Reluctant to go abroad!

I hate motorway journeys as a passenger.
I love flying plus the whole airport experience. I find it stress free as Manchester airport is only 20 minutes away by taxi.
Each to their own however as one size doesn’t fit all.

Fairislecable

My Mother was 86 when she died and when she was given a terminal prognosis her first response was “Now I’ll never see the gorillas in the mist”!

We had no idea she wanted to!!

As I get older and my knees get worse my bucket list seems to get longer!

Aveline

Quite an aggressive response to the poor OH fancying a holiday.

I agree.

We take it in turns to make a choice. I hate flying as well, but it's a case of needs must. We just do our best to make the journey as hassle free as possible, even if it costs more.

Flying no pleasure now, just hold. ups and delays and seats too close together with very large people over my very slim seat. Dread as well a coach tour, I got a bad back for the week as a very large, pleasant lady had me squashed against the window, 12 hours of it, she found it difficult to move so I was always last off. Same going back.

I don't think flying is a hassle. Leave yourself plenty of time, prepare for waits - bring a book or something to listen to. Inform yourself thoroughly about security procedures and baggage allowances.

Where possible, fly from a smaller airport. Less people, shorter distances, less chance of luggage getting lost.

As others have said, choose your seats carefully, choose a flight that is at a suitable time of day. Include an overnight stay on the way if necessary.

Check in as much luggage as possible. It's the walks across the airport with a heavy handbag or backpack AND a small suitcase which make it so stressful.

I love browsing the shops at the airport because I live in the sticks and don't see many shops.

Above all, consider the flight and the time at the airport (don't let delays get you down) as part of the holiday. Once you shut the front door behind you, you are on holiday and have the right to enjoy everything that happens.

Just leave yourself loads of time and listen out for announcements; be prepared but be relaxed.

Prepare yourself for your destination. Once you start reading up about a place you will find more and more fascinating details about things and will start to look forward to being there and seeing it all for real.

Let him fly and you ferry and train. Enjoy your holiday together.

Wise words JackyB

DH has never wanted to go on holiday abroad but I am very grateful that for 45 years he has gone along with it because it's what I want. I'm 66 and he's 74.
In the spirit of compromise I do the following
Fly from the nearest airport
Flight at a civilised time
No more than 3 hour flight
Taxi at airport, no coach transfers.
Minimum 4* hotel
Half board (I hate this but he hates going out to restaurants).

It bumps the cost up but makes the day of travel more bearable.
I also do all the planning and packing, just basically give him the dates.

I wonder if you are an acquaintance of mine? She flatly refuses to fly and her long suffering husband has put up with a series of cruises from England (the sea was too rough and the journey too long), train and coach holidays (too much hassle changing and boring landscapes), holidays in Britain (the weather was poor). Now she claims to be incapacitated due to a minor injury some time ago and refuses to leave the house, and doesn't like him doing so either.
I should examine closely the reasons behind your refusal to fly; there may well be mental health issues, and as has been said, you don't appear to have much sympathy or interest in your husband.

eazybee my friend is the same. She is currently on a cruise around the scottish islands with a friend. Her husband tells me it has been overcast and under 10c so she won’t be happy. She went to Northumberland in April and it was bitterly cold with loads of rain. Then she comes home and moans about it. These holidays are expensive too. Can’t see the point!

Must say I’ve really come to dislike all the hassle of airports and flying. (Odd how I once loved it!)
We do still go away together once or twice a year, but dh has permanently itchy feet and is happy to take shortish trips on his own, or with an elder brother, or to meet up with an old friend somewhere. Since last summer he’s done 4 such trips.
Suits us both fine.

I used to have equally itchy feet and would happily go almost anywhere, but nowadays P&Q at home is rather more enticing. I dare say it’s partly down to age (75) but if so I don’t care.

I don’t feel in the least that I’ve missed (or am missing) out - in the past, besides living abroad for 13 years, we’ve done loads of travelling, inc. quite a lot of very off-the-beaten-track long haul.

Flying is rather stressful, I find, and in any case I am conscious of the damage flying does to the environment. I am a bit surprised that no-one on this thread has mentioned that.
One short-haul flight per year is my self-imposed limit now.

I can think of nothing worse than being on an aeroplane, having the back of my seat kicked for hours on end by some uncontrollable brat, being elbowed in the ribs by the passenger sitting next to me, having some entitled moron request that I swap seats because they simply HAVE to sit next to their long lost cousin who will otherwise have a complete meltdown, paying exorbitant prices for dreadful meals, being bashed on the head by the idiots trying to put their hand luggage in the overhead lockers and woe betide you if yo comment or complain because you just get labelled "karen"!
Cruise or rail holidays for me every time now, might pay a little more but it is so worth it.

JenniferEccles

Had you thought about a cruise?

There are plenty of cruise lines which leave from Southampton and some depart from regional ports up and down the country too.

My sister and BiL have taken several cruises (probably Saga) where they pick you up from home - and take you back - by car.
And they live in the Yorkshire Dales, so it’s quite a way to Southampton.
Not cheap, but they just don’t feel up to driving that sort of distance now - BIL has long term health issues anyway - and there’s no railway station nearby.

Romola we have stopped flying since 2018 mainly for environmental reasons, apart from Mr J to Belfast once a year to see his family.

Marriage is a compromise, could you not cruise or go on a ferry?

Being so happy must keep you going, Astitchintime 😂

petra

Being so happy must keep you going, Astitchintime 😂

🤭

Did all my travelling when I was fitter and more mobile and visited many places its difficult to go to now (Afghanistan, Syria, Lebanon, Iran etc) and which do not cater to the disabled. I planned all my expeditions like a military operation because I travelled independently. I never enjoyed flying - it was only ever a means to an end and have come close to punching people at airports. I wish they would invent teleportation.

A man once put his hand on my knee on a flight to Casablanca. I dug him in so hard in the stomach with my elbow that it took him ten minutes to stop coughing. I wont repeat what I snarled in his ear but he moved quickly to another seat.

I'll go with him! I love going abroad. I love everything about flying, even waiting in the airport. I prefer it to going by train or car.

Big Louis, yup!

It was a tongue in cheek “ grand old age” 🌻

Just for the record, I do love my DH v much but I guess in the 40 years we’ve been married it’s mostly been me compromising. I hated the flying experience so much last time we went away I swore ‘ never again’ . I’m not frightened of flying, it’s the agro that goes with it. I’m v tall too so am always squished.
Thank you for all you comments and tips, we are trying to find something suitable , but also DH isn’t keen on spending too much so taxi , four star hotel , upgrade seats on plane are non starters.
Just looking at Railtrails to Austria at the moment. Wish me luck and thank you for taking the trouble to reply 💃🏻

I thought the same too Aveline, LOUISA1523 and others.

We have not flown for the last four years because the lust flight from Standstead was so horrendous. All tickets were e-tickets and it was a stampede to get a whole plane load through one gate which declined half the tickets. I am small and was nearly trampled underfoot by a crowd of Spanish schoolgirls. I ended up crushed and distressed with no one seeming to think this was unacceptable. All the waiting, long queues at immigration. Eye contact passport control did not work as I am very short of stature. Being told to jump at aged eighty was not met with acceptance! No never again. Next trip will be back to my favourite country The Netherlands by train. We are all different and accept different levels of behaviour from our fellow passengers. People behave badly on planes and you cannot escape!