Well, we called it a Festive Cracker – and it absolutely was! We’ve just come back from an absolutely superb festive break at the Winnock Hotel, which is situated in the little village of Drymen close to the Southern tip of Loch Lomond. This hotel has a great reputation, so we were really excited for…
HOLIDAY REVIEW: ISLE OF MAN MAGIC Our Isle of Man holiday this year was one that had been postponed once or twice due to the pandemic and varying travel restrictions, so it was great to be finally there at the end of August! As always, it’s an early start on the first day as we…
HOLIDAY REVIEW: KYNREN One of our popular one-night breaks is to the fantastic open-air show called Kynren, which takes place just outside Bishop Auckland each summer. Kynren is one of those shows that words just don’t do justice to – you really need to see it to appreciate how utterly amazing it is. In short,…
One of our favourite things to do is to visit the Edinburgh Tattoo! Although we didn’t have a coach trip planned this year, we managed to get our own little trip to stay with Nigel’s parents in Scotland, and booked a last minute evening to Edinburgh for the Tattoo performance. We thought the show was…
One of the most memorable trips we’ve done is taking the Normandy veterans back to France for the D-Day commemorations. It’s always a moving experience and a privilege to be able to go with them. But on one occasion it was memorable for an altogether different reason! It was the 7th June. We’d done all…
There’s no better way to step back in time and enjoy some traditional luxury than by spending a day onboard the Belmond British Pullman! This is fast becoming one of our favourite short breaks, when we head down to London for a two night break and full day on this historic train. Timing as they…
It was great to be heading back to the Royal Victoria Hotel in Llanberis in May, particularly as this trip is one of those which has been cancelled a time or two due to the Covid-19 pandemic! In fact, this was the last hotel we stayed at before the very first lockdown was announced, on…
When it’s time to book your holiday, you’ll be asked to indicate a seating preference on your booking form – but how do you know which are the best seats onboard the coach? First of all, it’s important to say that this is totally a matter of personal preference – and we do find that…
We spend a lot of time enjoying some beautifully scenic drives through the UK and beyond – after all, it was Ralph Waldo Emerson who wrote that ‘life is a journey, not a destination’. So with that in mind, we’re going to bring you an occasional blog series called ‘Scenic Drives by Coach’ which are…
As someone who’s been a coach driver for nearly 40 years, I’ve seen a lot – but every so often, something happens that you don’t anticipate. Although I can laugh about it now, our excursion to Tintagel & Bude a couple of years ago was one of those times….. We were staying at the Durrant…
Our Mystery holidays are always a popular choice, and we like to have a bit of fun on our outward journey and keep you guessing about what our destination is going to be! We normally run three Mystery trips a year – Spring, Summer and a Festive holiday in early November, and we don’t duplicate…
Discover the wonderful North Wales region and see our top picks for your days out while staying in this beautiful part of the UK. You could explore the stunning mountain landscapes, reach summits and discover mountain villages, visit gardens and beaches, discover the turbulent history between England and Wales through the ring of castles…
Some of our most favourite coach holiday experiences are where we take a little walk on the wild side! No, we’re not talking lions and tigers, but instead it’s all about when we take the coach somewhere a little bit remote that you might not expect us to be able to get to. These tend…
We’ve just returned from our fantastic Cornish Coastal Delights holiday, staying at the superb Hannafore Point Hotel in Looe! This is a trip we normally run every year, but due to the pandemic it has been a whopping three years since our last visit – so it was great to finally be back! It’s always…
Here we are with our third and final part of our Favourite Castles blog – and this time we’re looking at castles in England! We have such a diverse range of castles, from those that are little more than ruins to grand palaces, those that are looked after by bodies such as the National Trust…
It’s time for Part Two of Our Favourite Castles blog series – and this time we’re looking at our favourite Castles in Wales! Did you know Wales holds the record for the most castles per square mile than anywhere else in the world? That’s a lot of castles! In reality, these can be anything from…
Did you know there are said to be over 4000 castles in the UK? That seems a lot for a relatively small place! In reality, castles can be anything from little more than a ruin, to the historic and world-famous Windsor Castle, home of our monarch with over 900 years of history. Historically, they were…
If you haven’t travelled with us before, you might not be aware of one of the most important members of our team – our coach, Serena! She would probably argue that she’s the most important member – after all, we’re not getting far without her (lol). But if you’re new to our holidays, you might…
For years, Nigel has been telling me how good the Tynedale Hotel’s “Landlubbers” mock cruise themed breaks are. It’s a break he used to offer many moons ago, but we’ve not managed to do it in the 15 years I’ve known him, as the hotel is ALWAYS full – so once you lose your slot…
Here at Exclusive Holidays HQ we agree that Scotland is one of our favourite places to visit on our coach holidays and we can’t wait to be heading back there later this year! Here are our top five reasons to visit Scotland: SCENIC DRIVES Top of the list has to be the landscape – lochs and…