Holiday help

So I'm looking at booking a holiday next year, preferably a villa in Spain. I've not been abroad since I was a kid and it's all very new to me booking a holiday. 

Anyway, baggage allowance. Airlines seem to give you up to 23kg for a bag. I presume this is your standard suitcase. How the bloody hell am I supposed to know how much my suitcase weighs? 

Also, I'm looking to hire a car while I'm over there, but as far as I can tell, you can only fit 2 suitcases into a car. Could I get away with only 2 suitcases for a family of 2 adults and 3 kids if I squeeze as much as possible into hand luggage? 

I'm sure many of you go abroad often, your advice would be appreciated.

Put your suitcase on your scales or stand on the scales first and get your weight then stand on it again with the suitcase then deduct your weight from it.

Or you could buy a specific weighing thing to attach and lift up that cost about a tenner or less.

Little tip as well as hand luggage you can also carry on a small backpack.

Just pack what you need and pay excess baggage if you have to - highly unlikely unless you take everything plus the kitchen sink with you that you will need to though.

Remember stuff like sun cream can't go in hand luggage and need to go in your cases (or simply buy over there).

They do say car boots are smaller abroad but somehow I've always managed to squeeze everything in them.  At the very worst you could stick one of them on the back seat and get your smallest child to sit on it - a bit like a booster seat - I don't think it will come to that though.

Travel light as always been my motto - you can always wash (rinse if need be) clothes over there - particularly if you are going somewhere warm.  The problem is the women of the family seem to have to take all their clothes and shoes "just in case"!

Make sure your cases have wheels on them - nearly all have these days - as it saves breaking your back carrying them.

As you haven't been away for a bit, you might not know the trick of marking your cases in some way, so you know which are yours when they come off the baggage carousel.    An easy way is to tie a piece of coloured cloth to the handle - just to make it look immediately different to every other suit case like yours.

Don't forget the adaptors so you can charge your phones and ipads whilst on holiday as they use a different electrical current over there.

Worthwhile learning a few local words too Hello = Hola, thank you = gracias, please = por favour, etc.

I generally inform my credit/debit card supplier that I am going abroad as sometimes they will 'block' your account if they see money being spent from somewhere they aren't expecting.

Don't forget to cancel the milk and papers (does anybody still have milk and papers delivered these days?) - get someone to keep an eye on your home whilst away - and above all have a great time!

Wear 14 pairs of shorts and 14 t-shirts on yhe plane.  Should free up some room

Don't take too much, remember most foreign countries have washing machines, easy enough to stick a load on whilst you lay by the pool and have a few beers. Nothing worse than dragging a load of stuff you never use to and from the airport.

If you stick stuff in your hand luggage you'll still need to get it in the car assuming you are driving from the airport, so again keep it to a minimum, when booking your car, often worth upgrading to a good mid size rather than an economy and make sure you get air con if it is going to be warm.

I would add cerveza (beer) to sluffy's useful words as well as tres (three) to be combined with por favour.

enjoy!

Mi llamo cuntface is handy

y2johnny wrote:Mi llamo cuntface is handy

Why would he use your name?

Bwfc1958 wrote:So I'm looking at booking a holiday next year, preferably a villa in Spain. I've not been abroad since I was a kid and it's all very new to me booking a holiday. 

Anyway, baggage allowance. Airlines seem to give you up to 23kg for a bag. I presume this is your standard suitcase. How the bloody hell am I supposed to know how much my suitcase weighs? 

Also, I'm looking to hire a car while I'm over there, but as far as I can tell, you can only fit 2 suitcases into a car. Could I get away with only 2 suitcases for a family of 2 adults and 3 kids if I squeeze as much as possible into hand luggage? 

I'm sure many of you go abroad often, your advice would be appreciated.

Why are you bothering with a car? Have you seen how the Spanish drive?

Stay somewhere near a town, it's much easier. And if you want to explore, public transport is much better over there.

Natasha Whittam wrote:

y2johnny wrote:Mi llamo cuntface is handy

Why would he use your name?

In case he needs an alias.

He could always use yours basicbucketbitch

Some good sound advice there nutters, thanks. Especially Johnny. Go looking like an American footballer using the name cuntface. You just can't buy that sort of advice. If I do end up with a villa it will definitely have a washing machine so that's something to think about regarding clothes etc. 

Nat, the reason I will probably hire a car is the freedom of it. As I'm not exactly rolling in money, I might end up having to rent a villa a little more inland so having a car will enable me to get around to the sights a bit easier like beaches etc. Anyway, dragging 3 kids around on public transport in 90 degree heat doesn't sound like my idea of fun, for me, them or other passengers. They'll probably ruin my holiday anyway, I'd hate for them to ruin it for other unsuspecting holidaymakers as well. 

Bwfc1958 wrote:Some good sound advice there nutters, thanks. Especially Johnny. Go looking like an American footballer using the name cuntface. You just can't buy that sort of advice. If I do end up with a villa it will definitely have a washing machine so that's something to think about regarding clothes etc. 

Nat, the reason I will probably hire a car is the freedom of it. As I'm not exactly rolling in money, I might end up having to rent a villa a little more inland so having a car will enable me to get around to the sights a bit easier like beaches etc. Anyway, dragging 3 kids around on public transport in 90 degree heat doesn't sound like my idea of fun, for me, them or other passengers. They'll probably ruin my holiday anyway, I'd hate for them to ruin it for other unsuspecting holidaymakers as well. 

Only another decade roughly before kid less holidays

y2johnny wrote:

Bwfc1958 wrote:Some good sound advice there nutters, thanks. Especially Johnny. Go looking like an American footballer using the name cuntface. You just can't buy that sort of advice. If I do end up with a villa it will definitely have a washing machine so that's something to think about regarding clothes etc. 

Nat, the reason I will probably hire a car is the freedom of it. As I'm not exactly rolling in money, I might end up having to rent a villa a little more inland so having a car will enable me to get around to the sights a bit easier like beaches etc. Anyway, dragging 3 kids around on public transport in 90 degree heat doesn't sound like my idea of fun, for me, them or other passengers. They'll probably ruin my holiday anyway, I'd hate for them to ruin it for other unsuspecting holidaymakers as well. 

Only another decade roughly before kid less holidays

I'm counting the days...

58, if you're looking for a recommendation in Spain I am happy to recommend somewhere I know your family will be happy.

And no one will end up with a singed muff/willy.

Natasha Whittam wrote:58, if you're looking for a recommendation in Spain I am happy to recommend somewhere I know your family will be happy.

And no one will end up with a singed muff/willy.

I'm all ears.

I never received your recommendation Nat. Either my telepathy is a little off these days or the pigeon went to the wrong address. Perhaps you could type it out for me instead?

We've just booked our first foreign holiday with the kids 58, an all-inclusive to Majorca. Going to be skint for the next 10 months paying for it!

Why not simply errect a tent in the back garden and have 7 nights in that and save your money.

You don't have the worry of ruining everyone elses holiday then either!

your missus will be mithering you soon about a family holiday KP, mark my words! I don't think a tent in the back garden will cut it 

Bwfc1958 wrote:I never received your recommendation Nat. Either my telepathy is a little off these days or the pigeon went to the wrong address. Perhaps you could type it out for me instead?

Los Alcazares.

Go with Jet2 from Manchester. 2 and a half hours flying time (nearer 2hr 10 if the pilot puts his foot down) direct to Murcia–San Javier Airport.

Airport is 5 mins drive from Los Alcazares.

Los Alcazares is a lovely town by the coast. Fantastic beach that runs for miles. Best thing is the complete lack of 18-25 year olds thinking it's Ibiza. It's firmly aimed at the family market.

The main strip is a joy at night. Kids will love it, allsorts going on. Food and drink surprisingly cheap.

I've stayed in this townhouse three times:

Townhouse

It's less than 5 minutes walk from the main strip and the beach, but feels quiet because you don't get any noise from the town. There are other townhouses available on this complex, all surrounding a large pool (with smaller kiddies pool next to it) which has a lifeguard until 8pm. It's  a gated community so you don't get non-residents around the pool which means it's rarely very busy.

For your first holiday abroad with kids I reckon this ticks all boxes. It's probably going to set you back £600-£800 but the flights will be cheap if you book well in advance.