Lol why on earth would anyone think the Isle of Wight is abroad?! I really love the Isle of Wight, it's one of my favourite places, but it's clearly part of Britain and not abroad! Or was your post sarcasm and it's gone way over my head?:D
Here's a question though, who classes Ireland as "abroad"?
Anyone with a degree of intelligence. It's a sovereign state & likely to cause offence if you state the opinion that it's "not abroad" whilst you're over there.
It's no different to calling Canada "America" or New Zealand "oz"
I've been to Spain, Turkey and Greece. My mum (60 this year) has never been abroad, my dad hasn't since he was in the Merchant Navy in the early 70's and one lads holiday to Spain in 1972!
I have been lucky enough t be abroad a lot. I think there is plenty to do in the UK though so not going abroad is not the worst thing. I do think thought that not leaving a county is a great shame and probably very narrow-minded. Travelling (not necessarily abroad) certainly helps expand the mind.
There are so many places I would like to visit around the world, but the problem I have is that every time I get off a plane my fear of flying gets worse. I know, I know, it's the safest mode of transport but I just hate it. I'm fine with boats and trains so Europe is doable but after that it becomes tricky. I'm not too upset as there is plenty left of the UK for me to discover, but as a linguist I do want to visit certain places a long distance away such as South America.
I didn't go abroad till I was 29 and that was only Ireland on Ryanair with my mum. We had been doing our family tree together and found an Irish branch and we went to follow it up. We met a jolly chap called Billy who was an expert in West Meath and helped us. People at Dublin Airport were looking at us funny, I was taking photos of the plane we'd just travelled in, the car we were hiring lol, it was an adventure!
When I was little, the idea of going abroad never even came up. We were all very happy with our days out to Blackpool, Southport, York and other local places. We went to Conwy when I was 8 and I actually did imagine some border post, probably manned by a lady in a shawl and one of those Welsh hats
The thing that stopped me going when I was an adult was just lack of someone to go with - one boyfriend was afraid of flying so I was never going to travel far with him! In my mid 30s, I started with a boyfriend who loved his holidays and we went to Italy, Austria, Paris, Amsterdam, Bruges, Malta and Cyprus. Around this time I was working in a department store where there was a travel agency and we got discounts Eventually, when someone went on mat leave, I got the chance to work on the travel counter and got to go on a trip to California! I also went to Albufeira with my friends from college back in the 80s when we all turned forty. But considering I'd only been to Ireland till I was 34, I was a late developer!
I still felt a bit of a fraud working in that travel bureau as all the Caribbean and Asian places that were becoming popular were totally out of my experience. It's made me wary of travel agents because if they could give me a job, there's no guarantee the girl or boy behind the counter knows anything at all! I loved organising the weddings though!
Been to Holland, Greece and France when I was a youngling.
Can't 'travel' now and the very thought of being stuck in a plane unable to get off fills me with absolute horror, even though I LOVED my one and only flight to Greece ....
Genuinely surprised that there is anybody around these days who's never left the country, but each to their own I suppose. Agree with comments made by a couple of posters regarding it being cheaper to take a two week holiday in France or Spain than in this country.
My own list: Ireland, Portugal, Spain, France, Belgium, Holland, Luxembourg, Denmark, Germany, Austria, Czech, Slovakia, Hungary, Poland, Estonia, Italy, Malta, Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, USA, Trinidad, Jamaica. Planning to add Latvia to the list later this year and would really like to go to Croatia.
I think if a group of friends hadn't invited me to go to amsterdam for a few days a long time ago, it's very highly likely i'd have never left the country.
but then i haven't been anywhere since, my passport has long expired and I really don't have any desire to renew it either. cost plays a large part in things like that and also that i've never really had the mindset of "oh I must get away.." either.
Tenerife is basically Brits Abroad Never go there if you want culture.
I love travelling, been to a few places (Australia, USA, NZ, various countries in Europe) but am desperate to see more of the world, especially Canada.
I've done a lot of travelling earlier in my life, at the taxpayer's expense too, so it's all good:D I haven't been outside Europe for some time though. France is every few weeks for us, for various reasons. It's going to be 27 c in St Malo on Sunday, I'll try and think of you guys, but cannot promise.
I haven't we only ever went to places in England and Wales when I was growing up (I am from Scotland) and I still only go to those countries now usually England. the furthest South I have been is London and the furthest north John O'Groats.
I don't have a passport and I am not even sure if I ever will.
Yes, I have, but I don't have a valid passport right now.
There again, I've never been to Scotland, but it's on my bucket list.
I made it to near Carlisle once, when I went on a bus tour with a friend from the Lake District, but that's the nearest I've got, so far.
Here's a question though, who classes Ireland as "abroad"?
I do, if you are talking about the ROI, as it's a separate country from the UK, although admittedly we have reciprocal arrangements with them, that you don't get with other European countries, i.e. no passport control (normally), as the ROI, like the UK has not signed the Schengen Agreement. You may still need a passport, by the jobsworth airline companies, but you shouldn't. That's how it used to be IIRC, but things may have changed.
I've done a lot of travelling earlier in my life, at the taxpayer's expense too, so it's all good:D I haven't been outside Europe for some time though. France is every few weeks for us, for various reasons. It's going to be 27 c in St Malo on Sunday, I'll try and think of you guys, but cannot promise.
According to my weather forecast addon in FF, it's going to be 26c here next Monday.
I haven't. Every other day you hear of something awful happening to Brits abroad. Stay at home and eat an ice cream in the garden.
Depends where you go obviously. I wouldn't fancy a 2 week holiday to Syria or Iraq right now, not that it was ever on the agenda.
Most of Europe, the USA, Canada, New Zealand, Australia (*), Japan is usually a pretty safe bet, but I for one will never ever be setting foot in Africa, large parts of Asia or south America. That's for other people to do. I could spend a lifetime travelling around Europe alone.
Any country not listed as democratic by either Freedom House or Amnesty International is definitely a no go area as far as I'm concerned. I'll let other people take the risks. Holidays for me are where I want to go and relax big time, as in not having to worry too much about external factors like political unrest, kidnappings, dodgy diseases or animals (*), extreme weather conditions and such like.
(*) I might make an exception here.
ETA. Plus, I don't particularly want to spend hours on what is effectively an oversized coke can with wings, a tail, pointed front end, flying 30000+ feet in the air laden with tonnes of highly inflammable fuel.
ETA1. The other thing I have is needle phobia, as in if I know I have to have an inoculation, I start to freak out. So, that could be a deal breaker.
Depends where you go obviously. I wouldn't fancy a 2 week holiday to Syria or Iraq right now, not that it was ever on the agenda.
Most of Europe, the USA, Canada, New Zealand, Australia (*), Japan is usually a pretty safe bet, but I for one will never ever be setting foot in Africa, large parts of Asia or south America. That's for other people to do. I could spend a lifetime travelling around Europe alone.
Any country not listed as democratic by either Freedom House or Amnesty International is definitely a no go area as far as I'm concerned. I'll let other people take the risks. Holidays for me are where I want to go and relax big time, as in not having to worry too much about external factors like political unrest, kidnappings, dodgy diseases or animals (*), extreme weather conditions and such like.
(*) I might make an exception here.
Japan has one of the lowest murder rates in the world - lower than the UK - so yeah, pretty safe..
Comments
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I was responding to and101s post.
Anyone with a degree of intelligence. It's a sovereign state & likely to cause offence if you state the opinion that it's "not abroad" whilst you're over there.
It's no different to calling Canada "America" or New Zealand "oz"
Does the isle of Wight count?
There are so many places I would like to visit around the world, but the problem I have is that every time I get off a plane my fear of flying gets worse. I know, I know, it's the safest mode of transport but I just hate it. I'm fine with boats and trains so Europe is doable but after that it becomes tricky. I'm not too upset as there is plenty left of the UK for me to discover, but as a linguist I do want to visit certain places a long distance away such as South America.
When I was little, the idea of going abroad never even came up. We were all very happy with our days out to Blackpool, Southport, York and other local places. We went to Conwy when I was 8 and I actually did imagine some border post, probably manned by a lady in a shawl and one of those Welsh hats
The thing that stopped me going when I was an adult was just lack of someone to go with - one boyfriend was afraid of flying so I was never going to travel far with him! In my mid 30s, I started with a boyfriend who loved his holidays and we went to Italy, Austria, Paris, Amsterdam, Bruges, Malta and Cyprus. Around this time I was working in a department store where there was a travel agency and we got discounts
I still felt a bit of a fraud working in that travel bureau as all the Caribbean and Asian places that were becoming popular were totally out of my experience. It's made me wary of travel agents because if they could give me a job, there's no guarantee the girl or boy behind the counter knows anything at all! I loved organising the weddings though!
Can't 'travel' now and the very thought of being stuck in a plane unable to get off fills me with absolute horror, even though I LOVED my one and only flight to Greece ....
My own list: Ireland, Portugal, Spain, France, Belgium, Holland, Luxembourg, Denmark, Germany, Austria, Czech, Slovakia, Hungary, Poland, Estonia, Italy, Malta, Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, USA, Trinidad, Jamaica. Planning to add Latvia to the list later this year and would really like to go to Croatia.
but then i haven't been anywhere since, my passport has long expired and I really don't have any desire to renew it either. cost plays a large part in things like that and also that i've never really had the mindset of "oh I must get away.." either.
I love travelling, been to a few places (Australia, USA, NZ, various countries in Europe) but am desperate to see more of the world, especially Canada.
Like what you did there!
What comes to mind when they think of say Spain, France, Greece and Turkey or any of the more popular places holiday places?
Yes, I have, but I don't have a valid passport right now.
There again, I've never been to Scotland, but it's on my bucket list.
I do, if you are talking about the ROI, as it's a separate country from the UK, although admittedly we have reciprocal arrangements with them, that you don't get with other European countries, i.e. no passport control (normally), as the ROI, like the UK has not signed the Schengen Agreement. You may still need a passport, by the jobsworth airline companies, but you shouldn't. That's how it used to be IIRC, but things may have changed.
According to my weather forecast addon in FF, it's going to be 26c here next Monday.
19 where I live. Though it changes by the hour.
You hear far more about awful things happening to Brits at home though don't you?
Depends where you go obviously. I wouldn't fancy a 2 week holiday to Syria or Iraq right now, not that it was ever on the agenda.
Most of Europe, the USA, Canada, New Zealand, Australia (*), Japan is usually a pretty safe bet, but I for one will never ever be setting foot in Africa, large parts of Asia or south America. That's for other people to do. I could spend a lifetime travelling around Europe alone.
Any country not listed as democratic by either Freedom House or Amnesty International is definitely a no go area as far as I'm concerned. I'll let other people take the risks. Holidays for me are where I want to go and relax big time, as in not having to worry too much about external factors like political unrest, kidnappings, dodgy diseases or animals (*), extreme weather conditions and such like.
(*) I might make an exception here.
ETA. Plus, I don't particularly want to spend hours on what is effectively an oversized coke can with wings, a tail, pointed front end, flying 30000+ feet in the air laden with tonnes of highly inflammable fuel.
ETA1. The other thing I have is needle phobia, as in if I know I have to have an inoculation, I start to freak out. So, that could be a deal breaker.
Japan has one of the lowest murder rates in the world - lower than the UK - so yeah, pretty safe..