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Travel

How many holidays do you have a year?

(127 Posts)
notonyournelly Wed 20-Apr-16 16:34:00

Our neighbours are off next week for what must be the 3rd holiday/break already this year - and they tend to go to France for a few weeks over the summer. And have a trip booked to the US over Christmas. hmm Jealous? Moi? A little. But I'm also usually left feeding the cat and he makes me sneeze wink
I do feel very lucky to have the means to holiday a bit more in retirement than I did when we were working but it's usually a long weekend European city break in the spring, a late summer holiday of a week or so somewhere hot (Spain or Greece) and then one or two walking weekends away in the Lake District or somewhere like that if/when we can fit them in. How often do other gransnetters get away?

Oldcroc17 Wed 05-Apr-17 13:37:53

Hi MargaretX
S Germany is lovely. Have been to some nice towns there. Herrenburg and Tubingen are lovely.

Culag Mon 03-Apr-17 16:07:44

I'm in exactly the same position as sunseeker. Do as much as you can while you can and I shall try not to feel envy

MargaretX Mon 03-Apr-17 15:48:21

I have such a nice life in a lovely market town in S.Germany. I don't need/want a holiday. I live in the place others come to for a holiday.

But I do get away and planned this year is a week with the GCs in Easter holidays including a step over the Rhine into France for coffee and croissants,and later in the year a vist to Dresden.

My yearly visit to the Uk won't take place partly for health reasons.

Oldcroc17 Mon 03-Apr-17 14:28:59

Sorry to hear about your DH sun seeker. I agree, people should travel when they can. Ill health can also stop you in your tracks. We've recently retired and hope to see as many different places as we can.

sunseeker Mon 03-Apr-17 14:22:05

I would urge anyone to go away as often as you can, don't put off doing things - my DH and I had great plans for when we retired, all the places we were going to visit. Unfortunately he died before reaching retirement - now I would like to do the things we planned for both of us but the older I get the more anxious I become about travelling independently.

Oldcroc17 Mon 03-Apr-17 14:12:40

Hi
We've been retired about 15 months now. We tend to go abroad in the winter, around November and January to search out for sun. The rest of the year are just have mini breaks in this country. We're off to Edinburgh in August for the fringe festival.

Stansgran Mon 20-Mar-17 16:07:03

That's the way to do it Galen

Galen Mon 20-Mar-17 13:38:20

I am a widow and disabled. Does that stop me from taking the occasional holiday? No way!
I have 5 cruises booked between May this year and October next year.?

Newquay Mon 20-Mar-17 13:24:01

? and widows too

Newquay Mon 20-Mar-17 13:23:36

We always say retirement is the best job we ever had and so we do enjoy being in our comfy home and garden. We're involved in collecting DGC from school and have a lovely hour or so playing games, cards etc. Precious times, when they're at senior school/uni we know we won't see so much of them so feel restricted to school hols still.
Having said that I ADORE France and would love to spend more time there (I still have my school pen friend there). We go there very other year now.
We have a week abroad with elder DD and family and they take all the strain; dear SIL does all the driving.
I would like to travel more, am conscious of the passage of time but DH would drive me mad anywhere new-he drives me mad going into our local town!
? to all those carers out there who have no choice.

Kim19 Mon 20-Mar-17 10:21:29

I try for five or six a year. These usually include a trip to London to catch up with friends and theatre and same to Isle of Wight. Others are shortish - totally dependent on dates dictated by budget flights to Europe. They have to be direct from my local airport with a couple of hours (ish) max and preferably with a prospect of sunshine. I make reasonable use of student residences. So far so good but it does take a fair bit of research and I don't mind that at all. Part of the pleasure, in fact.

paddyann Fri 13-Jan-17 13:56:12

none for 8 years ,like someone else said its not because we cant afford it,our business is seasonal so summer has always been out of the question but outwith that season there are 4 grandchildren who I look after and I wouldn't like to let their parents down..Its not really a hardship as I've never really been holiday minded ,I like my own bed and luckily enough my OH is the same.The odd night away to see a concert is fine by us

Stella14 Fri 13-Jan-17 12:43:53

I have a modest lump sum from my pension and told my adult kids that my gift to them was education (the youngest went to private school when she began hanging with the wrong crowd at 13, and they were well supported through Uni so that they could concentrate on their studies). They will also get the house which, hopefully, will be paid for by the time they inherit. I have a mortgage until I am 76! I remarried last year. We have been together for 8-years now. He has a little money (not a huge amount). We decided that since no-one knows what is around the corner, we will have lots of trips to far flung places whilst we can. We usually have one big holiday each year in Winter. Sometimes we have a shorter one in the Summer (e.g. can't go to Russia in winter). We are currently on a ship heading for India. We tend to go for about 4-weeks in Winter to make the palaver of flying worth it and so that we can take our time in faraway places. We both realise that we are extremely fortunate. We have little interest in buying more 'stuff'. We love accumulating experiences smile

grannylyn65 Fri 13-Jan-17 08:45:47

Last one 7 years ago

BettyB Thu 12-Jan-17 20:19:23

Our holiday plans include 2 trips to America, 4 in Europe, and monthly small jaunts in the UK.

goldengirl Thu 12-Jan-17 11:29:54

We go a few times a year to see family, stay at a holiday home or go on a Warner break in the UK. I get very nervous about going anywhere though - especially abroad these days since I've had IBS and often need the loo when out and about. Toilet locations are vital and with loos closing throughout the UK travelling is becoming very limited. All in all I find holidays stressful and find it easier to chill out at home in the garden with the birds and the trees.

shabby Thu 12-Jan-17 07:39:56

Our retirement plans were to have several holidays a year but that never materialised due to DH's health and mobility problems. No holidays for the last six years. My advice is to go for it while you still can and enjoy your holidays. You never know what's around the corner.

Aslemma Thu 12-Jan-17 01:52:06

I've only just seen this and felt I should reply to granjura. Some years ago, having been made redundant and the children not needing me around all the time, I treated myself to a 3.5 month trip, including Oz. I booked much of it through a travel agent in London who specialised in such things. I flew out via Thailand where I spent 3 nights then a further 3 nights in Singapore, after which I flew to Sydney. I spent 5 days there before joining a coach trip as far as Cairns, stopping at various places en route. Before leaving the UK I had bought a flexible Greyhound ticket which meant I could get on and off as the mood took me, so from Cairns I travelled down the centre, Ayers Rock, Kalgoorlie, Coober Pedy, Adelaide and Perth. I spent some time with relatives in Queensland and old neighbours in Bunbury then flew back from Perth to HongKong where I spent 5 days before returning to London. I had booked most of the hotels in advance but sorted out one by phone. All in all I had a fantastic time and wouldn't have missed it for the world, though my neighbours thought I was decidedly odd to be going solo on such a trip.

annsixty Tue 13-Sep-16 19:24:43

None for 4 years now and it isn't lack of funds. Holidays are hard work when you have to be the planner, the Booker , the packer and then the carer on top of that. It is easier to stay on home ground where everything is familiar, but oh it is boring and wearing.
I have just had a TKR and I am desperate for a break but don't suppose it will happen.
Yes I am feeling sorry for myself but like everything else it will pass.

loopylou Tue 13-Sep-16 19:06:57

One if I'm lucky, just five days in Wales earlier this year.
DH and DD off next week but because my very elderly parents are currently 56 miles apart and my DSis is critically ill I'm staying home.

DH did half-heartedly offer not to go but, as I can't imagine him willingly driving up and down and across the county every day, it's better he goes.

I'd love more holidays but it ain't gonna happen for the foreseeable future ?

M0nica Tue 13-Sep-16 18:21:33

In our case we have a holiday home in France and go over their every six weeks or so.

But as far as booked and paid for holidays away, we usually have one a year, either a week somewhere that interests us, or a luxury short break at a hotel. This year we are off to the Mediterannian end of the French/Spanish border for a week, traveling by train and riding small trains when we get there.

Yane Mon 12-Sep-16 20:58:21

I travel as much as I can. It’s 4-6 times per year. Love Montenegro and Switzerland, best places for mountain tracking or just walking.

NathalieMartin Tue 21-Jun-16 15:24:35

One or two big holidays are usually accompanied by a weekend here and there, basically as much as we can manage because both myself and my husband keep as busy as possible.

At the start of the year we were in Skiathos for 14 days; it's one of our favourite places ever and we would have stayed longer were it not for a wedding we had to attend.

Our next stop will be Latchi in a August, where we will be staying at some luxury Cyprus villas for a week or so. We've actually already booked the Marina Villa on this page: www.akamas-villas.com/villas-to-rent-in-cyprus/index.html

After that, we'll be going to France to visit some friends just outside the capital, as well as a weekend in Cornwall with just the two of is, a rare occasion that we shall not be squandering in any way!

Cybernan12 Mon 25-Apr-16 01:29:19

Three cruises a year, plus regular breaks at our static caravan! We have worked hard all our life, and the children will benefit from free hols at the van, and share of the family home when we meet our maker!

wot Sat 23-Apr-16 13:36:05

Very funny, your wrong words, granjura!
Beware the Jabberwok, my son! Love it!