Picture a skyline at dusk, where skyscrapers are suspiciously absent and replaced instead by rust-coloured fairy-tale turrets and spires. In the distance, a lake glitters in the last of the sun, and even farther away than that, the Swiss Alps rise majestically from the water. Welcome to the Swiss city of Lausanne. Aside from its …
City break
You’ve booked your flights and now you’re wondering what you can actually do in Barcelona. Well step this way, as we share our Barcelona guide. Having visited a few times, including just last month, it includes some of our favourite tourist spots, as well as some lesser known favourite finds. A word of warning though …
I think it’s safe to assume that very few people have visited London without setting foot in Covent Garden, but did you know there's so many things to do here aside from strolling through with your camera!? Most people who visit Covent Garden will wander among the pretty streets and admire an incredible building or …
I booked a 3 day break to Krakow, partly because I knew it was going to be cheap. The prices in Krakow are so low and even my flights out there were crazy cheap! So here’s a little look at the prices in Krakow and how much my 3 day trip to Krakow cost me. …
Would you like to find a way to make exploring cities easier and more manageable? Do you like the ease and convenience of having a tour guide but prefer the excitement and flexibility of exploring alone? Yep, me too! If you answered yes then keep reading to find out about GPSmyCity, a travel app that …
Barcelona is full of hotels, so it makes sense to go for one that’s going to give you a memorable experience. And that’s where Barceló Raval comes into play. It’s a four-star hotel with unique décor, a rooftop bar and pool, and techie extras. Yep, this place is worth a visit for something out of …
Have you ever been to Morocco? I absolutely fell in love with the country when I visited a couple of years ago. I arrived into Marrakesh and was blown away by the bustling chaos of the colourful city. I loved the sensory overload of the city with the smoky incense, the expressive haggling, the spices, …
I’ve just returned from my third trip to Valencia and I still don’t think I’ve done all the things to do in Valencia! This gorgeous city is bustling and vibrant but also laid back, so it’s the perfect place for a short break. With this 3 day Valencia itinerary, you get all the excitement of …
If you're visiting Rotterdam for a short break then you're in for a treat! Here's my mini guide with all the best things to do in Rotterdam and all my favourite places to eat, drink and shop and a very cool city centre hotel in Rotterdam. I visited Rotterdam for 2 days with P&O Ferries …
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 …
Brussels is a beautiful, exciting and affordable city with lots to see and do. Not only that but it’s also a great base to explore other cities in Belgium.
Photo credit: Red bicycle Everyone thinks they know what Amsterdam is going to be like before they visit and I’ve spoken to lots of people who love Amsterdam and lots who hate it with equal measure. Personally, I love it and I think it’s a great city for a long weekend break. Parts of Amsterdam …
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 …
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 …
Is there anywhere better than London in the summer? When I first moved to the UK’s capital from Australia I wondered why locals were so excited for summer, but after spending a winter in the city I was soon following flocks of Londoners as they sought outdoor spaces to spend the warmer months in. Now I …
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 …
Most cities that are steeped in history can have a spooky side if you’re the type to go searching for it. I’m sure those old cathedrals where we’ve celebrated births and deaths for thousands of years are filled with scary stories and mysterious whispers that fill the pews. If the walls of those ancient castles …
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 …
It's fairly common knowledge that Singapore is a great stopover destination, especially for those venturing to or from Australia or New Zealand. Singapore's airport, Changi, is a veritable playground for in-transit passengers, as proven by the fact that it constantly tops lists of best airports in the world. It's a lesser known fact, however, that …
Some travellers get snobby about taking tours. I understand why. No one wants to spend their holidays being bused around a city in a 53-seater coach with someone makes jokes on the microphone. But a tour is one of the best ways to see and learn more than you ever would on your own. I …
The term ‘hidden gem’ gets thrown around a lot when talking about Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia. It’s partly because we all like to think we have a secret place that few people know about but it’s mainly because, well, barely anyone knows about it. I fell head over heals in love with Slovenia and …
Today's post is an insider's guide to the best places to eat and drink in Manchester by Manchester local, Ellie Wilson. The unofficial capital of the North, Manchester is famous for its industrial history, music, football and Alan Turing. Manchester is the UK’s most visited city outside the capital and is also known for …
Berlin has become the unofficial street art capital of the world and you can find street art on every corner of the city. In fact, it isn’t just on the corners, it’s everywhere. Every blank wall has become a giant canvas for whichever artist is brave enough and talented enough to spray, paint, stick or …
Venice is by far my favourite European city. It feels like a made-up city, straight from a fairytale because there is nowhere else on Earth quite like it. I will never get bored of meandering through the narrow alleyways, staring up in awe at those incredible buildings, getting lost along the side of canals, stopping …
There are so many things to do in Bruges and it's such a gorgeous, magical city. It would be easy to spend your time just strolling around and marvelling at how quaint and beautiful everything is! In fact, this is exactly what I did during my first weekend in Bruges. I visited with Sam about …
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 …
I’ve stayed in London hotels countless times and, if I’m honest, not many of those experiences were very memorable – well, not for the right reasons anyway! Hotels in London are usually small, cramped, bland and boring and even the worst ones will leave a little dent in your wallet. But there is one hotel …
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 …
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 …
I’ve just returned from an amazing weekend in Barcelona. I went with my partner, Sam, and our baby boy, Joseph, who was 12 weeks old when we travelled. Since getting home I’ve had a few readers ask me what it was like to travel to Barcelona with a baby and if I thought it was …
I couldn’t help but giggle as I sat on the Eurostar with a glass of champagne in one hand and over €3,800 in cash in the other. I couldn’t believe this was actually happening and I couldn’t believe how lucky I was to have been selected for this ‘challenge’. In case you missed it, I …
Yes, you read that correctly, Holiday Inn Expresses are getting cool. Last week I was in London and had the pleasure of staying at the Holiday Inn Express on Ealing Broadway, London. I’ve stayed in more than my fair share of budget London hotels and they very rarely make it onto the pages of this …
In my previous post about the beautiful Swiss city of Lausanne, I talked about how accommodating I found this place. Rarely have I felt so welcome, or… looked after by a city. Turns out, it was just one of the surprising things about this hidden gem of a destination. If you don’t know too much …
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 …
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'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 …