It was Coco Channel who originally said, ‘A woman who cuts her hair is about to change her life’. It might not always be true but cutting your hair is a big thing for a woman! I feel a bit sorry for short haired men who will never experience the feeling of a ‘big hair …

As promised, I’m blogging about my favourite travel inspired gifts you can give to travel lovers this Christmas. But today’s gift is so lovely you’re probably going to want it for yourself, so you might want to send someone this link to give them a gentle nudge…   Refuge Nightsky Flannel Pyjama Set – £60 …

Amberlair  You may remember back in 2015 I introduced you guys to a really cool boutique hotel concept called Amberlair? At that point Amberlair was just an idea, but a very exciting idea and the first of its kind, as the founders were planning the first ever crowdfunded boutique hotel. Yes, a crowdfunded hotel! Everything …

Yes, that’s right, I’ve just turned 30. The big 3-0! I hit this big birthday milestone and quietly slipped out of my 20’s and clocked into my 30s at the start of October. I’m actually OK with turning 30. I remember when 30 sounded SO old and the only 30 year olds I knew were …

We all know we should look after ourselves – both our minds and our bodies – but how many of us actually do? Now more than ever we’re bombarded with messages encouraging us to live a healthier lifestyle. The rise of ‘clean eating Instagrammers’ prove how much we love the concept of living a healthy …

Today I’d like to introduce you to an awesome audiobook app I’m addicted to. It’s called BookBeat and is like Netflix for audiobooks and is a total game-changer for bookworms who don’t have time to read. I know I’m not the only person who’s yearly resolutions include ‘read more books’. Each year I promise myself …

Scotland is no stranger to good food. Edinburgh has its elegant, fine-dining establishments, Glasgow has its hip, up-and-coming eateries. But if you look a bit closer, you’ll uncover culinary hotspots hiding in Scotland’s many pockets and corners. Last week, I had the unique chance to discover one of them. The East Neuk (“Neuk” being the …

66 days until Christmas! I don’t know about you but I’m getting ridiculously excited. Too soon? Maybe, but I don’t care. I love the build up to Christmas so I’m happy to indulge in the excitement of the festive season as early as possible. Over the next few weeks I’m going to be featuring some …

I wrote this post last year, ‘10 things I wish all hotels had‘. It’s about all the silly mistakes hotels make and the little details that make a hotel stay either bland or brilliant. I’ve stayed in a lot of bad hotels and I think that all these bad experiences could be used to create …

Which type of weekend break do you prefer….? A short break at a beautiful Georgian country house hotel with enormous bedrooms, grand stair cases, pretty gardens and cosy living rooms to enjoy a cocktail or two? Or a city break in a vibrant and creative city with so much to see and do you’re spoilt …

The third bloggers in this new series to celebrate the launch of The Travel Hack Cabin Case are Laura and Claire, the brains behind Twins That Travel. Twins That Travel is all about the travels and adventures of identical twins who run an awesome blog but might be best known for their incredible Instagram account …

This week we’re snooping inside the cabin case of Jayne Gorman, the fabulous blogger behind Girl Tweets World. This new series sees me snooping inside the hand luggage of my favourite travel bloggers and it’s to celebrate the launch of the new Travel Hack Cabin Case (and just because I’m nosy too!) Last week I …

Welcome to a brand new series here on The Travel Hack that’s giving us a sneaky peek into the cabin cases of some of my favourite bloggers. This is partly to celebrate the launch of The Travel Hack Cabin Case but also because I’m super nosy and I want to have a nose inside their …

If you’re subscribed to my newsletter you will have read the news that Sam and I recently bought a caravan. Gulp. Yea, we’ve become those people. I actually LOVE our caravan but if I’m honest I would have preferred something cooler. Something sleeker and with a bit more street cred. Something shinier, flashier and a …

When anyone asks me what my favourite travel app is I have to say Google Maps. There are times when I genuinely don’t know how I’d find anything without Google Maps! But it isn’t just great for finding out how to get from A to B, there are actually lots of other functions that can …

Someone once said to me, ‘What’s the point in going away for a weekend, you don’t get chance to do anything’. This blog post is for that person, the person who thought two days wasn’t long enough to have an adventure. I hope this post shows you that in just 24 hours you can do …

Driving through the Lake District is tough. Not because the roads are narrow and windy but because I wanted to stop approximately every 100 metres to admire the view and take photos. How can you drive past a lake like this where the low clouds are reflected in the smooth, glassy surface and look so …

One of my favourite things about travelling in Britain is discovering absolutely stunningly gorgeous places that make me question why I’d ever go abroad. I love travelling abroad, of course I do, I’m a travel blogger! But I also love travelling closer to home and finding incredible gems to share with you all. I’m always …

You want to look great while you’re travelling but you can’t really be bothered taking a billion beauty products and spending an hour each morning getting ready. Right? I hear you! Here are some of the best travel beauty hacks I’ve picked up after years of travelling. HAIR: For beachy waves without salt or heat …

A lot of people dislike digital photography because we have a habit of taking photos, uploading them to our laptops and then never looking at them again. They sit in their well-organised folders, gathering virtual dust, never to be seen again. Sound familiar? This happens with some of my photos – but there are a …

Driving up to Brandy House Farm was like driving into a scene from an old fashioned story book. A single track lane ran through a field filled with lambs who leapt about in the long grass to signal my arrival. I came to an enormous, ramshackle farm house framed by colourful flowers, happy daisies and …

It may not be at the top of every traveller’s bucket list, but Timisoara is a city you’re going to be hearing about a lot more in coming years. Which of course means it’s best to book your flights now, while it’s still relatively undiscovered. Since being named the 2021 European Capital of Culture, the …

“It’s weird but I feel really at home here,” I told the general manager of Palé Hall Hotel as I sipped champagne on a luxuriously grand sofa. I looked around at my surroundings – the antique furniture, the ornate paintings, the enormous chandelier, the marble fireplace and the masses of white lilies that were perfectly …

I’ve just returned from a weekend in Timisoara in Romania and found it to be such a perfect destination for a weekend break. It really ticks all the boxes and here are just 10 reasons why I think you’ll love it too! If you haven’t seen it yet, check out my travel journal from Timisoara …

A weekend break to Timisoara is cheap. So cheap! And while I don’t think that cost alone should be a major influencer when it comes to choosing a city break destination, we’ve got to be honest here, it is going to affect your decision a little. I’ve estimated that if you visited Timisoara for a …

I’d like you to take a minute, sit back and think about your favourite travel experiences. It’s OK, I’ll wait here while you scan your memories and really think about it. No rush. It wasn’t until I sat down to think about this that I realised that most of my best travel experiences revolve around …

Porto was recently voted the best European destination for 2017 by travel experts from around the world. And having spent a weekend there last month it’s easy to see why. Porto is a delightful, small city filled with stunning architecture, a thriving foodie scene, beautiful bridges spanning the great Douro river and plenty of art …

Saint-Cast-le-Guildo was one of those places we accidentally stumbled across and then wondered how we’d never heard of it before. We visited on our final day during our French road trip with Les Castels and I hadn’t done much research for this part of our trip. We’d already seen and done so much that I’d thought we’d …

One of the hardest things about travelling with all my blogging equipment is keeping it all safe and secure – especially when I’ve got the little ones with me and I feel like I need 10 extra arms to keep everything and everyone safe! The days of travelling with nothing more than a notepad and …

This topic is such a toughy but it’s something that comes up again and again. How do you make travel a priority in your life without being held back by ‘real life’. You go to school and then maybe uni. You get a job, you start your career, you buy a house, you get married, …