Abroad versus The Broads

[JimG]

Abroad (based on my last trip)

2 and a half hour drive to the airport

find a parking space

wait for bus to take you to airport terminal

wait to check in bags (long, slow, queue)

passport control (long, slow, queue which involved me getting half naked)

board the plane (long, slow, queue)

4 hr flight (which left late)

disembark plane (long, slow, queue)

passport control (long, slow, queue but thankfully no half nakedness this time)

wait for cases on carousel (yes, ours were last)

bus to resort

check in (long, slow, queue)

The Broads

3 and a half hour drive (in comfort of own car)

boat usually ready and crusing within the hour

[RayandCarole]

Last holiday

Taxi to Norwich airport 20 mins

Priority check in no queue

Security quick and simple

Flight Norwich Amsterdam business class

Overnight in Schiphol airport hotel no need to clear customs & immigration

In the morning straight to KLM business class lounge champagne and nibbles for brekker.

Priority boarding KLM to St Maarten business class flight about 7 hours I seem to recall good food and drinks, quick taxi ride airport to Maho beach, chill with cold beer

Sorted.

Sorry but I can live with that.

But that was in December, Summer drive to the boat 45 mins, chill with cold beer.

Ray & Carole

[riyadhcrew]

I know where you are coming from Jim and I wish we stayed in the UK. However, our love of the Broads means we have similar hassles to get there from Riyadh.

 

45 mins from home to the airport to get there 3 hours before take-off.

Fly from Riyadh to Istanbul - 3 and a half hours.

Transit terminals for the flight to the UK..........

Istanbul to London is around 6 and a half hours.

Hire car pick-up and minimum 3 hour drive to the boat yard.

 

In recent times, we have done it in 19 hours from home to boat yard.

 

WORTH EVERY MINUTE OF IT !!!!!!!!!!

 

Going home is not so good though.

[Gracie]

Iv'e done the airports the queues etc (not the nakedness though Jim, we will have to start another thread and find out about that one lol) I know there are some beautiful countires to visit and I certainly don't know what the answer is but it's the damn Broads every time for me, that place has a hold over me that I just can't explain other then the feeling you get being a afloat, also been on other rivers but it's just not the same, others feel as I do, take Eric, he lives in a country I had neve even heard of until I joined this Forum lol and he still travels all that way just to be in Broadland. If I could take a pill to get the Broads out of my system, would I do it? Nah, not on your life

 

Grace

[Gracie]

I mean't to add Ray and Carole would be happy anywhere as long as they sold G & T's and a nice steak, there happy now Ray lol  

 

Grace

[RayandCarole]

Almost there Grace

You forgot the lobster!!

We have to take our main holiday in winter as thats when work is at its quietest so we try and head for some where nice and warm

Ray & Carole

[SwanR]

Jim summed up exactly why we haven't been abroad for several years now. Rediscovered Norfolk, in particular the Broads, with the added advantage that there are very few places you can get to from Essex without going anywhere near the M25!

 

Got a few days off work soon so we thought we might have a couple of days away. Hubby asked me if I fancied Norwich so although it's not on a boat this time we will still be by the river. Not sure exactly what we're going to do but as it's only B&B we may well visit a couple of our favourite riverside spots for our evening meal.

[Boatingman]

Broads in the Summer with the odd winter trip

cruise in the sun in the winter

Suits me

Ray

[kadensa]

I suppose it really depends on whether your main reason for visiting the Broads is as a place in its own right, or as somewhere to indulge one's love of boating.  For me, it is the latter; and to be honest, since we have joined one of the sailing clubs at Cotswold Water Park, a Broads holiday is no longer so important (especially since last year we spent most of our two week holiday using our hired cruiser as a floating holiday cottage, preferring to spend  most of our time sailing.the dinghy).  We can now spend as many weekends as we like on the water, and so prefer to holiday in our favourite country, Italy. (Next year we will ,for the third time, be cruising the Italian waterways, which has to be the 'best of both worlds', and something I would highly recommend - especially since the exchange rate is so favourable. Our planned holiday for next year is now £300 cheaper than was quoted in February).

 

To be honest, last year I found the Broads rather 'down at heel'.  We didn't venture south of Stokesby, so my comments are confined to the Northern Broads, but my impression was very much of a place that had seen better days.  Having said that,  I enjoyed a wonderfully relaxing holiday, and I cannot fault Richardsons.  The boat, service and facilities were all top-notch. 

 

I would very much like to be able to visit the Broads in winter.  We had Christmas 2008 on the Broads in a Royalls hireboat and it was a wonderful experience. Unfortunately, the hire companies don't seem to have boats available at that  time of year anymore. 

[Lastdraft]

Last holiday

Taxi to Norwich airport 20 mins

Priority check in no queue

Security quick and simple

Flight Norwich Amsterdam business class

Overnight in Schiphol airport hotel no need to clear customs & immigration

In the morning straight to KLM business class lounge champagne and nibbles for brekker.

Priority boarding KLM to St Maarten business class flight about 7 hours I seem to recall good food and drinks, quick taxi ride airport to Maho beach, chill with cold beer

Sorted.

Sorry but I can live with that.

But that was in December, Summer drive to the boat 45 mins, chill with cold beer.

Well aren't you somebody ?!!!

Ray & Carole

[RayandCarole]

Mmm

Mods how can last draft edit my post ?

Ray

[kadensa]

Mmm

Mods how can last draft edit my post ?

Ray

 

Like this - It happens when you quote someone else's post and instead of writing underneath the post, you write your reply in the box.  .

[RayandCarole]

Thanks Kadensa

If it can so easily be manipulated I dont think I will bother to post anymore as obviously the whole context of the original post can be easily distorted

Comments please mods

Ray

[Lastdraft]

Just joshing Tangara. Lighten up. I've been known to turn left when boarding aircraft many times, the devil in me just had to say what many readers had to be thinking.

Not sure how I came to post in your post ?!!

No offence intended.

[RayandCarole]

Thanks last draft you minx

I was only trying to post our alternative to the original post

I am fortunate to earn loads of air miles and i believe in using them rather than wasting so we do try and go long haul most years.

We did have to pay our own hotels and internal caribbean flights last year but was still great and We thoroughly enjoy flying

Due to Caroles illness this year don't know where we will go (no sympathy required we are living with it) But hopefully get some sun some where

Still peeved u could hack my post but hey ho go with the flow

Mods please ignore previous winges

G&T and bed

Ray & Carole

[BroadScot]

Hi Ray,

 

Hmmm sorry I cannot give you an answer, but I hope Jonzo or Alan (Jaws Orca) can!

 

 

Iain.

[Chelsea14Ian]

As I get older in the back of my mind are the places I would like to see,I have been lucky and seen many,but there are still more to see.The broads have been part of much of my life and always will be,perhaps ifbthe powers to be make a 30 hour day and a 500:hundred day year we can fit it all in

Ian

[BroadScot]

Well for me,healthwise sitting on the veranda at my brother in laws holiday home in Los Gigantes, was always nice in Tenerife. But after being removed of my wallet (pick pocketed) at Malaga Airport, I am not so keen to go back abroad in the winter months.

 

For me, the Broads has a magical charm that is so special, once your smitten, that is!  

How many more I will have on the rivers, time will tell. Hopefully a few!

 

 

Iain

[Hockham Admiral]

I spent 22 years tramping around the world to out of the way places and earlier this year visited all those I'd missed.

 

I don't think you can beat our own country and I've absolutely no wish to go anywhere else again! The Norfolk Broads are the top of my list of places here! 

[Hockham Admiral]

Thanks last draft you minx

Still peeved u could hack my post but hey ho go with the flow

Mods please ignore previous winges

G&T and bed

Ray & Carole

 

Ray, Hi. I frequently edit out bits of someones quote, as above, so that it only shows the part I want to comment on....

 

I can see that if one inadvertently changed the meaning it might be rather annoying to the original poster....

[TheQ]

Having spent six years flying in and out of the UK to Saudi I promised myself not to do it again, now it takes longer to get the dinghy out and row across the river to the motorboat than to drive to the club.

[RealWindmill]

i'm with Tangara on this one.

We also follow the long haul winter sun policy using the convenience of Norwich to Amsterdam with priority, business airmiles etc and save the Broads for the warmer summer months.

 

Last holiday was NWI - AMS - Atlanta with Delta (KLM) airmiles then hirecar through Georgia and Tennessee to Chattanooga to see the famous model railway layout. Then on to Memphis to board a riverboat for a Mississippi cruise down to New Orleans (Mark Twain, plantation houses and all that good stuff - It was an indulgence of a boyhood dream of mine). Final slow drive back through Miss, Alabama and N Florida back to Atlanta.

 

If we always had to go through the London airports, then like other posters have said we probably wouldn't bother going so much. There's no pleasure in airport delays or security queues.

 

Broads in the summer months now always take priority

Now retirement is kicking in the airmiles will dissappear and we will scale back to Broads boating for a longer season maybe some continuous cruising - and I  am looking forward to the times during quieter seasons.

 

Interesting thread.

Bob