Where’s everyone off to?

I’m off to Antigua on a @Traftour on Saturday for a week. Early January is now my favourite time to get away for the “big” holiday of the year.

Thinking of Porec in Croatia for a week in June but nowt else planned other than a drive around Ireland to finally spread the MiL’s ashes

Like to hear where you good folk are planning as it’s inspired me in the past

Just looked - no tours around Lille's Decathlon stadium next week 😁

39 minutes ago, Not in Crawley said:

I have family in Hull - its a great place, much underrated.

It's not

City centre ok, rest is a shithole full of folk who are thick as fuck and like fighting

Didn't you describe the area as being completely boring?

2 hours ago, Zico said:

there's a bar where they do nice beer in really nice, expensive glasses so you have to give them a shoe as a deposit which they hang from the ceiling in a large net

Do they accept flip flops?

3 hours ago, Alf Hartigan said:

Do they accept flip flops?

it's actually owned by a bloke called Phillipe Phillope

7 hours ago, DirtySanchez said:

It's not

City centre ok, rest is a shithole full of folk who are thick as fuck and like fighting

Didn't you describe the area as being completely boring?

Princess avenue area is great, quayside is lovely as well - i said Beverley was a bit dull.

So its not a shitehole.

12 hours ago, DirtySanchez said:

As much as I love Bruges I did the ferry from Hull over there for the Christmas market

Thinking European cities do them well so I was expecting something a bit better than had I stayed in Hull

It was shit and I should have stayed in Hull in that regard

But Bruges is nicer

Worked just outside Hull for a bit. I’m voting shithole.

Anyway talking of Xmas markets , maud wants to Budapest. Fancy going there but will the markets make it a tat fest?

Budapest is a great city - even in the market is crap, the ruin bars will make up for it.

Would love to go back for a weekend break next year.

Just finalising my Abu Dhabi / Australia / Bali / Vietnam break for the coming winter.
It has taken some pulling together, I tell you.

23 minutes ago, Traf said:

Just finalising my Abu Dhabi / Australia / Bali / Vietnam break for the coming winter.
It has taken some pulling together, I tell you.

You should have got a travel expert to do it for you.

On 24/07/2026 at 22:54, Traf said:

Just finalising my Abu Dhabi / Australia / Bali / Vietnam break for the coming winter.
It has taken some pulling together, I tell you.

Hope the list is alphabetical as it’s a long way around😉

On 24/07/2026 at 23:18, Jol_BWFC said:

You should have got a travel expert to do it for you.

I don't know any ;-)

On 26/07/2026 at 10:39, green genie said:

Hope the list is alphabetical as it’s a long way around😉

It makes perfect sense to do it that way. It's almost as if I know what I'm doing ;-)

I've nowhere to live in January/February, but my Aussie visa runs out on 5th Jan, so I have to be in Oz by that date (I can hen stay for up three months if I like)
So we fly from Manchester to Sydney with Etihad who offer a 3-day free stopover in Abu Dhabi, then onto Australia to spend some time with family.
Bali is a short flight from Oz, we've four weeks there and then on to Vietnam for two weeks before flying back home from Hanoi with Etihad at the end of Feb.

24 minutes ago, Traf said:

It makes perfect sense to do it that way. It's almost as if I know what I'm doing ;-)

I've nowhere to live in January/February, but my Aussie visa runs out on 5th Jan, so I have to be in Oz by that date (I can hen stay for up three months if I like)
So we fly from Manchester to Sydney with Etihad who offer a 3-day free stopover in Abu Dhabi, then onto Australia to spend some time with family.
Bali is a short flight from Oz, we've four weeks there and then on to Vietnam for two weeks before flying back home from Hanoi with Etihad at the end of Feb.

Sounds fantastic.

Who’ve you booked that with?

26 minutes ago, Traf said:

It makes perfect sense to do it that way. It's almost as if I know what I'm doing ;-)

I've nowhere to live in January/February, but my Aussie visa runs out on 5th Jan, so I have to be in Oz by that date (I can hen stay for up three months if I like)
So we fly from Manchester to Sydney with Etihad who offer a 3-day free stopover in Abu Dhabi, then onto Australia to spend some time with family.
Bali is a short flight from Oz, we've four weeks there and then on to Vietnam for two weeks before flying back home from Hanoi with Etihad at the end of Feb.

Fair enough. Where are you doing in ‘nam? Loved Hanoi , Hue and Hoian but need to get back to see more of the south.

Maud wants to do Bali but surfer mate of mine who does a month every year says you have to get right away from main resorts now which are full of Insta-wankers.

5 hours ago, green genie said:

Fair enough. Where are you doing in ‘nam? Loved Hanoi , Hue and Hoian but need to get back to see more of the south.

Maud wants to do Bali but surfer mate of mine who does a month every year says you have to get right away from main resorts now which are full of Insta-wankers.

Hue, Da Nang, Hoi An & Phu Quoc.
As for Bali, there are loads of places suitable for 'normal' people.

PS I've found the surfer community to be bigger wankers than the insta-crowd

5 hours ago, freds dad said:

Sounds fantastic.

Who’ve you booked that with?

An independent TA.
Not Love Holidays or On The Beach.

32 minutes ago, Traf said:

An independent TA.
Not Love Holidays or On The Beach.

You know something I learnt recently as I was looking through Facebook groups for where we go in a few days time (booked through Traf for all you direct booking plebs) is that folk actually booked a once in a lifetime trip to the Maldives with fucking Love Holidays?

I mean a cheap Benners lads holiday I can kind of understand, despite you regretting the hotel, it cost next to nowt right?

But spending several thousands with On The Beach to fly the other side of the world is fucking madness.

On The Beach and Love Holidays are utter cunts

Family members and folk at work have had experiences with them that make TUI look respectable

3 hours ago, Winchester White said:

You know something I learnt recently as I was looking through Facebook groups for where we go in a few days time (booked through Traf for all you direct booking plebs) is that folk actually booked a once in a lifetime trip to the Maldives with fucking Love Holidays?

I mean a cheap Benners lads holiday I can kind of understand, despite you regretting the hotel, it cost next to nowt right?

But spending several thousands with On The Beach to fly the other side of the world is fucking madness.

1 hour ago, MancWanderer said:

On The Beach and Love Holidays are utter cunts

Family members and folk at work have had experiences with them that make TUI look respectable

I will price match (at worst) or beat any quote from a reputable supplier.
Yes, Jet2, TUI, EasyjetHolidays, Olympic Holidays etc etc and hundreds you won't have heard of.
We'll get you the same, if not better deal, you get a human (-ish) point of contact, not live chat or a series of numbers on a phone.
Yes, even on a simple one week jolly to Spain, plus we make a couple of quid out of it too.

We don't get involved in competing with LH and/or OTB because they're cheap for a reason. Social media is littered with complaints about them.

Seriously though, guys (and gals, of course); for your own sanity and peace of mind, use a bloody travel agent, even if it's not me.
We're available 24/7 if you've got an issue whilst away and you won't get that with a faceless OTA.

Serious point

This is what Mrs Manc suddenly realised after years of fighting for a refund on an excursion booked with TUI that never happened and was never refunded after dealing with apps, websites, helplines, etc. Book with a travel agent that you happen to have relationship with and all that stress disappears. He/she responds to texts/Whatsapps/emails and sorts your shit out

Do what she does. Find your holiday on TUI/Jet2/EasyJet/whatever and send the details to your favoured travel agent. Won’t cost you more. Might cost you less. Might cost you the same with a private transfer thrown in. Might cost you the same but a local business (possibly a BWFC fan and WWayer) could benefit

Yeah I know I’m bigging @Traf and the like up here but I’ve been fucked over too many times by TUI, etc that I had enough years ago