Has Anyone Booked a Holiday Yet?

[Tommy G]

17 hours ago, Raj said:

Budapest  next Sunday for a week.

Weather looks decent

You can go skinny dipping there if you ask the right questions 

[Fox92]

Had last week in Barcelona, which was our first visit. Beautiful place and would definitely go back. Lovely weather and the people were great too.

 

Going Paris later this month which I'm looking forward too. Will be a second visit there.

[The Blur]

Got back from Slovenia.   An underrated country,  easy enough to get around, interesting WW1 history,crystal blue lakes to swim in, amazing landscapes and kid friendly.  In short, there seems to be something for everyone.  Saw loads of families cycling in Triglav National Park region which was bonkers given very steep gradients.  

[bovril]

7 minutes ago, The Blur said:

Got back from Slovenia.   An underrated country,  easy enough to get around, interesting WW1 history,crystal blue lakes to swim in, amazing landscapes and kid friendly.  In short, there seems to be something for everyone.  Saw loads of families cycling in Triglav National Park region which was bonkers given very steep gradients.  

In 2015 I walked (and occasionally bussed when I got lazy) from the bottom tip of ex Yugoslavia on the border with Bulgaria up to the border with Italy near Trieste. Crazy to think it was the all once the same country. Slovenian infrastructure and quality of life is superior to much of Western Europe. South East Macedonia felt like a different era not just a different country.

It's the Habsburg / Ottoman split I guess...

Edited 5 August 2025 by bovril

[CosbehFox]

13 hours ago, The Blur said:

Got back from Slovenia.   An underrated country,  easy enough to get around, interesting WW1 history,crystal blue lakes to swim in, amazing landscapes and kid friendly.  In short, there seems to be something for everyone.  Saw loads of families cycling in Triglav National Park region which was bonkers given very steep gradients.  

Yeah it's almost a Scandi way of life. Northern Croatia feels the same with Austria. 

[slymunn]

Quick question for people - Is Marrakesh in late Feb, early March a good time to go?

Would be going with our three year old, so just trying to get an opinions about the time of year  

[Alf Bentley]

17 hours ago, bovril said:

In 2015 I walked (and occasionally bussed when I got lazy) from the bottom tip of ex Yugoslavia on the border with Bulgaria up to the border with Italy near Trieste. Crazy to think it was the all once the same country. Slovenian infrastructure and quality of life is superior to much of Western Europe. South East Macedonia felt like a different era not just a different country.

It's the Habsburg / Ottoman split I guess...

 

That sounds like a fantastic adventure. I'd love to do that some day - and will contact you for tips if I ever get round to it. 

 

I had vague ideas of some day walking John O'Groats-Land's End via an interestingly circuitous route. For now, I think that I could still walk that far (so long as I didn't aim for more than 12 miles per day). But, being realistic, the accommodation would cost too much unless I camped everywhere - which would add another physical stress for my aging body. I'm now thinking that I could do most or all of it by bus, assuming I make it to free bus pass age in good shape (less than 4 years off, now).

 

In 1985, as a gormless young tosser, I did an Inter-Rail trip that took in Yugoslavia. Back then, I was clueless about the history/culture of ex-Yugoslavia, aside from a vague awareness of Serbia's role at the start of WW1 and many Croats being on the other side in WW2. I was mainly sleeping on trains, accompanied by a bottle of wine or slivovitz. I visited Ljubljana, Zagreb, Belgrade and Skopje - and remember thinking how different these places seemed from one another - it seemed like multiple countries in one (duh!). Even then, Ljubljana seemed more like Austria, Belgrade like the stereotypical Stalinist eastern bloc and Skopje like I imagined Turkey to be (third world marketplaces dominated by women in headscarves who I assumed to be Muslims, probably wrongly in many cases). Youth is wasted on the young! 

[bovril]

15 minutes ago, Alf Bentley said:

 

That sounds like a fantastic adventure. I'd love to do that some day - and will contact you for tips if I ever get round to it. 

 

I had vague ideas of some day walking John O'Groats-Land's End via an interestingly circuitous route. For now, I think that I could still walk that far (so long as I didn't aim for more than 12 miles per day). But, being realistic, the accommodation would cost too much unless I camped everywhere - which would add another physical stress for my aging body. I'm now thinking that I could do most or all of it by bus, assuming I make it to free bus pass age in good shape (less than 4 years off, now).

 

In 1985, as a gormless young tosser, I did an Inter-Rail trip that took in Yugoslavia. Back then, I was clueless about the history/culture of ex-Yugoslavia, aside from a vague awareness of Serbia's role at the start of WW1 and many Croats being on the other side in WW2. I was mainly sleeping on trains, accompanied by a bottle of wine or slivovitz. I visited Ljubljana, Zagreb, Belgrade and Skopje - and remember thinking how different these places seemed from one another - it seemed like multiple countries in one (duh!). Even then, Ljubljana seemed more like Austria, Belgrade like the stereotypical Stalinist eastern bloc and Skopje like I imagined Turkey to be (third world marketplaces dominated by women in headscarves who I assumed to be Muslims, probably wrongly in many cases). Youth is wasted on the young! 

It's still like that to some extent. Incredible amount of diversity in one ex country, but of course they were part of very different empires for many centuries. Maybe it was always doomed to fail?

 

I remember picking up a couple of beers at a bus station in Nis for a journey to Trieste, and realizing I couldn't put them down on the tray table in front of me because the bus was shaking so much from the pot holes the beer was flying everywhere. Then we got through Belgrade, crossed the Danube into the old Habsburg lands and suddenly the shaking stopped, and I could enjoy my cold lager.

 

You should definitely do that trip. Bits of Macedonia, Bosnia Serbia and parts of western Bulgaria feel like the last undeveloped, unchanged parts of Europe. The Serbia / Bulgaria border in particular is just miles and miles of mountains, rivers, gorges and almost no settlements apart from a few old monasteries and tiny villages. I would say "go before they change" but to be honest I'm not sure they ever will...

[Alf Bentley]

6 minutes ago, bovril said:

It's still like that to some extent. Incredible amount of diversity in one ex country, but of course they were part of very different empires for many centuries. Maybe it was always doomed to fail?

 

I remember picking up a couple of beers at a bus station in Nis for a journey to Trieste, and realizing I couldn't put them down on the tray table in front of me because the bus was shaking so much from the pot holes the beer was flying everywhere. Then we got through Belgrade, crossed the Danube into the old Habsburg lands and suddenly the shaking stopped, and I could enjoy my cold lager.

 

You should definitely do that trip. Bits of Macedonia, Bosnia Serbia and parts of western Bulgaria feel like the last undeveloped, unchanged parts of Europe. The Serbia / Bulgaria border in particular is just miles and miles of mountains, rivers, gorges and almost no settlements apart from a few old monasteries and tiny villages. I would say "go before they change" but to be honest I'm not sure they ever will...

 

If you didn't keep a diary at the time of your trek, you ought to record your memories while your brain is still young enough to retain/remember them. Must've been a fascinating adventure.

I'll definitely be in touch for tips if I do ever get round to traveling in that part of the world.

[CosbehFox]

When I visited Montenegro, three things stood out.

 

The music is not anglicised, like it can be elsewhere in Europe and that was a big cultural sign.
 

Despite their obvious grief, you had literally every Yugoslav nation holidaying there. 
 

It brought back memories of going UK holiday resorts when a kid, when visiting the beaches. People as families picnicking with food they’ve prepared themselves. Bringing every single item with them rather than rented or purchased ie, umbrella etc

 

It was glorious raw, normal and ‘Simple’.

[The Blur]

3 hours ago, slymunn said:

Quick question for people - Is Marrakesh in late Feb, early March a good time to go?

Would be going with our three year old, so just trying to get an opinions about the time of year  

 

I am not well versed in weather around that time of year but I would not really recommend taking a three years old to Marrakech.   The medina can be utterly bonkers with motorbikes whizzing past, people everywhere,  countless alleyways to get lost in and of course snakes to avoid from snake charmers.   Very exciting but stressful to keep an eye on a young child in that environment.   Fair enough if you are planning on staying in a hotel outside of medina and are spending majority of your time outside of the medina.  

 

That was circa 2014 ish so it might have changed now.   I think Rabat and Casablanca medina are more easier to navigate with a child but they are more suitable for a day or two exploration.  

 

Still, if you do decide to go and are comfortable with that, it will be fantastic cultural experience for your child!

 

 

32 minutes ago, Alf Bentley said:

 

That sounds like a fantastic adventure. I'd love to do that some day - and will contact you for tips if I ever get round to it. 

 

I had vague ideas of some day walking John O'Groats-Land's End via an interestingly circuitous route. For now, I think that I could still walk that far (so long as I didn't aim for more than 12 miles per day). But, being realistic, the accommodation would cost too much unless I camped everywhere - which would add another physical stress for my aging body. I'm now thinking that I could do most or all of it by bus, assuming I make it to free bus pass age in good shape (less than 4 years off, now).

 

In 1985, as a gormless young tosser, I did an Inter-Rail trip that took in Yugoslavia. Back then, I was clueless about the history/culture of ex-Yugoslavia, aside from a vague awareness of Serbia's role at the start of WW1 and many Croats being on the other side in WW2. I was mainly sleeping on trains, accompanied by a bottle of wine or slivovitz. I visited Ljubljana, Zagreb, Belgrade and Skopje - and remember thinking how different these places seemed from one another - it seemed like multiple countries in one (duh!). Even then, Ljubljana seemed more like Austria, Belgrade like the stereotypical Stalinist eastern bloc and Skopje like I imagined Turkey to be (third world marketplaces dominated by women in headscarves who I assumed to be Muslims, probably wrongly in many cases). Youth is wasted on the young! 

 

I believe there was a film with Timothy Spall doing the same on the bus if you ever wanted some inspiration!

 

 

6 minutes ago, bovril said:

It's still like that to some extent. Incredible amount of diversity in one ex country, but of course they were part of very different empires for many centuries. Maybe it was always doomed to fail?

 

I remember picking up a couple of beers at a bus station in Nis for a journey to Trieste, and realizing I couldn't put them down on the tray table in front of me because the bus was shaking so much from the pot holes the beer was flying everywhere. Then we got through Belgrade, crossed the Danube into the old Habsburg lands and suddenly the shaking stopped, and I could enjoy my cold lager.

 

You should definitely do that trip. Bits of Macedonia, Bosnia Serbia and parts of western Bulgaria feel like the last undeveloped, unchanged parts of Europe. The Serbia / Bulgaria border in particular is just miles and miles of mountains, rivers, gorges and almost no settlements apart from a few old monasteries and tiny villages. I would say "go before they change" but to be honest I'm not sure they ever will...

 

I would be keen on exploring that region of Europe further for sure!   Any particular recommendations for a week's holiday?

[Alf Bentley]

2 minutes ago, The Blur said:

 

I believe there was a film with Timothy Spall doing the same on the bus if you ever wanted some inspiration!

 

 

Yes, I saw that film - though I had the idea before seeing the film, honest. Not a particularly inspiring film, as I recall., though I like Spall as an actor.

Might give it another watch if I get round to making such a trip. 

[slymunn]

10 minutes ago, The Blur said:

 

I am not well versed in weather around that time of year but I would not really recommend taking a three years old to Marrakech.   The medina can be utterly bonkers with motorbikes whizzing past, people everywhere,  countless alleyways to get lost in and of course snakes to avoid from snake charmers.   Very exciting but stressful to keep an eye on a young child in that environment.   Fair enough if you are planning on staying in a hotel outside of medina and are spending majority of your time outside of the medina.  

We would be staying out of the medina, but would like to have at least a day there to experience the place better.

 

We've done quite a few busy cities with him before, but its a bit different to a 'normal' city day out isn't it! 

[bovril]

1 hour ago, Alf Bentley said:

 

If you didn't keep a diary at the time of your trek, you ought to record your memories while your brain is still young enough to retain/remember them. Must've been a fascinating adventure.

I'll definitely be in touch for tips if I do ever get round to traveling in that part of the world.

No diary but plenty of photos from various trips that got turned into articles in some Bulgarian publications. 

 

1 hour ago, The Blur said:

 

I am not well versed in weather around that time of year but I would not really recommend taking a three years old to Marrakech.   The medina can be utterly bonkers with motorbikes whizzing past, people everywhere,  countless alleyways to get lost in and of course snakes to avoid from snake charmers.   Very exciting but stressful to keep an eye on a young child in that environment.   Fair enough if you are planning on staying in a hotel outside of medina and are spending majority of your time outside of the medina.  

 

That was circa 2014 ish so it might have changed now.   I think Rabat and Casablanca medina are more easier to navigate with a child but they are more suitable for a day or two exploration.  

 

Still, if you do decide to go and are comfortable with that, it will be fantastic cultural experience for your child!

 

 

 

I believe there was a film with Timothy Spall doing the same on the bus if you ever wanted some inspiration!

 

 

 

I would be keen on exploring that region of Europe further for sure!   Any particular recommendations for a week's holiday?

Depends what you want and whether you want to stay in one place or combine cities. Even quite touristy places like Sarajevo retain enough of the old Balkans to be absolutely fascinating and quite unique. That might be a good start. Sofia is a decent base to explore some of the mountains and monasteries of Western Bulgaria and is a nice enough city in its own right. You can also combine it with Northern Greece which, off the beaten track, is maybe my favourite part of Europe. 

[FoxesDeb]

6 hours ago, slymunn said:

Quick question for people - Is Marrakesh in late Feb, early March a good time to go?

Would be going with our three year old, so just trying to get an opinions about the time of year  

We went in March this year, twice! Warm during the afternoon but pretty chilly in the morning and evening. Depends what you want to do, it's a good time of year for getting out and about exploring, a bit too cold for sitting by a pool but probably not much chance of that with a 3 year old anyway!

 

On our second visit the motorbikes has been banned from the medina and the difference it made was incredible, so much more relaxing to walk through, not sure if it was a short term or ongoing thing though.

 

We loved it and can't wait to go again, I'm sure you'd all have a great time, and that time of year would certainly be better than July which was when we went to Fez and hardly left our riad, it was just too hot 

[Samilktray]

Looking to book somewhere nice and warm for October, preferably within Europe still. Any suggestions? Not fancying the Canary Islands so they have been ruled out already 

[Mark 'expert' Lawrenson]

Barcelona (Castelldefells) September 

Rome October 

Prague March 

Greece June. Flying to Athens then going onwards by ferry probably Naxos and another island as going for a month. 

[Unabomber]

Need some recommendations for a holiday with mates next year. Not a lads holiday just my bro and best mate. Went to Riga this year which was class but looking for somewhere abit random so not your usual spots. 

[Unabomber]

2 hours ago, Samilktray said:

Looking to book somewhere nice and warm for October, preferably within Europe still. Any suggestions? Not fancying the Canary Islands so they have been ruled out already 

City break or week trip?

[FoxesTez]

3 hours ago, Samilktray said:

Looking to book somewhere nice and warm for October, preferably within Europe still. Any suggestions? Not fancying the Canary Islands so they have been ruled out already 

Dubrovnik maybe? Would still be relatively warm at that point I'd think. 

[ajthefox]

2 hours ago, Samilktray said:

Looking to book somewhere nice and warm for October, preferably within Europe still. Any suggestions? Not fancying the Canary Islands so they have been ruled out already 

I went to Malta last November and it was still mid twenties.

 

It's relatively quiet but Valetta is lovely, it's good for snorkelling, doing some watersport and just ambling around coastal areas and having a quiet and relaxed break without too many English people.

 

Worth considering if not anything special. I read a few posts in here recommending the secondary island Gozo but didn't get a chance to go myself.

[Samilktray]

41 minutes ago, Unabomber said:

City break or week trip?

A week trip. More of a relaxing holiday with some interesting places to mooch about and have a look at 

[FoxesDeb]

4 minutes ago, Samilktray said:

A week trip. More of a relaxing holiday with some interesting places to mooch about and have a look at 

I second Malta, still be nice and warm in October with plenty to see

[The Blur]

7 hours ago, slymunn said:

We would be staying out of the medina, but would like to have at least a day there to experience the place better.

 

We've done quite a few busy cities with him before, but its a bit different to a 'normal' city day out isn't it! 

 

Yes,  it is bit different I will give you that! 

 

 That sounds good,  I do hope my post was not too discouraging or negative.   It is absolutely brilliant for children to explore abroad but I am sure you would want some enjoyment yourself rather than worrying about snake charmers 😆 

[slymunn]

9 hours ago, The Blur said:

 

Yes,  it is bit different I will give you that! 

 

 That sounds good,  I do hope my post was not too discouraging or negative.   It is absolutely brilliant for children to explore abroad but I am sure you would want some enjoyment yourself rather than worrying about snake charmers 😆 

It wasn't at all, I appreciate the honesty 😀 Its kind of why I was asking to see if others have being before. 

 

Before if its got a bit too busy I've just put him on my shoulders for a bit if im honest. It also shouldn't be too hot if I did have to. 

 

It will be a bit different to Iceland for us all, which we did this March 😅