If you could be ready in an hour to go on weekend break, where would you go.

How about Gransnetters produce a book of Best Weekend Breaks? One section for UK places, one for Abroad. Any publishers out there interested? ;)

Actually, I want to go to Krakow, but we don't fly, so it'd have to be a longer trip. We were planning to go to Berlin, Dresden and Karakow this autumn, by train, taking in Bytom (my father's birth town in Upper Silesia) and Auschwitz, my grandparent's place of death.

But we can't go now. Both my MIL and my father have been diagnosed with aortic stenosis, my MIL with a severe case of it. So going abroad is out till we know she's stable.

We're having a 5 days in Devon in mid June - the Rock Inn at the edge of Dartmoor. It's beautiful and the food's amazing. That'll do me fine for now!

Now I've got an ad for Disneyworld on the rhs of the page, and I've got Adblock...

For example- I know of several groups of young men who have recently gone on 'stag dos' to ... Las Vegas. Leaving on the Friday, 10 hour flight- drunk from the minute they arrived- and saw absolutely nothing- only to jump back on a flight for another 10 hrs flight. Does that make any sense at all?

Disney Land Paris, but only to show DH that you can enjoy the experience without going on a single ride!

Ah well- we are very very proud of our Bertrand ;)

We can't always agree, and that is fine. We have made our mind that flying needs to be 'respected' more and kept for special occasions for longer periods of time. Makes sense to us- even if it does not to everyone. But it is good to think and question, and act accordingly, no? In the process, we have come up with more inventive and interesting ways to travel (see examples above) which can't be wrong.

On our recent trip to Sicily, we shared the car hire- which was great too, and much cheaper. Win, win.

Hopefully in the near future the solar powered plane will be developed. Possibly as a hybrid so not using as much fuel.

x

Most pollution takes place at take off- so short flights are worse in many ways. The answer to your question depends on whether the train uses Diesel or electricity, about the type of car and speed used- and also whether those people would share the car. Whenever we go to the UK by car, we offer free seats to youngster who live abroad near us and can't afford to go home otherwise.

By the evidence of train versus plane for short haul is really quite clear.

Well yes, granjura, but that doesn't put aviation into context with other forms of public transport, or private cars, does it?
Suppose 100 people flew from Manchester to London.
How do the emissions compare with them driving there instead? Or going by train?
And as for it being a small percentage of regular flyers making up a large percentage of the emissions ( the 80/20 rule), I suspect that applies to car users too.

This explains it better than I could (from the Guardian in 2010):

it seems likely that aviation's true impact in the UK is around 13%–15% of total greenhouse gas emissions. If that still sounds fairly low, compared with the massive amounts of attention heaped on aviation by climate change campaigners, bear in mind that most people in the UK don't regularly fly. The average British resident takes a short-haul leisure flight only every two years, and a long-haul leisure flight only every five years. In other words, the air travel of a minority of regular flyers causes a substantial slice of UK emissions.

The Isles of Scilly is a dream- and any recommendation for a great B&B or nice but not too expensive a Hôtel would be fantastic. Again, we would go to the UK to visit grandchildren and family, and tag along a week or more in Scilly, to make the flight even more 'valued'. Might even drive..

sorry jane- I didn't single out young people. it just happens that it is young people I know who do that very regularly. I'd say someone with children who commutes into, say, the City of London- does not have much choice about commuting- and all the ones I know do that by train, not car.

If people didn't hop on a plane for week-end trips, maybe the number of flights would go down- which to my mind would not be a bad idea.

We all make our own decisions, rightly or wrongly. And we did decide about 10 years ago, that flying would be reserved for longer trips, 2 weeks or more. Just after me made that decision, OH had a conference to go to in Madrid- Friday to Sunday. We really hesitated in breaking our own decision- but really wanted to go. So we made it our main holiday that year. Went on by train to several towns in Andalusia, which was brilliant, and flew back from Malaga. It was great. A couple of years back we went to Malta for 9 days, and then flew back to Venice for a few days- and took the train back. Again- fabulous. WE are not against flying- but it is very polluting and ioho, best kept for longer hols. If you find it daft, that is OK. Makes sense to us. So for a short trip, local is best.

Le Manoir au Quatre Saisons would defo be on the list from our East Mids home- as Raymond Blanc comes from the same area as me- and the Cotswolds are wonderful and so many grat gardens to visit. Norfolk Coast, Peak District- all great- or grandchildren in Surrey and a visit to Kew, Medicine garden and RHS Wisley.

We discovered Friskney by chance last Easter. We were looking for a very quiet campsite and came across a Caravan Club Certified Location. We loved it so much we went back at the beginning of May. It's the only place we've ever visited more than once. We fell in love with the area and the Parrot Sanctuary.

Vampirequeen, I agree with you about Friskney, but how did you know about it? Friskney is just down the road from me, in a lovely, open country area. It also has what was the National Parrot Sanctuary, but they have lots of other animals and birds now, and it has a different name.

Well I hope you all enjoyed your little trips and have all arrived home safely certainly gives one ideas of places to visit, and also that you don't always need to travel miles n miles to enjoy a certain place...

Friskney in Lincs. Nothing there. Peace, quiet and the friendliest people I've ever met.

We moored our boat between Bryher and Tresco. Old man Jenkins rowed out to warn us there was a gale coming. We thanked him and said that we were aware and had two anchors out and dug in on double safety lines. We. Pointed out the French boat next door didn't appear to have taken any precautions and
Perhaps he might care to warn them. 'No way, they'm Frenchies' was his reply.
We were fine. The French boat broke free.
We knew about the family because one of my work colleagues had been the GP on the Chanel islands.

A weekend? If it's a long weekend, then Amsterdam, but no flying - OH doesn't do planes!
Or Paris.

But I'd be very happy with the Cotswolds, York, Lincoln, the Peak District or somewhere near David Austin Roses (I've never been).
Or...Le Manoir de Quatre Saisons

Don't like anywhere hot and, for me, a weekend's too far for anywhere beyond Northern Yurp.

If I couldn't be with my children and grandchildren I would go to the Royal Duchy Hotel in Falmouth. Lovely restful hotel, wonderful helpful staff and food to die for, plus nice little town with one off shops and a beach and nice walks. Bliss! I went for the weekend in February this year and hope to go again soon . Oh and don't forget the Cornish pasties for lunch and cream teas!

granjura why is it a 'waste' for young people to fly away on planes for the weekend, if the planes are going to fly anyway? It seems rather harsh to single out young people for criticism, when many older people travel too.
And which is worse - flying once a month on a city break, or commuting 80 miles a day to work, which is what many people do?
That's a genuine question.

I agree atqui, about the different character of each island. I want to go again before too long.
There was a beautiful beach on Tresco but I am struggling to remember its name!

Somewhere nearby, where we could drive with the dog. We decided years ago that we would never fly anywhere unless it was for a minimum of 2 weeks (re pollution). I know young people who jump on a plane for a couple of days once month or so- seems such a waste.

So Burgundy probably, to visit the wonderful Romanesque (Norman in UK) Churches and vineyards.

I would love to go to Oxford, I have never been before and am a fan of inspector wexford. I would also like to visit the lovely Oxfordshire countryside.
However if money was no object I would go to paris, never been there either.

St Martins is lovely too. One of the interesting things about Scilly is that each Island has a different character , so people have their favourite and often return year after year.Great place to go if you need some mental 'or emotional ' healing' .

We camped on St Martin's about 10 years ago and took the little ferry to Bryher.
As the boat approached, you could smell the freshly baked pasties. The woman who owned the shop was baking them with her son helping. There was a tray of them that had just come out of the oven, and another tray waiting to go in.
We bought two, walked round the island and ate them for lunch.
Magical is the word.