Has Anyone Booked a Holiday Yet?

[jonthefox]

Dublin on saturday. Any tips other than Guinness would be helpful. 

[FoxesDeb]

11 hours ago, FoyleFox said:

Fabulous. I'm on countdown for our trip, still 16 weeks to go. It'll be our first time in SA so, we're excited, too.

We sail through the canal so think we'll just do Panama City. Did you do an organised tour in Cartagena? I wasn't sure about walking around downtown Colombia but it looked much nicer than I expected on Race Across the World. 

We did do an organised tour, but I don't think it was necessary and we'd happily go again on our own. The city is beautiful and we felt safe, we really enjoyed it there, you will have to report back! 

[BrummieFOX]

Would really appreciate any tips/suggestions on where to prioritise on a first trip to Italy (outside of Rome for our semi-final). There are so many good looking options and I'm struggling to narrow it down.

 

We have visited a fair bit of Spain (Andalucia being our favourite area) so now quite keen to see some of Italy. We mostly look for walkable cities/towns, with a focus on food and drink and some decent architecture/history/mesiums to check out in between. 

 

Quite open to visiting multiple places as well.

[Tommy G]

18 minutes ago, BrummieFOX said:

Would really appreciate any tips/suggestions on where to prioritise on a first trip to Italy (outside of Rome for our semi-final). There are so many good looking options and I'm struggling to narrow it down.

 

We have visited a fair bit of Spain (Andalucia being our favourite area) so now quite keen to see some of Italy. We mostly look for walkable cities/towns, with a focus on food and drink and some decent architecture/history/mesiums to check out in between. 

 

Quite open to visiting multiple places as well.

Venice is an experience

[BrummieFOX]

40 minutes ago, Tommy G said:

Venice is an experience

Haha, a good one?

[bovril]

1 hour ago, BrummieFOX said:

Would really appreciate any tips/suggestions on where to prioritise on a first trip to Italy (outside of Rome for our semi-final). There are so many good looking options and I'm struggling to narrow it down.

 

We have visited a fair bit of Spain (Andalucia being our favourite area) so now quite keen to see some of Italy. We mostly look for walkable cities/towns, with a focus on food and drink and some decent architecture/history/mesiums to check out in between. 

 

Quite open to visiting multiple places as well.

Loads and loads of suggestions on this thread but as has been said many times, Verona or Bologna are very good bases to explore multiple historic towns and cities. I still love Florence and think it's relatively easy to avoid the tourist traps. There is much lively debate on Venice on previous pages; it's still probably my favourite city. If you want something a little smaller, Perugia or Spoleto are good bases to explore Umbria and Tuscany or Lazio. If you want something a little more esoteric and underexplored - Macerata, Ascoli or Sulmona. I had maybe one of the best trips I've had in Italy staying in L'Aquila; it was still a bit of a building site at the time but it's been rebuilt substantially since then and the surrounding countryside and towns are fantastic. Puglia and Sicily have been mentioned numerous times in the thread with plenty of good recommendations. 

[Stadt]

1 hour ago, BrummieFOX said:

Would really appreciate any tips/suggestions on where to prioritise on a first trip to Italy (outside of Rome for our semi-final). There are so many good looking options and I'm struggling to narrow it down.

 

We have visited a fair bit of Spain (Andalucia being our favourite area) so now quite keen to see some of Italy. We mostly look for walkable cities/towns, with a focus on food and drink and some decent architecture/history/mesiums to check out in between. 

 

Quite open to visiting multiple places as well.

Pisa is tiny, cheap flights, you can see it in a day and weirdly one of my favourite experiences was just walking out of the airport into the city. Pretty easy to get on a train for any onward travel too.

 

Milan is perhaps the most boring city in the world relative to its profile, don't spend any length of time there, please, perhaps  aside from seeing San Siro. We went to La Spezia for a game, nice place but skippable.

 

Florence is great, the most alike visiting other notable European cities which is a complement. Incredibly historic, swerving the overtouristic bits is easy, completely walkable and well situated too.

 

Going to Bologna, then visiting Modena and Cremona for a day alter this month.

Edited 7 January by Stadt

[Raj]

Looking at Eurooean Wintersun destinstions please for Xmas this year as it will be her indoors 50th a few days before xmas please.

 

[Unabomber]

2 hours ago, BrummieFOX said:

Would really appreciate any tips/suggestions on where to prioritise on a first trip to Italy (outside of Rome for our semi-final). There are so many good looking options and I'm struggling to narrow it down.

 

We have visited a fair bit of Spain (Andalucia being our favourite area) so now quite keen to see some of Italy. We mostly look for walkable cities/towns, with a focus on food and drink and some decent architecture/history/mesiums to check out in between. 

 

Quite open to visiting multiple places as well.

I went to Verona last year and loved it. 15 mins train to Lake Garda and just over an hour to Venice too. 

[Unabomber]

Similarly we are looking to go to Italy again this year. Wanted something different but also thinking Florence. 

[BrummieFOX]

1 hour ago, bovril said:

Loads and loads of suggestions on this thread but as has been said many times, Verona or Bologna are very good bases to explore multiple historic towns and cities. I still love Florence and think it's relatively easy to avoid the tourist traps. There is much lively debate on Venice on previous pages; it's still probably my favourite city. If you want something a little smaller, Perugia or Spoleto are good bases to explore Umbria and Tuscany or Lazio. If you want something a little more esoteric and underexplored - Macerata, Ascoli or Sulmona. I had maybe one of the best trips I've had in Italy staying in L'Aquila; it was still a bit of a building site at the time but it's been rebuilt substantially since then and the surrounding countryside and towns are fantastic. Puglia and Sicily have been mentioned numerous times in the thread with plenty of good recommendations. 

 

1 hour ago, Stadt said:

Pisa is tiny, cheap flights, you can see it in a day and weirdly one of my favourite experiences was just walking out of the airport into the city. Pretty easy to get on a train for any onward travel too.

 

Milan is perhaps the most boring city in the world relative to its profile, don't spend any length of time there, please, perhaps  aside from seeing San Siro. We went to La Spezia for a game, nice place but skippable.

 

Florence is great, the most alike visiting other notable European cities which is a complement. Incredibly historic, swerving the overtouristic bits is easy, completely walkable and well situated too.

 

Going to Bologna, then visiting Modena and Cremona for a day alter this month.

Ah briliant, thanks both, really helpful. Also apologies, I did just check back and see you've both given numerous reccs on Italy before, bad form from me. 

[Stadt]

Just now, BrummieFOX said:

 

Ah briliant, thanks both, really helpful. Also apologies, I did just check back and see you've both given numerous reccs on Italy before, bad form from me. 

No problem, sometimes searching on FT is hit and miss anyway 

[jonthefox]

3 hours ago, BrummieFOX said:

Would really appreciate any tips/suggestions on where to prioritise on a first trip to Italy (outside of Rome for our semi-final). There are so many good looking options and I'm struggling to narrow it down.

 

We have visited a fair bit of Spain (Andalucia being our favourite area) so now quite keen to see some of Italy. We mostly look for walkable cities/towns, with a focus on food and drink and some decent architecture/history/mesiums to check out in between. 

 

Quite open to visiting multiple places as well.

Cinque Terra . You won't be disappointed. 

[bovril]

Off the top of my head list of Italian towns I like very much that don't get too many mentions:

Bolzano

Trento

Ravenna

Trieste

Macerata

Urbino

Ascoli

Gubbio

Spoleto

Sulmona

Termoli

Taranto

Otranto

Ragusa

Mazarra del Vallo

Trapani

 

[Unabomber]

3 hours ago, bovril said:

Loads and loads of suggestions on this thread but as has been said many times, Verona or Bologna are very good bases to explore multiple historic towns and cities. I still love Florence and think it's relatively easy to avoid the tourist traps. There is much lively debate on Venice on previous pages; it's still probably my favourite city. If you want something a little smaller, Perugia or Spoleto are good bases to explore Umbria and Tuscany or Lazio. If you want something a little more esoteric and underexplored - Macerata, Ascoli or Sulmona. I had maybe one of the best trips I've had in Italy staying in L'Aquila; it was still a bit of a building site at the time but it's been rebuilt substantially since then and the surrounding countryside and towns are fantastic. Puglia and Sicily have been mentioned numerous times in the thread with plenty of good recommendations. 

Can you give me some recommendations for Florence please mate as think we will end up going there. 

[GLC]

1 hour ago, Unabomber said:

Similarly we are looking to go to Italy again this year. Wanted something different but also thinking Florence. 

Florence is beautiful! 
 

 

if any of you visit, take a walk up to here forte di Belvedere. It’s free and you get an incredible view of the city! (It’s never busy, and you can get some great lunch and wine in the forte)
 

plus you walk past Galileos house. 

[GLC]

Also also, take a day trip to Bologna.

[Unabomber]

3 minutes ago, GLC said:

Florence is beautiful! 
 

 

if any of you visit, take a walk up to here forte di Belvedere. It’s free and you get an incredible view of the city! (It’s never busy, and you can get some great lunch and wine in the forte)
 

plus you walk past Galileos house. 

Sounds good thanks mate 

[Tommy G]

Anyone been to Shanghai? Working there for a week in June - any tips for some good stuff to do around the 9-5. 

[bovril]

53 minutes ago, Unabomber said:

Can you give me some recommendations for Florence please mate as think we will end up going there. 

Sights - the usual places obviously (Uffizi is probably best avoided which is a shame because it obviously houses some incredible paintings), but also San Marco convent and the Brancacci chapel. San Marco is best visited early in the morning and is home to a collection of incredible early renaissance paintings and frescoes.

 

Places to eat - been a while since I went but I used to go a lot to Trattoria Benvenuto. And there are lots of places round Piazza Santo Spirito are also good. Just ask around and look at recent reviews. A bit studentier and more local, and it's a nice area with some good bars. 

Il Pizzaiolo near Santo Croce has great pizzas, best I had in the city, and was dirt cheap at least when I last went about 9 years ago. The covered market also - I seem to remember offal sandwiches being a thing which I used to buy to disgust American tourists. 

 

Places nearby - Siena is beautiful but far too busy now. Lucca is a bit calmer. Pistoia is underrated. Fiesole and Settignano are nice villages nearby. Great views of Florence from Settignano. There used to be a train line from Florence to Forli which went through some lovely countryside and villages but not sure if it still runs. 

 

Ahh to go back in time and listen to Leicester avoid relegation with a 1-0 away win at Barnsley in my small rented apartment on the outskirts of Florence...

Edited 7 January by bovril

[FoxesDeb]

On 07/01/2026 at 19:12, Raj said:

Looking at Eurooean Wintersun destinstions please for Xmas this year as it will be her indoors 50th a few days before xmas please.

 

How warm do you want? Nowhere in Europe is particularly warm in December,  where I live in southern Spain or the Canaries are probably warmest but even here it's only low 20"s during the day and almost baltic when the sun goes down 

 

Our house is built to keep the heat out and we can really tell in the winter!

 

Maybe Cyprus or Greece might also be warm but I think you'll struggle for real warmth in Europe at that time of year

 

 

 

[bovril]

Just now, FoxesDeb said:

How warm do you want? Nowhere in Europe is particularly warm in December,  where I live in southern Spain or the Canaries are probably warmest but even here it's only low 20"s during the day and almost baltic when the sun goes down 

 

Our house is built to keep the heat out and we can really tell in the winter!

 

Maybe Cyprus or Greece might also be warm but I think you'll struggle for real warmth in Europe at that time of year

 

 

 

Sounds awful, my heart bleeds

[FoxesDeb]

22 minutes ago, bovril said:

Sounds awful, my heart bleeds

Well I didn't say it was awful, just that it's maybe not what Raj is looking for as a holiday destination 

[Raj]

1 hour ago, FoxesDeb said:

How warm do you want? Nowhere in Europe is particularly warm in December,  where I live in southern Spain or the Canaries are probably warmest but even here it's only low 20"s during the day and almost baltic when the sun goes down 

 

Our house is built to keep the heat out and we can really tell in the winter!

 

Maybe Cyprus or Greece might also be warm but I think you'll struggle for real warmth in Europe at that time of year

 

 

 

20 is aload better than the freezing we have so that's fine Debs!!😁

Can aries it is then!!!👍🏾

[STEVIE B]

On 07/01/2026 at 15:52, BrummieFOX said:

Would really appreciate any tips/suggestions on where to prioritise on a first trip to Italy (outside of Rome for our semi-final). There are so many good looking options and I'm struggling to narrow it down.

 

We have visited a fair bit of Spain (Andalucia being our favourite area) so now quite keen to see some of Italy. We mostly look for walkable cities/towns, with a focus on food and drink and some decent architecture/history/mesiums to check out in between. 

 

Quite open to visiting multiple places as well.

It's not everyone's favourite, but l absolutely loved Naples. A bit edgy (l felt very safe though), football mad & not far from Pompei. 

Verona is also great. Not a big city, absolutely stunning views & not too busy. 

Edited 10 January by STEVIE B