My top five European cities

When thinking of my top five European cities, it is actually quite difficult, as we all know how much this continent has to offer. Whenever I meet travellers who have never been to Europe, I find that they often think they can cover off Europe in a few weeks. I’ve lived in Europe for over 27 years and I haven’t even touched the surface. Even though we may be a small continent, we sure make up for it in terms of culture, cuisine and history. Every European country is vastly different from the next, and the same goes for the cities as well, but I think I’ve managed to narrow my European city ventures down to my top 5.

Budapest

Ruin bars, an old city, Turkish baths and cheap beer. What is not to love? One of my fav European cities is the Hungarian capital, Budapest. I have only visited once but I’d happily visit again and explore the nooks and crannies of this place, as my first trip did result in a lot of hangovers…

I’d recommend to spend a few days here, explore the beauty and history of the old town, grab a few drinks from the ruin bars (popular ones are Szimpla and Instant), then head to the baths and relax in the heat. Or, consider taking a boat trip down the Danube to nearby towns and suburbs of this capital and see what else is on offer.

Paris

I am in love with Paris. Some say they find it underwhelming when they arrive, that actually Paris has some quite grimy parts, but that’s why I love it. The majority of the city, or the bits you see as a tourist are inspiring! Beautiful architecture, ornate statues and generally just incredible sights. I can walk around this city for days and I’d still find that I am in awe of it’s beauty. I also need not really mention the food that the French capital has to offer. Pastry, wine, cheese, bread, but why aren’t the Parisians fat?! Maybe they save it all for me?

Anyone that hasn’t been to Paris, needs to really go. It may not be the cheapest European capital to stay in, but you can get by with the right tricks and the right deals. I stayed for 3 nights, with flights from Manchester included for just £200 on a last minute deal. Yep I probably spent more whilst I was there, but I do love a grog au rhum after all.

Prague

I have been to Prague trice now and I still haven’t touched on what the Czech capital has to offer. A smallish European capital, as you can walk around the main sights and hotspots but there is still plenty to do over a few days. Prague is getting more and more popular each year, and with that comes more and more expense, but I find that it is still a relatively cheap European capital.

You will find a big mix of history and culture, plus more modern and edgy parts of the city. Head to the John Lennon for graffiti heaven. Or for a more scenic day, walk on the Charles Bridge and listen to local musicians playing along. Head over to the old town and explore great views teamed with great wine. Or head just a little out of the city centre to see Sedlec Ossuary, which is a type of church made up of over 40,000 skeletons…

Salzburg

This may be an odd one to add onto the list but I couldn’t get enough of this Austrian city and it’s charm. Salzburg may be most popularly known for the location from the Sound of Music, or for the birthplace of Mozart. Therefore, the culture and history of this city has so much to offer the average traveller.

When you picture a typical Austrian town (or at least when I picture it), then everything that is pictures is all envisaged within Salzburg. Freshly made pretzels sold my local vendors, beautiful European architecture, incredible mountain views and good beer. This city is worth adding to your European Must-Do’s and it’s worth a day or two of your time. Easily accessible from Vienna on the train and everything is moderately priced. But a lot of the beauty of this Austrian city is the buildings and nature, so you can tick a lot of free things to do off your list.

Manchester

Last but not certainly not least, is one of my favourite cities, and my current home, Manchester. I moved to Manchester two years ago, after only visiting once or twice and mainly making the trip to use the airport. I can’t believe this amazing city was on my doorstep for so many years and I never really bothered to visit. The city has so much to offer and it has that great Northern British charm about it. From great bars, great restaurants, beautiful buildings and a lot of history as well.

For example, did you know that Emily Pankhurst, Antony Burgess and so many incredible musicians were born here. With that, then comes a lot of culture and history. The music scene in this city is incredible and you can enjoy a vast amount of live music and comedy for a great price. There is also a fantastic sense of community and people are really proud to be from this Northern powerhouse, plus it’s easy to understand why. When the tragic bombing happened at the Ariana Concert last May, it was overwhelmingly brilliant to see the whole city pull together and show how incredible we are at been there for each other.

I don’t plan on moving away anytime soon as I really do love it here, and after all, I still have so many more bars I need to tick off.

Ireland road trip with the leprechauns

Ireland, a place that has to be explored by a road trip. So many nooks and crannies and wonderful places to explore that even after a week's road trip, I haven't touched on half the beauty of this country. Think small towns, where there is one shop but four pubs. Small pubs, with live music on a weekend and cheap pints. Friendly locals, strong accents and magnificent greenery to top it all off.

A weekend in the Lake District

The Lake District is one of my favourite places in the UK and a place I recommend any traveller to visit. It's quintessentially British with an abundance of countryside, plenty of small pubs and it always rains... the rain aside, the summers in the Lake District aren't too bad and I've seen my fair share of sunshine there, but I would take a waterproof coat and some decent shoes just in case.

A good few days could cover pretty much the essentials, unless you're a really keen walker so you could easily spend a week here exploring all the different route across the District National park. But if you only have a weekend then there is plenty to fit it. Rambling among the little towns and trying out different cafes and pubs is the way I would spend my weekend but there is also a fair few tourist things you can do as well.

More Than Whisky and Kilts? 48 Hours in Edinburgh

I had wanted to go to the Scottish capital for years, especially for New Years Hogmany, but just never managed to get round to it until summer of last year. I found some ridiculously cheap train tickets from Manchester and had a nosy online and found a cute B&B not too far out of the city centre (Clan Walker Guest House), so booked a long weekend and made my way to the land of haggis and great accents.

Day 1 - exploring the old town

The old town and predominately the city centre was a lot smaller than I had imagined so a great deal of it can be covered in one day in my opinion. I started off with a walk round the main streets and exploring the vast amount of shops donning kilts, souvenirs and so many whiskys. There are a few street artists dotted around, typical statues and performers but also some great bagpipe players (bag-pipists????). 

Why I Haven't Blogged in Over One Year

When you travel on and off for three years then suddenly return home and go back to your part time job in a pub and live in your single bedroom in your parent's house, then what is there to write about? I recently had a job interview, which later very fortunately turned into a job offer, and the job spec asked me to speak about my social media experience and my skills in marketing. I wrote on my CV that I have my own travel blog and when the interviewer brought it up I felt embarrassed to discuss it as I haven't posted in so long. So now I not only feel the need to carry on writing and doing what I loved doing for three years, but I really want to get back into blogging (then I'll finally have something to speak about in interviews...)

UK Music Festivals

Since I started travelling I hear a lot of people asking about the festivals in the UK. We may be known for our poor weather but that never lets us be put off camping in a field in summer surrounded by mud and rain. In my opinion a festival outfit isn't complete without mud filled wellies, so a post on festivals in the UK seems pretty apt. Here are a few I've been to and would recommend.

Leeds/Reading Festival

The first festival I ever went to, mainly because it was the closest to where I lived. This festival is indie, a bit rock and that’s about it. If I was to go now as a 22 year old, I would feel too old as it is a festival to go to as a first timer when you are about 16 or 17, however if you love the music then go whatever age. The festival itself is a decent size in terms of tents and stages. You have plenty of choice from your mainstream headliners of bands such as the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Slipknot, Prodigy and Radiohead, but you’ll also find your more indie headliners in the other tents, so you won’t be bored of finding good music. The last night can get pretty wild with tents been burnt down, fights going on etc. but it isn't that intense. Expect a fair few drugs but nothing crazy. I've never been to Reading but I have a fair few friends that have and it’s pretty much the same as Leeds from what I hear.

5 of My Favourite Travel Foods

Just like any self-confessed fatty I love food. I love to travel and try new foods but as a vegetarian it can be a bit challenging, but I’ve still found several ways to remain far away from my bikini body. So take a look at my favourite foods from around the world, and learn just how to be a greedy bitch in style...

1. Gelato – Venice

I spent a few days in Venice during the summer of 2010 and I can easily say I spent most of time eating gelato. I’m not a massive fan of icecream in general but this pure heavenly dessert was enough to convert me. The gelato in Venice is widely available on little corners, with local venders using the finest ingredients. Try a variety of fruity flavours, chocolate types or my personal favourites of coffee and caramel. It’s the smoothest, creamiest ‘icecream’ you’ll ever try and it’s pretty cheap for this Italian destination.

My Great Britannia

As an English teacher in Japan, I often get asked the question, “where is best to visit in England?” Before I came to Japan I didn't really have an answer to this question but now I feel I've thought about it enough to know where I would recommend. A lot of people tend to visit London for obvious reasons, and I don’t discourage anyone from travelling there. London is a city like no other and it has a lot to offer a tourist and the typical British person! Other places which have cropped up on peoples travels are The Cotswolds, The Lake District and Edinburgh. I feel ashamed to say I've never been to The Cotswolds or Edinburgh and only the Lake District once. I always find that backpackers tend not to travel around their own country as there is a big wide world out there to explore. However, I've still done my fair bit of travelling in the UK, so here are some places on my recommendation list.

London

I won't say too much about London, as this city can be explored in a post by itself. Overall London has a great deal of history, tradition, and a good mix of the old and new to keep any tourist entertained. With a ton of museums, buildings, stores and restaurants, you could spend a week here and not even touch on what this city has to offer. My main advice for London is to spend at least a few days here and plan your time per district, for example you can visit the Science Museum, the V&A and Harrods all on the same street. Trafalgar Square and Leicester Square are in walking distance to each other, and like many other places in this city, you can walk between the top spots, therefore saving money on the tube. If in London for more than a week, then it is worth buying an Oyster card for travel. It’s a typical city top up travel card, and it can save you money.

Travelling the UK on a Shoestring

The UK is just like any country in western Europe in terms of costs and the typical tourist daily budget. The country isn't cheap to travel around, and cities like London certainly don’t stretch the budget. However, as a British citizen I've learnt a few tricks of the trade on how to travel this island whilst saving the pennies. 

Accommodation

Accommodation is a big expense in any European country, but as many as you may know; there are tricks to make it a lot cheaper. Firstly, there are hostels which are supposed to cut down on costs; however the ones in the UK, especially London, don’t really come that cheap. For some reason the UK hostels charge you extra if you aren't a member of the Youth Hostel Association (YHA), so if you are travelling in the UK for a while then it may be worth investing in an YHA card which can be bought online (maybe in the hostels as well) and it can last for one to five years. Other suggestions are to try the budget hotels such as Etap or Travelodge. Sometimes these aren't that cheap, but they often offer a £45 a night deal which beds three people in one room. They are basic, but convenient. 

Amsterdam in a Day

Amsterdam in a day you say? Well it can be done because I have done it. When I was 17 my friend and I jumped at the chance of a trip to Amsterdam when we heard it only cost £30 return to get there. I kid you not! P&O Ferries offer overnight trips to the Dutch capital, from Hull and Portsmouth in the UK. At the time, it was £62 return and they offered a 2-4-1 deal which went on for quite a few years. I've looked recently and found the deal isn't on at the moment, and that you’re looking at a return price of £75. I still argue this is a good price, but you might even be able to get cheaper flights these days.

The ferry

Our trip started off boarding the ferry at Hull, around 5pmish, to where we were given a cabin room. Basic, but it had all the essentials of a bed and a bathroom, therefore just perfect for the overnight trip. The ferry wasn't anything special overall. There were a few restaurants, bars and ‘entertainment’ which didn't even rival that of Butlins. You probably could have got away with bringing your own alcohol on the ferry, but the idea hadn't crossed my mind at the time.

My Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge

I have a list of Things to do before I’m 25 which is like a bucket list in a sense, except I don’t plan to die at 25. One thing on my list was to walk the Three Peaks, which are essentially a set of three mountains. In the UK there are two types of three peaks: 

• The National Three Peaks, which involves climbing Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdon in 24 hours 
• The Yorkshire Three Peaks, which involves the three mountains of Pen-y-ghent, Whernside and Ingleborough in 12 hours 

My friend and I decided to climb them in April 2012, but as we weren't looking for anything strenuous we decided to do it over two days rather than the twelve hour stint. Cheating? I’d argue not...

If you were climbing the mountains in twelve hours you probably didn't need half the stuff we took, but as we had a break and my car in between the two days, we brought endless amounts of food, and overnight things for a stopover at a local B&B. We set off at 6am on the first day, which proved to be a challenge in itself, and made the drive to Ribblehead, North Yorkshire, to meet the bottom of our first Everest of the day, Whernside.