h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I happened to watch the Holiday Swap programme yesterday, which turned out to be more interesting than I expected. The holidays in question were a week at Disneyworld, Florida (including the Epcot centre) versus 10 days on a ranch, riding out to round up cattle & other riding/cow related activities.

Overall I think I'd have preferred the ranch. Which would you have chosen, or what would be your ideal holiday?

Swap with what?

Your own home?

I've heard bad things about this, including a couple who lent their home to a man from Australia, who then returned from their holiday to find he'd sold everything not nailed down.

I wouldn't recommend this to anyone, even for a cheap holiday.

To answer your question, a holiday for me is time alone.

Anywhere would do.......

I prefer to stay in the UK. You know the lingo, the currency, the people, the water's safe, the food's safe and you're not far from home if anything goes wrong. And you don't have to go anywhere near planes

I'm with the UK as well, but for different reasons. You can't understand half the accents, the cost of things differ completely from one place to the next and you're always short changed, the people are obnoxious, the water's dodgy, the food's dire and if anything goes wrong, you have to deal with the NHS. But, there's still a lot of it here that's worth visiting.

Ideal holiday?

Either Vancouver BC, Canada *or* New Orleans, Louisiana, America...

Once me and FC get a house in the Edinburgh area we might consider it after all a lot of people want to come to Edinburgh especially in August who know where you might end up.

I suppose it depends on the area you live in.

Have to agree to disagree with Pastey

In my neck of the woods, the food is great. I can recommend many eateries to anyone visiting/holidaying. My tap water is so good I don't buy bottled. I have no complaints about the NHS. They've given me two major operations even though I had to wait months, I couldn't have had better care and attention if I'd paid to go private.
I am never short-changed.
There are nice people and obnoxious people everywhere.

The weather's not so hot but you can't have everything.

I spend most of my holidays in UK too. I have a caravan and can get to anywhere on the mainland with relative ease. And I'd go along with the advantages of being "at home". However....

Abroad is different and in a lot of places exciting; the food, people landscapes, seascapes et al are individual, often beautiful, usually worth experiencing.

Of course it takes a bit more effort, imagination, risk, movement outside the comfort zone, even cash but.....

Ideal holiday: Anywhere with a warm clear blue sea suitable for snorkelling, preferably with dolphins rather than sharks lurking around the corner , white sand and friendly locals.

With the holiday swap mentioned (Disneyland FLA, instead of a ranch holiday and vice versa) either would do for me, I loved Disneyland when I went as a sprog, and I'd love a riding holiday on a ranch so I'm pretty easy really ... don't say a word! .

Galaxy Babe, the swap of the programme is that two families swap their ideal holiday - so those that wanted a right away from it all tranquil holiday on the ranch went to Disneyworld & the family that wanted excitement & all mod cons got the ranch. It was inteersting to see how the various family members got on. All of them seemed to enjot what they got except the mum who went on the ranching holiday.

Oh dear my fingers are getting in the wrong order again!

I'm with sticking in the UK for minimum stress. I don't usually find holidays particularly restful by the time I've organised it, made sure the children are entertained & suitably fed, packed, unpacked and so on.
Having said that, we have had some very enjoyable holidays in various locations. I sometimes think my holiday starts when they all go back to school!

I don't think either of the 'swap' holidays would appeal to many of my family, so I shall dream on.

I love holidaying in the UK. Especially getting away from the tourist areas, oh, hang on, there isn't much of the UK left that isn't a tourist area...