Arriving in Santiago de Compostela after days or weeks on the Camino is a surreal moment. Legs buzzing, heart full, backpack straps still imprinted across your shoulders, you step into a city that has been the focus of every footstep. It is emotional, joyful, overwhelming and wonderfully odd to suddenly stop moving. After my Camino, […]
Category Archives: Western Europe
08
Dec
Dec
Walking the Camino de Santiago is meant to be a pilgrimage, not an exercise in self destruction via 12kg of socks and a bucket of tiger balm! As a 40 year old camino walker with a slightly dodgy knee and an unhealthy love of blister plasters, I am firmly in the camp that says you […]
Europe, SWITZERLAND, Western Europe
How To Enjoy The Bernina Express For Half The Price: Practical Guide to Riding this Famous Swiss Railway without Blowing Your Budget
01
Dec
Dec
There is something spellbinding about the Bernina route. Sweeping past glaciers, turquoise lakes, spiralling viaducts and high mountain passes, it is one of Europe’s most extraordinary rail journeys and firmly earns its UNESCO stamp. Most travellers assume the only way to experience it is by booking the official Bernina Express, a panoramic tourist train, but […]
AUSTRIA, Europe, Western Europe
Holafly + Austria: How I Travelled Without Internet Connection Worries
21
Nov
Nov
There is nothing like arriving in Austria, ready to dive into strudel, Alpine lakes and Mozart-heavy playlists, only to realise you have no internet connection and not a single clue where your hotel actually is! I have been that person before. A twenty-year-old traveller wandering around Vienna Hauptbahnhof pretending to be calm while secretly praying […]
AUSTRIA, Europe, Western Europe
3 Day Itinerary for Salzburg and Austrian Lakes: Mountains, Music and Magic in Salzkammergut
11
Nov
Nov
Compact yet bursting with culture, small yet surrounded by some of Austria’s grandest lakes and mountains, Salzburg is the sort of city where you can perfectly fit everything into a a few days. From spectacular Sound of Music shows to glacier viewpoints, this ideal itinerary blends classic city sights, alpine adventures, and a taste of […]
AUSTRIA, Europe, Western Europe
How to See Hallstatt Without the Crowds: Visiting Austria’s Most Famous Village at its Best
10
Nov
Nov
When I first saw pictures of Hallstatt online, I genuinely wondered if it was real. A tiny alpine village pressed between mountains and a glassy lake, with pastel houses tumbling down to the water and church spires perfectly reflected on its surface – it looked like ideal Instagram fodder. So when I finally found myself […]
Europe, NETHERLANDS, Western Europe
2 Day Hague City Break: Perfect Hague Itinerary for Culture, Coast & Coffee
16
Oct
Oct
Despite having been to Amsterdam more times than I can count, and even popping into nearby Rotterdam once, I’ve never thought to visit the Netherlands 3rd biggest city – The Hague. I always pictured it as a city full of diplomats, suits, and stern buildings where people argue about treaties, where serious, rather than fun […]
03
Oct
Oct
I’ll admit it: when someone first suggested a barge weekend, I thought it sounded like something only your retired uncle in a flat cap might enjoy. You know, the kind of holiday that involves stained thermos flasks of lukewarm tea, stale biscuits, endless chats about lock mechanics, and going to bed at 8pm. But when […]
Europe, ITALY, Western Europe
3 Days in Rome: City Break Itinerary for the Eternal City (While 5 Months Pregnant!)
23
Sep
Sep
Rome may be the Eternal City, but sadly, my diary and energy levels are not eternal. With a baby on the way, I suddenly felt the ticking of a very different kind of clock – so when a last minute holiday for a September getaway appeared in the calendar, I jumped. Just ten days before […]
12
Sep
Sep
People think they have to go to London or York for history, smiled my tour guide Geoff as we stood beneath the towering Eastgate Clock. “But Chester… Chester’s the hidden gem they never see coming.” He was right. I had not seen Chester coming. Related Posts 21 Top Things to Do in Liverpool: Top […]