Holidays abroad

My first trip abroad was in 1951 when I went for three weeks on an exchange to the North of France . I went again the following year and then when I was 17 to the Lyons area of France as a companion to a teenage French girl.
I remember the crowds at Leeds station as we went to meet my exchange partner . On my later journey my mother travelled down to London with me and I was met in Lyons. My spoken French improved no end.

Never had a holiday abroad with my parents. Saw a lot of Britain, father drove around and we stayed in Norfolk Wales and Scotland.
Father did say he'd like to go on a Safari but don't think my mother was keen.
My first trip abroad was with the school in ? 1958.to France, the Loire Valley.
The food was wonderful. Greengage jam and wonderful omelette.

Not a holiday as such, but a French exchange trip to Paris at 14 in the mid 60s. Fantastic for my French, but one of the things I remember most was the girl’s mother furiously complaining about ‘les algeriens!’
Oh, and no lock on the bathroom door, and Monsieur once walking in on me in his baggy Y fronts! Not intentional, I know, but just as well I was dressed!

There was a weird square bath, evidently hardly ever used, since it was full of bags and boxes of goodness knows what. I had to ask whether it was all right to take them out so I could have a bath!

We always went on hoilday normally IOW but my first holiday abroad was in Spain

Visgirl we went to the Isle of Wight for our honeymoon.
My husband asked me if he needed to take his passport 🥹

My father was not keen to go abroad as he said he had spent enough time in ~Europe during the war.Our holidays were spent at different sea side resorts.

Interesting that so many posters had the use of a family car in the 50s and 60 s. My parents never had a car so if we went anywhere, it was either on foot, or by bus, coach or train, depending on distance.
We didn’t have a car until 4 years after we got married. It was bought by my dh from a random man in a pub for £50.
He tried to teach me to drive but wasn’t patient enough, so we had to save up for driving lessons. Took a while and I passed at my second try at 27.

My parents bought a car when my fathe was posted to a village in Yorkshire that only had 3 buses a week , going in to the local town at 9.30 and returning at 11.00.

The village had a station but it was a mile outside the village accessed by narrow, dirty country roads with no lighting and no footpath. Not an easy or safe walk for a family with 3 children between 1 and 7, especially negotiating the roads in the dark.

We also were also going to settle in Perth as £10 poms. We went to all those meetings to show how we would live.
We had our injections. Parents sold house & furniture. Two weeks before our sail date, my mum changed her mind.
Said she would have missed her sisters too much, plus she didn’t fancy living in one of those huts/ hostels for next two years.

MT62

We also were also going to settle in Perth as £10 poms. We went to all those meetings to show how we would live.
We had our injections. Parents sold house & furniture. Two weeks before our sail date, my mum changed her mind.
Said she would have missed her sisters too much, plus she didn’t fancy living in one of those huts/ hostels for next two years.

Greenfinch

My dad always had a car, as it was his real interest in life, tinkering around with engines, and his job, on sites, repairing cranes, and diggers and heavy machinery.

Our old car though, almost always broke down on the way to Cornwall.

Sitting on the hard shoulder, with hot water spurting out from the radiator.

My dad having to hand crank the car to start it up again.

My parents always had a car as far back as I can remember, both were able to drive.

My parents didn’t have a car until I was 16. Couldn’t afford it. My mum never drove, didn’t learn. Cars were hired or borrowed from an uncle who had one. Times were different then. I drove from 20 and had my first car then. Couldn’t be without it.

Many a time we’d be going to Devon, a chain hanging from the back bumper because it was meant to stop travel sickness, and the journey seemed to take a whole day. I remember us breaking down on the A30 coming back. What a nightmare that was. Parents arguing, waiting for an uncle to come and rescue us. Talk of ‘never again’ but of course we went next year.

I aways got told off for having my head buried in a book whilst the drama unfolded, too.
I was usually blissfully unaware thay the car had conked out.

We were aware as we were in the outside lane when we broke down and my mum was beside herself. Luckily some drivers helped push us into the lay-by.

We had 1 holiday abroad in mid 60's to Ostend in Belgium. I live in Scotland...Dad drove from Edinburgh to London. Car was left in car park. Train from London to Dover, Ferry to Ostend. Took 2 days....lol. All holidays were at Llandudno, Eastbourne, Lowestoft, Scarborough, Torquay, Seahouses.Aberdeen., and Switzerland with the Brownies in 1966. 1971 went on school cruise to Lisbon, Barcelona, Malaga, Gibraltar. Loved them all Late 70's I went abroad on my own..

It’s funny we never had holidays. Dad used to have factory fortnight and we went for days out. To Whitley bay seahouses etc. it’s funny I don’t need a holiday my hubby looks forward to them but they don’t really mean much to me.

Well, 1964 when I went abroad, first Husband was in the military and I joined him after our Daughter arrived, not a holiday but a very big adventure. Stayed for 2 years. I've never been the same since.

As an only grandchild for many years (both parents were only children) I used to go away with my grandparents every year as well.

Sometimes my maternal granny would join us as she was a widow.

Places I recall are Eastbourne, same guest house several years running. Butlin’s at Bognor Regis (which I have revisited with two of our GC 🙀) along with several Pontin’s holiday villages at Selsey Bill and the Isle of White.

Each year we used to sail to the Isle of Man, and imagined we were going abroad.

We knew all the names of the steam packet ships, the old Mona's Isle and new Lady of Mann.

My mum loved it if the sea was 'a bit choppy', and I still remember the fun we had.

We went to a pension in the South of France, from the age of 7, year after year. It was bliss.

My mother took me and my sister to Tossa del mar in about 1964, goodness knows how she afforded it as a single mother. It was wonderful to me, almost like another planet. We stayed in a little family run hotel with full board, the food was a revaluation to us all and we loved it. Tossa was just a small and very beautiful fishing village then, I made the huge mistake of going back years later and I recognised absolutely nothing which I so wish I hadn’t done and kept the wonderful memories I had of that magical holiday.

Sorry to say this Sago but your mother doesn't sound very nice. You have mentioned her before.

Thank you for coming back Cath9. Your holidays abroad sound lovely.
When I was young, we never travelled abroad as money was tight, but come the 1970’s I did go on a school exchange visit to Germany which I really enjoyed. I did go abroad a couple of times with my parents as a young adult, once to Austria and another time to Germany. They were coach holidays and we got to the continent by ferry.
Since then I’ve been abroad many times but independently of my parents.

MissAdventure

My dad always had a car, as it was his real interest in life, tinkering around with engines, and his job, on sites, repairing cranes, and diggers and heavy machinery.

Our old car though, almost always broke down on the way to Cornwall.

Sitting on the hard shoulder, with hot water spurting out from the radiator.

My dad having to hand crank the car to start it up again.

I’ve never been to Cornwall. Would love to go, but our neighbours found the narrow country roads hard work. They ended up with two broken mirrors 😩

Yes, there were/are lots of narrow, winding roads.
My dad was towing a caravan, too.
Daredevils, we were!