Holiday Ideas

[Markman]

If anyone knows this forum will! Finished work and have the chance for 7 - 14 days nice'ish Holiday  - possibly Sept/Oct 2023 before I get even older or shuffle off this mortal coil - plan was somewhere warm by the beach but also with a town or local bars nearby - so not stuck on beach all day or on a massive resort only - had a few suggestions such as Mexico, Morrocco, Carib, Sardinia etc but losing the will to live looking on the internet and never been anywhere like this before

Seems some of these places you do not visit during Sept/Oct and some will be just a beach and swimming (fine if you want that). Happy to use local Bus or Train (not drive) but has anyone been anywhere they know is warm, has the beach and sea but also not far from a town or markets or little day trips to historic places? 

[spudski]

Dubrovnik or Split in Croatia has a great coastline, some decent beaches, lovely old towns, and plenty of places of interest to visit. 

Public transport easy to use and reliable. 

It's like a mixture between Italy and Greece. 

Like anywhere in Europe, the later you leave it into October, the less reliable the weather. 

If definitely October...staying short haul, Morocco or Tunisia. 

 

[Port Said Red]

52 minutes ago, Markman said:

If anyone knows this forum will! Finished work and have the chance for 7 - 14 days nice'ish Holiday  - possibly Sept/Oct 2023 before I get even older or shuffle off this mortal coil - plan was somewhere warm by the beach but also with a town or local bars nearby - so not stuck on beach all day or on a massive resort only - had a few suggestions such as Mexico, Morrocco, Carib, Sardinia etc but losing the will to live looking on the internet and never been anywhere like this before

Seems some of these places you do not visit during Sept/Oct and some will be just a beach and swimming (fine if you want that). Happy to use local Bus or Train (not drive) but has anyone been anywhere they know is warm, has the beach and sea but also not far from a town or markets or little day trips to historic places? 

I know you say the Caribbean has already been mentioned but Barbados is ideal for beaches with near by bars. 

I don't know what your budget is, but Bermuda is even better but expensive.

Other than that, the quiet end of the Bahamas would suit, lots of lovely food and sports bars, away from the Casino resorts 

[redsince1994]

5 minutes ago, spudski said:

Dubrovnik or Split in Croatia has a great coastline, some decent beaches, lovely old towns, and plenty of places of interest to visit. 

Public transport easy to use and reliable. 

It's like a mixture between Italy and Greece. 

Like anywhere in Europe, the later you leave it into October, the less reliable the weather. 

If definitely October...staying short haul, Morocco or Tunisia. 

 

Croatia is fantastic and not too pricy.

If going to Split, definitely a few days in Hvar and Vis are a must. Beautiful islands an easy boat ride away.

Edited February 10, 2023 by redsince1994

[glynriley]

58 minutes ago, Markman said:

If anyone knows this forum will! Finished work and have the chance for 7 - 14 days nice'ish Holiday  - possibly Sept/Oct 2023 before I get even older or shuffle off this mortal coil - plan was somewhere warm by the beach but also with a town or local bars nearby - so not stuck on beach all day or on a massive resort only - had a few suggestions such as Mexico, Morrocco, Carib, Sardinia etc but losing the will to live looking on the internet and never been anywhere like this before

Seems some of these places you do not visit during Sept/Oct and some will be just a beach and swimming (fine if you want that). Happy to use local Bus or Train (not drive) but has anyone been anywhere they know is warm, has the beach and sea but also not far from a town or markets or little day trips to historic places? 

Went to Koper in Slovenia in September a few years ago. Good weather and a beautiful city. Might be worth a look.

[ExiledAjax]

1 hour ago, spudski said:

Dubrovnik or Split in Croatia has a great coastline, some decent beaches, lovely old towns, and plenty of places of interest to visit. 

 

56 minutes ago, redsince1994 said:

Croatia is fantastic and not too pricy.

Croatia was my initial thought as well. Also, if @Markman was to go to the south and to Dubrovnik then just a bit further south and over the border is Montenegro which is even more laid back, more reasonably priced, and less heavily patronised by tourists and cruise ships than Croatia. I had a great week or so in Montenegro a few years ago. Away from the beach it, like Croatia, has forests, hiking, canoeing, and historical sites both ancient and modern.

The Bay of Kotor is stunning but lacks beaches as the mountains come down straight into the bay. I stayed in the town of Herceg Novi on the north side of the bay. Nice little town, quite "local" and down to earth. There's a lido, a marina and a stony beach down on the shore, and a quaint old town with a couple of castles and churches for sightseeing. Alternatively the bigger town of Budva is the main beach area in the country, but as I say you can easily get out to the mountains and Lovcen National Park is directly to the north of Budva.

For anywhere in Montenegro you would fly either to Dubrovnik or to Podgorica.

[OneTeamInBristol]

Valetta the capital of Malta is a beautiful city, lots to do and see if you are into history.

Will be warm but not too hot, October average temp is 21c.

Malta in general also has nice beaches.

[Red-Robbo]

1 hour ago, glynriley said:

Went to Koper in Slovenia in September a few years ago. Good weather and a beautiful city. Might be worth a look.

 

We're going to Slovenia this year, to stay on the shores of Lake Bled. Inland, but very beautiful.

Next year, it's more exotic with a motorcycle trip around Colombia.  

Edited February 10, 2023 by Red-Robbo

[spudski]

15 minutes ago, ExiledAjax said:

 

Croatia was my initial thought as well. Also, if @Markman was to go to the south and to Dubrovnik then just a bit further south and over the border is Montenegro which is even more laid back, more reasonably priced, and less heavily patronised by tourists and cruise ships than Croatia. I had a great week or so in Montenegro a few years ago. Away from the beach it, like Croatia, has forests, hiking, canoeing, and historical sites both ancient and modern.

The Bay of Kotor is stunning but lacks beaches as the mountains come down straight into the bay. I stayed in the town of Herceg Novi on the north side of the bay. Nice little town, quite "local" and down to earth. There's a lido, a marina and a stony beach down on the shore, and a quaint old town with a couple of castles and churches for sightseeing. Alternatively the bigger town of Budva is the main beach area in the country, but as I say you can easily get out to the mountains and Lovcen National Park is directly to the north of Budva.

For anywhere in Montenegro you would fly either to Dubrovnik or to Podgorica.

Montenegro is somewhere I wish to visit, for all the reasons you say.

Croatia is gorgeous, but in the height of season can get very busy. Partly due to exposure from when they filmed the last Mama Mia film there. Some of the islands have also become the new Ibiza. 

But in September it is less busy and still good weather.

 

 

[cidercity1987]

Best value for the money at the moment is Turkey, particularly Antalya

Plenty of decent hotels on nice beaches within easy travel of the City

Alternatively Egypt for slightly further afield, Hurghada probably more so than Sharm el Sheikh

[glynriley]

23 minutes ago, ExiledAjax said:

 

Croatia was my initial thought as well. Also, if @Markman was to go to the south and to Dubrovnik then just a bit further south and over the border is Montenegro which is even more laid back, more reasonably priced, and less heavily patronised by tourists and cruise ships than Croatia. I had a great week or so in Montenegro a few years ago. Away from the beach it, like Croatia, has forests, hiking, canoeing, and historical sites both ancient and modern.

The Bay of Kotor is stunning but lacks beaches as the mountains come down straight into the bay. I stayed in the town of Herceg Novi on the north side of the bay. Nice little town, quite "local" and down to earth. There's a lido, a marina and a stony beach down on the shore, and a quaint old town with a couple of castles and churches for sightseeing. Alternatively the bigger town of Budva is the main beach area in the country, but as I say you can easily get out to the mountains and Lovcen National Park is directly to the north of Budva.

For anywhere in Montenegro you would fly either to Dubrovnik or to Podgorica.

Spent an afternoon in a bar in Kotor, watching the football. City beat Hull away 3-1 and the bar owner bought us a round of drinks to celebrate...!!

[ExiledAjax]

1 minute ago, glynriley said:

Spent an afternoon in a bar in Kotor, watching the football. City beat Hull away 3-1 and the bar owner bought us a round of drinks to celebrate...!!

See. Top country.

[Sturny]

Recently went to Riga, Latvia. Good winter holiday. Pretty place, lovely for a long weekend and cheap. £30 flights 

 

Edited February 10, 2023 by Sturny

[elhombrecito]

2 hours ago, spudski said:

Montenegro is somewhere I wish to visit, for all the reasons you say.

Croatia is gorgeous, but in the height of season can get very busy. Partly due to exposure from when they filmed the last Mama Mia film there. Some of the islands have also become the new Ibiza. 

But in September it is less busy and still good weather.

 

 

We went to Dubrovnik and Split during Covid, and the lack of cruise ships was absolute bliss. Not sure I'd want to visit Dubrovnik in the high season! 

[marmite]

Is Paphos in Cyprus ok weatherise in April/May?  Want to do some culture along with the usual beach stuff

[LondonBristolian]

Places I'd strongly recommend are Croatia (There is an absolutely stunning national park with waterfalls I have forgotten the name of), Crete and Madeira. 

[Selred]

Depends what you're looking for, recently I've been too:

Mexico (Cancun). In my opinion quite Americanised, but some amazing beaches, Islands and fabulous cenotes (beautiful pools / caves, absolutely stunning).

Northern Spain (Bilbao / San Seb). Really short flight. If you're a foodie / love your wine this trip is a MUST. Plus a nice beach in San Seb to relax on in the day time. 

Barbados. What an island. Every beach is gorgeous. Would recommend all inclusive as quite an expensive island to eat on, but there's some fab hotels to stay in (and not horrendously expensive, unlike the island).

Any questions feel free to DM me!

[underhanded]

I went to Albania last year and road-tripped around. It's got something for everything - beach resorts/beers by the pool if that's your thing, a huge amount of history and culture (it's recent history is absoultely crazy and unique - lots of historical towns and areas), and stunning mountains and forests in the north (the Albanian alps are incredible).

All of this and it's pretty much the cheapest place in Europe at the moment. I was also suprised by how good the food was

[Super]

Where do people stand on whether to do a week or 2? Can't remember the last time I did a 2 week holiday!

[TonyTonyTony]

Croatia is amazing but Dubrovnik can be ridiculously busy (cruise ships / game of thrones). Try north in Istria - somewhere like Porec. Amazing seafood and local wines. Once you have had a Malvasia white wine you won’t want anything else

[weepywall]

4 hours ago, marmite said:

Is Paphos in Cyprus ok weatherise in April/May?  Want to do some culture along with the usual beach stuff

I'm off to Cyprus in April, staying with a relative that lives there, weather should be great, nice and sunny but temperatures low enough for walking etc, good time to visit.

[Mike Hunt-Hertz]

Skopelos, Greece. Very green, laid back and scenic. Skopelos town and Glossa are very quaint.

[Maltshoveller]

On 10/02/2023 at 12:33, spudski said:

Montenegro is somewhere I wish to visit, for all the reasons you say.

Croatia is gorgeous, but in the height of season can get very busy. Partly due to exposure from when they filmed the last Mama Mia film there. Some of the islands have also become the new Ibiza. 

But in September it is less busy and still good weather.

 

 

Im off to Montenegro in Sept

Never been there but will make a change 

[ralphindevon]

On 10/02/2023 at 17:04, Super said:

Where do people stand on whether to do a week or 2? Can't remember the last time I did a 2 week holiday!

I Love a 10 day holiday, even long haul I’ve sometimes done this. Out on a Wednesday back early Saturday the week after. Just right. 

[Pickle Rick]

Quarteira. About 25 mins from Faro airport.

Going there a second year in a row with my other half and our 5 year old son. Great water park nearby and a marina with loads of bars and restaurants everywhere.

Loads of beaches. Waters may be a tad cold beyond August though!

[Kid in the Riot]

From the gist of your post I'd say Basque country is a good shout. Fly into Bilbao then an hour bus journey to San Sebastian which has the best city beach in europe. Base yourself there and you can do day trips inland to some beautiful towns past Pamplona. Then a couple of days in Bilbao taking in the old town, Guggenheim, and San Mames. Then fly back from there. September ideally though, before the rain arrives in October. 

[ralphindevon]

September is such a lovely month to holiday on the Med. If you want lively and plenty to see but still want to be on the Med then I’d suggest Nice or Barcelona. Both great cities easy to get around on public transport.

Nice especially has got an amazing transport system in the city now, puts Bristol to shame…….but there, so do most European cities when it comes to PT. You can also easily visit many other places like Monaco, Cannes, Menton.

So more places to visit than Barcelona but Barcelona has a lot more to see if you stay just in the city, a fabulous place to explore. Also has a good metro system and buses.

In both cities the transport is not only good but ridiculously cheap.

[spudski]

18 hours ago, Kid in the Riot said:

From the gist of your post I'd say Basque country is a good shout. Fly into Bilbao then an hour bus journey to San Sebastian which has the best city beach in europe. Base yourself there and you can do day trips inland to some beautiful towns past Pamplona. Then a couple of days in Bilbao taking in the old town, Guggenheim, and San Mames. Then fly back from there. September ideally though, before the rain arrives in October. 

 

5 hours ago, ralphindevon said:

September is such a lovely month to holiday on the Med. If you want lively and plenty to see but still want to be on the Med then I’d suggest Nice or Barcelona. Both great cities easy to get around on public transport.

Nice especially has got an amazing transport system in the city now, puts Bristol to shame…….but there, so do most European cities when it comes to PT. You can also easily visit many other places like Monaco, Cannes, Menton.

So more places to visit than Barcelona but Barcelona has a lot more to see if you stay just in the city, a fabulous place to explore. Also has a good metro system and buses.

In both cities the transport is not only good but ridiculously cheap.

Both of these are great ideas. However I wouldn't risk it in October.

Getting around from Nice on public transport is very easy, and some fantastic places to visit nearby. 

Cap Ferrat, Eze, Antibes, St Paul de Vence, Grasse...to name a few. 

Stunning places. Can highly recommend.

[1960maaan]

On 11/02/2023 at 23:34, Kid in the Riot said:

From the gist of your post I'd say Basque country is a good shout. Fly into Bilbao then an hour bus journey to San Sebastian which has the best city beach in europe. Base yourself there and you can do day trips inland to some beautiful towns past Pamplona. Then a couple of days in Bilbao taking in the old town, Guggenheim, and San Mames. Then fly back from there. September ideally though, before the rain arrives in October. 

I was trying to find where we could go from Bilbao by Train, the site I was on wasn't clear but Pamplona looks interesting. All that kept coming up was a narrow gauge , 5 hours to San Sebastian , slow to say the least.

On 12/02/2023 at 18:08, spudski said:

Both of these are great ideas. However I wouldn't risk it in October

Funny enough, we have done Bilbao 3 times in 5 years and on to San Sebastian twice. We go for a Soul weekend in Bilbao, in October. Still walking around in shirt and shorts, but agree if you want the full Sun then earlier is better.

Croatia is the one I'm looking at now, don't even know if you can fly from Bristol but looks great.

[Bob Turnip]

On 11/02/2023 at 16:37, Maltshoveller said:

Im off to Montenegro in Sept

Never been there but will make a change 

Ah whereabouts?

We went last year for a week. Spent half the time up in the mountains, stayed in Žabljak and spent a few days exploring the Durmitor National Park, bit of white water rafting. Absolutely stunning scenery and feels like you've gone back in time a bit to, which was interesting.

Then for the other half we went back to Kotor on the coast. The old town is beautiful.