big family at Centreparcs, it was fun, but really expensive for what it was.

May - Florida, stayed on site, had the best time with my DH and 18yr DS. Great balance of being disney hectic and relaxing.

July - LA, Vegas, San Deigo and Arizona. Really special holiday as it was only 4weeks after my sudden cardiac arrest. So much to do as a family and my son didnt wanna come home.

August - little town outside of barcelona where the Spanish family live. Me, DH, 2 DS and 1 GF. MIL, SIL and BIL. For the most part is was sooo good and just laying on the beach, eating drinking was good, but familiy dynamics was hard sometimes. And strangely my English family couldnt understand or accept that im still in recovery and couldnt do big lunches with booze or late nights.

Still have Portugal and DisneyParis to do. I was 50 this year so its a big year.

Kids were at their dads for a week.

I stayed home and took the week off annual leave, but bought expensive, delicious food, delicious expensive wine and did a lot of gardening in the sun.

It beat my week in Crete earlier this year

We had almost a month in Devon and Cornwall with a couple of days stopping off on the way and back as such a distance to get there. It was our first big trip in the Motorhome we bought. Stopped off with a few friends and walked some of the South West Way, lots of swimming in the sea. It was end of June just up to schools breaking up for the summer holidays.

We did Italy with our 4 DC and, beside the usual sibling buckets, it was lovely. We spent 4 nights in Lake Garda, 4 nights just outside Rome and 8 nights in Florence.
A brilliant holiday. We’re off to Cape Verde in October just a week all inclusive and I’m looking forward to laying on a beach for the week as much as the DC will let me.

Two short holidays, both brilliant. Some time at the Edinburgh Fringe, seeing tons of stuff, eating nice street food and wandering round the city. And then Europa Park theme park in Germany. Grumpy teen grumped at both to be honest as they’d rather be in their bedroom on their phone. But younger siblings had a blast and teen occasionally admitted to enjoying themselves.

Center Parcs at Le Lac D'Ailette, with DC 15 and 13. We visited Rheims, Laon, La Caverne Du Dragon and a bit of the Champagne countryside. Plus the onsite pool of course, and paddleboarding on the lake. Absolutely brilliant and I would go again. But my DC like furtling around cathedrals and whatnot, which helped.