If you are planning a trip to Vienna, Schönbrunn Palace is one attraction that genuinely lives up to the hype. Grand, golden and gloriously over the top, this former imperial family summer residence of the Habsburgs is one of the most important cultural sites in Austria and a UNESCO World Heritage Site to boot. I’ve […]
Category Archives: Western Europe
25
Dec
Dec
Walking the Camino de Santiago is a travel experience that sweeps you up, shakes you out and somehow settles you into a calmer version of yourself. It is a long distance walk through Spain, Portugal or France that blends ancient tradition with modern wandering. For many people, myself included, it becomes one of those journeys […]
22
Dec
Dec
Walking the Camino de Santiago is one of those rare adventures that manages to be both deeply personal and delightfully communal. You spend your days following ancient yellow arrows, meeting pilgrims from every corner of the globe, and discovering just how little you actually need to get by. Packing for the Camino is less about […]
18
Dec
Dec
If you’re keen to combine festive cheer with city sightseeing, one of the best Christmas markets to visit in Vienna is the market held in front of Schönbrunn Palace. It perfectly pairs imperial grandeur with winter magic and has become one of the city’s most popular festive stops. I mean, you can’t really visit Vienna […]
15
Dec
Dec
There is something irresistible about a long walk that leads you straight into the heart of history, community and a cracking plate of seafood. The Portuguese Camino offers all of this in spades. It is one of the most scenic and approachable routes to Santiago, weaving its way from Portugal into Spain along either an […]
Europe, SPAIN, Western Europe
6 Expert Tips for the Perfect Camino Finish: Arriving in Santiago de Compostela
11
Dec
Dec
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, […]
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 […]