Planning a trip to Universal Studios Orlando can be both exhilarating and overwhelming! With multiple theme parks, so many thrilling rides, immersive experiences and crowds from all over the world so it pays to come prepared! Whether you’re visiting for the first time or returning for another round of adventure, these 10 travel hacks will …
USA
If you subscribe to my email updates you will have seen that in last week’s email I asked you guys to send me any travel questions you have. One of the first emails to come through was from Bethan Jackson (thanks Bethan!) and she said: I want to go to New York for a long …
This week I’m delighted to welcome Char Taylor from Taylor Heart’s Travel to The Travel Hack. She’s put together an Insider’s Guide to San Francisco. As you can see, Char really knows her stuff when it comes to this gorgeous city and has some great recommendations for things to see and do. Enjoy! Photo credit: Golden …
When I was younger I watched hundreds of American movies and TV shows about kids going to summer camp. These idyllic summer woodland camps set next to a lake looked like the most amazing places to spend the summer and I was so upset we didn’t have them in the UK. The kids stayed in …
Today’s guest post is a fabulous guide to San Diego by Jessica over at The Belle Voyage. Keep reading to find out more about Jessica and about the best things to see, do and eat in San Diego. 1. How would you describe San Diego in 5 words? Laid-back, beachy, vibrant, diverse, and beautiful. 2. …
Hiking in the Grand Canyon was the highlight of my Trek America journey. Taking a helicopter ride over the Grand Canyon was amazing but being inside the canyon, touching the rocks and seeing it transform as we hiked lower was incredible. It’s that moment when you’re exhausted and sweating, your heart is pumping so hard …
There’s a reason they call it La-La Land and that is, quite simply, because Los Angeles is crazy. Of course, I mean crazy in a good way but it’s crazy all the same. From the botoxed wannabes that strut along Holly Boulevard to the genuine celebs that hide in the hills, LA has always attracted …
When I travelled to New York I had a very strange feeling. It was a feeling that I hadn’t experienced anywhere before. New York was a completely new place to me but it all felt so familiar. I recognised entire streets, the monuments felt like old friends and I knew exactly what I wanted to …
The Empire State Building in Midtown Manhattan is one of the most iconic buildings in New York, if not the entire world. When I visited New York I couldn’t wait to see it and to take the trip up to the top. Image Source Here are some things you need to know: Facts about the …
The Florida Keys are a chain of islands at the southern tip of Florida and they’re often referred to as the American Caribbean. Life revolves around the white sandy beaches, the warm blue sea and the gorgeous scenery. The average temperature is 25.5 degrees C so it’s not surprising you’ll find most people outdoors. I …
One of my challenges during my trip to New York with American Express was to crowd source places to visit and things to do in the city. I was sent so many recommendations but something that almost everyone suggested was visiting the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. Visiting the Statue of Liberty initially seemed …
If you’re looking to plan a 5 day trip to Spain’s third-largest city then read on for my guide to Valencia. In today’s Valencia guide, you’ll find my full five-day itinerary and suggestions on places to eat, see and stay while you’re in the city. If you saw Sunday’s post then you will already know …
It took me almost 22 hours to reach Florida Keys. It began at 6.30am on Sunday morning with a drive to Manchester Airport, a quick flight to Heathrow, an 10-hour flight to Miami and finally another quick flight to Key West. Whoever said travelling is glamorous had clearly never spent 12 hours in economy and a …
Elle has just returned from a incredible trip to California. She shares her guide to Newport Beach along with so many gorgeous reasons to visit! If you were a fan of the noughties teen drama series The O.C., you’ve probably heard of Newport Beach. But chances are, all you’ll know about the destination is its …
One of my favourite things about travelling is discovering a place that truly surprises me. I thought I’d hate Marrakech but I loved the exotic hustle. I didn’t know Iceland would be so beautiful but I was blown away. I hadn’t expected to fall head over heels in love with Slovenia but it quickly became …
This post about travel hacks for Orlando has been created in collaboration with Klook, an online platform to book travel activities such as attractions, tours, dining, transport and more. I’m a big fan of getting these things booked in advance to help pay for as much as possible in advance and make you feel like …
When stepping inside a luxury hotel it’s always the smell that I notice first. Fresh, clean and perfumed scents wash over me as the automatic doors swing open into a brightly lit lobby. A breeze sweeps through the hotel from the ocean and mingles with the flowers and expensive perfume that lingers in the air. …
If you’ve got a spare 3 days in Los Angeles then today’s post will be perfect for you! I recently visited LA on a whirlwind trip and packed as much in as I possibly could into my time there. Today’s post is a full 3 day Los Angeles Itinerary, so if you’re looking to spend …
Today’s post is all about Boston with an Insider’s Guide to Boston from Kristina from Kristina Gemella Travel. Let’s start with an little introduction to Boston… Located in leafy New England, Boston is one of the wealthiest, oldest and most influential cities in the whole of the United States. Founded in 1630, there’s plenty …
Earlier this year I spent three weeks travelling in the USA. I began in Miami with a fabulously luxurious trip to Miami Beach and a stay at Metropolitan by COMO. I then flew to LA to join a two-week camping trip with Trek America. As a blogger, it was absolutely vital for me to stay …
After a few years of travelling I’ve finally realised that you can pack light AND pack stylishly. The first thing I have to remind myself is that no one looks stylish when they’re hot, sweaty and stressed from heaving heavy luggage. It’s all about breezing through the airport, not being weighed down and having a …
Of all the city breaks I’ve taken at Christmas time, New York City was my ultimate favourite. You just can’t beat the magic and OTT celebrations of New York City! And if you’re anything like me, you will have grown up watching festive films based in New York like Home Alone 2, When Harry Met …
The USA is home to some of the world’s oldest and most beautiful national parks. Their epic landscapes with jaw-dropping scenery having been filling up my Pinterest boards for years. I visited my first couple of national parks in 2013 during my Trek America trip when I went to the Grand Canyon and Yosemite. I was …
TrekAmerica is currently running an amazing competition to win a 3-week tour around the USA (with flights included!) They’ve giving away a spot on their Westerner 3 tour which looks absolutely incredible. Find out more about the prize and how to enter the competition here. Since TrekAmerica launched this competition I’ve had so many readers …
If I had to describe my perfect day at the beach it would include soaring temperatures, a cloudless blue sky and a golden beach. I’d want some gentle waves to splash around in and a refreshing breeze to keep me cool. This sounds idyllic but, let’s me honest, this gets boring pretty quickly so I’d …
If there are any Back to the Future geeks out there, you’ll know that 2015 is the year Marty visits the future. It’s the second film, released in 1989, when he visits a world filled with flying cars and hover boards, weird fashions and Nike high-tops with automatic fastenings. Ahhh, if only we really had …
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 …
I’ve just returned from an epic trip to Montana. I feel like I’ve said ‘epic’ a lot to describe this trip but that’s the only word that sums it up so perfectly. I was out there for one week with the Expedia Viewfinder team and we road tripped around the state, beginning in Missoula and …
“Keep Portland Weird!” Oregon’s biggest city begs from every spray-paint splattered wall and worn-out bumper sticker. “Weird” is kinda Portland’s thing. It’s less about achingly cool hipsters and artisan coffee joints (although you’ll find plenty of both here), and more about supporting local business, embracing independent ventures and encouraging uniqueness. Perhaps as testament, this city …
If you read my itinerary to spending 3 days in the Florida Keys you will have seen that my favourite day was the day we took a seaplane to the Dry Tortugas National Park. Key West is said to mark the very tip of Florida…but if you keep travelling west for some 70 miles, over …
Is it just me, or does skiing seem to be one of those things that everyone else can just do? It was never that way for me. For some reason or another, I’ve never been on a skiing holiday, school trip or weekend at the slopes. Strap me into some skis and put me on …
New York is one of the most famous cities in the world and was a place I’d been desperate to visit for years before I finally went in December. It’s a city that is familiar to all of us; one that everybody seems to know and love before even setting foot on its streets. Despite …
Flying over the Grand Canyon in a helicopter has to be on almost every travel lover’s bucket list. Not only do you have the incredible experience of seeing the Grand Canyon from the skies but you also get to ride in the most fun form of transport possible, a helicopter! I’d been in …
Hiking in Yosemite National Park was another of the incredible highlights from my time in the US. I know I’ve said this about virtually every place I visited with Trek America but it’s true! I love hiking so I was so excited to visit Yosemite. Yosemite is the second oldest national park in the US …
New York is one of the most exciting cities on the planet. Fact. Not only is it crammed full of cultural and historical attractions, has a delectable culinary scene and is home to some of the United States’ most eclectic neighbourhoods, The Big Apple is also one of the best places in the world for …
The USA is massive, and there is more to explore than you could ever fit into one trip. But there are a few more obvious items that you might already know you want to do and if you’re reading this post then I’ll assume that the iconic road trip is one of them. Taking a …
My final few days in California were tinged with sadness. We’d done so much over the past few weeks and I felt like I’d been travelling for months and couldn’t imagine going back to ‘the real world’. I’d got back into the backpacking way of life and felt like I could carry on for years. …
There’s no place on earth that can inspire your sense of adventure quite like the Grand Canyon. It makes you feel tiny and insignificant in comparison to the sheer vastness of the canyon. But it also makes you feel strong and in awe of our incredible world. After my trip to the US I found …
From the shore, Alcatraz Island doesn’t look too far away. I squinted into the distance and could just about see the tiny island 1.5 miles from mainland San Francisco. A low cloud hung over ‘The Rock’ giving it an eerily ominous appearance. Despite the creepy air of mystery surrounding Alcatraz, I still thought I could …
If you want to be a ‘proper tourist’ in San Francisco you can’t miss a catamaran cruise at sunset. I wasn’t keen at first and thought it was just a slightly classier version of a booze cruise. OK, I’m not going to lie, it was a classier version of a booze cruise and I loved …