Has Anyone Booked a Holiday Yet?

[CosbehFox]

2 hours ago, grobyfox1990 said:

It’s been two years since our European adventure, I’d forgotten how addictive football trips are. Germany is built for football and beer. Loving the euros thus far. 

Last chance for a long time regards an international tournament which feels like a party 

[martyn]

Just spent 5 enjoyable days in Istanbul. So much to see, delicious food, and very clean. Was the week of Eid so city was pretty quiet as well.

[bovril]

12 minutes ago, martyn said:

Just spent 5 enjoyable days in Istanbul. So much to see, delicious food, and very clean. Was the week of Eid so city was pretty quiet as well.

Haven't been for ten years and miss it a lot.

[Chris_OGrady]

11 hours ago, martyn said:

Just spent 5 enjoyable days in Istanbul. So much to see, delicious food, and very clean. Was the week of Eid so city was pretty quiet as well.

What were the highlights?

[martyn]

2 hours ago, Chris_OGrady said:

What were the highlights?

Was all good. Would say Topkapi Palace, Dolmabahce Palace, Sulemaniye Mosque, and Blue Mosque are unmissable, and we did a really nice sunset Bosphorous Cruise on a yacht with only 15 or so others, and i'm glad we did that over the bigger boats as it felt pretty special. Hagia Sophia too, for the history, albeit they now charge to get in and you can only walk around the first floor gallery if you aren't a practising Muslim, so probably a tier below those. Was also very nice to stroll around Kadikoy on the Asian side, and Fener/Balat on the European sides. I do think we benefitted from a quiet week though, there was no real wait to get into any of the attractions so whilst we bought an Istanbul "e-pass", it probably wasn't necessary for the benefit that gives you of skipping the lines.

 

Also went to the Basilica Cistern, walked the full length of Istiklal Street starting near Galata Tower up to Taksim Square, went to the Yeni Cami mosque, but i wouldn't class any of those as essential, but worthwhile with time. 

 

Food wise we ate street food most days and had 1 splurge at a place called Yeni Lokanta, which was lovely. Of the street food, the fish sandwiches and Tantuni (sliced steak served in a wrap / sandwich) near our hotel in Karakoy were the highlights, along with Baklava/sweet treats every day in Karakoy Gulluoglu (get the triangular baklava with "kaymak", clotted cream ice cream inside it, absolutely outstanding).

Edited 20 June by martyn

[Chris_OGrady]

21 hours ago, martyn said:

Was all good. Would say Topkapi Palace, Dolmabahce Palace, Sulemaniye Mosque, and Blue Mosque are unmissable, and we did a really nice sunset Bosphorous Cruise on a yacht with only 15 or so others, and i'm glad we did that over the bigger boats as it felt pretty special. Hagia Sophia too, for the history, albeit they now charge to get in and you can only walk around the first floor gallery if you aren't a practising Muslim, so probably a tier below those. Was also very nice to stroll around Kadikoy on the Asian side, and Fener/Balat on the European sides. I do think we benefitted from a quiet week though, there was no real wait to get into any of the attractions so whilst we bought an Istanbul "e-pass", it probably wasn't necessary for the benefit that gives you of skipping the lines.

 

Also went to the Basilica Cistern, walked the full length of Istiklal Street starting near Galata Tower up to Taksim Square, went to the Yeni Cami mosque, but i wouldn't class any of those as essential, but worthwhile with time. 

 

Food wise we ate street food most days and had 1 splurge at a place called Yeni Lokanta, which was lovely. Of the street food, the fish sandwiches and Tantuni (sliced steak served in a wrap / sandwich) near our hotel in Karakoy were the highlights, along with Baklava/sweet treats every day in Karakoy Gulluoglu (get the triangular baklava with "kaymak", clotted cream ice cream inside it, absolutely outstanding).

Great debrief! Seems very similar to my experience. 

[CosbehFox]

Just been Wrocław on my stag - hideously under-rated city. As good as anyone I’ve been in the central bloc. Fly from EMA. Cheap as chips. Some great bars. Food halls. Good weather. Lovely river and square 

[HowardsBulletHeader]

Me and the wife doing 3 & a bit weeks in Australia and Thailand, can't bloody wait! Any recommendations? 

[Wolfox]

3 hours ago, CosbehFox said:

Just been Wrocław on my stag - hideously under-rated city. As good as anyone I’ve been in the central bloc. Fly from EMA. Cheap as chips. Some great bars. Food halls. Good weather. Lovely river and square 

Congratulations!

 

I was in a stag do in Cologne recently…. Haven’t been to one for a while…. It was fun, but felt like an endurance test at times (was with a bunch of Geordies who were very fond of beer!)

 

Will need to check out Wroclaw (honestly never heard of it)

[Wolfox]

19 minutes ago, HowardsBulletHeader said:

Me and the wife doing 3 & a bit weeks in Australia and Thailand, can't bloody wait! Any recommendations? 

Where are you flying into?  And are you planning on travelling?

[HowardsBulletHeader]

4 minutes ago, Wolfox said:

Where are you flying into?  And are you planning on travelling?

Yeah that was a bit lazy to be fair..

 

Travelling into Brisbane, travelling up to Cairns, then down to Sydney & Melbourne. Then onto Thailand for a bit of down time, thinking Koh Samui/Koh Phangan for now but open to recommendations for all. 

[Wolfox]

3 hours ago, HowardsBulletHeader said:

Yeah that was a bit lazy to be fair..

 

Travelling into Brisbane, travelling up to Cairns, then down to Sydney & Melbourne. Then onto Thailand for a bit of down time, thinking Koh Samui/Koh Phangan for now but open to recommendations for all. 

Sydney is ace…. Lots to see and do, and the zoo is brilliant 

 

Koh Tao is stunning…. If you’re confident, you can hire a scooter to get about as the 4x4 taxis are expensive…

 

Definitely have a go at diving…. Some beautiful sites around and about…. Lots of beaches to discover and you can see a lot with a snorkelling kit

 

i assume you’re flying into Bangkok?  Try and get two full days there…. It’s full on, but has to be seen…

 

if travelling from Bangkok to Koh Tao…. Get a luxury coach including ferry…. The train is a bit crappy and the transfer from the nearest train station to the ferry is tricky 

[Daggers]

3 hours ago, HowardsBulletHeader said:

Me and the wife doing 3 & a bit weeks in Australia and Thailand, can't bloody wait! Any recommendations? 

Don’t be a vaper 

[boots60]

4 hours ago, HowardsBulletHeader said:

Me and the wife doing 3 & a bit weeks in Australia and Thailand, can't bloody wait! Any recommendations? 

Avoid the drug dealers in Thailand & any animal you have never seen before in Oz

[Daggers]

Everything I know about Australia:

 

 

[Dreadnought]

Just got back from three nights in Ibiza with 12 mates from university celebrating several of their 50ths. 
I’m utterly broken. Far too old for three hardcore days on it. 
Second time staying at Pikes Hotel which is an amazing place. 
I did not enjoy the 2 hour queue to get through security at Birmingham airport on the way out. 

[Nalis]

4 minutes ago, Dreadnought said:

Just got back from three nights in Ibiza with 12 mates from university celebrating several of their 50ths. 
I’m utterly broken. Far too old for three hardcore days on it. 
Second time staying at Pikes Hotel which is an amazing place. 
I did not enjoy the 2 hour queue to get through security at Birmingham airport on the way out. 

A three nighter in with some of you in your 50s, fair play though.

[Paninistickers]

10 hours ago, Dreadnought said:

Just got back from three nights in Ibiza with 12 mates from university celebrating several of their 50ths. 
I’m utterly broken. Far too old for three hardcore days on it. 
Second time staying at Pikes Hotel which is an amazing place. 
I did not enjoy the 2 hour queue to get through security at Birmingham airport on the way out. 

Goodness. I respect your choices but my oh my, I couldn't think of anything worse for me

[Daggers]

 

[VLC86]

Heading home from Germany today and it’s very much been one of them.

 

Nice country though, Cologne and Munich are great cities. Dusseldorf decent and Dortmund not as bad as I’d heard it described.

 

Trains here have been nothing short of shambolic though.

Edited 26 June by VLC86

[STEVIE B]

On 24/06/2024 at 12:24, HowardsBulletHeader said:

Yeah that was a bit lazy to be fair..

 

Travelling into Brisbane, travelling up to Cairns, then down to Sydney & Melbourne. Then onto Thailand for a bit of down time, thinking Koh Samui/Koh Phangan for now but open to recommendations for all. 

When you get fed up of drinking VB/Castlemain xxxx in Oz (shouldn't take long !), try Coopers

[isaidno]

On 24/06/2024 at 09:02, CosbehFox said:

Just been Wrocław on my stag - hideously under-rated city. As good as anyone I’ve been in the central bloc. Fly from EMA. Cheap as chips. Some great bars. Food halls. Good weather. Lovely river and square 

Had my stag do there too. Agree with all the above. It was a lot cheaper than Warsaw. 

[bovril]

Can someone try and convince me it's ok to fly Ryanair and their Boeing MAX planes. Bit nervous...

[VLC86]

33 minutes ago, bovril said:

Can someone try and convince me it's ok to fly Ryanair and their Boeing MAX planes. Bit nervous...

Been on many, my other half flys them and he has said they are the safest planes in the sky due to the level of testing since the issues

[Tommy G]

1 hour ago, bovril said:

Can someone try and convince me it's ok to fly Ryanair and their Boeing MAX planes. Bit nervous...

I work in aviation, just don't sit near the doors....

 

Joking aside, very safe now - Boeing have just bought Spirit, in an attempt to bolster safety standards. Boeing are losing market share to Airbus by the day and have had a really slow start to the year, but they have c5,000 737 MAX planes in an order backlog.