Packing it all in: travelling hand-luggage only.

Packing it all in: travelling hand-luggage only.

Sunday, 1 July 2018

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Travelling is the done thing nowadays: everyone seems to be doing it. Flights, for the most part, are more than reasonably priced and enough planning ahead can get you abroad and exploring for very little cost. It’s only when you start adding on additional costs, like choosing your seat on the plane, breakfast at the hotel and that dreaded additional luggage charge when things start to get a little bit more expensive.

It is more than possible to travel abroad for both short trips and longer trips alike, you just need to be savvy about your packing and ensure that you’re only packing the essentials. Over the years, I’ve found that I’ve seriously over-packed and only worn half of the clothes in my suitcase – let’s be realistic, you don’t need 20 different outfits and 10 bikinis for 7 days in the sun! That’s without even mentioning the shoes… 

Pack strategically

Packing is probably one of the only stressful things about going away: ‘have I forgotten something?’ being the question on everyone’s lips upon arrival at the airport. Chances are, yes, you have but as long as it’s not your passport, your boarding pass or your wallet then you’ll be absolutely fine and nothing bad will come of it. Make a checklist of everything you need to pack and cross it off the list as and when you put it into your case to completely eliminate the risk of you forgetting something important! Pack a rucksack or bag that can be easily flattened – I find that my Fjallraven Kankenbackpack is perfect for travelling as when it’s empty it flattens down and takes up absolutely no space in my hand luggage and it’s roomy enough to store all of my handbag essentials, sunglasses, a book, my camera, a large bottle of water and a light jacket. I also pack a small Kate Spade cross body clutch for evenings. 

Buy toiletries when you get there

The temptation to stock up on those tiny little bottles of shower gel and shampoo before you go – not only are they a complete waste of money, they use up some of your limited liquid allowance, allowance you should be using on sun cream and makeup (if you wear it!) Believe it or not, supermarkets in Spain stock shampoo and shower gel just like they do over here in the UK and they’re not that expensive. Save your money in the UK and buy these items when you arrive. You can then just throw them away when you’re leaving, saving the hassle of having to cart them all back home. 

Plan your outfits 

One of the most exciting things about waiting to go away is checking the weather forecast for the time you’re being to be there and bragging shamelessly about just how hot it’s going to be. With this in mind, it’s easy to plan ahead and think about the type of clothes that you’re going to need to wear. Despite what you might think, if you’re going away for a week then you don’t need to pack your entire wardrobe. Think about what you’ll be doing whilst you’re there – if you’re planning on spending the entire holiday by the pool, then you’ll only need 3 or 4 bikinis and some loose dresses to throw over the top and then full outfits for the evening. If you’re more of a touristic type of holiday goer then pack loose and light clothes, the odd bikini and your evening outfits. Pack shoes that can be worn with a number of different outfits and shorts that can be worn with multiple blouses. Generally there is no weight limit across airlines for hand luggage, so as long as it fits in the correct-sized case and you can lift it easily into the overhead compartment, there’s absolutely no reason to worry about bringing additional luggage with you. 

To summarise, hints and tips:

-              Check the maximum hand-luggage dimensions of your specified airline. 

-              Think ahead about what you want to be wearing, based on your activities.

-              Make a list! Pack only what you need to take with you!!!! 

Travelling light is so much easier than it used to be and it seriously saves you money in the long run. Do you have any hints or tips for travelling lightly? Let me know in the comments and share your wisdom! 

A romantic (but budget) weekend in Paris

A romantic (but budget) weekend in Paris

Sunday, 24 June 2018

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Back in December when I was budgeting for the year ahead of me, I booked a spontaneous weekend break for my partner’s birthday. Treating Richard is something that I’d love to be able to afford to do on a regular basis but naturally, life only allows for so many treats. Richard’s birthday happened to fall during this year’s 2-week school holiday so timing was perfect – this time of year is usually when I’d take my annual trip to France so I thought “why not kill two birds with one stone and treat Richard to something memorable for his 25^thbirthday?” 

Booking the trip in December was beneficial – not only was the entire trip incredibly well-priced for two people, it also meant that I had 5 months to put small amounts away to pay off the package. I booked the trip through EasyJet Holidays for 2 nights, 3 days and the total cost for the two of us was less than I paid for a similar solo trip last year. 

WHERE TO STAY

Having a few friends who lived in Paris means that I was able to choose a nice looking hotel, check that the area wasn’t dangerous with aforementioned friend and then book, completely worry free. After a lot of deliberating over whether staying in Central Paris and travelling over to Disneyland was better than staying next to Disneyland, I eventually booked into the Mercure hotel located on Avenue Jean Jaurès, in the 19^thArrondissement. I’ve never stayed (or even visited) the 19^thbefore so wasn’t overly familiar with what was around there but I was reassured that that Avenue was pretty safe and in a good location for the metro. The metro was in a prime location across the road from the hotel itself and at no point did I feel unsafe walking around the area. 

In terms of things to do in the 19^th– the 19^thhosts the famous Parc de la Villette as well as the Philharmonie music hall, Conservatoire national supérieur de musique and the Museum of Science and Industry. I must admit we didn’t spend much time at the hotel, what with our trip to Disneyland and exploring central Paris together so as a place to stay, it was absolutely perfect. Location wise, it was ideal – the metro into central Paris was fast and the station was quiet, meaning that our journeying into the hustle and bustle of central Paris started off calm and collected.  

WHERE TO EAT 

Because of our incessant need to budget, we were very sensible about where we ate our meals. As we had two full days in Paris, we spread our spending money equally across these days– our trip to Disneyland was a gift from a friend so other than food, there were no touristic outgoings. We also both happen to be under the age of 26, meaning that the vast majority of tourist attractions were free to enter upon presentation of identification. Whilst at Disney, we chose to eat in one of the restaurants during the day but when we arrived back into Paris that evening we were able to pick and choose exactly where we wanted to eat. Having perused the menus of a number of restaurants in the 4^tharrondissement, we eventually settled on a pizza picnic in the park and set about finding the perfect pizzeria. Whenever I’m planning a trip, Trip Advisor is always my go to in terms of reading restaurant reviews (alongside blog posts, of course) and a quick search led us to Pizza Julia, a restaurant that is just outside the top 100 in Paris (out of tens of thousands of restaurants) and one of the top Pizza restaurants in the city. 

Pizza Julia was an absolute blessing and a place we will definitely return to on our next trip into Paris. Vegetarian friendly, purse friendly and absolutely delicious, we ordered our pizza quickly and it was made right before our eyes. We ordered a prosciutto and mushroom pizza, probably one of the best pizzas I’ve ever eaten and took it off with us to enjoy in the park. We found that a lot of young people had done similarly to us and found ourselves really blending in with the locals, talking and eating with a view of the infamous Place de la Bastille. 

Our lunch choice the following day was on the Avenue des Champs-Élysées – a small treat, but still relatively inexpensive. When I visited Paris last year to catch up with a friend, she introduced me to Pizza Pino. The food is nothing to cry from the mountains about but the environment is classy and sophisticated in the prime location for people-watching. Having eaten pizza the previous night, Richard and I both went for pasta dishes and our plates were piled high. With wine, beer, water for the table and two main courses, we spent a mere €40 between us. 

Honorary mentions:

Pizza Popolare – if you’re after cheap pizza but want a place to sit, check out Pizza Popolare. Get there half an hour before opening as the queues get incredibly long.  

If you fancy something a little bit fancy (but still on a budget):

Les Ombres. With a view of the Eiffel Tower, this place is absolutely ideal for those beautiful Instagram shops. Food is tasty but the offer of a set-menu means that it is also relatively affordable. 

WHERE TO VISIT 

I feel like this section may well be a little bit redundant considering the vast knowledge that people have of Paris even before they actually visit but there are still a few hints and tips I can share that will make your trip less stressful. 

Getting that perfect Parisian cityscape shot:

The obvious choice would be to climb the Eiffel tower to get that acclaimed shot of the city. Fair enough, if you fancy queuing up for hours and hours, but there is an alternative that cuts down the wait time and actually gives you a shot of the Eiffel Tower as well. Get a metro to the top of the Avenue des Champs Élysées and climb the Arc de Triomphe instead. The wait time, while still there, is much less and there are fewer steps to climb to the top. The view from the top is absolutely incredible, and there is a small museum inside the Arc if you need a rest-stop. Outside the Arc is the famous tomb of the unknown soldier, with the eternal flame lit above it. 

Saving some money on Paris attractions: 

If you’re under the age of 26 and from the EU (technically the UK hasn’t actually left the EU yet, so this still applies to us Brits) access to a lot of museums and attractions is completely free – check online for details on how this works. Otherwise, if you’re planning on visiting Paris and your inventory includes a lot of these museums – it might be worth buying a Paris Museums Pass.The pass allows you free access to over 50 museums and monuments within the city. Currently the passes are priced at 48 euros for 2 people which, considering access to the Arc de Triomphe is 12€ alone, is definitely a bargain. 

Finally, if you time your trip right and arrive in Paris on the first Sunday of the month, access to the Louvre is completely free between October and March, and on Bastille Day, although I imagine crowds would be much more busy. 

Paris is a beautiful city and there is so much to do. I would be here all day mentioning attractions that are worth visiting, because there really is something for everyone but my highlights include: Les Invalides, Tour Eiffel, Musée d'Orsay, Louvre, Moulin Rouge, Montmartre, Sacré Cœur Cathedral, The Shakespeare and Co Bookstore (next to Notre Dame Cathedral), Versailles and the Palais Royal. 

What are you favourite tourist sites in Paris? Let me know! 

What I Wore in Paris – Disneyland Paris Edition

What I Wore in Paris – Disneyland Paris Edition

Wednesday, 6 June 2018

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My lovely partner celebrated his 25^thbirthday last week so naturally, I took it as an excuse to spoil him rotten (and book an exciting trip at the same time). I am very fortunate having Rich in my life and he does so much to make me happy so a lovely, romantic break away was the perfect way to return the favour. After umm-ing and ahh-ing over the location, my need to return to France took over and I booked a two night stay in central Paris with the hope that I could later convince Richard that Disneyland was the perfect day-trip to take. I didn’t have high hopes on that one but it’s funny how luck works in your way – a friend of mine had some spare tickets to the Disneyland parks that were due to expire this week so offered them to us to use! How could we say no to that stroke of luck? 

Getting to Disneyland from central Paris is pretty simple to do and can be done very cheaply as well. As we went to Paris for the weekend, we benefitted from buying the tickets jeune week-end metro passes, for people under the age of 26, which cost just under €9 each for unlimited day travel on the metro and RER trains. The train from central Paris to Disneyland is an RER train so was inclusive within the ticket- otherwise a single ticket costs €6,50! We hopped on the RER A Line from Châtelet-Les Halles to Marne-la-Vallée, the station that’s just a stone throw away from the Disneyland Parks. 

Dressing for the occasion was a must- I made sure to pack a Disney themed headband- and as the forecasts had predicted incredibly hot weather I had an important decision to make regarding my outfit for the day. I wanted something lightweight to keep me cool but also classy enough that I was covered up for the family-friendly theme park. I’m really loving wrap dresses at the moment so ordered a couple of beautiful ones on ASOS. The one I eventually went for was this classic striped wrap dress from Warehouse – very similar in style to my other Warehouse wrap dress, just much more vibrant in colour and completely the opposite of my normal style. It really has been a ‘new year, new me’ in terms of fashion choices! I paired the dress with a pair of slip on pumps, perfect for the inevitable miles of walking that we were bound to do. 

The outfit went down an absolute treat in the park and has had such a positive response from everyone that’s seen it so far! It covered up enough of my body that I didn’t feel self-conscious or awkward walking around without my jacket on but was loose enough that I didn’t melt in the 28 degree heat. It was the perfect rollercoaster riding outfit, without a doubt. 

It’s fair to say that we had an absolute ball at Disneyland – the rides were fantastic and the entire experience was magical beyond belief. The atmosphere at the place was remarkable – I imagine that Disneyland is the only place where grown adults can completely lose their inhibitions and let loose in such a child-like way. Walking around the parks was fantastic and there really was something for everyone. We rode ride after ride, had a little river ride through a fairytale wonderland and ate Bavarian hotdogs in Geppetto’s workshop.  I couldn’t imagine spending a better day with my other half – the first day in a magical Parisian adventure. 

What are your favourite things about Disneyland? Let me know in the comments! 

TRAVEL: A trip to London (in Pictures)

TRAVEL: A trip to London (in Pictures)

Friday, 9 March 2018

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Travel: My 2018 Travel Goals

Travel: My 2018 Travel Goals

Wednesday, 3 January 2018

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As you’ve probably seen if you’re a regular reader of my blog, last week I posted a few Resolutions for the year ahead. Obviously, I wouldn’t be a very good travel blogger if I didn’t make an equally long list of all the travel-y things that I want to accomplish in 2018! Here goes…

VISIT A NEW COUNTRY

Of course, my go to whenever I want to go away is usually France- I’m comforted by the place and there’s always so much to do and explore there. However, in 2018 I’d love to visit a brand spanking new country that I’ve never visited before. There are quite a few countries that I have in mind, but I’m thinking along the lines of Scandinavia this year- I’d love to travel to Denmark and see The Little Mermaid monument in Copenhagen and I’d also love to go to the Blue Lagoon in Iceland at some point. Hopefully with some careful planning and a good deal, I’ll be able to go to one of these amazing new places with my partner in crime.

EXPLORE MORE OF FRANCE

I have been to A LOT of cities in France, but of course there are so many cities that I’d love to check out at some point over the course of my life. A city that’s been on my wish list for a while now is Carcassonne, a town close to the Franco-Spanish border. The flights there are relatively inexpensive and it’s the perfect little getaway for a couple.

VISIT 4 NEW PLACES IN THE UK

As Brits, we’re all so obsessed with visiting other countries and beautiful hotspots around the world that we forget just how beautiful OUR little island actually is. There are loads of teensy tiny towns and spectacular cities that I want to explore at some point in the coming year, including Stratford Upon Avon, Cambridge (and Oxford, for that matter), Edinburgh and Brighton. Our island has so much to offer and I really hope to take it up on that offer in 2018.

EXPLORE MORE OF GERMANY

In 2017, I visited 2 brand spanking new cities in Germany: Nuremberg, the city next to where my good friend Antonia lives, and Munich, a city just a short train ride away. I think that 2018 will be the year where I finally book to go and visit Berlin, a city that everyone I know has been to and loved. So many things about Berlin appeal to me- the food, the history and the fashion- and having the opportunity to explore it at some point would be fantastic and a year well spent. I’d also love to go back to Frankfurt at some point as it was a city I really loved when I visited there on my year abroad.

GO SOMEWHERE OR DO SOMETHING COMPLETELY OUT OF MY COMFORT ZONE

I am quite a safe person. I tend to go to places that I know, eat the foods I know I like, and stick to doing things that I know I enjoy. I’m not quite sure what this particularly goal will be- maybe the situation will present itself to me – but I’m definitely going to attempt saying ‘yes’ to things that I probably wouldn’t have done in the past!

What are your travel goals for 2018? Comment and let me know!  

Travel: (Re)Exploring Liverpool In Pictures

Travel: (Re)Exploring Liverpool In Pictures

Monday, 25 December 2017

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Travel: A Whistle Stop Tour of Munich, Germany

Travel: A Whistle Stop Tour of Munich, Germany

Friday, 13 October 2017

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It’s been a little while since my last trip abroad, so it’s definitely time to write up my little travel guide for the amazing German city that I was lucky enough to visit. It’s fair to say that I’ve definitely got itchy feet and I am yet to book any trips for the coming months- other than a weekend away in North Wales with my better half, that is. When I went out to Nuremberg in August to reunite with my best year abroad pal, she offered me two places to visit, outside of Nuremberg city centre. One of the choices was Munich, the second was tiny town called Bamberg. Whilst the appeal of a gorgeous, picturesque town was hard to turn down, I’d always wanted to visit Munich and had a close encounter with the place when I was living in Strasbourg.

We decided to take the train into the city from Nuremberg, about two hours ride away. A little top travel tip: if you buy a Bayern Ticket, two travellers can go anywhere in Bavaria for around 31 euros. Great for couples, travellers and friends like Antonia and I who were travelling into and returning from the city together. In contrast to Nuremberg, Munich was incredibly different but it was somewhere that I am very happy to have finally visited. Before getting there, Antonia and I decided we would take full advantage of the amazing shops that the city had to offer and do a little bit of shopping together whilst we were there. We spent a few hours when we first arrived exploring the city and the shops, picking up a few bits and bobs whilst we had the chance. We had already grabbed a delicious lunch of pretzel with German salami at the train station so we were able to get well and truly stuck into shopping. After a quick stop at a restaurant for a drink, we decided it was time to check out the main tourist attractions.  

Antonia had kept the city under wraps from me, and I tried really hard not to Instagram the tourist sites and spoil them for myself. First on the agenda was Marienplatz, a beautiful square right in the centre of Munich, surrounded by bars, restaurants and shops. It was really crowded which was slightly offputting but the area takes on a very Baroque style and is absolutely beautiful to look at. We also had a look over at Neus Rathaus, the city’s town hall, adorned in beautiful red flowers. The building is gorgeous and full of character. A really beautiful stop on our whistle stop tour. Finally, after a little bit more shopping and a stop to buy snacks for the train ride back to Nuremberg, we had a walk across the city to the English Garden for a quick stroll around. The gardens were so picturesque, I felt so privileged to be allowed the opportunity to wander through them. After walking out of the gardens, we stumbled across a beautiful church and a really bizarre looking pine tree- an unexpected find at the end of a lovely day of explorations.

We jumped back on the train with tired feet, big smiles and lots of memories made.

I cannot wait to return to Munich to explore even more, in the near future.