How many times a year do you go abroad be it for holidays or business?

Do you only ever do things you need to do, or do you sometimes do things you like to do?

Interesting suggestions but a hard sell.

As an island country with a large emigrant community scattered across the globe it's a very real issue for many.

Our tourism and export businesses depend on connectivity.

The matter of individual emissions will be dealt with eventually in the meantime there is no need for us to impose unilateral measures.

I see little need for anyone here to beat themselves up over a holiday trip.

This year, I've flown twice to the UK (I live in Spain, btw) and heading to Iceland in August. Probably squeeze in another city break in autumn and likely to fly home for Xmas/New Year's as my brother and his family will be back for the first time since 2019.

Frankly, its up to governments to enforce laws to restrict air travel if its such a problem. Didn't they ban short-haul flights within mainland France when there's an alternative by train? I think internal flights (within reason) should be banned. As an island, Ireland shouldn't face the same restrictions as other countries, imo.

So many of these global summits/G7 get togethers could be done by Zoom, as happened during Covid. Seeing thousands of people descend on a city from around the globe for a climate summit is infuriating and surely defeats the purpose.

Also, motorsports should be on the chopping board first and golf not too far behind. Professional sports, in fact, have a lot to answer for. Manchester United flew to Leicester not too long ago while Real Madrid flew to Zaragoza. Its taking the piss.

More focus should be placed on private jets: if you can afford a private jet, you can afford to pay a carbon tax on its use.

We spend approx. 8-9 weeks a year abroad, including a 5 week stint in SE Asia in Dec / Jan to get away from the miserable weather here.

All holiday, although I do get stung on the phone / email every so often... but nothing that can't be dealt with while sipping on a beer at the beach.

We don't do any domestic holidaying in Ireland. Coupled with the fact that prices are ridiculous and we have a yacht which we spend almost every weekend on from April - September inclusive, there's no point.

2023 so far hasn't been too exiting... had 6 nights in Prague, going to Croatia for 2 weeks in October but then the big trip, flying to Thailand (cheapest place to fly into by a long mile) for 5 weeks in December. Christmas dinner on the beach has become quite the novelty for us.

I got €30 each way, so €60 return to Italy for October with Ryanair. I booked it quite a bit in advance though.

A true Green! Not the ones going now, that run the Green Party anyway.

You’ve got me hooked😀- deffo want to do Christmas markets somewhere this year in Europe - any recommendations?

I would recommend the ferry. I much prefer it to flying.

How do you get so many holidays from work?

So someone going to Australia and back is one flight.

A second flight, since you’ve generously allowed us two, say to Japan.

Now, add up the return flight hours of those two trips and see if it amounts to half a dozen city breaks in various locations in Europe. i think you’ll find that it doesn’t.

I could go to Spain easily 4 times a year and it wouldn’t amount to one long haul flight

Ah great thanks- last time in Austria was the late 80s inter-railing and yes absolutely loved it - bout time I went back for a visit- I’ll start my research now.

9 times last year.

5 so far this year, with at least another three, likely four long hauls by the end of the year.

You'll be dead relatively soon in the grand scheme of things and by the sounds of it, you won't really have done very much at all.

Life is for living. As much as I love Ireland and living here, it's a relatively small lump of land off the Atlantic. We all need to get off it a couple of times a year or we'll go mad. Not doing so is just martyrdom.