Live in Spain but where to holiday?

I am curious to know where do expats in Spain go for their holidays? 

At the end of June we're taking the kids to Disneyland Paris which should be cool but where does everyone else living here plan to go for a holiday, or where would you go if you lived all year round in Spain?

Justin

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Mmmm, a holiday, nice idea! Trips back to Blighty for the obligatory family visits don't count, right?

The last time we got away was middle of July. we were in the car in Malaga with the a/c on full blast, & saw one of those temperature thingys in the street reading 43 C. So we decided to pop back home for an overnight bag, and got back into the cool comfort of the car and headed north on a whim. We could only spare a few days, but figured that if we got about 1000kms further north, and in to some mountains, it would be cooler. We didn't get out of the car (slight exageration, we did have a couple of pit stops) until reaching Andorra. Unfortunately, it was only about 3 degrees cooler than Malaga, but with much steeper streets to walk around! 

Nevertheless, we had a nice time, and I saved €100 on a new digital camera, so it was well worth spending all that money on fuel & accomodation! We took a very long way home, via Extremadura, and I can reliably report that it doesn't matter where you try to run to in Spain in mid-summer - it's damned hot everywhere!

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Oh what a question...when there is so much to explore.

Have already tried Seville----fantastic even just for a weekend. Try the City Tour Bus well worth the money and you can get off and on as many times in the day as you want with the one ticket. Also been to Arcos de la Frontera and Jerez and 'done' the bodegas.... the Gonzales one is by far my favourite with the tipsy mice.

Also have motored down through spain several times and a wander around the Rioja country it is so facinating... catch a few bodegas and try a few glasses- great.

Have tried to use the Paradors quite a bit and you can get some really good 'off peak' deals too.

For those in Malaga Region a day trip to Malaga is a must - again there is a City Tour Bus but without a doubt a trip around the tapas bars of old town Malaga and a visit to the Picasso Museum is not to be missed. Plus of course Granada is a beaut. For all of these bus tours are available if you dont want to drive and very reasonable too.

My next one is Cordoba...just need to find time....

 

This message was last edited by spiritofspain on 5/18/2007.

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When we move over we were planning on doing the coast in a camper van from the CB all the way to Italy.  Then going the other way down to Gib and Portugal.

 

If we have enough money after moving we might still have an odd cruise to the Caribbean. We have missed those since hopping back and forth to Spain to find a house.

 

Laury

 

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You know LauryC, that was a funny thing that happened to us in Espania!

We were on our 2nd visit to see how our building was progressing.

We got a rental off the internet (peeps be warned!), for £250 for the week in Villa Martin, CB

Got there, and the 2 bed apartmento was above "Birdie's Bistro" in the main square, cooking fumes day and night, saggy couch, stinky towels, no sat TV as advertised, in fact no TV at all!!

2nd day the "cleaner" came to see if we had settled in, yes we said, settled in nicely into the dip in the couch, never to rise from it again! She gave us a pull up and luckily, we saw the sun on the last 2 days of our hol! Thought we were there forever!

She wanted to make sure we were ok as she was off on her summer holiday.

She was English, it was 1,000degs and she wanted to "go find the sun"............errr, excuse me????"

Anyway, she was off to Ibiza for her hols............

We were gob smacked, she thought we were the mad English, out in the mid day sun, but off she trotted on her hols, leaving us to the saggin couch, no TV and stinking cooking smells...........................

Who was right?

I think she was!!!!!

kind regards,

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Interesting, thanks for the replies.  We find that many people once they move to Spain just seem to travel within Spain (like the Spanish do) or nip back to the UK to see friends and family.

Anyone living here go abroad for their holidays?

Justin

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Hi Justin, we are not living in Spain just going to stay for 2 to 3 months a couple of times a year.  But we have met quite a few people that have been living by us for a few years.  They seem to love the cruises depends on circumstances I suppose and they seem to like Tenerife and Gran Canaries.  But I thought it quite strange they were coming back from holiday and looking to see where they can go next.  But I suppose that it's not unusual they are looking for a change themselves, from where they are living.  The only thing is a lot of them seem to have dogs and birds, that need looking after I think that could be a job their for someone, I must stop rambling.   Regards Pat  

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You guys could always come to our place here in 'blighty' during the summer hols.

Then we could 'put the hammer down' on an 'awesome, rightous par-ta-y'

Or just go down the local village and have 'Tea and scones' with 'rasberry jam' and watch the world go by.

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Believe it or not, after 10 years on the coast and no actual holiday, I started to feel the cold and booked a family hol to the caribbean over the xmas period.

Was wonderful, over 30 degrees every day, white sand and plenty of pina coladas!

Kids loved it and xmas day saw us swimming with dolphins!

Went to see relatives in Greece last year in august - same sort of heat anyway, jst different scenery.

Anywhere in Spain is lovely to go to so it is hard to go away anywhere else! Except for the garden or roof terrace with a glass of wine. mmmmm

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this may sound rather silly, but after living in scandanavia for 3 years, im planning on going to Teneriffe in December or whenever it gets colder on the costas!  ( move there next week)   -----yes yes, yes yes that may sound odd....but its somewhere different, the family trips back home dont count i guess, as they normally  turn into bedlam , and my idea of a holiday certainly isnt listening to everyone moan, moan about this , politics and my family issues...however, i may be temted to venture back to the highlands of Scotland, rent a cottage and chill with the girlfriend, if your english, and never been to the highlands of Scotland id go for it.  Obviously it is colder, but the scenery is, well unique, ive never seen anything quite like it, the grass is well, so green, and a different mountain around every corner, and there is always a lovely, kind warm old scottish man who has a story or 2 about the lock.....

actually guys being english and lived in scandanavia, of COURSE, id recommend, Sweden or Denmark, Copenhagen, especially at Christmas there is a womderful place called Tivoli, totally fabulous and amazing, pretty, classy and very romantic, its a large theme park, ( nothing like alton towers! ), the money they spend on small touches for the kids is mind blowing, the theme is of a dream at christmas, and you certainly are made to feel like a child again once visited!!   its the home of HC Andersen, the famous children story writter, and the danes love the english.!!  and speak better english than some of us!..its a cold one in december but all the time i have lived here and had english guests at christmas, ive been very excited to show them around  special spots in Copenhagen.....  and for those of you who like larger, the home also of Carlsberg... and its cheap....and in abundance!

somewhere id love to visit during the winter season is either ...Iceland or Norway, ive seen the pictures heard the stories, thats my next xmas venture..the thought of being in the uk during xmas feels me with anxiety!!  but those scandanavian trips are seriously something to consider,...if anyone wants any info please PM me, ive been living here for over 3 years, and had some trememdous experiences......

and those of you who have soooo much spare cash and kids,  book a flight to Lapland!!      

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Jeff, just a word of warning - I went to Iceland for Xmas a few years back, and found it closed. Literally, everything - closed. I left on Dec 29th, and later found out that New Year's Eve in Reykjavik is the biggest party of the year. Doh!

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I went to Iceland on business about 4 years ago.  I remember it being extremely cold whilst all the locals went around with t-shirts on.  I got the hell out of there when we were invited to a sauna session following by a run and jump into the freezing lake.   Obviously we didn't take them up on the offer although they insisted it would be fun.  Fun, call that fun??

Justin

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thanks for that Roberto, i think i will still manage it though as my friend lives there, so it wouldnt  be a hassle, and the party thing sounds interesting...( the good thing with scandanavians and iclandics they get drunk, and no fighting! )  that always impresses me....:)

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he he sounds something different Justin, apparently there are hot springs in Iceland too, i cant remember the name, but totally unique to anywhere in the world, and not forgetting the northern lights! but i will give the cold and freezing lake a miss for sure!     

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The hot spring you're thinking of I think is Geysur - gave it's name to all the others. Forget the freezing lake, go to the Blue Lagoon, outside Reykjavik for a dip in the geothermally heated lake - a surreal experience in winter, since the snow comes right up to the lake's edge, but it's like swimming in a hot bath!

BTW, Finns regularly get drunk and fight in Torremolinos! (There's almost as many here as in the Nokia factory). The rest of the Scandinavians, as you say, seem to handle it pretty well!

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id love to try that Roberto, ! never actually come across any Finns drunk, my past post was just a reference that most scandanavian countries dont see the mindless violence that the streets of the UK have to tolerate, from sweden to copenhagen, i have ventured out on saturday nights, never seen a fight!  i have been both amazed and shocked, and inevitably impressed...........i lived in Cambridge for 5 years, studying, youd think what a special tranquil serene city, well it is, thats until the pubs kick out, and the fists start, .....socially the uk has a lot to learn from the danes and swedes, they seldom resort to violence, and not sure if you have checked out their  statistics on muggings, street violence, rapes, child abductions, mindless violence on women and the elderly, highly impressive....and for me thats an improvement on what i was reading daily growing up as a boy in south london...(  ive seriously digressed from the topic, again)..opppsss....but i will plug copenhagen or sweden anytime as a great place to visit.! and certainly safe.....im still here, leaving for spain monday, thanks for all the help over the past few weeks Roberto, its been a real life saver......

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Totally agree with Jeff about visiting Scandinavia. Especially attractive to escape the heat of Spain in the summer. I've been to Copenhagen & Sweden many times, and can confirm that it's a very civilized part of the world, plenty to see and do and very friendly people who all speak perfect English and seem genuinely flattered that you've chosen to visit their countries. Tivoli really is a treat. If you have kids (or if you're just a big kid yourself) you'll love it, especially if you decide to go near Xmas time. Real fairy tale stuff. Gothenburg also has it's own version - Lisaberg, if I recall right?

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