It’s been such a long time since I’ve written any kind of personal blog post so I thought a quick catch-up was long overdue! You may have noticed that last week was a worryingly quiet week on The Travel Hack. Just one post in 7 days. What on earth is going on!? Here’s what… Home, …
Monica
The Travel Hack is all about affordable luxury so that means saving on one aspect of travel in order to splurge on another. I would love to travel in first-class luxury and dine in nothing but famous Michelin-Stared restaurants but, unfortunately, my budget doesn’t quite stretch to doing this ALL the time so I combine …
This week I’ve been testing the new UPP fuel cell, a portable power cell to give you up to one week’s worth of power to your devices. If anyone else out there is as geeky as I am, you’ll be getting pretty excited right now. This sounds like a modern and convenient device but is …
“I can’t believe I made that! Look, look, I made that!” I was beaming with pride like a child who had just painted their first picture. I looked around at my fellow bloggers who had mixed expressions. Some were smiling fondly at their California rolls like proud parents while others looked completely bewildered as their …
One thing a travel lover can never answer is the question that pops up all the time. ‘Where’s the best place you’ve ever been?’ I’m asked this all the time and usually refuse to answer because there are just too many options. It depends on your mood, who you’re with, your budget, the season and …
Looking for the perfect Christmas gift for a travel lover? Read on for unique and affordable gifts they’ll love… For the first time in my life I’m actually feeling pretty organised about Christmas. Lots of my presents are bought and even wrapped already and I’ve sent my Christmas list to Santa. (I know this sounds …
It’s hard to give tips about anything to do with pregnancy because every woman is so different and everyone has a different experience. So today I’m going to share what travelling while pregnant has been like for me and some tips that made it easier. This post may not apply to every pregnant woman. I’m …
It may be a few years ago now but my favourite travel experience is from my time travelling around Australia in a campervan. Nothing beats the freedom of a campervan, especially in such a huge and beautiful country like Australia. Every time I think about that battered old, green campervan I get a little tingle of excitement …
pintrk(‘load’,’2612413566639′); pintrk(‘page’); pintrk(‘track’, ‘pagevisit’); How do I start a blog and get free stuff? This is a question I’m asked a lot. Actually, it’s the question I’m asked the most so it makes sense I write a blog post about it. This also means I can give a more detailed answer than I ever could …
Has it really been nearly 2 months since I posted a Weekend Reads? It’s been such a busy few months I’ve barely had time to write, never mind read! What I’ve been Writing A Blood and Earth Cookery Course in Dublin with Domestic Godless A sneaky peak at Lavazza’s gorgeous 2015 calendar with Steve McCurry …
‘What would you do if you had £500 to spend on a UK adventure?’ This is the question put to all of us by UNIQLO for their latest #ULDadventure competition. (More about the competition at the end of this post) I’m a big fan of a good old staycation and I really believe we have …
Last month I travelled to Turin in Italy for the launch of Lavazza’s latest calendar. This isn’t the kind of trip I normally take but the photos were taken by Steve McCurry and I’m a huge fan of his travel photography. I was also keen to find out more about this year’s calenadar theme, Earth Defenders. Lavazza produce a …
Thank you so much for all of your lovely comments and congratulations from Tuesday’s post. In case you missed it, yes, I’m pregnant! Despite a growing bump and five long months to get my head around this, I’m still totally in shock. I actually cannot believe I’m going to be a mum. Each kick and …
There’s no denying Ryanair has a bad reputation in the airline industry. The staff are rude, the additional fees are outrageous, they’re always late and an annoying horn sounds every time you land. You know how it goes: “Dooo do dooloooo, that’s another on time flight!” Me: “Yes it might be on time but you …
Last weekend I was in Dublin for the city’s annual Bram Stoker Festival. I went to this festival last year too and I loved it so much I knew I had to go back with Sam. If you’re unsure, Bram Stoker was the author of Dracula and was from Dublin. There are lots of horror …
Is there anything better than being greeted at a hotel with a beautiful bunch of fresh flowers and a box of macaroons? I was being given a tour of my Citadines Suite when I spotted them and got a delightful waft of sweet and floral scents. I already knew I’d be spending the next half …
I’ve been keeping a little secret from you guys for the past few months. Actually, it’s not a little secret, it’s probably the biggest secret I’ve ever had. I don’t even know where to begin so I’m just going to blurt it right out… I’M PREGNANT!!! Yes, I’m having a baby. A baby! It still …
I’m really, really excited about this competition because it’s only open to readers of The Travel Hack! (Yes, you won’t be competing against hundreds of thousands of people!) Do you remember earlier this month I was travelling around Paris, Lille and Berlin with Citadines? I was taking part in a blogger competition and was doing …
^She definitely isn’t trying… 😉 If you’re already thinking, ‘I don’t care what I look like while I travel. I just pack my bags and go, you’re lucky if I pack a toothbrush’, then this probably isn’t the blog post for you. This isn’t about piling on the make-up or spending hours styling your hair …
The more hotels I stay in, the more I appreciate quirky, unusual and exciting places to stay. Don’t get me wrong, I do love a luxurious 5* hotel but it’s the cool and quirky places I’ll remember for years to come. Here in the UK we have a lot of unusual glamping options – here …
Travelling alone is fun Travelling with your best friend is better You can never take too many photos You’ll always wish you had a better camera until you’ve completely maxed out your budget on a fancy camera You quickly stop caring what you look like when you travel for a long time You feel like …
Ahhh Wales, a country of rolling hills and fresh streams, forests and mountains and lakes and outdoor adventures. And rain. Yes, don’t forget the rain and the general unpredictability of Welsh weather. I grew up in North Wales and now live on the English/Welsh border so I feel like I’m pretty well adapted to these …
My video and Living Room Tree House review from an incredible weekend staying in a tree house in Powys, Wales. This weekend I had the chance to make a childhood dream come true and stay in a real tree house! You may be picturing a rickety shack in the trees but Living Room tree …
Life is so much easier when you travel with a tablet. When I went backpacking in 2009 I didn’t even have a smartphone, never mind a tablet, but I can’t imagine travelling without one now. Here are some of the things I use my tablet for while I travel: To store all your documents and …
I managed to create this Instagram wall collage for less than £8.50. Since making my own collage I found that The Little Square Gallery can make them for you but they charge £295!! I made two of my own collages so I’ve just saved myself nearly £600. I think I deserve a shopping spree with …
As a frequent flier I spend A LOT of time in airports. I’ve been pretty lucky and haven’t had too many flights cancelled but I have had a lot of delayed flights. I used to find it really frustrating but I’ve learnt to chill out whenever my flight is delayed. There’s no point in getting …
I can’t help but throw in a bunch of cliches when I tell you about Mahmaya Island. I apologise in advance but it’s one of those places where every cliche fits. The water really is crystal clear. The sand really is powdery soft and golden. The sky is cloudless. The sun is beaming. The beers …
This time last year I was terrified. I wasn’t even admitting it to myself how scared I was. I’d just quit my secure, fairly well paid, interesting and enjoyable job and decided to go it alone. Yep, I’d just plunged into the big bad world of freelancing! I wrote a blog post about it, ‘I’m …
Two weeks ago I did something I wasn’t sure I’d ever do again. I took an all-inclusive holiday. Yes, really. This probably doesn’t seem like a big deal for most people but I’d put myself in the ‘not-an-all-inclusive-person’ category and I wasn’t planning on leaving any time soon. We usually book our travels independently and …
Berlin is known as a cool, gritty city. It’s vibrant and cutting edge and filled with creative people who drive the city forward. But did you know that Berlin is an environmentally friendly city too? By 2020 Berlin aims to be the greenest city in the world. That’s an ambitious goal, especially when they have …
I love city breaks but one of the things I find difficult is narrowing down my ‘to-do list’ while I’m there. Most big cities have so much to see and do it becomes impossible to do it all. So unless you have weeks to spare and plenty of money you’re going to have to narrow …
Today I had the pleasure of taking an E-Bike Tour around Berlin with Fat Tire Bike Tours. It was a 6-hour tour covering 20km and took us to some of Berlin’s main sights and a few attractions many tourists will never know about. It’s no secret that I love a good bike ride but one …
There was a time when I loved being a backpacker. I thought of myself like a little turtle carrying all my worldly possessions as I travelled around Asia. I could quickly pack up my life and move onto the next destination without batting an eyelid. I’m currently travelling around Europe with Citadines and it reminds …
“Lille? For three days?” The Parisians would ponder this for a few seconds after I’d told them that, yes, my next stop was Lille, for three whole days. “Hmm, it’s very different to Paris but you will like it,’ they’d tell me. “It’s very pretty.” And this is my first impression from Lille. It is …
My third day in Paris began with a gloriously lazy morning and leisurely breakfast at Citadines Louvre Paris before setting out towards Notre Dame. La Conciergerie: A Fairytale Palace Along the way I stopped at La Conciergerie, a former royal palace on an island in the middle of the River Seine. With its grand façade …
This Travel News post is in association with Visa with some great info on how to look after your money in Myanmar. Until 2012 there were no cash machines in Myanmar due to economic sanctions. This was a nightmare for tourists because it meant having to bring in enough US dollars to last for the …
Where is the best place to see the sunset in Paris? I’ve visited 5 beautiful sunset spots in Paris to find out where is best and to show you where you should watch the sunset in Paris! Have a magical time and remember, Paris is always a good idea. When you’re sauntering along the …
Mention Paris to anyone and you end up getting a mixed option. “Urgh, I hate Paris. It’s dirty and crowded and too touristy,” some people will tell you. “Oooh, it’s my favourite city in the world. It’s beautiful and romantic and has the best food in the world,” others will swoon. While I don’t know …
Paris may be the city of love and one of the most romantic places in the world but today I’ve been having a little romance with the city itself. It turns out I LOVE Paris. I spent the day wandering among some of the main attractions, stopping for café lattes and macaroons, shopping in the …
As I write this I’m frantically rushing around trying to wash and re-pack my bags for my next adventure. I’ve been in Egypt for the past week but now it’s time for a different kind of adventure as I’m off on a 9-day trip around Europe! Side note: Trying to pack light for a European …