Does anyone else find packing your hand luggage can be just as tough as packing your main case? I begin with just a couple of things, maybe a magazine and my phone, and before I know it my bag is overflowing with stuff. Cosmetics and gadgets and entertainment and food are spilling out of my bag …
Travel Tips
Today I’d like to introduce you to EarnAway, a hotel booking website that allows you to earn cashback on the hotels you book. I used the website for my recent trip to Budapest and here’s my EarnAway review… You may already be familiar with cashback websites. Basically, when you buy something online, the website you …
This month I’ve challenged Anne to write a travel hacking guide for people who don’t use credit cards. There’s often the feeling that travel hacking without a credit card is impossible and you have to be spending huge amounts on a credit card to collect any points. Admittedly, this does make travel hacking a hell …
Our recent trip to Mexico City resulted in a rather unexpected experience. We were only there when an earthquake occurred! After the euphoria of surviving wore off, it became glaringly evident that we had absolutely no idea what we were supposed to do in the event of an earthquake. So here’s my handy little earthquake survival …
There is only one thing that really cures the itch to travel, and unsurprisingly, it’s to travel. It’s easy to make excuses and put blocks in the way, but if you put it off for too long, it’s never going to happen. We all want to go right now, who wouldn’t? But usually it isn’t …
I took this photo as I toasted my toes against a roaring log-burning fire.* I had a glass of red by my side and I was about to press play on a DVD. I’d just eaten an enormous Welsh oggie followed by homemade toffee cupcakes I’d picked up from the local bakery. We’d eaten on …
We all love travelling in the summer, especially in Europe when the weather is at its best and there’s an exciting vibe in the cities. Everyone is outdoors, soaking up the sun and making the most of the balmy evenings. American Express® has created Hello Europe, a hub dedicated to providing Card members with …
There are few things in life I’m genuinely scared of. Snakes, sharks and spiders top the list. Bungee jumping is up there. And so is camping. I know there are people who truly love camping. They find joy in being so close to nature, in having to rely on their skills rather than technology, in …
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 …
It’s no secret that I’m a massive fan of all kinds of planes, trains and automobiles. I love the speed, the excitement of going somewhere new and the chance to sit back, relax and stare idly out the window and watch the world pass me by. I was more than a little excited to catch …
Monica’s Mini Guide to Packing for a Weekend Away (and what I’d never leave home without) I’ve made more than my fair share of mistakes while I’ve been travelling but I’m pleased to say that there is one thing that I do pretty well and that thing is packing (except that time I forgot my …
Finding the best foreign exchange rate might not be the sexiest blog topic, but it’s something we all have to do when we travel. I’m pretty sure I’ve been ripped off many times when I’ve been exchanging currency – but I never know what to do about it. I could visit every single foreign currency …
This is a guest post from James Greener who tells us all about Roomer, the hotel booking site that allows you to save money on hotel bookings thanks to other people’s cancellations. For years, I made good use of a sort of time sharing. My uncle owns some holiday homes around America, and he …
“But how can you afford to travel the world?” That’s the question I get asked most often when I tell people I’m going travelling. I think it’s also what holds most people back from doing the same thing; they’re so worried about the money, that they almost don’t even let themselves think about the incredible …
I’d love to fly first class every time I travel but, the sad reality is, I turn right almost every time I get on a plane. I tell myself I’d rather save my precious pennies and spend them a gorgeous hotel and amazing experiences once I reach my destination. This is true, but I …
I’ve just return from India, one of my favourite countries; home to yoga, meditation and my hippie alter-ego! I’ve been dipping my toes in the Indian Ocean, unrolling my grumbling back onto my yoga mat, and been massaged into blissful oblivion. It takes roughly 24 hours of travelling from the winding, moody Pennines to Manchester, via …
Before I hit the slopes I didn’t think there was much of a different between skiing and snowboarding. Obviously, I know the physical differences but they both seemed to be ways to get you down a snowy mountain, right? Oh no, so wrong. Skiing and snowboarding are both exhilarating winter sports but the attitudes …
Now that the leaves have started to turn those gorgeous shades of gold and deep red, it’s time to get planning! Soon those leaves will be frosty, which means winter is coming, which means….it’s time for your winter city break. Obviously. Need some inspiration? These are my top five stylish weekend breaks for the upcoming season… #1 …
One of the most common emails to ping into my inbox is from girls who really want to travel but have no one to go with. Their friends either aren’t interested or can’t afford it and the thought of travelling solo is really scary. But it doesn’t need to be! Read on to find out …
If you’re anything like me, you left school, graduated uni, got a job, and started to settle down into what the rest of your life might look like. Only, you’re not quite sure if you’re ready for that yet. You’re getting itchy feet. You dream of far-flung beaches and nameless mountains. Of long-haul flights and …
I have a confession to make: when I was invited to explore the islands of Fuerteventura and Lanzarote, I had to go straight to Google Maps to find out where these destinations were. In case you’re also wondering, they’re in the Canary Islands which, although owned by Spain, are situated off the coast of Morocco. …
I recently managed to bag two business class flights to Stockholm for just £85. How you might scream? AVIOS Upgrade Voucher Well on this occasion, I was using the Lloyds Bank AVIOS Rewards Credit Card, which rewards you with a AVIOS upgrade voucher when you spend £7,000. The voucher allows two people to upgrade one class …
So many love the idea of an adventure but not half of us really know how to have one. For me, going on an adventure means starting with an idea of where you want to go or what you want to achieve, but being completely open to things going wrong in the knowledge that really, it’s the …
Ever wondered which airline credit card is the best card to use if your sole aim is to fly business class using AVIOS? Ever started looking into this, only to scratch your head with frustration, trying to do a like for like comparison? Do you opt for an AVIOS upgrade voucher or an AVIOS companion …
When you tell someone you’re a travel blogger the first thing you’re asked is, ‘Where’s your favourite place?’ The second thing you’re ask is, ‘What’s your top travel tip?’ Its impossible to name your favourite place in the world but we can share our top travel tips! So here you have it, The Travel Hack’s …
When I boarded the Celebrity Cruise ship I had no idea what to expect. It was my first time cruising as an adult and I was travelling in a completely new way. I had no idea what to pack or what I’d be doing in my spare time so this post is for anyone going …
I found this post hidden amongst the chaos of my documents folder. I wrote it months ago after a particularly long flight delay. I was tired and naggy and was pissed off about everything and everyone around me. Paul Theroux once said: ‘Travelling is only glamorous in retrospect,” and I couldn’t agree more. I usually …
I’d like to take this opportunity to make sure you all know that I don’t usually stay in swanky hotels. Of course, from time to time I’m lucky enough to stay in a gorgeous boutique hotel or somewhere exotic or on the beach. But the majority of the time, particularly on city breaks, I’m in …
Massive thanks to Jessica from The Belle Voyage for today’s post about immersing yourself into a new culture while you travel. It’s so easy to make the mistake of visiting a foreign country without ever leaving your own world. While there’s something to be said for crossing tourist attractions off your proverbial list, I think …
Here at The Travel Hack we’re all about luxury hotels without the luxury price tag so I’m excited to share with you a new hotel-booking platform. This new platform is called Dayuse.com and allows you to book hotels during the daytime for between 3 to 8 hours. OK, OK, the alarm bells are ringing already, …