[joeysteele]

Originally Posted by Redway

Well, people need a break after working hard for most of the year, and finding a place to go is difficult enough. However, I do think crying is a tad too much, but, hey, I suppose we all react to certain things in different ways.

I agree with you, I would personally get angry at being stranded but doubt I would actually cry.

When I next go abroad I will make sure I take the means to be able to make alternative arrangements to get back home. I think in the current economic climate, the uncertainty around Europe too as to their finances,it is likely that no firms can be totally trusted.

[Livia]

Originally Posted by lostalex

Living and enjoying on who's dollar??(or on who's euyro i should say) It;s okay if yur Paris Hilton i guess, but if yur an entire country of slackers like the PIGS, not so much.

The Germans and French i don't think will be happy to pick up the slack for the PIGS siestas and tax avoiding. It's not fair.

And yet the USA is in such massive financial trouble right now.

What is the leave entitlement in the USA?

[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by lostalex

Living and enjoying on who's dollar??(or on who's euyro i should say) It;s okay if yur Paris Hilton i guess, but if yur an entire country of slackers like the PIGS, not so much.

The Germans and French i don't think will be happy to pick up the slack for the PIGS siestas and tax avoiding. It's not fair.

Anyway, the Spanish work the same hours as the rest of us, they just have a longer break in the middle of the day but work later and start earlier.

[lostalex]

Originally Posted by Livia

And yet the USA is in such massive financial trouble right now.

What is the leave entitlement in the USA?

Maybe we can get Germany and France to bail USA out too

Leave? i think usually it's 2 weeks paid vacation for most Americans, But i remember reading an article recently that most American's don't even take the whole 2 weeks. Don't quote me on that. I know it's definitely a lot less than Europeans though.

I'm not saying we shouldn't have more vacation time for everyone, but only if you can make it work. Obviously when you've got the Chinese working for peanuts, it's impossible to compete. There needs to be a more level playing field around the world i think.

there needs to be some kind of Global minimum wage, and global vacation time, and global healthcare rights, and global workers rights. That would make it more fair for everyone.

[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by lostalex

Maybe we can get Germany and France to bail USA out too

Leave? i think usually it's 2 weeks paid vacation for most Americans, But i remember reading an article recently that most American's don't even take the whole 2 weeks. Don't quote me on that. I know it's definitely a lot less than Europeans though.

I'm not saying we shouldn't have more vacation time for everyone, but only if you can make it work. Obviously when you've got the Chinese working for peanuts, it's impossible to compete. There needs to be a more level playing field around the world i think.

there needs to be some kind of Global minimum wage, and global vacation time, and global healthcare rights, and global workers rights. That would make it more fair for everyone.

I was thinking that the other day after reading that thread about Africa. I think that that's the way it should go, where or how to even start that is beyond me though.

[Jords]

I absolutely love holidays

For me theyre a real break from everything - be that work or people and its a great way to just recuperate fully. You also get that buzz being in a different country and experience a bit of the culture. Not to mention you go on holiday purely to seek fun and get the chance at some exciting activites.

Then when youre back from a holiday you tend to be in a good frame of mind ready to crack on with 'life'!

People moaning about it being a waste of money or whatever clearly need to go on a good holiday.

[Boothy]

Last time I went on 'holiday' was on a German exchange trip in 2008. It was nice to learn about how they live and about their culture. For example, they start school at 7am so we had to get up at 5am, but they finish at about 12 so you get the whole afternoon to yourself.

They also eat a s**tload of meat.

Where I stayed was in a small village type of place near the black forest so the scenery was class too.

I prefer doing stuff like that than going to a holiday resort in Europe. I get really bored just sitting on a beach or by the pool. I need to keep my mind busy. Also, it's no different from home. You get the same type of people, just in a foreign country. There's no culture or new experience or anything My mum isn't really into holidays though, especially outside of the norm, so I've never really got the chance to go anywhere of interest.

[Niall]

Going away is fantastic, I absolutely love it - especially if its somewhere I've always wanted to visit or somewhere I already love.

Traveling somewhere really far away is something I love. The whole experience is something I've come to revel in, from the journey to the airport, to packing and the whole plane journey itself. I love it. It all helps build anticipation for the holiday imo, like when I flew to Florida a couple years ago, I was practically bouncing off the walls half an hour before landing.

[Joelle.]

I like going on holiday abroad as you get to experience different cultures etc., but to be honest I like going on holiday in the UK, mostly to Scotland, just as much.

[Benjamin]

Originally Posted by Stu

See : My mum.

She spends the year looking foward to the family - sans Stu's - two week stay in an Irish/English tourist plantation deathtrap in Spain or Portugal [you know ... the kind of holiday that involves getting drunk every night with the same twats you'd see down the road and not actually taking in a foreign country in any meaningful way] then as soon as the holiday is over she's looking up next years holidays on the internet constantly.

It's all incredibly depressing. Just read a book or take up some meaningful activity that costs less and that you can carry out closer to home. The amount of people who lead such boring lives but want to do nothing about it save for the occasional bit of escapism is amazing.

You have just described what I NEVER want to happen to my life.

[Captain.Remy]

I'm not travelling during summer anyway. Too many people everywhere. June is where it's at!