Hi all
Just completing planning for our 2020 holiday so ignoring all the current travel problems I thought I’d share with you, stick my fingers in my ears singing ‘lalala’ loudly in between repeating ‘it’ll be fine by August’.
So for context and interest we are the Marshalls. This trip will be the 5 of us it does vary as eldest son is away at Uni (2nd year) and last year we went to Florida at Easter without him. We missed him, honestly!
It was the first time we’d been in March (our schools have the first 2 weeks in April off no matter when Easter is) but got some cracking prices with Virgin so had to take advantage.
Anyway After that it was the usual conversation with DH, let’s have a break from America next time. Let’s go somewhere else. Me - where? Him - I don’t know!
But stop looking at Skyscanner for cheap flights to USA!
Anyway fast forward to September, Skyscanner lured me back in with promises of cheap flights and exotic locations. I tried to resist but then I saw BA flights to Toronto from our very local Leeds Bradford airport via London for £300 last 3 weeks of the summer holiday
. Even DH had to agree it was a bargain.
But he said it’s Canada what would we do in Canada?
So began the Canadian investigation and what I found was there was lots to see and do and Canadian cities looked great, there was whale watching, parks and beautiful scenery!
I spoke to eldest DS who said could we go back to NYC? I said sure no problem?! In which case he said he’d come, thanks love good of you to grace us with your presence :mad2 especially as it’s a free holiday, not that I’m bothered about Canada
Ignored the lack of enthusiasm, got the nod to book and so we fly 17/8 from LBA which is literally 10 mins from our house down to Heathrow. Here comes the bit I didn’t tell them until later we have to transfer to Gatwick for the Toronto flight
. The good news is (ever the optimist) we fly Monday evening to London and then onto Toronto on Tuesday afternoon. So no worries about traffic. I’m honestly ok with it. I’ve booked a private transfer cost £70 and premier inn for the night £89 for 2 rooms. All sorted. Hopefully.
The airfare doesn’t include bags but we plan on utilising some of the very generous BA cabin allowance 23kg for cabin bag and 23kg smaller bag! Madness I know. To reduce hold luggage on the way out and will probably only book 2 for the way out but have 5 coming back (I’m a shopper what can I say
) to hold all the extra trainers and BBW bottles, cake mixes and candles etc
Anywayyyyyyy like I said extra bags required on the way home
Fly back on 5/9 so about 18 nights I think actually in North America.
The itinerary is as follows.
17/8 Gatwick Premier Inn
18/8 Shenstone Motor Inn Wiarton
20/8 Hampton Inn Markham Toronto
21/8 Strathcona Hotel Toronto
23/8 Parc Omega Montebello
24/8 Hotel Fauberg Montreal
26/8 Met et Monde Tadoussac area
28/8 Quebec Grand Appartement
31/8 Holiday Inn Albany
1/9 Hyatt Place Secaucus
4/9 Doubletree Niagara Falls
5/9 fly home
So 11 hotels in 18 nights is not everyone’s idea of fun - bring on the packing cubes I say! Seriously we have done a lot of this type of holiday and it suits us it won’t be for everyone I appreciate but hope you’ll follow the journey and Marshall mayhem - it’s going to be ... well interesting!