As in 'big Rab fae The Gorbals'?

Can't wait - peaceful, relaxing place.

Great for the family. I may fit in a visit to the Laphraoig Distillery, too.

earlier this year. Pre-Swine Flu (February). Honest. Thoroughly enjoyed it. Just worried that the Mexico visa in my passport is going to make it a tad harder to go anywhere else...

Sorry, I'm a bit slow...

lots of wipes and work out where you are going to be for feeds. We drove to Holland last year with 6 month twins. All pretty good but for the ferry on the way home which buggered up the feed and meant that we had crying babies for the first hour in the car after the ferry. Check ferry times!

But very good on the whole - better than an airport experience.

Myself, along with token wife and child, will be nailing our middle-class colours to the mast and doing the Mark Warner thing for a fortnight. All terribly nice. I like Corsica.

Fantastic place, lovely people, great food. The East of the Island can get a wwee bit crowded but Palermo is magnificent. San Vito lo Capo in the the North-Western corner is a nice spot and the village of Corleone is well worth a visit.

Off to the US again this year. Last year we went to Texas - that was my second time there and I would recommend it to anyone. The people are the friendliest and most helpful I have come across anywhere in the States and they have spaceships there!
This year it's up north to Chicago & Detroit for baseball, Motown and the worlds largest drive-in cinema (9 screens!).

We're on our fortnight break now. Visited my Mum in sunny Scunny then had a few days staying in the hotel in York where we had our honeymoon nearly 21 years ago.

While there had a day trip to Scarborough, and had a fantastic time. One of the best Fish'n'Chips ever and a boat trip down the coast, a really good time.

Ian

in 16 days - Tokyo,Kyoto and Hiroshima using bullet trains courtesy of a Japan rail pass. No doubt will be checking out cd shops to search for those rare to find Japanese editions with extra tracks. Would also like to check out Japanese electronica - any recommendations?

Terrific city - good weather, no end of amzing things to see, friendly people, decent food, no yobbishness, great boat trips to get away from the city, cheap because it's not in the Euro-zone.
Loved it. It is a bit full on, and, yes, everyone will try to sell you a carpet (shake their hand , and say you're not interested today but good luck with the other customers). Probably not one for families, nor for anyone with mobility problems as it's both hilly and very crowded.

traditional two week break going up North to Filey (about 8 miles from Scarborough on the East Yorkshire coast) to the most extraordinarily magnificent tidal bay, and some utterly brilliant Fish & Chips (never talked about in "the best..." guides) but they ARE the best (Inghams, if you're interested...the special haddock hangs off the plate)

Then over to the Lakes for some walking, think the 4 yr old will be up to a gentle trek up Catbells this year, following breaking him in on Orrest Head last year.

TO be honest, if the weather is good, the UK has SO much to offer, why go anywhere else

Three weeks to go....and then

Stressful drive to Plymouth.

Relaxing ferry to Santander.

1,500 miles of driving on wide-open, empty Spanish motorways taking in Segovia, Toledo, Cuenca and Burgos amongst other places.

Stacks of culture, beer, only man out and about in the siesta etc (bloody English)

Relaxing ferry to Plymouth

Stressful drive home.

That is unless Mrs b gets taken ill again on the day of departure like last year, in which case delete all of the above and replace with:

Stressful drive to hospital

Even more stressful, hot and sweaty, stint in casualty on the hottest day of the year.

Incidentally, the in-laws live in the East of Spain halfway between Valencia and Alicante. The temperature on their balcony yesterday reached 46 degrees and it was too hot to eat their evening meal out there. And we wimps thought 30 degrees was tough.

All to fit in with my girlfriends birthday & a friends 40th (who has just moved to Virginia Beach).

While we are out there, we are off to see U2 (not too fussed on that part, but very pleased that Muse are the support).

First time I've been to America, and the first proper holday I've had in my 16 years as an adult. Up to now it's just been the odd weekend away.

If anyone has been to any of these two places, any advice on what to do or see would be greatly recieved...

go hang out in Georgetown - down near Waterfront, around Georgetown U and between M Street and K and Wisconsin Avenue

Drive into the Maryland country - it's beautiful. Rock Creek Park

If you like The Wire - Baltimore's up the road...

But - do keep your wits about you there and DC too - common sense stuff really

Pickering in North Yorkshire.

I know. I said much the same. No disrespect to that fine county and to the lovely town of Pickering but we had been thinking very seriously about going out to the Barrier Reef this year.

Then we had to buy a new car so that blew a hole in the Treasure of the Sierra Madre of our savings.

So, North Yorkshire rather than Northern Queensland.

What's the snorkelling like in Pickering? I assume there are no alligators?

Las Vegas here I come (well in 6 weeks time anyway!)... man how tacky am I, even going to a wedding out there (not mine), and not being officiated by Elvis!

Going to lose 72 hours straight of my life on the Blackjack tables or slotties, lol!!

...and just come back from pretty nice staycation in Wales - stayed across the bay opposite Portmerion and the weather was lush, the scenery every morning when i looked out of the cottage window was far out man, and i got in some plenty reading and listening catch-up times along with bbqs and Snowdon mountain climbing.. hoo-ha for Wales, no wonder the Manics love it!

I'm also staying in a houseboat in Amsterdam at Christmas... am I a very travelled/lucky man or what - and also lucky to be self-employed designer, thus obtaining plenty holiday time and also being able to work wherever there's wireless connection... i'm doing the recession my way.. the highway!

... the August Bank Holiday will be spent around Whitby in a cottage with the girlfriend, and two friends. Oh, and two Chihuahua's.

Due to a bit of work thrown in the end, we ended up booking a place in central Algarve for the first two weeks in August. Get the feeling its going to be hot. Any tips for a family holiday day trips around there?

Haven't been for 10 years; should be hot and sunny and fun for the girls. I shall listen to my iPOD and read books.

Had we known about swine flu and the reduced prices in Mexico, we'd have gone there again. It's great value, guaranteed to be hot, although the flight back is a trial.

Next up is Shanghai, Jersey and Warsaw.

New Forest
in a tent

Hardcore!

The furthest I'm going this summer is my back garden. I'll be 'staycationing' as it's been christened by broadsheet clever dicks, who talk it up while quietly arranging their annual August jaunts to Tuscany. Anyone got a villa going cheap?

which you all know is Ireland, the place all ex-pats love heading back to, for the Guiness and the crack. Can I recommend it? Well, the pubs are still good but loud because of too many tv sets running. The smoking ban's definitely a good thing though. Quite a pricey little country not too long ago but maybe people are getting a little more humble these days. The countryside is spectacularly beautiful on the Atlantic coast, otherwise much unchecked building going on (ever seen a dwelling with Doric columns AND a Spanish arch??) Okay, okay, actually I do recommend it, for the crack!

Yes, `Staycation` indeed!
Some good books, one or two BBQs, a couple of days out to Edinburgh and maybe the beach on the West coast of Scotland, three or four bottles of good red, ipod touch, The Word magazine, Sambuca, eat out once or twice, lots of coffee, lie ins, naps in the evening, you never know the weather might even hold out as well. Whats not to like.
(Translation : home will do me)

of flying gives me a double dose of the Heebyjeebies AND The Boonyuchs..
So this year The Future Mrs Geach58 and I are talking about a wee tour of the South Coast Of Engerlund...
Any tips/ideas as to where to go to get some kultchur and good beer/good walks?

earlier this week. Went with the GLW for four days and three nights. Amazing sights / architecture around every corner. And the food and the beer are amazing. My favourite parts were the castle (including the walk up to it) and the Jewish quarter. And it wasn't full of stag/hen parties either, as I had half expected - which was nice. It was however incredibly humid.

We're also off to Turkey in October for some last minute sun.

is that they often end up more expensive than going away - particularly if you have kids.

A couple of trips in and around London last year (London Zoo, Tussauds, Chessington) and a long weekend in Centerparcs - and frankly I was needing my own bank style bail-out after.

... Lake Garda to be exact.

This is our 3rd time going. Great location with endless places and sights to visit.

Heading at the end of July. Can't wait!

Love it, unspoilt, relatively quiet but conversely much to do.

and properly skint, so I won't be going anywhere apart from the back garden.

Elysium Hotel, Paphos, Cyprus. Staggeringly expensive. No, seriously F-off expensive, but excellent. Best hotel experience of my life (and I spent a couple of months in them each year). But did I mention the expensive?
So, the remainder of the summer hols is a long weekend at Featherdown Farms in Lochhouses (Scotland). Oh, and Lattitude. Let's hope it doesn't rain.
BTW, Paphos itself is rubbish.

Agree with Sheeve - I generally take my wife and daughter to London twice a year to take in a show and a decent meal. 2 nights can cost more than a weeks holiday.
Just read the business section of the BBC website and my destination of choice Tokyo has just been voted the worlds most expensive city for expats. Apparently a watermelon can cost usd 15 - there goes the healthy diet, looks like it's MacDonalds!!

Great place - everything you could need - the kids love the beach - just pray for the weather.

Over the the aunties in Sardinia later in the year.

We've just got back - we did 7 days in a place called Bluestone which is one of those custom holiday village type places. Lovely and we got the week where the weather was fab. I've only ever been through Wales to get to other places or we only got as far as Anglesey for the motor racing so it was great to do a bit of exploring.

I really enjoyed it and I'd happily go there again. Ferry trip was very relaxing too - much less hassle than flying, far more comfortable - and less stressful for one of the few unrepentant smokers left in the world since you can go out on deck and have a quick fag!

We're off to Glasgow in August to visit the in-laws (although amazingly our trip co-incides with the BTCC at Knockhill so we'll be heading there for the weekend.. ;) ) I'm looking forward to this too. Even though himself's family live there and we visit at least once a year, I've never actually been there in the summer so I'm hoping we might get a couple of nice days to actually do some touristy stuff this trip! :)

We're off to Skiathos. It's quite a nice chilled Greek island. Not too expensive to get to and ticks most of the boxes.
I must say we were camping in Loughton a few weekends ago and it was absolute bliss - the simple things eh?

A villa on the beach.

My wife and I will laze about all day with books and mp3s whilst my 2 teenage boys will act like teenagers and play beach volleyball and chase girls. Or they might find an internet cafe and MSN for a fortnight and play arcade video games.

It's just the same as Mallorca except it's for families. There are no gangs of lager louts and everything closes at midnight. I've been twice before but not for 9 years.

On the island of Hainan in the South China Sea.

Traditionally, this is where mandarins were banished to if they'd been naughty in Beijing. These days, the Party faithful have their own special resort and country-club.

Cleanest beaches in China, excellent food, very reasonably priced, less than two hours from Hong Kong (flying, not swimming).