HRML: Holiday booked but can’t be bothered to go – WWYD?

I don't really understand this. There's loads of people who'd be delighted to go on holiday, and you're moaning that you can't be bothered. Sheesh.

Quite. WMWS.

I'd love to go away at all.

Biarritz is fantastic- culturally lots to do and see, great restaurants and shopping, and one of teh best hotels in teh world (hotel du palais). i sometimes thnk you're from a completely different planet Lily. Is your cup ever half full?

You could give it to me, and I could bestow you with eternal gratitude ?

You're bonkers Lily - go! You might surprise yourself and enjoy it? Eating room service and DVDs sounds dull as anything?

I can't say I've ever had a similar dilemma.

I'll go, although I will have to borrow some annual leave off you as I've used up all 20 of my days way before the end of the year as usual.

WEES. Most people would love a holiday.

The opportunity may not arise for you for a while again.

I get excited about holidays, short breaks and weekends away. Hell, I even get excited about weekends at home! ? Have you had a look at :http://www.virtualtourist.com/

This seems to be a good website with ideas of things to do wherever you go. I'm sure there'll be plenty for Biarritz, and it should have recommendations for bars etc - ideal for a relaxing break. On car parking at airports - consider taking the train instead. Everything you list above could be swept aside if you had a positive viewpoint.

Yep agree with Mrs Jess - stay at home. Poor thing, all that parking to book and luggage allowance to sort

I'd say that 5 days away in the south west of France is slightly more than a "short break" to me that was this year's holiday!!

Just get yourself motivated, pack your bags, get your backsides out there and explore, see what's around and just enjoy a break from work, your life at home and the normal day to day routine.

On second thoughts, you come here and do my job and i'll go for you!

I'll go in your place. I've not had a holiday for over 2 years. Just go, you might actually enjoy it.

I would imagine there is loads to do:

https://www.timeout.com/travel/biarritz/intro.html

WWID - I would go, definitely...

Nomination for Most Ungrateful Hitcher anyone?

If you don't want to go then don't. But I don't see why you have to bang on about it on here. Didn't you read the posts from Hitchers who lost out when XL crashed? And people losing their jobs? Talk about insensitive.

Lili, you are very odd indeed. If you don't want to go, don't - as you say it's only £40.

I am beside myself with excitement because loml and I mightbe going away for Christmas, for 7 nights to a self-catering cottage-type place in the UK. We'll mostly be reading bookss, going for long walks, relaxing, and enjoying having time together.

Please don't get me wrong - I'd love to go on holiday I'm just not sure what we are supposed to be doing is right for us right now. Money is a big factor, we're broke and so any holiday needs to be spot on as we can't afford to go away and not enjoy it - this is supposed to be a budget break but the more I think about it the more I can see costs soaring...

Other than an aquarium I can't find much to do in Biarritz that's suitable for mid October. It's not going to be warm enough for the beach and the tourist website / online guides like Time Out don't suggest many alternatives other than exploring the region which involves hiring a car which is yet more expense and more hassle.

I can't be bothered to sort out insurance and car parking because once I've done that we'll have to go, I can afford to loose £40 on flights but not flights, insurance and car parking.

We are both stressed up to our eyeballs, and just need to escape life for a few days - if I could have someone come in and cook and clean for us for a few days that would be perfect, I'd love nothing more than to stay at home really as what we need is to just spend some time together hibernating but that means cooking, cleaning, ironing and that's what I need to escape from.

I'm not being ungrateful by any means, H and I are desperate for a break - we haven't had a holiday for 2 years because of various issues and need to get away before one of us cracks.

Lou, to be honest I don't know what's wrong with me at the moment - I'm so negative all of the time. Miserable and negative - I can't see the good in anything or anyone, and to be honest I don't know how to shake it off, hence why I'm trying to decide if we should risk going and being bored / stressed / fed up out there or if we should cancel the hotel now and just book ourselves into a hideaway here.

Cup completely empty?

i'm sorry but i'd go. you can have a nice holiday without a dvd player, if you're so keen to watch dvds then bring a portable one in your hand luggage.

? Sorry if I sounded harsh Lili. You don't really sound like your usual sparky self tbh. A break might be just what you need, and as long as you're sensible it needn't cost the earth, or indeed any more than you'd necessarily spend at home. As long as you have a good wooly jumper, you and MrL can go for lovely invigorating walks along the blustery beach or the promenade. There are plenty of reasonably priced restaurants along with the glitzier ones too. I would still go- and if all you wnat to do is hibernate, then do so in biarritz and enjoy the change of scene. ?

Blimey Lilli is it really over 2 years since you got married !!

Where does the time go?? ?

I agree with Lou. It will probably do you the world of good just being somewhere totally different. You can go for lovely walks exploring, sit in lovely cafes with a good book or 2 and buy cheap french plonk and get squiffy in the evenings. I doubt going anywhere nice in the UK will be any cheaper tbh.

We're looking at Ludlow so we'd also have lots of fab food cooked for us ?

Don't get this "hideaway" thing, Lili. If you want to cosy up in your hotel room and sleep/shag/read/whatever, you can do that just as well in France as anywhere else, surely? If the cost of the hotel is an issue, plan a holiday at home - get a cleaner to come in the day before it starts and the day you go back to work so you don't have to worry about keeping the place tidy - it would only cost about £50 all told. It's hard to do though - when one's at home, there's always work/internet/DIY/other distractions.

Go.

Get some good books and a few games. Have long lie ins, lazy lunches, go to the aquarium one day, go for walks, window shop, sit and look at the views. Go back to the hotel for siestas, nice evening meal and back to the room for an early night.

That way you've had a change of scenery, you've had plenty of time to relax and spend time together and you haven't spent any more than you would at home. Sounds like the ideal way to recharge your batteries.

When H was working in Africa we met up for a week in The Gambia on a cheap break. We had a fab time on a low budget, we look back now and can't believe how much we enjoyed our evenings spent eating sweets and chocolate and playing Uno!

Sophie, this sounds fab! Room for one more and a pair of size 8 walking boots? ?

Oo, missed this earlier. How lovely! ?

I know - I think it's such an ace idea ? We can't really afford it, but what the hell.

We did the going away to a cottage for Christmas thing last year - it was lovely and relaxing.

You're all right - I am an ungrateful cow ?

As I said I don't know what's wrong with me at the moment, I think I'm just so tired and so stressed and Mr. Lili is too - I just woke up this morning and felt like I need to hide away somewhere, lock myself in a room with supplies and ‘recover' but deep down I know that's not what I need. I need fresh air and a change of scene and me and Mr. Lili need to have some fun...Sophie, If I'm honest I don't get the hideaway thing either - although your holiday does sound heavenly - that's what I need, no expectations or rigid planning but you're right, there's no reason why we can't have that, in Biarritz.

The hotel cost isn't an issue, I reckon we'd actually spend more on a hotel here - if anything I'm worrying it's too cheap - it's rated so highly on Trip Advisor hence why I booked it, it's only 2 star but looks very funky and like it could be fun www.hotelmirano.fr I'm just worried there's a catch - funky boutique hotels are usually costly?!

I suppose I just needed reassurance and as always you've all made me see a bit of sense - I know I can rely on you all to tell me how it is ?

This break is a big deal for us right now and I need it to be good - I'm stressing about things I wouldn't normally care about but I just feel like I have the weight on the world on my shoulders, even though I'm not insensitive or stupid to know that our worries are nothing compared to what others are going through, they are big worries for us though, mainly money related hence spending money is making me feel so guilty...

God, I just need someone to shake me hard. I hate being pathetic.

Crookshanks - Virtual Tourist has made me feel a bit better - the Biarritz tourism website was rubbish, it's just beach, watersports and golf - but VT suggests a few walks which could be good, and I didn't know there was a harbour or a lighthouse. I think we will need to hire a car though so will look at that later, with a car we could always drive to Spain for the day too...

Just had a look to see what's on next week- there's a food festival running all of next week at Les Halles, a concert of film music on Sat 11th in neighbouring (i.e. a short bus ride) St Jean de Luz (website)(Place Louis XIV at 18:00. For more information: ****.) Also, the weather for next week is to be in the high 60s low 70s, bright with sunny spells and the odd bit of fog. Sounding a bit better?

I usually hate preparing for holidays but once im there, its fine. I went with H to Lubljana about a year ago because we got a cheap flight. He had to go for work so I was on my own all day. its a very small city but i just grabbed a map, and walked around all the little alleys and sat and read in a cafe etc. Its just nice to be somewhere else for a change so im sure you will enjoy it. I even found a little spa place and got a facial and manucire for about £30. Hope you go and im sure you'll enjot it once you're there.

that is SO unfair. so what if she cant be bothered to go? its her money. since when did someone have to wear bloody sackcloth and flagellate themselves just becuae theyre feeling a bit lazy or disinterested?

anyway, biarritz is quite good fun, and there are some excellent restaurants there, one particular one springs to mind on the quayside at a village called guethary, which does the most amazing sardines. cant remember its name though.

Lil just to let you know off peak French hotels often are cheapy cheapy- even the fab ones. i had exactly the same thought a few years ago when we went to SOF in December

But it's OK to call people stupid and insult them with absolutely no provocation, of course.

Lili - st Jean de luz is really nice - we used to go on holiday there when I was a kid. Anyway, even if the weather is cold, walks on windy cold beaches are great for blowing away the cobwebs.

Post has been removed for abusive language - Nickj that was uncalled for