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

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

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...

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.

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.

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.

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..

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.

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.

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.

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

x

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.

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

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?

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

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!

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

My dream destination is the Beach Hut here just 10mins walk away from home, once we take it over again for the Winter Let it will be all kitted out with everything we need while there. Plus chairs, wraps/blankets if needed on chilly days/ evenings,books, mags, tea making facilities, snacks and fun and buckets and spades for when the Grandchildren turn up, toilets nearby and Icecreams on tap nearby too! We just need weather like today, hers hoping with fingers crossed!

The Leathes Head Hotel in Borrowdale.

As the journey is virtual and takes no time at all, I'd like to visit one of the Croatian islands, Hvar perhaps or Korcula.

Otherwise a chauffeur driven car down to the South Hams or Cornwall would be lovely and not too far to travel.

The isle of Bute. I have only visited once. I thought the whole island was beautiful and Rothesay had an olde worlde charm all of it's own. Then, if I had time I'd go on to the Isle of Jura. Been there only once also, a wild and beautiful place.

Oh Venice! Would need private jet and water taxis etc. Cipriani of course. Oh. Sigh. Wish I hadn't started thinking about it.....

The Isle of Mull where we were this time last month. Even DGS asked if we could go again next year. I need not have worried about things for children to do. There were beaches to play on,a castle to visit,boat rides to take,a park to explore with play equipment along the way,ruins along the roadside to climb,an old shipwreck to explore,crabs to find and nighttime walks with torches to explore the shingle beach with SiL looking for shells and listening to the owls. How lovely it must be to bring up children in an area like this. Never mind a week_end. I would go there permanently if I could.

Lake Garda, starting by train from Toulouse, Milan, then Simeone and certain little hotel. I could do with some outrageous Italian flattery , and a half -decent pizza right now. But then I'd miss the rugby, so I'll just put it on the back boiler.

Bugle in Cornwall. There is a wonderful B&B there.

greenfinch that sounds like heaven.