Musical Holidays for 2012
My passion for travel is pretty strong; I’ve given up perfectly decent jobs twice now in order to travel to forty countries at the last count. The only other hobby that comes close in my life is my love of music (listening, rather than playing – I am an awful guitarist). So I figured a post combining both of my two favourite passions would be one that might interest readers of the blog. How can you best combine music and travel?
The first obvious choice is through Music Festivals. Once summer approaches in Europe the festival season gets underway, from the world-famous wellyfest of Glastonbury down in deepest darkest Somerset to the sun-baked bikinifest of Benicassim in Spain. Throughout 2012 you will be able to watch the top live acts worldwide perform on stage and travel into the bargain; why not kill two birds with one stone?
On the plus side, you’ll have an active, fun holiday at a European music festival, and will no doubt meets lots of people and see tonnes of great bands. On the downside, you have to lug your gear with you (including bulky tents), flights will be at a premium unless you book ages in advance due to the abnormally high demand, and as anyone who has “larged it” (ahem) at a festival before will know, the late nights and lack of tent sleep can zap you so much that on returning home you don’t feel as if you’ve had a holiday at all!
Greasy long-haired indie types not your thing? Turn your head to the Med and try Ibiza on for size instead! Exciting Ibiza holidays 2012 can still be had in Europe’s dance capital. It’s not all idiots and glowsticks, however – some of the world’s top DJs still attack the turntables in Ibiza, and whilst it’s not the same as its heyday, it can still be a mesmerising experience. Take advantage of the dirt cheap deals on the High Street and grab a package with flight/apartment/transfer/club entry all sorted for you, or alternatively build your own holiday for complete perfection. A hedonist’s dream!
If you’re a more refined than slugging it out in moshpits or sweaty clubs, how about a slice of opera instead? Vienna might be a pricey destination, but at least it’s cheap to get to; budget flights from the UK serve Bratislava just over the border in Slovakia, and you can take a bus to Vienna from there. If you can stomach the hotel and food prices, you’ll unearth a stunning city with a centrepiece opera house. Best of all, the tickets are at highly accessible prices; a seat tucked away at the back of a box will cost you somewhere of the order of 10-15 euros. Worth it for the scenery alone, not to mention the fabulous acoustics when you hear the singers belting out Wagner!
So there are three very different musical holiday options for 2012… personally I want to try all three!