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[Kevin Wood]

Now, I had to leave home at 6am ish to go and sit in a shitty departure lounge, to get on a cramped Airbus, then spend ages arguing with the hire car company at Alicante who had chosen to cancel the hire car for a reason they couldn't explain, then sit in a shitty Corsa for over an hour to get to the villa. 

Have you used Lara cars? Never had a problem with them, and they are laid back enough not to care what mangled, thrashed heap of junk you return.

Kevin

[TheBoy]

Now, I had to leave home at 6am ish to go and sit in a shitty departure lounge, to get on a cramped Airbus, then spend ages arguing with the hire car company at Alicante who had chosen to cancel the hire car for a reason they couldn't explain, then sit in a shitty Corsa for over an hour to get to the villa. 

Have you used Lara cars? Never had a problem with them, and they are laid back enough not to care what mangled, thrashed heap of junk you return.

Kevin

Freebie cars that James Villas always throw in, so stuck with their company.  We always pay extra for the collision/excess waiver, only 3 or 4 euros per car per day.  Worth its weight in gold last year when one of our party decided to have an argument with a beaten up beemer, and spend most of the day with the police

I suspect the Corsa I had will need new tyres - the villa was at the top of a steep hill, and the bloody thing kept stalling (yes, I stalled a diesel daily!!) on hill starts. In the end, sod it, redlined it, dumped the clutch. Sometimes it stalled, sometimes the tyres gave in

Nice car (for a small car), hopeless engine (CDTi, presumably the 1.3)

[Squidy]

i would fly for a holiday! my cousins live in greece and they used to drive over to the uk for a holiday now and then, but when they got here they were knackered and were dredding the trip back home. they fly now

[TheBoy]

i would fly for a holiday! my cousins live in greece and they used to drive over to the uk for a holiday now and then, but when they got here they were knackered and were dredding the trip back home. they fly now

They need a better car then.  I'm far more refreshed driving to South of France, than flying. And driving is quicker/cheaper

[Squidy]

i would fly for a holiday! my cousins live in greece and they used to drive over to the uk for a holiday now and then, but when they got here they were knackered and were dredding the trip back home. they fly now

They need a better car then.  I'm far more refreshed driving to South of France, than flying. And driving is quicker/cheaper

i'll admit he's not he best driver in the world and he had a SEAT colorado or something

[Entwood]

If you have the time .. make the trip PART of the holiday .. not an annoying add-on. So drive and plan a couple of stops on the way at places you might wish to see. Have a day out, a nice meal, then drive on the next day.

All very relaxed and civilised rather than crammed in a metal tube eating cardboard and getting hot and frustrated.

[Lazydocker]

Just to throw another spanner in the works I have priced up different flight options and can get it about £300 cheaper than driving, including a hotel before we go  and one before we fly home, but it's with the one airline I cannot stand... Ryanair!

SWMBO did point out that if we drive I'll have to pass Monza Circuit (which normally allows access to the track much like Nurburgring ) on the way :-/

[Lazydocker]

If you have the time .. make the trip PART of the holiday .. not an annoying add-on. So drive and plan a couple of stops on the way at places you might wish to see. Have a day out, a nice meal, then drive on the next day.

All very relaxed and civilised rather than crammed in a metal tube eating cardboard and getting hot and frustrated.

This was pretty much the plan. Probably a stop just off the ferry, then a stop at the Italian Lakes (probably Como) and on to the villa. Then a stop somewhere near the French/Luxembourg Border on the way back perhaps. :-/

[Martin_1962]

Look you have an Omega - a definate mile muncher.

To put it bluntly.

"It would be rude not to"

 

[jonnycool]

Just to throw another spanner in the works I have priced up different flight options and can get it about £300 cheaper than driving, including a hotel before we go  and one before we fly home, but it's with the one airline I cannot stand... Ryanair!

SWMBO did point out that if we drive I'll have to pass Monza Circuit (which normally allows access to the track much like Nurburgring ) on the way :-/

Don't even get me started on Ryanair, they're cheap for a very good reason, as I'm sure you know, I'm never flying with them again

[Lazydocker]

Just to throw another spanner in the works I have priced up different flight options and can get it about £300 cheaper than driving, including a hotel before we go  and one before we fly home, but it's with the one airline I cannot stand... Ryanair!

SWMBO did point out that if we drive I'll have to pass Monza Circuit (which normally allows access to the track much like Nurburgring ) on the way :-/

Don't even get me started on Ryanair, they're cheap for a very good reason, as I'm sure you know, I'm never flying with them again

This is it... Last time we flew with them the "Cheap Flight" ended up very expensive

Vowed I wouldn't use them ever again but sometimes you may need to think about it

Still seriously thinking of driving... The distance doesn't concern me as the Omega will just swallow it and ask for more but, as SWMBO pointed out, we'll have our week's holiday and then have to drive 1450 miles home.

Interesting to see the results though... Virtually a 50/50 split

[Radiomarko]

If it was a possibility, I would take the train. There is no finer way to travel, imho ofc. Once out of UK trains become an efficient pleasure.   

[Lazydocker]

If it was a possibility, I would take the train. There is no finer way to travel, imho ofc. Once out of UK trains become an efficient pleasure.   

We did look at the train but, TBH, it's not a lot cheaper than the other options and it's 28+ hours non stop travelling... Plus we need a car at the other end to get to the villa and shopping etc.

Just re-done the costings as I'd well and truly over-estimated things so done them more accurately now. Still left plenty of margin for error on Driving and less on flying though

Looks like to Drive, return trip including hotels, meals, ferry, tolls etc is about £100 more than to Fly, Park, Hire a plastic rental heap, and stop at the airport the night before each flight (because they're at 06:30 )

Hmm.... I think I sense a road trip coming on. Don't fancy being at the airport for 04:30 each day for a crappy Ryanair flight anyway. Add to that the fact that at 6'4" I struggle to fit behind any seats on a Ryanair plane (have to sit bolt upright and still not enough room for my legs without ramming them against the upright seat back in front )

At least if we drive we're on our own schedule and can do a bit of shopping to bring back without worrying about weight limits

My thinking is to get an afternoon/evening Ferry Dover-Dunkirk, then stay in a hotel near the port (after a supermarket stop for supplies for the next 2 days). Then leave off fairly early (about 7am) and drive via Belgium, Luxembourg and Switzerland (thanks for putting me right on the best route Jim ) to Lake Como, stop for the night and then set off, again fairly early, the following day for the 550 miles or so to the Villa.

On the return, probably a mirror of the journey down.

Suppose the other option would be to buy ourselves a cheap little tent and camp for the night by the lakes in each direction

[henryd]

asda do a four man tent with bags and roll out mattressesx2 for £50

[Kevin Wood]

If it was a possibility, I would take the train. There is no finer way to travel, imho ofc. Once out of UK trains become an efficient pleasure.   

Put the car on the train. Ferry to cheese-eatingland, then on the train to (say) Munich overnight. Wake up with the interesting bits of driving ahead of you having bypassed the boring.

We took the train to Milan once with car on back as well, IIRC.

Last time I checked it was cheaper to fly, and buy a decent car once you've arrived though.

Kevin