“What would you like to see more of on The Travel Hack?” This is a question I pose to readers all the time and the overwhelming response is always, ‘cheap weekend breaks!’ Yes, everyone wants more cheap weekenders. And why wouldn’t we? Weekend breaks give us something fabulous to look forward to and they mean …
“You’ve been converted!” Sam said excitedly over the speakerphone in the car. I was driving home from the Caravan, Camping and Motorhome Show at the NEC in Birmingham and was telling Sam all about my day. “The motorhomes were really nice! They were like hotel rooms on wheels!” I was telling him. “They were enormous …
The first thing I noticed about my hotel room was that there was no bed. Curious, I looked in cupboards and searched for hidden panels in the wall where perhaps a Murphy bed could be hiding. Nothing. Then it dawned on me. My room search had revealed that another fairly important feature was missing from …
Today’s Insider’s Guide is from Sophie, the travel blogger behind Luggage Tags and Ticket Stumps. Sophie lives in China and has put together an Insider’s Guide to Xi’an. If you’d like to visit Xi’an but could do with the help and guidance of a tour then check out ChinaXianTour for tailor made, package and group …
Mor Lodge, Newquay, has been rated at the UK’s top hostel in the LateRooms.com’s annual awards If you’ve been reading The Travel Hack for a while, you’ll know I’d always recommend staying in a hostel if you’re travelling on a budget. Hostels are great if you’re travelling in a group, you’re budget is tight …
This week’s Weekender of the Week goes to Den Bosch. It’s probably somewhere that you haven’t heard of, let alone visited, which I think makes it all the more appealing! It’s a city in the south of the Netherlands, off the well-trodden tourist track. It’s super easy to get to and you can even double …
Cynics amongst you may believe that it simply isn’t possible to travel for free in the UK using travel hacking methods (airline and hotel rewards). Usually this would be a fair assumption. After all, the British government absolutely stuffs us on our airline taxes (whilst our American brethren usually get away with a poxy $5.60 …
During the first weekend of September it was time to indulge in the weird and wonderful sights and sounds of Festival Number 6, a unique festival which descended on the picturesque village of Portmeirion in North Wales. Being pregnant and almost ready to pop, I very sadly decided to give the festival a miss this …
Most of us would like to travel more and the thing usually stopping us is the cost. Why does travel have to be so flipping expensive!? Well, actually, it doesn’t… I’ve been scouring Skyscanner is search of flights and deals (please tell me I’m not the only one who does this for fun!) and I …
The city of York brings to mind all things British. Proper cups of warming tea, cakes at world-famous Betty’s Tea Rooms and quaint Tudor architecture are just a few of the quintessentially English things associated with this town. So would it surprise you to know that York’s origins are totally international? It was founded by …
Birmingham is arguably one of the most underrated cities in the UK. I visited for the first time this summer to stay at the brand new AC Hotel Birmingham with Marriott Rewards (more about that further down!). My first reaction to the city was, ‘Why haven’t I been here before!?’ Birmingham is really cool and not …
This was our fifth and final foodie challenge with Huawei and took us to the shores of Wales on a sustainable lobster safari. Huawei had set us the challenge to seek out unusual food trends throughout the UK and to document it with the Huawei P9. Of course, we happily accepted such a delicious challenge! …
It’s so easy for us Brits to hop over to Europe for our holidays, but next time you book your winter break consider a skiing holiday in North America. Seriously. Skiing in Canada and the US is SO amazing and infinitely better than skiing in Europe if you ask me. And those of you who …
The Supa Dupa by Cosatto is a double pushchair I’ve been using for the past few months with my two boys. We have George who is currently 21 months and Joseph who is 3 months. I really struggled to find ‘the perfect double pushchair’ because they’re either too big, too bulky, too expensive or too …
How is 2017 treating you so far? I feel like we’re far enough into January to ask that now – last week was far too soon and I was definitely still in a post-Christmas fog. Actually, I think I’m still in the post-Christmas fog. I’ve mostly spent this week with my head buried in my …
Searching for your next weekend getaway? Well, look no further! The Cotswolds has your name all over it. Besides the dreamy landscapes, the best thing about the Cotswolds is that there are so many lovely hotels that won’t break the bank. This area of natural beauty spans an impressive 800 square mile area through five …
Following on from part 1 of my Les Castels travel journal from my trip to France… Day #5: Exploring Dinan To say Dinan is ‘charming’ is the biggest understatement of the century. Dinan is another ‘Harry Potter-esque’ kind of place and it felt a lot like Hogsmeade (I say that like I regularly go …
With just one day in Tokyo, an enormous city bursting with sights and flavours and jaw-dropping contrasts, how much can you really see? This was the unenviable task that Sam, my guide, was given when he met me at Asakusa View Hotel on a sunny Sunday morning. I’ve been to Tokyo before, briefly and many …
Happy Sunday everyone! It’s a long Weekend Reads this week. I missed it last week as I was in beautiful Barcelona. It was my first trip to Barcelona and I booked it as a surprise holiday for Sam’s birthday. I somehow managed to keep it a surprise right up until we got to the security …
I used to do it all the time. I’d scroll through my newsfeed and have to bite down a rising sense of envy as I saw that another one of my old school friends had taken off on some kind of once-in-a-lifetime travel adventure – or even just an incredible, sun-soaked two-week getaway. I’d reason …
We’d been in the Maldives for just a few hours. We’d had a walk around the island, swam in the ocean, had a cold beer and then – boom – the long flight finally caught up with me and I sank into our enormous bed with a sigh of relief. The air-con was on max …
How to get to Murcia It’s easy to fly to Murcia either directly to Murcia airport, or Alicante which is about 30-45 minutes drive away. There are flights throughout the year to both airports including with budget airlines such as Ryanair and Monarch. Where to stay in Murcia Murcia city has loads of hotel options …
2016, what a year! But I’ve got to admit, before writing this list I genuinely thought I hadn’t done much this year. In some ways the year has flown by in the blink of an eye but in other ways it’s felt like the longest year of all. The things I did in January feel …
Located in southwest Canada, the wild and sparsely populated Yukon territory is paradise for every adventure seeker and landscape lover. It’s a place to escape from everyday life and enjoy a natural, unedited version of the world. Glassy blue lakes fringed with impossibly straight trees and rugged mountains with snowy peaks lingering in the distance. …
Happy New Year! And welcome back to Weekend Reads. Remember I used to do this series all the time where I shared some of my favourite articles from around the blogosphere, competitions, stuff I’ve found and loved and a little life update? I don’t remember why it dwindled away but I’m determined to bring it …
Before visiting Miami I asked around for some tips and ideas for things to see and do. As always, my fellow travel bloggers and Miami locals were amazing and came back to me with some great suggestions. As the suggestions starting coming in I noticed a common theme here, nearly all of them were recommendations …
If you’re travelling to a cold destination this winter then you’re definitely going to need a pair of stylish but practical winter boots. I get a lot of emails from ladies travelling to Iceland who want to stay warm, cosy and dry but don’t want to spend their holiday in walking boots. I feel you, …
I remember when I was learning to drive (a terrifying 12 years ago) and during one driving lesson my instructor made me spend the entire hour getting on and off the same roundabout. It was the dreaded ‘B&Q Roundabout’ and I hated it. Every time I approached it my palms would be sweating and my …
I couldn’t help but giggle as I sat on the Eurostar with a glass of champagne in one hand and over €3,800 in cash in the other. I couldn’t believe this was actually happening and I couldn’t believe how lucky I was to have been selected for this ‘challenge’. In case you missed it, I …
Do you fancy staying in one the towers of a medieval town wall, facing the Menai Strait in Wales? Read on to find out about Monica’s weekender with The Landmark Trust at Bath Tower in Caernarfon’s fortified walls. One feeling I’m sure will never get old is the amazing feeling you get when you step …