Holiday compatibility

*sigh* Holiday choosing time again.

How does the rest of STW manage the conflicting requirements of a family holiday?

A holiday for me is running up hills, biking on road and trail, walking, eating, drinking, all well away from the crowds and somewhere with hills
A holiday for mrsmoosehead (a teacher) is no washing up, drinking wine, reading a book, maybe a little sightseeing with the odd short walk.
A holiday for the littler mooses (now hitting teenage years) is doing stuff, but not really anything *too* energetic – beaches, swimming, nice food, a little cycling to cafes maybe, short walks without really big hills.

Just how does everyone else manage it? I always come back from holiday grumpy that I couldn’t use my rare spare time better. 🙁

Perhaps I should just take more holiday and by myself.

being single and using contraception earlier in life…..

the “no washing up” bit means hotel yes? That gets expensive…

We’ve always done camping or a Gite in France somewhere within easy cycling/walking distance of a small town and of course lots of VTT nearby.

But I’ve often wondered about taking a cheap package holiday to Spain, say, and using the hotel and “all inclusive” as a base from which to go on longer rides into the interior/mountains from the coast.

As the man of the house your opinion doesn’t matter!

It sounds like the only thing that isn’t compatible is your desire to cycle and run, which I bet you do all year round anyway.

No washing up means dishwasher. 🙂

But I’ve often wondered about taking a cheap package holiday to Spain, say, and using the hotel and “all inclusive” as a base from which to go on longer rides into the interior/mountains from the coast.

Tried that once, and couldn’t bear the attitude of the other guests for the short time I was in the hotel :-/

Costa del Sol is a good call. Lots of cheap accommodation on the coast. Beaches for the weans and only a very short drive into the hills/mountains. I always enjoyed family holidays but, even then, it was nice to get away for a couple of rides on my own. My wife and I went to Spain last year, did some walking together, but she sunned herself and read books while I hired a bike a couple of times from Wayne and Hikeandbike[/url] in Ronda.

No washing up means dishwasher

French Gite then. If not by the beach then near one of their nice rivers like the Ardeche or Tarn.

I scrape together time to cycle and run all year round, but rarely more than grabbing a few hours here or there.
e.g. 6am in the morning on the moors. Or commuting to work on the bike (which I haven’t been able to do recently)

But I’ve often wondered about taking a cheap package holiday to Spain, say, and using the hotel and “all inclusive” as a base from which to go on longer rides into the interior/mountains from the coast.

Tried that once, and couldn’t bear the attitude of the other guests for the short time I was in the hotel :-/

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Ah yes. I did mention that I’m a bit of a misanthrope…
Don’t want to holiday near other people if I can avoid it. 🙂

Mark Warner or Nielson.

You cycle/run/whatever. Mrs cooks on the beach or by the pool. Kids can do the same or learn to sail/windsurf/tennis/etc. All grab bikes and go for a bimble to a local cafe if you feel like it.

Hello MrMoosehead!

I find a holiday running on the hills a bit of a busmans holiday these days although I did previously limit my searches to locations that may offer something for everyone. So my tip: do more fell running at home and then just go on holiday 😉

I did a Padi diving course a few years back, and now use diving as an excuse to disappear all morning at least 3 times a week on holiday. The other 4 days I get up early and go for a run before breakfast.

Go somewhere with hills and beaches, and you do the washing up.

That was easy, wasn’t it?

Stoner – Member

But I’ve often wondered about taking a cheap package holiday to Spain, say, and using the hotel and “all inclusive” as a base from which to go on longer rides into the interior/mountains from the coast.

Tried that, other people are ghastly 😀

We go to Majorca. I get up before dawn each morning and get a couple of hours riding in before joining wife & kids for beach/pool/reading/no-washing-up. It’s a compromise but it works for me.

Neilson fits the bill for us.

Rent a villa, book cheap flights, take bike (c£30 each way)

Has worked for us for many years. (kids are now 17+19+24 and DO NOT want to come on holiday with mum and dad so enjoy whilst it lasts!)

Balearic Islands mainly. Make sure villa has wifi/sky/hot tub for the kids and a big pool. Eat out or BBQ to save ‘washing up’ and hire your own car.

Get up and out on the bike early then back for family stuff later.

A holiday for mrsmoosehead (a teacher) is no washing up, drinking wine, reading a book

My Missus is the same. Except her requirements are not having to cook, wash up or do the shopping. Which is wierd as she doesnt do any of those at home either (and to suggest she ever gets off her arse and does one of those jobs is aparently misogynistic). Feminism has a lot to answer for.

We were in the same situation. We had our usual two weeks somewhere sunny last year (usually Portugal or Greece) and while The Comptroller General enjoyed sitting by the pool from dawn to dusk, me and the kids were climbing the walls after three days.

So this year we’re going to Morzine (!!!) for 10 days (!!!)

It took two months of “discussion” and I still can’t believe she agreed to it, but once I showed her all the things she and our daughter can do while me and the ManChild go downhilling, she was sold. Heaps to do there now – horse riding, great walks (you can chair lift and up amble down) reasonable shopping and restaurants, that weird goat village place for a day trip, donkey trekking, big swimming pool and water slides, etc etc etc).

We go to Mallorca.

Another one for Neilson here. Done about 6 of their holidays now – excellent mountain biking (even took my own bike last 2 times) with v good guides. Very expensive in the summer holidays (I was a teacher so unavoidable) but much more reasonable earlier / later in the season. Fantastic food / excellent beach clubs / brilliant children’s clubs & very good staff.

Before I got together with my OH my holidays were usually trips to see my parents where I’d sit by the sea with red wine and a book or city breaks. He doesn’t really like either.

I won him round by pointing out the great cycling round where my parents live and picking city breaks which coincide with bike races. Simple. It helps that I like cycling too, albeit not quite to the extent that he does.

We have done an all inclusive package as a base for cycling. 11 of my family were going so it needed to be kid/grandparent friendly but a couple of rides into the mountains kept us sane 🙂

a) don’t go on holiday, just have days off at home
b) when you do break rule (a) it’s not your turn to have the fun.
c) if all inclusive is too much, try half board

Neilson. Regardless of it being the single worst mountain bike guiding experience of my entire life I’d suggest you look at them. Stuff for each of you all in one place.

I’d also suggest something like learning to scuba dive for you and the kids while wifey does her lounging around thing.

Actually answering your question this time – we holiday in the UK and pray for sun. I’m lucky in that Mrs B is perfectly happy to go walking, scrambling up hills, riding mtbs, swimming etc. so we are mainly limited in what the boys would endure/enjoy.

If you kids are now hitting teenage years I’d say do whatever they want to do, as it won’t be long before they don’t want to go on holiday with you anymore.. ;o(