Summer holidays

Dr Zoidberg · **Joined:** 15th Oct, 2010 **Posts:** 5439

Bamba wrote:

Dr Zoidberg wrote:

Any recommendations?

Go to the dome on top of the Reichstag. You need to register in advance for this for security reason but that's massively better than the previous system which was 'queue for a billion hours'. Now you just turn up at the appointed time and pretty much walk right in.
Book to eat lunch or dinner up the TV Tower. There's a great view due to the height and the fact that the restaurant revolves constantly; plus the food was pretty damn good when I was last there.
Check out the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe. It sounds hella depressing but it's actually very, very cool and weird and definitely worth experiencing.
If the weather's decent go for a walk in Tiergarten. It's massive and a very chilled out place to be, especially if you go to the Cafe am Neuen See beer garden.
Still on my own 'to do' list is to explore the Spreepark. It was a funfair in the middle of a park that was shut down years ago without being properly cleared out so you now get the spectacle of all these old rides and fun park furniture being slowly over taken by the landscape. There's some pictures of it here and you can now apparently legally book a tour here.
Similarly there's the remains of an allied listening post in Teufelsberg that's been left to rack and ruin leaving some spectacularly odd imagery. Like Spreepark you used to have to sneak in but you can legally book tours here.
In previous years a visit to Tacheles would've been on my list of recommendations but that's long since closed now.
Depending on your taste in music a visit to Paule's Metal Eck is a must, if only to marvel at the cheesy metal decor inside. Indeed that whole street and the surrounding district of Friedrichshain is filled with good restaurants and bars.
I usually fit in a trip to the Liquidrom spa. It's not cheap but it's incredibly relaxing, with the definite highlight being the massive salt water pool with ambient music piped in underwater so you can hear it tinkle away as you float around. That main central image on the website there is the pool in question which is a sight to behold in and of itself.
If you're in a drinking mood there's a branch of The Pub in Berlin which puts a beer tap on your table then allows you to 'compete' with the other tables in Berlin, and indeed in all branches across Europe, to see who's drinking the most booze.

I'm sure there's other stuff I'm forgetting but having a browse through the Unlike pages for Berlin will find you a load of interesting stuff as well.

Very handy, thanks. I'd not heard of most of those.

ApplePieOfDestiny · **Joined:** 17th Dec, 2008 **Posts:** 8293

DBSnappa wrote:

ApplePieOfDestiny wrote:

Given the boy can't leave the country without the help of Make A Wish (£2,500 for three days travel insurance to go to eurodisney, ffs) and actually we have to go through a load of admin to leave the county overnight, I'm looking at buying a tent. If its going to be to somewhere uninspiring he may as well get a kick out of unusual accommodation options.

Pembrokeshire is very beautiful and there are some excellent campsites near Freshwater west, which is a fantastic beach for kids. Alternatively rent a house inland, near Narberth. It isn't very big, so getting to any part of the coast usually only takes 30 mins in a car and you have Morriston hospital in Swansea about 45mins away in the worse case scenario. It's also pretty quiet there, as in nowhere near as busy as many coastal resorts. It does suffer from a lack of great pubs, but there are a few.

We holidays in Tenby every year when I was a kid so that is top of our list for next year. Particularly oakwood. This summer we can't easily achieve 5 consecutive days out of the shire though, so its a little far.

DBSnappa · **Posted:** Wed May 20, 2015 9:58

Kern wrote:

DBSnappa wrote:

We're going to Venice the last week of July for three nights and then to Begur in northern Spain in the middle of July for 4 nights. That's it so far.

Are you taking the Delorean or the phonebox?

Duh

that should be Venice in June

Warhead · Noob as of 6/8/10

Tenerife for a week in July, for only the cost of the flight and spending dosh, as a friend of ours has just bought a house there and has invited us over to celebrate.

Goddess Jasmine · **Posted:** Wed May 20, 2015 17:36

DBSnappa wrote:

Kern wrote:

DBSnappa wrote:

We're going to Venice the last week of July for three nights and then to Begur in northern Spain in the middle of July for 4 nights. That's it so far.

Are you taking the Delorean or the phonebox?

Duh

that should be Venice in June

We're going in September. I look forward to your recommendations!

We're off to London a couple of times too, but only for a night and day trip. Oh, and the BBQ. Joans is going to the cottage too, but there's a good chance I won't make that.

Grim... · **Posted:** Wed May 20, 2015 19:33

What the actual fuck?

ApplePieOfDestiny · **Joined:** 17th Dec, 2008 **Posts:** 8293

GazChap wrote:

I may consider Portugal again...

Sounds ominous.

Goddess Jasmine · **Posted:** Wed May 20, 2015 19:48

Grim... wrote:

What the actual fuck?

I'm boycotting due to lack of bedtime stories.

*not really

Cras · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 49250

Grim... · **Posted:** Wed May 20, 2015 21:43

Make her come, Cras! Make her come!

[edit] ...

Cras · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 49250

Goddess Jasmine · **Posted:** Wed May 20, 2015 22:48

... ... ... ?

Grim... · **Posted:** Wed May 20, 2015 22:54

That’s about as much noise as Cras ever causes them to make.

Joans · **Joined:** 31st Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 8655

But I'm still coming though (to the cottage :hat:

)

Guys...?

Goddess Jasmine · **Posted:** Thu May 21, 2015 6:26

Grim... wrote:

That’s about as much noise as Cras ever causes them to make.

But how do you know?!

MaliA · **Posted:** Thu May 21, 2015 7:06

Goddess Jasmine wrote:

Grim... wrote:

That’s about as much noise as Cras ever causes them to make.

But how do you know?!

PLOT TWIST!

Bamba · **Joined:** 25th Jul, 2010 **Posts:** 11128

Ooh, in a surprise twist a mate of mine has just forged ahead with an attempt to arrange a weekend away with a few of us going somewhere like Ibiza in September. Whether this comes off will depend on the people involved of course but I've rarely managed a holiday with friends over the years (they're all generally too coupled up or too skint or too weird) so this would be really nice.

lasermink · **Joined:** 31st Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 1883

The gf and I spent 3 days in Florence a couple of weeks ago. Spectacular place, and excellent food and wine, and while it wasn't cheap it wasn't really that expensive either. Next month we will go 4 days to Asturias, which should be excellent and cheap.

GazChap · **Posted:** Tue May 26, 2015 22:28

Growing increasingly annoyed at travel websites that insist that you put in a departure airport and a destination airport before showing you prices.

Fucking fucks, just show me everything you have for the dates I've specified and I'll decide which airport and destination I want then!

Satsuma · **Joined:** 20th Apr, 2008 **Posts:** 14422

I want to go to Ibiza. Take me Bamba! I know all the songs: that dum, dum, dum one and that one that goes tish, tish, tish, tish. I wanna go Cafe Mambo!

Shame I'm too old and no one wants to go with me. Scumbag friends.

sdg · **Posted:** Wed May 27, 2015 22:31

Bamba that list of things to do in Berlin is great, I'll need to remember that's here!

JohnCoffey · **Posted:** Wed May 27, 2015 22:50

To be honest I don't bother with summer holidays on account of living about 50ft from a beach. When summer comes we go there all day.

I also don't bode too well around children, they make me really nervous. So we usually go away in September, the week after they all go back.

I got married on Jan 2nd and went on a 30 day cruise to the caribean so I'm done with foreign countries now as it was awful.

GazChap · **Posted:** Fri May 29, 2015 16:20

Summer holiday booked!

DavPaz · **Joined:** 27th Jun, 2008 **Posts:** 38697

9 days!

flis · **Joined:** 26th May, 2008 **Posts:** 3333

I wish I could have a holiday

My only plans for going anywhere this year, involves taking a van to Ikea... Woo!

Morte · **Posted:** Tue Jun 09, 2015 12:22

Yay! Four days booked in Beirut for the end of July / start of August. Really looking forward to it.

Morte · **Posted:** Wed Jun 10, 2015 12:49

Extra Yay, flights booked to come back to the UK at the end of August.

Goddess Jasmine · **Posted:** Wed Jun 10, 2015 16:50

Ooh, that's in plenty of time for the cottage!

DavPaz · **Joined:** 27th Jun, 2008 **Posts:** 38697

I am in menorca.

I am tanned.

I am watching the chase in German.

Kern · **Posted:** Fri Apr 29, 2016 8:18

Bamba wrote:

Dr Zoidberg wrote:

Any recommendations?

Go to the dome on top of the Reichstag. You need to register in advance for this for security reason but that's massively better than the previous system which was 'queue for a billion hours'. Now you just turn up at the appointed time and pretty much walk right in.
Book to eat lunch or dinner up the TV Tower. There's a great view due to the height and the fact that the restaurant revolves constantly; plus the food was pretty damn good when I was last there.
Check out the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe. It sounds hella depressing but it's actually very, very cool and weird and definitely worth experiencing.
If the weather's decent go for a walk in Tiergarten. It's massive and a very chilled out place to be, especially if you go to the Cafe am Neuen See beer garden.
Still on my own 'to do' list is to explore the Spreepark. It was a funfair in the middle of a park that was shut down years ago without being properly cleared out so you now get the spectacle of all these old rides and fun park furniture being slowly over taken by the landscape. There's some pictures of it here and you can now apparently legally book a tour here.
Similarly there's the remains of an allied listening post in Teufelsberg that's been left to rack and ruin leaving some spectacularly odd imagery. Like Spreepark you used to have to sneak in but you can legally book tours here.
In previous years a visit to Tacheles would've been on my list of recommendations but that's long since closed now.
Depending on your taste in music a visit to Paule's Metal Eck is a must, if only to marvel at the cheesy metal decor inside. Indeed that whole street and the surrounding district of Friedrichshain is filled with good restaurants and bars.
I usually fit in a trip to the Liquidrom spa. It's not cheap but it's incredibly relaxing, with the definite highlight being the massive salt water pool with ambient music piped in underwater so you can hear it tinkle away as you float around. That main central image on the website there is the pool in question which is a sight to behold in and of itself.
If you're in a drinking mood there's a branch of The Pub in Berlin which puts a beer tap on your table then allows you to 'compete' with the other tables in Berlin, and indeed in all branches across Europe, to see who's drinking the most booze.

I'm sure there's other stuff I'm forgetting but having a browse through the Unlike pages for Berlin will find you a load of interesting stuff as well.

Bumping this to the top because I'm really excited about my holiday to Berlin next week. Thanks Bamba for the suggestions! Most likely will do some of them. Already booked the Reichstag and the TV Tower.

After Berlin I'm off to Ruegen Island for leisurely seaside hikes then taking a ferry to Sweden to visit Malmo and Ystan before returning for a final night in Berlin.

Bamba · **Joined:** 25th Jul, 2010 **Posts:** 11128

Have a good time dude.

Dr Zoidberg · **Joined:** 15th Oct, 2010 **Posts:** 5439

I want to go back now. I loved it there.

Bamba · **Joined:** 25th Jul, 2010 **Posts:** 11128

I haven't been in ages after racking up about 13 visits over the years. There was a time my gf of the time and I were going there twice a year because there are different aspects of the city we loved about it in summer and winter time. Aside from the fact I should spend time going to different places instead of just there all the time, I worry I might not enjoy it as much on my own after always having been there with people in the past. We'll see, I'll undoubtedly go back at some point.

Warhead · Noob as of 6/8/10

I am not going to Cyprus, at my company's expense, to run Manual Handling and Working at Heights courses for a week in June. Oh, no. My boss thought he was doing me a favour to offer my services for these and seemed surprised when I told him it was not my idea of fun to run them in that heat on a military base and with only the meagre expenses I'd be allowed.

It wouldn't have been any kid of 'oliday, would it?

asfish · **Joined:** 5th Dec, 2010 **Posts:** 3353

Off back to Spain (same place as last 2 years) in 2 weeks.

This time I've rented a 3 bedroom place with proper kitchen, in laws have now decided to join us as well = Baby Sitters :DD

We have no family around us so have not been out on our own in 3 years!

Then end of June week in Cornwall with my parents in a house.

Probably also have a week at my parents as well later on in the summer

Kern · **Posted:** Mon Jun 13, 2016 8:50

Anyone been to Paris? Anything worth seeing that isn't Ingrid Bergman the Louvre, Versailles, or the Eifel Tower?

Particularly interested in pub/bar/café recommendations.

KovacsC · **Posted:** Mon Jun 13, 2016 8:51

I would avoid it for the next few weeks...

Kern · **Posted:** Mon Jun 13, 2016 8:54

I didn't know about the football when I booked.

It'll be an interesting experience, I'm sure. I've had to check the Eurostar website to find out if I'll be on a wet train (thankfully, I will be).

Findus Fop · **Joined:** 14th May, 2009 **Posts:** 4365

Kern wrote:

Anyone been to Paris? Anything worth seeing that isn't Ingrid Bergman the Louvre, Versailles, or the Eifel Tower?

Particularly interested in pub/bar/café recommendations.

I enjoyed this place, a traditional bistro and favourite of Woody Allen's (allegedly).

Polidor

And this place is cool. It's a bar/restaurant, same group as Sketch, and the interior is a little like someone's house. And there's a secret oak-panelled room behind a bookcase you can enjoy an aperetif and cigarettes.

Derriere

Kern · **Posted:** Mon Jun 13, 2016 9:08

Findus Fop wrote:

secret oak-panelled room behind a bookcase

Fantastic!

Thanks for the tips.

Mimi · **Joined:** 27th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 26180

What, dare I ask, is a wet train?

Kern · **Posted:** Mon Jun 13, 2016 9:12

Mimi wrote:

What, dare I ask, is a wet train?

Eurostar are running several trains over the next few weeks sans alcohol.

As opposed to the Tunnel being breached.

Mimi · **Joined:** 27th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 26180

Ah!! Haha, yes, that makes sense. Enjoy your trip, Kern!

Kern · **Posted:** Thu Oct 13, 2016 12:21

At Heathrow waiting for a flight to Poland! Weekend away as a friend is getting married in Gdansk. Never been to Poland before so quite excited.

Cras · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 49250

It's impossible to say Gdansk out loud without then repeating it several times to the Pink Panther theme. FACT.

Kern · **Posted:** Thu Oct 13, 2016 12:39

I keep calling it Danzig...

MaliA · **Posted:** Thu Oct 13, 2016 12:43

I don't feel like Danzig, Danzig, Danzig, Danzig

Kern · **Posted:** Thu Oct 13, 2016 19:41

Kern wrote:

At Heathrow waiting for a flight to Poland! Weekend away as a friend is getting married in Gdansk. Never been to Poland before so quite excited.

And I left the invite at home so have had to ask the bride for the where and when...

Kern · **Posted:** Mon Mar 27, 2017 10:32

Why did I only recently learn about Rome2Rio? It's great for planning routes that aren't covered by the ever-brilliant seat61.com. And, of course, good for giving me even more ideas for holidays.

Kern · **Posted:** Wed Apr 05, 2017 8:45

Going to Croatia in July! I don't normally travel in peak season but I'm too busy in May and June and didn't want to wait until September. I'm looking at Split and Dubrovnik, with overnight stays in Munich and Zagreb on my way there, and a night ferry to Italy plus night in Turin on the way back.

Anyone else got anything fun lined up?

Be Excellent To Each Other

Summer holidays
No more worries for me or you

Who is online

Be Excellent To Each Other

Summer holidays No more worries for me or you

Who is online

Summer holidays
No more worries for me or you