runnerB

Please let me know where you think I should go for a week with my friends...late thirties leaving small kidies behind for a week of chill out/fun time.

We're thinking Crete/santorini but could be persuaded to go anywhere.
Cheers
Runner b

cmeyer54

where are you travelling from? what is your budget? what do you like to do? what time of year? With a little more info, you'll get a ton of advice.

sheila

A week at the Harbour Apartments in Paleochora in Crete is my idea of a bit of heaven

klta

Hard without knowing what you want to do or spend, so I'll throw in two options:
Week 1: high activity, sight-seeing, glamour and nightlife would be a no-brainer for Paris.
Week 2: calm, lots of hanging out chatting, maybe cooking or taking long walks or day trips sounds like renting a villa in Tuscany.

Both could be amazing, although admittedly not at all innovative on my part!

runnerB

Thanks and apologies for the lack of information on the trip.
We hope to go in May from Cork,Ireland,and times are tough,so the budjet is tight.Having said that,we won't be bringing the families or kids so we could spend a bit more than the usual.It would be great to fly from Cork but we can stretch to shannon if we have to.It's our first ever girlie(hate the term) holiday,so I don't know the pitfalls or merits of a girlfriend holiday.We're all easy going(although you might ask me when i get back !!!)

I absolutely love Paris but have been there so many times it almost seems like the easy option to go back again.I also want to discover somewhere new and make new memories together on this trip.

The most important thing is to come back refreshed.Things at home are hectic,like everyone, so we need to relax.Still we like a drink and really good gourmet or rustic food made with great local ingredients.Sightseeing and great sea views would be nice and I love individual/traditional hotels/accomadation ,not the travel lodges etc. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.Thanks for the suggestion re. the harbour appartments in Crete...I'll look into them.Ditto Tuscany
Cheers,
Runner b

runnerB

Sorry,forgot to mention that we were fairly impressed with the aroma appartments in Santorini.Anybody stay there? or somewhere simillar?

JulieVikmanis

Consider Barcelona. It has all the merits of Paris for a group of "girls" but something different to see. Great food. Ocean views. Great architecture and museums. wonderful wine bars. You might even consider getting both a city and a beach by splitting your time between Barcelona and Mallorca.

klta

See if you can get a good package from Cork to Cyprus - maybe Limassol/Lemesos? Wide, soft beaches, lots of history and archaeology, great nightlife, and the warmest, most hospitable people I've met anywhere. And probably less expensive than most of Europe to boot. I'd go there every trip, but it's SO hard to get there from the US.

travel_buzzing

Palermo and surround in Sicily.

Tere

Runner, I have stayed at the Aroma Suites in Santorini and absolutely loved them!
I put a review in Tripadvisor and some photos. Check it here:

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserR..._Cyclades.html

runnerB

They do look fabulous,the only problem from our point of view is that XL Holidays have gone bust so we can't get there direct out of Cork.We would have to fly to Athens and have some journey to get there.To be honest The Aroma appartments seem to have it all ...a great traditional style of accomadation,good value for money with a hint of luxury,fabulous setting and surounded in an seemingly unspoilt environment.This is the kind of place we're looking for...I could just imagine myself there on a wooden recliner watching the sun set with a good bottle of wine,cheese, olives......!!I
t blew all the other hotels out of the water ....but ,and it's a big but ,we can't get there easily.

If anyone could reccomend this type of accomadation/setting anywhere else,i would greatly appreciate it.Barcelona is easy to get to but I think at this stage we don't want the city atmosphere.Unless someone could reccomend an option here?

Thanks for all the replies and I'm working through the suggestions....as quickly as three children and a job allow.
Cheers
Runner b

caroline_edinburgh

I wouldn't recommend a French or Italian villa holiday for a group of friends. Assuming you won't want to hire a car each (!) you are going to be thrown together all the time, perhaps more than some of you might want. IMO it needs to be somewhere where people can choose to do their own thing in the daytime, if they feel like it. And IME (whatever the advertising says) French & Italian villas are invariably not within walking distance of restaurants & bars.

Given that you don't want a big city and you do want to relax, I'd go for a hotel in a small-medium town (with lots of *nice* restaurants & bars, obviously not a Club 18-30 type hangout) on a coast. Somewhere like Amalfi, Taormina - or what about Nice, which I think you can get direct flights to from almost *anywhere* (in the British Isles, at least) ?

I wouldn't recommend Palermo to you, although I love it - apart from being a big city, it's not a place to go to chill out.

Sheila, interested to see you recommending those apartments. I've been put off the idea of seaside apartmemts as I get the impression that they are largely used by families with children - are these not like that ?

runnerB

Funny you mention Nice...we actually have access to someones modest holiday home/villa in Nice but the close confinement thing was putting me off.I mean they are my friends but you never know,do you...someones snoring /interesting eating/snorting noises etc...might be the straw to break the camel's back!!

When I picture my ideal holiday,I do see a smaller town rather than a city,so you have the best of both world's and people can indeed do their own thing when they wish.It just seems the choice is so vast.....I feel like a kid in a sweet shop.

Usually,I have to consider child friendly resorts only or the odd snatched romantic weekend getaways.Now that I have the chance to go anywhere,I don't know where to go!!!Sounds crazy,doesn't it?

Runnerb

tcreath

What about Croatia? The views along the coast are stunning, and there are plenty of smaller towns. Dubrovnik is wonderful, and from there you could easily hop a ferry to one of the islands.

Tracy

runnerB

How would the weather be in May...Is there a good chance of decent weather,25 degrees or upwards ?
Cheers,
Runnerb

caroline_edinburgh

I don't think you'd be guaranteed 25 degrees or above anywhere in Europe in May, although you may very well get it. If that's a requirement stay south - I'd go for Taormina in Sicily (beautiful town & setting, touristy but in a nice way - lots of good restaurants, a few bars, not too crowded - small and walkable, access to beach bia funicular). Greece would probably be equally likely but I can't say as I don't know Greece, and I think you'd have to check the differences between different areas / island groups for your dates.

littlejane

I was going to suggest Dubrovnik but TCreath got there before me! Went there recently from Dublin for a girlie weekend and it was perfect - with a bit more time you could check out an island also.

I love Crete / Santorini / Tuscany but would prefer to keep them as family destinations. Santorini is so romantic you would feel cheated that you went there with the girls instead of the other half. Not too much non-coupley nightlife in Santorini either.

cmeyer54

Southern portugal might also work, costa del sol (malaga maybe), Sevilla if you don't necessarily need a beach or Barcelona. We liked all of them.

runnerB

Thanks for all the responses...I now seem drawn to either Crete or Barcelona.Crete has the laid back scenic almost traditional quality that I'm looking for but Barcelona has the opertunity to suit all tastes plus it does have a beach and all activities/museums.Add to this the fact that friends who can't make the full week could fly in for the weekend to join in on the craic and.....it should be the perfect place...then why do I visualise myself not in a built up city but instead overlooking the Aegean with a glass of wine and dare I say it having a Shirley Valintine chill out moment?....