Holiday Thread

[prettyxcool]

This is where I will be from tomorrow!
http://fairwaysclub.com/resort.htm

Sorry for the late post - been so snowed under, but if anyone who has been to Los Cristianos, Tenerife South, can give me some tips, and to dos, be ever so grateful!

When I went to Tenerife a few years ago (not such a nice hotel as yours looks) our favourite day out was at Loro Park http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loro_Parque and also did a trip out to sea on a glass bottom boat to see the dolphins.

Enjoy your holiday.

Thank you akh43!

I had a lovely time, the resort was great, we hired a car to drive all round, up the mountains, to the beaches, North, East, South and West! So many things to see and do, lots to eat and very cheaply too as we hunted out the places where the locals eat!

I wanted to do the sea safari and look at the dolphins, but my family did not want to do that.

However, we went to Los Cristianos (sand brought from the Sahara), to El Teide (the highest mountain in Spain) and National Park, and went above the clouds (amazing!) at Vilaflor, the highest village in the Canaries surrounded by a forest of pine trees, Puerto de la Cruz with its beautiful black sand beaches, Santa Cruz (capital of Tenerife) with its shopping, and amazing Auditorium for concerts, Los Gigantes (Giant cliffs rising from the sea) and Puerto de Santiago with its lovely marina against the steep cliffs, to Masca (village precariously perched on hillside), through the Anaga Mountains to Benijo, fishing village poised on the top of cliffs, with breathtaking views of the Atlantic Sea, bays and rocky beaches, to St Andres, fishing village and lovely sand beaches.

Always beautiful blue skies and sea...the weather was warm and lovely.

The only drawback was the internet on the resort was slow and intermittent and my internet travel booster at £1 a day from T-mobile did not work, or the Euro Unlimited Talk and Text for £2 a day did not work either. When our hired car broke down on the motorway late at night, we could not call for help! So real inconvenient.

Here we are standing above the clouds! Unbelievable!

[prettyxcool]

This is where I will be from tomorrow!
http://fairwaysclub.com/resort.htm

When I went to Tenerife a few years ago (not such a nice hotel as yours looks).

I can really recommend the Fairways Club Resort. It was a promotion sent to me via Redspottedhanky. £49 for a whole week's accommodation or as we did an upgrade for £50 for the Elite Apartment was well worth it, with air conditioning (although it was so cool inside that it was not necessary but we were not sure what the weather was like before we went), we had a dishwasher, washing machine, jacuzzi, garden, welcoming bottle of wine, water and fruit, and free beach towels, plus twice a week cleaning and fresh towels. The standard rooms did not have any of these little extras. I know as my sis-in-law booked the standard. My other sis-in-law booked the two bedroom family apartment £199 for the week and it was huge, the master bedroom has a huge ensuite bathroom, large kitchen, dining and lounge areas and large garden equipped with a BBQ. The pool is heated and the Club House for meals is really reasonable for example, we had a masterclass Paella lunch, for 6 Euros each including jug of Sangria. We were given the recipe and shown how to make it too. The Island Pool Bar served afternoon tea for 4.5 Euro. There is a Lidl nearby. Eating at local restaurants was really cheap too. We spent about 10 Euros a meal per person which includes wine, water, tips (for those who are interested in the costs!). Car hire is really cheap too.

At the time, I did not want to recommend it in case it was some timeshare scam. But it turned out to be very genuine and hassle free and the whole resort was so friendly and helpful. We checked in, had a welcome morning with prize draw, and that was it, left alone to enjoy our holiday.

Not sure if the promotion is still available or there is still availability, but here's the link they sent me:
http://www.leisuretimesolutions.net/redspothanky.html
and here are the terms:
http://www.leisuretimesolutions.net/terms2.html

They were promoting this at this year's Ideal Home Show in March too.

[John Milton]

Fellow FMUKers, this is a cry for help!

One of my oldest friends is getting married at the beginning of August in Croatia. Myself and the OH have been setting money aside for this but due to a series of unexpected circumstances, such as vet's bills and a hefty amount of dental treatment for me, our budget has dwindled considerably!

Can anyone steer me in the direction of decent holiday and/or flight deals to Dubrovnik, preferably from a Scottish airport but willing to travel too! Looking to fly out between 28-31 of July.

Any and all comments would be greatly appreciated!

[Diane65]

This is where I will be from tomorrow!
http://fairwaysclub.com/resort.htm

When I went to Tenerife a few years ago (not such a nice hotel as yours looks).

I can really recommend the Fairways Club Resort. It was a promotion sent to me via Redspottedhanky. £49 for a whole week's accommodation or as we did an upgrade for £50 for the Elite Apartment was well worth it, with air conditioning (although it was so cool inside that it was not necessary but we were not sure what the weather was like before we went), we had a dishwasher, washing machine, jacuzzi, garden, welcoming bottle of wine, water and fruit, and free beach towels, plus twice a week cleaning and fresh towels. The standard rooms did not have any of these little extras. I know as my sis-in-law booked the standard. My other sis-in-law booked the two bedroom family apartment £199 for the week and it was huge, the master bedroom has a huge ensuite bathroom, large kitchen, dining and lounge areas and large garden equipped with a BBQ. The pool is heated and the Club House for meals is really reasonable for example, we had a masterclass Paella lunch, for 6 Euros each including jug of Sangria. We were given the recipe and shown how to make it too. The Island Pool Bar served afternoon tea for 4.5 Euro. There is a Lidl nearby. Eating at local restaurants was really cheap too. We spent about 10 Euros a meal per person which includes wine, water, tips (for those who are interested in the costs!). Car hire is really cheap too.

At the time, I did not want to recommend it in case it was some timeshare scam. But it turned out to be very genuine and hassle free and the whole resort was so friendly and helpful. We checked in, had a welcome morning with prize draw, and that was it, left alone to enjoy our holiday.

Not sure if the promotion is still available or there is still availability, but here's the link they sent me:
http://www.leisuretimesolutions.net/redspothanky.html
and here are the terms:
http://www.leisuretimesolutions.net/terms2.html

They were promoting this at this year's Ideal Home Show in March too.

This looks amazing prettyxcool. They too were advertising at the Manchester Ideal Home show and I was so tempted to book it but I too thought that it was too good to be true but now wish I had. I will certainly look into it for the future if I can spare any more annual leave as have a few things planned already.

[Diane65]

Fellow FMUKers, this is a cry for help!

One of my oldest friends is getting married at the beginning of August in Croatia. Myself and the OH have been setting money aside for this but due to a series of unexpected circumstances, such as vet's bills and a hefty amount of dental treatment for me, our budget has dwindled considerably!

Can anyone steer me in the direction of decent holiday and/or flight deals to Dubrovnik, preferably from a Scottish airport but willing to travel too! Looking to fly out between 28-31 of July.

Any and all comments would be greatly appreciated!

How long are you going for plus do you want half board or self catering or bed and breakfast? What sort of budget per person are you looking at? Sorry to ask this but I have been looking and the best deal I can find so far without all this info is http://www.onthebeach flying from Edinburgh to Dubrovnik from 30th July until 6th August staying at Hotel Liburna half board for £515 per person. But don't know which area of Dubrovnik you want. I will keep on looking for better deals plus what star hotel are you happy with or would you prefer to go off the ratings?

Just had another look and if you fly from Newcastle on 30th July until 6th August with Jet 2 it is £230 each with baggage allowance so maybe cheaper that way then book a hotel. Just ideas I'm playing with but I'll keep on.

[lovesitx]

Fellow FMUKers, this is a cry for help!

One of my oldest friends is getting married at the beginning of August in Croatia. Myself and the OH have been setting money aside for this but due to a series of unexpected circumstances, such as vet's bills and a hefty amount of dental treatment for me, our budget has dwindled considerably!

Can anyone steer me in the direction of decent holiday and/or flight deals to Dubrovnik, preferably from a Scottish airport but willing to travel too! Looking to fly out between 28-31 of July.

Any and all comments would be greatly appreciated!

I tend to use a site such as skyscanner when looking for flights, it lets you just say united kingdom too for outgoing airport so it will come up with the cheapest airport and you can find the closest to you at a decent price. Saves you the hassle of going to loads of airlines etc http://www.skyscanner.net/

I don't know if you need accomodation or not but instead of a hotel maybe try renting an apartment? I've not been myself but a friend went last summer and is returning this year and they found a great place on https://www.airbnb.co.uk/.

[alythonian]

Fellow FMUKers, this is a cry for help!

One of my oldest friends is getting married at the beginning of August in Croatia. Myself and the OH have been setting money aside for this but due to a series of unexpected circumstances, such as vet's bills and a hefty amount of dental treatment for me, our budget has dwindled considerably!

Can anyone steer me in the direction of decent holiday and/or flight deals to Dubrovnik, preferably from a Scottish airport but willing to travel too! Looking to fly out between 28-31 of July.

Any and all comments would be greatly appreciated!

Jet2 fly from Edinburgh to Dubrovnik. Not sure it's as cheap as it suggests it should be.
We did Ryanair to their Italian city whose name currently escapes me on the Slovenian border and then took the bus into Croatia. It was very cheap but a bit of an expedition. That was from prestwick airport.

[John Milton]

How long are you going for plus do you want half board or self catering or bed and breakfast? What sort of budget per person are you looking at? Sorry to ask this but I have been looking and the best deal I can find so far without all this info is http://www.onthebeach flying from Edinburgh to Dubrovnik from 30th July until 6th August staying at Hotel Liburna half board for £515 per person. But don't know which area of Dubrovnik you want. I will keep on looking for better deals plus what star hotel are you happy with or would you prefer to go off the ratings?

Just had another look and if you fly from Newcastle on 30th July until 6th August with Jet 2 it is £230 each with baggage allowance so maybe cheaper that way then book a hotel. Just ideas I'm playing with but I'll keep on.

I tend to use a site such as skyscanner when looking for flights, it lets you just say united kingdom too for outgoing airport so it will come up with the cheapest airport and you can find the closest to you at a decent price. Saves you the hassle of going to loads of airlines etc http://www.skyscanner.net/

I don't know if you need accomodation or not but instead of a hotel maybe try renting an apartment? I've not been myself but a friend went last summer and is returning this year and they found a great place on https://www.airbnb.co.uk/.

Jet2 fly from Edinburgh to Dubrovnik. Not sure it's as cheap as it suggests it should be.
We did Ryanair to their Italian city whose name currently escapes me on the Slovenian border and then took the bus into Croatia. It was very cheap but a bit of an expedition. That was from prestwick airport.

Big thanks to Diane65, lovesitx and alythonian for their thoughts and my apologies for not responding sooner! We've still not booked anything due to prices and I've had to withdraw from being a groomsman given the uncertainty over my attendance. However, I'm not giving up yet! Even if I book something a couple of days before, I will try my best to make this wedding!

Diane: If you ask my OH, the safest bet for us is all inclusive. This is really because I'm like a big baby and require regular feeding or I start getting crabby! For the sake of making it to Croatia though, I really don 't mind what the board basis or star rating is, although I suspect the boss will have something to say about that!

Alythonian: I hadn't thought of that but Prestwick would certainly work for us and I'm not averse to the idea of a bit of a trek!

[Yinster]

Back from Londontown for a family wedding this weekend. First proper time in London as you can't really call being in one of the airports or working (once in Hyde Park and once in Excel Centre) really visiting the capital. Been so busy recently I didn't even arrange anything with any of the London FMUKers to see or meet up with. Suffice to say I left my mobile phone in my car at my parent's home whilst we swapped to my dad's car and not realising till we were in the airport didn't really help matters of trying to arrange last minute.

Anyhoo surprised at how cheap it was for a single from Heathrow to our hotel in the Angel. Grand total of £3. However that was counter balanced by the very expensive taxi ride from hotel (booked by hotel) to Stoke Town Hall - £27. Yes £27 for about ten minutes. My sister got a taxi back from the pub near the town hall and it only cost £9 so where the heck they got £27.

Friday evening we had a wee bit of a drama when we were getting the bus to King's Cross and just as we were waiting at the bus stop another bus pulled up at the bus stop. Then we heard screaming from a woman at the back of the bus who was trying to get off. The door had jammed into one of her foot and she was bleeding. She was shouting for the driver to shut the door again. Finally he did and she was in a lot of pain but no one was helping or knew what to do. While this woman was still standing. So my cousin's husband and me jumped onto this bus and assisted the lady, sitting her down and did first aid on her. Turned out the door jammed pretty badly on her foot and her big toenail was basically hanging by a thread on her toe, bleeding away. We patched her up, managed to slow the bleeding till it stopped and then bandaged it up before leaving her to catch our bus. Must say the driver really didn't do anything and was more keen to get her out of the bus so he could continue on the journey. Plus there are no first aid kit on the buses so we managed to get one of a nearby pub. When we turned up for dinner we said we had a good reason why we were late.

The Saturday was the actual wedding and my cousin who was getting married wanted me in the kilt. Suffice to say I sweated buckets all day as it was pretty warm. It was a nice ceremony in Stoke Town Hall. The building outside doesn't look like much but it is very nice inside. Then we all walked 15 minutes to the pub where the reception was held. Lovely pub that didn't reek of alcohol.

We didn't really see much of London on this trip so I am hoping to come down one weekend to really experience it.

[Yinster]

Just back from San Francisco and Las Vegas. What an awesome time we had. One of the best times ever. Two totally different cities. We even had a spare seat in a couple of flights in our row so it was lovely. And the Scottish token went down a storm.

We stayed in the Handlery Union near Union Square and though we frequent in Fisherman's Wharf which was about 25 minutes walk this was the right choice. A family run hotel we were upgraded to a suite as I put in a room request (as I always do when I have a hotel stay, the usual high level and away from the lift) and mention it was nice that the General Manager still took time to personally replied to each feedback in trip advisor and how we were going for my birthday. We were also gifted with a bottle of bubbly and some American goodies. Also whenever we go somewhere I always take Scottish tokens like key rings and fridge magnets as well as Tunnock's teacakes, Caramel Wafers and Shortbread to give to people we meet in our travels so gave some to him.

Our breakfast was at the hotel and the first morning we discover our waiter was Hunter who had lived in Scotland for a bit when he was younger and to this day his parents are still here in Alford. So each morning we requested to sit at his section.

First morning we went to Alcatraz. Glad we booked it as there was a sign saying next available tour was on Monday which was four days away. The ferry ride takes about 15 minute and once on the island they do an orientation with you. We took the audio tour which was very informative and then headed back to the mainland. We walked along Fisherman's Wharf and to pier 39. Had lunch there before walking to the hotel via Chinatown. Had dinner at the Cheesecake Factory.

The next day we booked a Movies tour. It was really good and informative. A small bus seating no more than 25 people. They would show a scene from a film and then drive there at the same time so you can see exactly where they filmed. It was also a great way to see the city without being on an open top bus and we were under the Golden Gate Bridge at one point. After the tour and lunch we went to Ghirardelli Square and then the Presido to the Walt Disney Museum - where you learn about the man. We walked for miles that day. So was glad to hear of a free shuttle back to downtown.

On the Sunday we started off by going to the cinema to see Fifty Shades of Grey and headed to the shops in Westfield which is close by where we were staying. A chilled out day indeed. We even spent some time in our room relaxing as our legs were sore from all the walking. Then headed out to dinner and packing for our flight the next day.

The Monday morning before checking out we walked again to Lombard Street to take photos of the curvy street. It isn't the curviest street in San Francisco nor the steepest but it is the prettiest and most famous. Then headed back to check out and go to the airport.

The flight was uneventful. Though late but i started chatted to one of the flight crew who turned out to be the captain of our flight. So he invited us to sit in the cockpit of the plane after the flight and get a photo.

Tried the $20 trick whilst checking into the Aria. Not sure if it worked but we did get a lovely city view and floor 22 which is halfway up. We walked into the room and the drapes opened and music started automatically. The room is controlled by a tablet. So lights, drapes and pretty much anything you just press a button. Also we were pre warn online not to touch anything in the fridge as there is a sensor so will charge you automatically.

Got a MLife card and loaded it with my BOGOF buffet for dinner. I had been playing MyVegas since April on facebook. It is free to play and the more you play the more loyalty points you gain. These can convert to rewards you can get in MLife properties like buffets, shows and even rooms. So I got several different rewards and redeem them over there

One of our first full day we booked a helicopter ride to the Grand Canyon. OH was nervous enough about it. We were teamed up with a party of four so sat in the front. Saved ourselves $50 each by not requesting it. When we were talking about this trip I didn't want to sit on a bus for hours so this was our compromise as this meant we only took 4 hours rather than 8 or 9. Plus OH arrange it so we landed in the Grand Canyon rather than just fly over it.

Once back we headed to the North premium outlet. We got the bus ticket for $20 for three days which is great value. After shopping we went back on the bus to the Strathosphere tower. We learnt online if you aren't fussed about the rides up at the top then say you are going to the Lounge 107 or the restaurant and that will save you the $18 each. The lounge isn't as high as the top, it is a couple of levels down but we did used the money saved to get two cocktails for $15 and a coke with tip for $20 as it was happy hour on the cocktails. Plus you can also get the elevator to the observation tower after and it won't cost you anything. Walked back from the Strathosphere to the Mirage as OH was tipsy from two cocktails where we got another BOGOF buffet. When we arrived back to the room Housekeeping had left a lot of toiletries for us to take home as I left a note saying I love their stuff.

I got up silly early this morning and as OH was still sleeping I headed to the casino floor. On a forum a woman was saying that Four Card Keno is easy to play and you could win so I try it. Put in $20 and ended up with $200. We booked a horse ride in the Red Rock Canyon. Really enjoyed it as took away from the hustle of Vegas. Once done we headed to Downtown to Fremont Street. We really didn't like it as it was so smoky inside and out. Took the bus to the strip and headed to Cheesecake factory before seeing Rock Of Ages pa*d by the win in the money.

The last day we walked to the "Welcome To Las Vegas" sign before heading to Luxor to the Titanic Experience. That was pa*d by the win too. After that we headed to the Tixs For discount booth again and got tickets for CSI Experience. The experience was really good though simple. Then we also saw The Odd Couple (Pilot) test screening. Then made our way to our last BOGOF buffet in the Bellagio.

We went into a lot of the casinos and hotels and think we made the right choice with The Aria. It is 5 stars so more expensive than others but it isn't as smoky as a lot of them with good ventilation and the room was amazing and one of the best bathrooms in a hotel. It is also very quiet. Didn't hear a sound from the floor at all.

It was an awesome trip and I am glad OH suggested we go somewhere for my birthday.