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 …
It seem’s I spend all my time seeking beaches on the other side of the world and find myself neglecting the beauty we have here in England. Admittedly, it’s really the weather I’m seeking on the other side of the world but when the sun shines in England… it’s a very beautiful (and rare) thing. Just …
It’s hard to believe that one of the biggest cities in the world doesn’t have an extensive 24-hour transport service. You can feel a little like Cinderella if you’re out past midnight in London, except instead of your carriage turning into a pumpkin you’ll just have to pay an arm and a leg for …
Colourful gondolas bobbing up and down in the canal. Ancient, rust-coloured buildings which look as though they have a story to tell lining narrow, winding streets. Yep, Venice is pretty much a blogger or photographer’s dream. Recently, I went wandering the streets of Venice, armed with the new LGG4 phone to test its camera out …
Remember that scene in Hugh Grant’s failing travel bookshop, when Julia Roberts tells him that she’s ‘just a girl standing in front of a boy, telling him that she loves him’? It was this film, named after and set in Notting Hill, that brought a small area in West London into the world spotlight …
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 …
Did you know that I’m ‘Winglish’? OK, it’s not a real thing but it should be because there are lots of people who feel a little bit Welsh and a little bit English. Therefore we’re Winglish. I was born in England but I moved to Wales when I was five. I learned Welsh in school, …
“Oooh a country house. That sounds fancy.” My mum and I were searching through the trivago App looking for somewhere to stay for the following night. We were half way through our trivago App Family Challenge whereby trivago had challenged us to use their new app to find family-friendly hotels. We were in North …
I’ve been taking the concept of a ‘staycation’ to a whole new level recently as I’ve been taking holidays close to home. REALLY close to home. A few weeks ago I even went on holiday just half an hour from home when I visited Llangollen. Yes, I packed a suitcase, filled up the car and …
In today’s post, Claire takes us on a trip around Oxford to visit the locations that inspired Lewis Carol’s Alice in Wonderland. I lift my hand to my eyes, shielding them from the thick June glare, whilst the sun slowly and evenly toasts my neck. Before me, rise the honeyed buildings of Oxford’s most famous …
The problem with luxury hotels is that old-fashioned, stuffy air they often have. They can be formal and uncomfortable with outdated routines and overly complicated menus. The décor might be fancy but it looks a hundred years old and I feel like I can’t relax. Why can’t luxury hotels be young and stylish? Why …
I love glamping. You get to enjoy the great outdoors and feel closer to nature but without the nasty side of camping. You know, the bit with cold, leaky tents and deflated airbeds. I love bell tents and teepees, pods and treehouses and now I have a new type of glamping to add to …
I’m suffering from the post- Isles of Scilly holiday blues today. It’s a real thing; I checked and other people are suffering too. I’m missing that fresh, salty smell of the sea and icy blue waters where bright boats bob about. I’m missing the flamboyant flowers that line the wonky roads and decorate the windows …
I’m delighted to welcome Rachel Kershaw to the blog today. Rachel is the blogger behind Life in Geordieland, an awesome blog about Newcastle upon Tyne and Gateshead in the UK. She’s bringing us an Insider’s Guide to Newcastle, which is the UK’s favourite city. Keep reading to find out why…. Photo credit: Mick_Gallagher_1959 1. Can you …
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 …
“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 …
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 …
Scotland is one of those places where, with the right weather, it’s jaw-droppingly beautiful. You can’t believe you’re just a few hours from home (if you live in the UK that is) and I had the overwhelming feeling the whole of Scotland has been keeping this incredible secret from me. Why did they not tell …
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 …
Why is it that as soon as you’re anywhere near London you instantly turn into a manically stressed idiot? Everyone is in a hurry, there’s so much to see, so much to do and we’re all so incredibly important that we have to be there first. We rush around like 5-year-olds on the playground but …
Taking a Sea Safari with Orca Sea Safaris I bet you thought that I’d finished my ranting about how beautifully, awesomely, wonderful Falmouth is hadn’t you. Oh no, I have one more little gem for you that won’t come as much of a surprise if you managed to read the title. Yes, that’s right, I …
There is a level of tranquillity in a hotel that you can never achieve in your own home. At home there is always washing to be done, projects to work on, food to be cooked, a dog to be walked and rooms to be cleaned. But in a hotel you have none of that. Hotels …
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 …
The Hotel Du Vin is one of those places where you instantly feel at home…and seriously wish it was your home. According to Wikipedia (aka, the font of all knowledge), ‘This is where the stars stay when in Brighton’, so it has an understandable air of subtle exclusivity without being too flashy. It’s grand, elegant …
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 …
Christmas in London is a magical affair. As soon as the lights twinkle to life above Oxford Street, the mulled wine begins flowing and the carols start chiming. That’s when the festive season has officially begun. But it can be easy to miss it all by getting carried away with Christmas shopping, office parties and huddling inside …
As a blogger I’m always looking to improve and grow because I want The Travel Hack to be best it possibly can be. I have a million and one ideas about how I’d like to improve the blog in 2016. I’m one of those people who wants to do everything. I want to learn to …
I asked The Travel Hack team to share the #1 thing on their Christmas wish list to Santa. You can tell we’re a bunch of travelling geeks by looking at this list of travel experiences and blogging tech! Amy says: An Arctic Expedition When I dream, I dream big! Top of my Christmas wish-list this …
There’s a quote that occasionally pops up in my Facebook feed or on a Pinterest board, and it always elicits a nod from me. The quote is this: “Travel is the only thing you buy that makes you richer.” There really is something about an experience that is so much more valuable than a thing. …
My Corona Capital 2015 Confession I have a confession to make. The last time I went to anything remotely resembling a festival, it was 1995 and miraculously it was free. It was sunny, and the beer was cheap. Since then, I’ve never felt the urge to camp at Glastonbury, get dirty in the mud at Reading …
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 …
A gourmet start The ocean was holding its breath. The water as thick and shiny as caramelised sugar, and as flat as glass; without a fold, a crease or a curl, only the soft churn of blue by the white edge of the ship. On the horizon, the sun softly kissed the edge of the sea, …
I’m wandering along a sandy, white beach backed with heather covered cliffsides, with rolling green countryside in the distance. There’s barely a soul to be seen, and the crash of waves on the beach is hypnotising. Sounds amazing doesn’t it? Well it is, but there’s just one problem. It is bucketing it down, and I …
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 …
You probably already know that I’m an ambassador for Lumix and their range of 4k cameras. Over on my announcement post I gave you a brief introduction to 4k photography but today I’d like to tell you a little more about it – and explain why it’s so flipping fantastic. The main advantage of …
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 …