Escape to ....where?

[roversontheup]

Yes Chch a different place since the big earthquake but still a great place. Love Wellington but Chch so close (by NZ standards) to the Southern Alps etc.  Depends what you enjoy most I guess.

[Highland Rover]

Have been lucky enough to live in some of the favourite places mentioned .........Berlin , Cascais , Speyside .

Couldn't really pick a UK favourite but really enjoyed visiting Nashville

[Not Now Kato]

In the UK, Edinburgh.  It has everything I could ever want in a city, (including my Grandchildren  )
 
Outside the UK, Nerja in Southern Spain. Sunshine, sand and it's prey much unspoiled and largely unchanged since my first visit in the 1960's. OK, theyve built a couple of hotels and the beach restaurants have been moved back off the Buriana Beach to be on concrete but other than that   

[big fat yorkshire pudding]

Yes Chch a different place since the big earthquake but still a great place. Love Wellington but Chch so close (by NZ standards) to the Southern Alps etc.  Depends what you enjoy most I guess.

 

That's what swings it for me.  I'd be wanting to be close to the alps and just enjoyed that whole area.  Didn't spend much time in Wellington, hope to on my next visit.

[Al4475]

UK would be either Cornwall or gower peninsula

Abroad - without a shadow of a doubt Australia's northern territory.

[roversontheup]

Yes Chch a different place since the big earthquake but still a great place. Love Wellington but Chch so close (by NZ standards) to the Southern Alps etc.  Depends what you enjoy most I guess.

 

That's what swings it for me.  I'd be wanting to be close to the alps and just enjoyed that whole area.  Didn't spend much time in Wellington, hope to on my next visit.

You should have some time in Wellington BFYP it’s a great city. I just love the South Island. Ferry across the Strait from Wellington to Picton is fabulous. Marlborough Sounds and Abel Tasman. Chch with all the devastation but new buildings and humour everywhere. And the National Parks which are just jaw droppingly stunning. I could go on forever about the place.....oh and did I mention the wine😄🍷🍷

[roversontheup]

UK would be either Cornwall or gower peninsula

Abroad - without a shadow of a doubt Australia's northern territory.

Long time since I was there but really enjoyed Darwin, Kakadu, Katherine. My bucket list will hopefully get me to the North West sometime.

[phllvslc]

In the UK I'd probably return to Lancaster.

Outside it would be a toss up between Krakow, Belgrade or Seattle.

[bahrain rover]

North York Moors & coast in the UK. Outside of, anywhere in the Philippines apart from Manila. And that has its good points if you know where to go.

[silent majority]

UK - anywhere on Speyside, or the coast of the Black Isle..

Abroad - never actually been there but the beach house used on Death in Paradise would do.. that or Tuscany..

That would be Deshaies on Guadaloupe. I was there about 4 years ago. Very pretty but full of British tourists!

[Jenny]

Yes Chch a different place since the big earthquake but still a great place. Love Wellington but Chch so close (by NZ standards) to the Southern Alps etc.  Depends what you enjoy most I guess.

 

That's what swings it for me.  I'd be wanting to be close to the alps and just enjoyed that whole area.  Didn't spend much time in Wellington, hope to on my next visit.

You should have some time in Wellington BFYP it’s a great city. I just love the South Island. Ferry across the Strait from Wellington to Picton is fabulous. Marlborough Sounds and Abel Tasman. Chch with all the devastation but new buildings and humour everywhere. And the National Parks which are just jaw droppingly stunning. I could go on forever about the place.....oh and did I mention the wine😄🍷🍷

That ferry 🤮🤮🤮

I loved Abel Tasman, absolutely stunning place to go for a hike.

[roversontheup]

Yes Chch a different place since the big earthquake but still a great place. Love Wellington but Chch so close (by NZ standards) to the Southern Alps etc.  Depends what you enjoy most I guess.

 

That's what swings it for me.  I'd be wanting to be close to the alps and just enjoyed that whole area.  Didn't spend much time in Wellington, hope to on my next visit.

You should have some time in Wellington BFYP it’s a great city. I just love the South Island. Ferry across the Strait from Wellington to Picton is fabulous. Marlborough Sounds and Abel Tasman. Chch with all the devastation but new buildings and humour everywhere. And the National Parks which are just jaw droppingly stunning. I could go on forever about the place.....oh and did I mention the wine😄🍷🍷

That ferry 🤮🤮🤮

I loved Abel Tasman, absolutely stunning place to go for a hike.

I guess you had a rough half hour out in the open sea Jenny😄 Fabulous coming down Queen Charlotte Sound though.

[hoolahoop]

North Yorkshire moors  and of course the coastline Whitby, Runswick Bay.

My second one is so difficult but would have to be Penang island seems to combine beaches, beautiful buildings and of course the lovely Malay food.

Both were so difficult  but would have been easier if I could have chosen a city and countryside/ beach for the other .

Need to race around those European missing cities / countries now though now that FOM  is going to be curtailed soon and where to retire to ?

[i_ateallthepies]

Lake District or Yorkshire dales

Stresa on Lake Maggiore - A hidden gem for anyone who loves Italy.  A holiday for grownups with no head-banging nightclubs.  The Borromean Islands are stunning and there's a wonderful choice of restaurants in the central piazza and surrounding streets... Italian of course.

[BillyStubbsTears]

I'm with you on Stresa. Maggiore is a spellbindingly beautiful place. But there's no way I could live in Italy.

[auckleyflyer]

My cousin's the pilot of the picton ferry. From Donny, (weeds tho!) He went over about 05 after leaving the navy. Worked as the engineer for a few yrs now as pilot. Lives in picton. Never visited him will have to now! Sounds like he has a cushy job?
Mind I dont do too bad driving up and down newquay runway looking at the Atlantic?!?
Cornwalls good, avoid the crowds, bad weather and cost of the north coast, and invest in good wellies and a brolly!

[roversontheup]

My cousin's the pilot of the picton ferry. From Donny, (weeds tho!) He went over about 05 after leaving the navy. Worked as the engineer for a few yrs now as pilot. Lives in picton. Never visited him will have to now! Sounds like he has a cushy job?
Mind I dont do too bad driving up and down newquay runway looking at the Atlantic?!?
Cornwalls good, avoid the crowds, bad weather and cost of the north coast, and invest in good wellies and a brolly!

Oh your cousin has a great job there. My memories of Newquay runway are......when we played Leeds at Wembley in the play off final I was on holiday in Cornwall. I flew from Newquay to London. Unfortunately on the day the weather was awful with torrential rain. I’m not a nervous flyer but conditions did make for a little bit of apprehension.  So we hurtled down the runway and just as we were about to take off the pilot jammed the anchors on! Even the hostess who was sat right in front of me looked slightly alarmed for a split second. Me? I just thought we would skid off the end of the runway. Thankfully we didn’t and just taxied back to the airport where everyone got off the plane. Apparently there was some malfunction that caused the pilot to abort take off. At this point I was really wishing I’d caught the train! Anyway 2 hours later and on a new plane we were off.
The rest is history......what a day to remember😊👏👏⚽️

[Monkcaster_Rover]

1. Sheffield.

2. Ibiza.

I know what I like.

[RedJ]

1. Sheffield.

2. Ibiza.

I know what I like.

Cheap drinks and easy younger girls?

[Monkcaster_Rover]

1. Sheffield.

2. Ibiza.

I know what I like.

Cheap drinks and easy younger girls?

Ha. I'll just say yes rather than releasing my genuine reasons.

[Al4475]

Roversontheup - right with you there with Darwin, kakadu and Katherine -  truly stunning!

North west - anywhere up from monkey Mia to broome (then further up that top end to Darwin) is amazing.

I have been so lucky to see that part of the world extensively twice and the top end on t'other side from brisbane upwards (once) fabulous!

Last time I went we did a six week block (the wife step kids and I) starting in Perth -  took a 4x4 across the outback on the great Central road from Perth to Yulara, on to Alice then up to broome across tanami - stayed in broome for a coupla days (again) swapped the 4x4 for a motor home and took the west coast road all the way back to Perth -  Yorkshire aside - that's God's own country! Lol

[roversontheup]

Sounds fantastic. I too have been fortunate to visit Oz a few times. Longest trip was 4 months way back in 1992. Travelled from Sydney up the east coast to Cairns. Then flew across to Darwin which is when I had a 4 day trip into Kakadu. Then by road straight down the middle from Darwin to Adelaide. Great sights en route but also a very long red road! Then from Adelaide across to Perth.
Couple of years ago I drove from Adelaide to Sydney via Grampians, Great Ocean Road and up the Victoria coast. Magnificent trip.
But Gods Own Country???? No, without a doubt that honour goes to New Zealand!!

[Al4475]

New Zealand is on my bucket list - it looks stunning - in fact the emigration group tell me they're crying out for primary teachers!

[roversontheup]

I lived in NZ for 15 months and have been back about 6 times. I love it.

[Herbert Anchovy]

Cornwall without a doubt. When the weathers good it’s literally a Garden of Eden.

I was lucky enough to spend 6 months in Antigua and this place strengthens my belief in God. No way was this place created by accident. Only a supernatural being could have come up with somewhere so beautiful. It blows Australia out of the water for me. I lived in Oz for 3 years. Living there and holidaying there are hugely different.

[roversontheup]

That’s sounds great. I am off to St Lucia and Antigua next month to watch the women’s T20 World Cup. As the matches are all late afternoon/evening we will have plenty of time for seeing the islands. Any tips for Antigua?

[Herbert Anchovy]

That’s sounds great. I am off to St Lucia and Antigua next month to watch the women’s T20 World Cup. As the matches are all late afternoon/evening we will have plenty of time for seeing the islands. Any tips for Antigua?

The best advice I can give is to enjoy the absolute beauty of the Island and to enjoy the local Rum but treat it with respect!

[hoolahoop]

Copps

I was saying the same last week.

Had a meeting in The Hague. Coming home, there was a tram stop right outside the hotel to Den Haag station. Then a train every 7-8mins straight to the centre of the main Terminal at Schipol. 40 mins from the hotel to the check-in desk and it cost less than a tenner.

Then I flew into Birmingham and got the train from the airport to New Street. Every single train was cancelled or more than 30mins delayed. Stood up and crammed in like sardines on a train with air con not working. Took 45 mins for an 11minute journey.

Holland is as densely populated as England. But they consider services like transport to be services. You CAN make them work if you consider them to be important enough.

It's the same in Amsterdam where I was in the Summer and also in Copenhagen where the metro , trains and buses seem to arrive on the dot .

Somehow and I'm not suggesting there aren't occasional hold-ups - transport is punctual , spacious and clean 99% of the time . If I recall correctly it was the same in Budapest - incidentally while I remember always check off your tickets before getting on the tram, coach here otherwise they will fine you heavily . Tourists are their favourite prey. You can't prove your honest mistake by holding out an unclipped travel ticket .

[RedJ]

Germany's public transport is amazing as well. There they operate an honour system on the tram/subway so you could basically get around the city for nowt if you got lucky as they only do random checks (they've got groups of blokes in black outfits that get on for a stop, check everyone's tickets and then get off at the next).