As I drove down the stony road that led to Penvale Lakes Lodges I instantly felt like I was driving into somewhere special. I’d just passed through the pretty Welsh town of Llangollen, driven alongside the river and canal, seen tourists queuing for homemade ice creams and saw people sat outside pubs as they drank …
Weekend escapes
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 …
One of my (many) resolutions is to take more short breaks and weekend escapes around Europe. I know I’m not alone in the fact that there are so many amazing places right on my doorstep that I’ve never travelled to. Here are 52 weekend away ideas to get you started! When a country is easy …
Today’s blog is a Forest Holidays Review from my gorgeous stay with Forest Holidays at their Sherwood Forest location. We have had two family holidays with Forest holidays, the first being to Sherwood Forest in the summer and the second was to Forest Holidays Ardgartan Argyll in Scotland in the winter. They were both very …
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 …
There is no area better known as a bastion of English refinement, countryside sophistication and village charm than the unfolding hills or ‘wolds’ of the Cotswolds. This picture-book part of England has long been a place to retreat for lazy half-terms and blissed-out weekends. But behind the sleepy villages, bucolic teashops, and Thelwell style farms, …
Sure, anyone can go to Cornwall or Devon surfing. But what’s the fun in following the beaten track? If you’ve a bit more grit to your grin and a tad more industry to your spirit, then about-turn on your kitten heels, my friend. Saltburn by the Sea, Cleveland, is riding a new wave of surfing …
Halloween approaches, my friends. But you don’t need scary theme parks or plastic pumpkins to chill your spine – the UK is awash with grisly ghouls and spirited spectres to spook you to the blood-curdling core. Take a look at these creepy places to spend the Halloween weekend, and be afraid – be very afraid. The Castle Bone Chiller …
A bare bottom, a wink and a wolf whistle – that sums up Bristol for me! Call me sensationalist, but I think the Bristol of today is the city equivalent of sticking two fingers up at the world, flashing a bare bottom, and wolf whistling at a local builder. It’s not a description I would’ve …
Have you ever been to a festival where the star of the show isn’t the headline act but the location? How about a festival where the food is so good you wish you could grow a second (or third) stomach so you could try everything? What about a festival where you constantly stumble upon surprise …
EWEN, Cirencester – Even from the car park it’s not hard to see why The Wild Duck near Cirencester attracts the sort of names you’d expect at a Royal Wedding. For a start, the 16th century pub is barely visible underneath its ever-creeping overcoat of ivy and its surrounding cloak of trees and shrubs. If …
Is it possible to escape to Ibiza for the weekend and not end up on a packed beach at sunset dancing to David Guetta? Indeed it is. In fact, the Balearic island has many sides to its nature and can, if you know where to go, even be a little shy at times. As Travel …
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 …
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 …
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 …
What’s so special about Hadrian’s Wall? After all, it’s just a lump of stones cobbled together, to create a physical barrier. You call that a tourist destination? I mean, I know the Great Wall of China is a tourist attraction, but crikey that’s visible from space, and it’s 13,170 miles long. Hadrian’s Wall on …
Hello! It’s me again! Mollie – ‘The Adventurer’. Last weekend, you may have seen on our Instagram @thetravelhack, I headed down to Brighton on a road trip with the RAC for the weekend. #RACstaycation. We were blessed with beautiful weather on the Saturday and one of those ‘grey drizzly days that England does best’ on …
This weekend I travelled to Gothenburg, Sweden’s second city and the home of Scandinavia’s largest Christmas market. Gothenburg is a small city so it’s perfect for a weekend away. There’s lots to see and do but not so much that you feel overwhelmed or like you can’t possibly see everything. I loved the quaint charm of …