2026 travel plans

[Warks]

I mentioned before we had booked SYD-Doha and then on to Stockholm (August). Now booked the next phase from Stockholm to Lisbon then Porto to Madeira (Funchal) and Funchal to Prague via Lisbon. All these flights are on TAP Portugal. There were cheaper airlines flying to Madeira but they were all the ones Mrs Warks has forbidden me from booking (EasyJet, Ryan etc, Smartwings etc)
Just looking at accommodation on Madeira. I'd like to stay away from Funchal as we are in cities for most of the trip and Madeira offers a chance to stay out in a house in a more natural area, particularly in the north. Can get some pretty nice places for $200 per night or less.

 

[clifford]

I was always planning to go to Europe in Sep/Oct (unfortunately during the school holidays here), so I persevered with my vague plans despite the noise.

I've now booked Scoot+ SYD-BKK, and then a QF reward in J flying WY to LHR (plenty of availability). I'll be visiting my sister while in the UK

I haven't booked it yet, but I'm planning to then fly BA LHR-ZAG and Croatian (OU) ZAG-Split (SPU). I'll have several days there in a nice AirBnB, and then fly to Napoli (NAP) and spend a few days in the shadow of Mt Vesuvius.

Then I'll need to get back to Oz, but not sure quite how. I'm thinking J or PE from Italy to BKK (nothing startling available atm) and then CX to SYD in PE (which I've already booked).

Should be interesting.

 

[sjw2410]

New joiner, long time reader! I've got a few places on my 2026 bucket list with LSL coming available soon. Top of the list would have to be Taipei and Vancouver!

 

[RooFlyer]

Welcome to AFF @sjw2410 . Have a look in the Trip Reports section

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and do a search in that forum and you might get some new ideas.

 

[drron]

A warm welcome to AFF @sjw2410 . The Trip reports section these days have reports on lots of places world wide.

 

[OZDUCK]

We have now booked a trip to the UK in September for the 4 yearly reunion of the German side of my wife's ancestry with attendees from around the world. Amusingly as far as I am aware all of the members of the family with German ancestry living in the UK came there via Singapore. As with my wife they are all descendants of a German who went to Malacca in the 18th Century with the Dutch East India Company.

As usual we will hop up to Singapore and then catch QR onwards to Europe. I had just enough SQ miles to get us to Sin in J and we will return on Scoot. The all up price is roughly 50% of what a Perth/UK flight on QR would cost. We were last in the UK in 1976. We will fly in/out of Manchester. Even though I have read plenty about the airports deficiencies a close to $2,000 saving was to much to ignore. We had been planning to go to Manchester anyway.

 

[Beer_budget]

We have now booked a trip to the UK in September for the 4 yearly reunion of the German side of my wife's ancestry with attendees from around the world. Amusingly as far as I am aware all of the members of the family with German ancestry living in the UK came there via Singapore. As with my wife they are all descendants of a German who went to Malacca in the 18th Century with the Dutch East India Company.

As usual we will hop up to Singapore and then catch QR onwards to Europe. I had just enough SQ miles to get us to Sin in J and we will return on Scoot. The all up price is roughly 50% of what a Perth/UK flight on QR would cost. We were last in the UK in 1976. We will fly in/out of Manchester. Even though I have read plenty about the airports deficiencies a close to $2,000 saving was to much to ignore. We had been planning to go to Manchester anyway.

We have flown in and out of Manchester several times in the last few years. It's honestly fine. Lounge options are ho hum but I will take it over LHR every day of the week. The fact SQ flies there direct from Changi is a bonus.

 

[Forg]

We have flown in and out of Manchester several times in the last few years. It's honestly fine. Lounge options are ho hum but I will take it over LHR every day of the week.

What's the problem with LHR?
My experiences are pretty limited, one was during the 2012 Limpix and airport staff were on the same happy-happy high as Sydney was on in 2000 so everything flowed like clockwork, the other was 2018 return to Brussels so was almost a "domestic" flight and maybe that was why it was so easy?
Gatwick in 2018 wasn't the worst airport experience I've had, but I preferred LHR.
Stansted for a return Edinburgh trip in 2012 was ... a lot like catching a Jetstar flight from before they opened the new terminal in Melbourne and you were right up the back of the airport with the sheep & the pallets of rubber dog-poo flying in from Hong Kong.
LHR trip coming in June/July unless my knee explodes or ortho surgeon says "NO!" ... that's my motivation in asking.

 

[GDSman]

2026 is beginning to firm up (all trips ex-HBA):
End Feb - MEL weekend for Ed Sheeran concert with family
Early March - Back to the UK - 1 week on QF Y to LHR and W back (what a treat!). Conference in Windsor and maybe a visit to a prospect end of week
Late May - Canada - 1 week flying QF W via YVR (QF Sale made it cheaper than Flex Y) - 2 Conferences in Toronto and Calgary
Late June - Fiji - traditional family holiday on an island for a week
August - Canberra (oh joy) for a Conference
Late Sept/Early Oct - Not yet booked but potential RTW in Y over 2 weeks - Niagara (Canada) for a conference and Regensburg (Bavaria) - 1 week each for 2 conferences. Will fly into MUC so may catch last weekend of Oktoberfest if lucky.