November 2025
Tue 11th to Sun 16th
6 days off to chill before the Christmas Peak
Away from Tuesday to Saturday visiting a friend near Stockport
No time off in December due to work restrictions
and other holiday adventures
☀️🌤️⛅🌥️☁️🌦️🌧️🌩️
6 days off to chill before the Christmas Peak
Away from Tuesday to Saturday visiting a friend near Stockport
No time off in December due to work restrictions
No plans this early in the year so I'll just watch the weather and see what day trip options I can find.
No time off in February as all allowance has been used
...
Tour Reference 217 - 7 days - Booking PPC95 - seat 5
Single Bath/Sh & WC - Price: £365 = £60.83/night (no sea view) - Balance due £315 01/02/2026
Buses: Stagecoach South East, Brighton & Hove (Coasters), Cuckmere Buses
Trains: Southern, Southeastern & Thameslink
Last visit in September 2023 included:
Battle & Carr Taylor Vineyard (closed August 2025
Newhaven & Lewes
Eastbourne Theatre Tour & Pevensey
Rye, inc Kiko's Cat Cafe & Hastings
Brighton (also visited July 2024)
🚍 Pickup: PRESCOT Cock Face Public House Liverpool Road - Time: 9:25
St Helens 9:40 Burtonwood 9:55
Depart Burtonwood approx 10:45 - seat 5
Stop at Welcome Break Oxford Services M40 approx 1:30 Depart approx 2:15
Arrive Hotel 4:45-5:15
Dinner approx 6:00 - sunset approx 6:30 - so no exploring this evening
My previous visits:
15th July 2024 - Sea Life Aquarium
8th September 2023 - Brighton Pavilion & Volks Electric Railway
🚍 Coach depart hotel 9:45 - Brighton 10:45 to 2:15 (3.5 hours) - Return hotel 4:00 via Beachy Head
Brighton & Hove Buses to Stanmer Park - 24 Hour Adult networkSAVER £7.00
Bus 78 Breeze - 11:10 Old Steine (F) - 11:36 - Direct to Stanmer
Bus 25 - every 8 mins - Old Steine (F) - approx 24 mins
1.5 miles - Park Gates <> One Garden Stanmer - approx 40 mins - Buses 25 & 78 (25 mins)
0.8 miles - Old Boat Corner - approx 20 mins - Bus 24 (35 mins)
example: arr 10:45 Brighton > arr 11:30 Stanmer > dep 1:00 walk & lunch > arr 1:45 Brighton
Bus 78 return times: dep 12:55 arr 13:22 & dep 14:05 arr 14:32
Train from Falmer 14:06 - arr hotel 15:08
Bus to Eastbourne: 12A dur 1:30 - 12X dur 1:07 - 13X dur 1:27
🚍 Coach depart hotel 9:45 arrive 11:00
Rye 11:00 to 1:00 (2 hours)
Kiko's Cat Cafe 2.0 - 22a Winchester Road - 15 min walk from Coach Park
30 min walk to station (& Car/Coach Park)
Train from Eastbourne to Rye: depart 9:50/10:40 arrive 10:47/11:47
11 min 0.5 miles walk to Kiko's
No other plans for Rye
Return: depart 12:48/1:48/2:48 arrive 1:45/2:45/3:45
30 min walk to station
🚍 Coach depart Rye 1:00
Hastings 1:30 to 3:30 (2 hours)
Return hotel 4:30
Hastings Castle £6.90 - via West Hill Lift £5.50 return
No other plans for Hastings
Free day (see options below)
Check Lynns Travel for Day Trips
Free day (see options below)
🚍 Coach depart hotel 9:45 arrive 10:15
Michelham Priory House & Gardens, Hailsham 10:15 to 12:15 (2 hours)
journey 30-40 mins
Battle 1:00 to 3:00 (2 hours)
Re-visit Battle Abbey - no other plans
Return hotel approx 3:45
Holiday over and it's time for the journey home.
Day off tomorrow to unpack.
Royal Hippodrome
No shows currently listed for these dates
Grove Theatre
No shows currently listed for these dates
Eastbourne Theatres Group: Congress Theatre, Winter Garden & Devonshire Park Theatre
No shows currently listed for these dates
Price approx £12 - Castle & Gardens
Bus 349 every 2 hours (Stagecoach) - journey time approx 35 mins
Depart hotel no later than 9:15 walk 1.2 miles - approx 30 mins
Train depart 9:50 arrive 10:24 Hastings
Bus 349 depart 10:37 (Bus Stop E) arrive 11:13
Castle Inn - 34 stops - approx 36 mins
Walk 0.4 miles - approx 8 mins to castle - Arrive 11:21
11:30 to 1:30 (2 hours)
Depart castle before 1:40
Bus 349 depart 1:57 Castle Inn - arrives 2:38 Railway Station
Train departs 2:56 arrives 3:31 Eastbourne - arrive Hotel approx 4:00
Spa Valley Railway
Bus 51 every hour (Stagecoach) - journey time approx 1hr45
30 min walk to Bus/Train
Hotel depart no later than 8:30*/9:30 - *would need earlier breakfast if possible
Bus 51 depart 9:05/10:05 arrive 10:50/11:50 Royal Tunbridge Wells - War Memorial (duration 1:45)
11:47 Montacute Road - 7 min walk to Spa Valley Railway - arrive 11:54 (May be Saturday only)
£16 - times subject to change (if running) Train 11:15 to 12:15 & Train 12:45 to 1:45
12:00 to 2:00 (2 hours) or 3:00 (3 hours)
Bus 51 depart 2:01/3:01 arrive 3:50/4:50 (dur 1:50) - arrive hotel 4:30/5:30
Train from Eastbourne to London Victoria - direct service - approx 1:33 (Southern Trains)
allow 30 min walk to Eastbourne Station
Trains every 30 minutes - journey time approx 1hr35
Prices and times subject to change - Correct as at 15 Sep 2025
dep 9:05 P2 arr 10:38 P18 - 9 stops
dep 9:33 P3 arr 11:06 P18 - 10 stops
dep 10:05 P2 arr 11:36 P18 - 9 stops
approx 4.5 hours to explore - Check for Theatre Shows
RETURN
dep H:24 arr H1:53 - dep H:54 arr H1:17
until 15:54 arr 5:19 - Super Off-Peak Day Return £25.10 Valid on all off peak trains (e-Ticket)
16:24 to 18:54 £43.90
dep 19:24 arr 20:51 - dep 19:54 arr 21:17 - dep 10:24 arr 21:50
5 day short break (B&B) - NOT YET BOOKED
Wed 1st - HUY 12:48 to BPN 13:55
Laura's train eta 13:50 14:24
£17.30 advance singles or £26.90 anytime return
Taxi approx £6
Lawton Hotel £170 - check in after 2pm (it's my birthday)
Thu 2nd - Fri 3rd - Sat 4th - free days
Sun 5th - check out before 11am
BPN 10:37 HUY 11:52 £19.80 advance singles
BPN 11:37 HUY 12:52 £17.30 advance singles
Tour Reference 365BW - Snowdonia, Portmeirion & Railway - 8 days - Booking RBW34 - seat 13
Single Bath/Sh & WC - Price: £619 - £88.43/night (-LD-NSV) - Balance of £594 is due on 13/06/2026
Check bus/train timetables in June for latest services, and monitor for changes up to departure
Buses:
T2 (Lloyds Coaches) - 2 hours - Bangor - Aberystwyth via Caernarfon, Criccieth, Porthmadog, Dolgellau, Machynlleth
3 (Caelloi) - hourly - Pwllheli - Porthmadog
Trains: TFW (Transport for Wales) - 2 hours - Pwllheli - Machynlleth, Birmingham International
Outward Travel
Porthmadog & Portmeirion
Scenic Snowdonia & Barmouth
Free day
Free day
Llanberis & Snowdon Mountain Railway
Free day
Return home
Check summer services to see what options are available
Bus 3 dep H:41 travel 25 mins
Train dep H2:55 travel 18 mins
Market day Wednesday
Bus 3 dep 9:09/11:05 arr Porthmadog 9:21/11:08 > Bus G23 dep 9:27/11:27 arr Harlech 9:56/11:56
Review as option to stop in Porthmadog with hourly buses
Castle admission £10
Train Harlech to Criccieth - 12:26-12:58, 2:31-3:03 = 32 mins + 10 min walk
Bus T2 dep 10:02 arr Bangor Bus Station 11:30 (Lloyds Coaches)
Buses: G8C 11:32-11:40, 5D 11:45-11:50, 5 12:05-12:10, T10 12:10-12:16
1 mile 20 min walk to/from castle - arrive from 12:00 - depart before 1:30
or Depart before 3:30 then spend time in Bangor before returning.
Return
Bus G8C 1:25-1:35, 5 1:32-1:39, T10 1:45-1:52, 5D 1:54-2:00, 5 2:12-2:18
Bus T2 dep 2:30/4:30 arr 3:45/5:45
Tour Reference 195BW - Wonderful Isle of Wight - 8 days - Booking QZH50 - seat 13
Cosy Double View Bth/Shw WC - Price: £706 = £100.86/night (+CD+SV-LD) - Balance due £681 29/08/2026
Buses: Southern Vectis
Trains: Island Line
Let the holiday begin
Donkey Sanctuary
Free day
Free day
Osborne House & Whippingham Church
Carisbrooke Castle & Quarr Abbey
Alum Bay & Yarmouth
Return home
Hovercraft flight to Portsmouth
Bus 23 to South Parade Pier - every 10 mins - travel 10 mins
Explore: Canoe Lake, Model Village, Gardens, Fort, Monuments, Cumberland House (Natural History Museum)
return option - walk 1.8 mins - approx 40 mins, from Model Village
Buses 8 > 9 to Wootton Station - approx 1 hour - via Newport
Havenstreet Station - no public transport access
Smallbrook Junction - Island Line Train
Potential options
Return home
So how to I get there? (prices as at Sep 2025)
Bus to HUY - Huyton Station - £2.00 - 20 mins
Train HUY to MIA - Manchester Airport - open return £20.90 - 1 hour
Fly MAN to BRU (Brussels Airlines) - approx £200 - 1.5 hours
Train Brussels to Bruges £19 - 1 hour
Hotel - approx £600 for 1 week
Total cost for 1 week = approx £850 + meals + exploration travel
Flights example: (arrive 2 hours before departure)
Check-in deadline - 60 minutes prior to departure
MAN T2 11:10 - BRU 13:30 1hr20
£61.07 (Economy Light)
Carry-on bags
1 x 8kg (18lb) - max. 55 x 40 x 23cm
1 personal item - max. 40 x 30 x 15cm
£98.07 (Economy Classic)
+ 1 checked bag max 23kg
+ seat reservation
BRU 10:00 - MAN T2 10:25 1hr25
£71.20 > £108.20
Weekend / Short Break - Flight £120 - B&B 3 nights £240
Cost £360 + extras