Join me on a 6 day tour of the Normandy beaches discovering fascinating WW2 history, beautiful beaches and ending with a relaxing stay in Honfleur - one of the prettiest towns in Northern France.
The little island of Madeira (just 35 miles long by 14 miles wide) - famous for its sweet Madeira wine, balmy climate and rich flora - but what is the best way to visit it?
River cruising is supposed to be a great hassle free way to navigate through Europe. If you are looking for a first timer’s guide to taking a river cruise - you are in the right place.
Fairy tale villages of candy coloured houses. geranium filled balconies, rolling vineyards, castles, forest trails and a gastronomy all of its own - explore Alsace in 7 Days.
Join me on a virtual journey through Alsace's history, language, cuisine and wine and reach your own verdict on whether it is truly French or German at heart.
Our gentle stroll through Austria’s Salzkammergut will take us high up into the Dachstein Mountains and around crystal clear lakes. We will visit the spa town of Bad Goisern, the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Hallstatt, the expanse of the Vorderer Gosausee and the “heaven on earth” resort of Bad Ischl en route.
Crete in 6 words? I'd choose: Warmth, Hospitality, Self-Sufficiency, Freedom, Vitality, Raki. Read on for tips on spending a week in Western Crete.
Bridges, Spas and Bars - Budapest (Eastern Europe's Rival to Paris) has many of them, but there is a whole lot more to explore there too ...
Looking to spend 3 Days in Barcelona - the city that has it all? I have "been there and got the T shirt" Read on for top tips to help you get the most out of your own trip.
If you are looking for peace and tranquility and a little Dolce Vita, then walking the Gargano Peninsula in Puglia might just be your perfect trip.
Travelling takes time and money and hindsight is a wonderful thing. I have just returned from 3 days in Cordoba and can share with you the benefits of having been there and getting the T shirt. Hopefully, my travel tips will aid your own trip planning research and help you to get the most out of your own visit.
When Christmas is well and truly over but the snowdrops remain stubbornly buried underground, many of us for a spot of Winter sunshine. But where best to find it? Try Fuschl am See, Austria ...
Uzès - a medieval market town in the sunny South of France with something to offer travellers in every season. I was fortunate to own a holiday home here for over 22 years - read on for insider tips on visiting Uzès - la belle ville - all through the year.
A trip to the highest cable car station in the world - now that just has to be on your bucket list? Matterhorn Glacier Paradise is an alpine wonderland of panoramic views, ice carvings and the best views you can get of the Matterhorn -and it is really easy to make it happen ...
The little alpine village of Zermatt can only be reached by train. The only vehicles you see here are the little electric vans - like the Ginabelle Hotel shuttle that met us at the station.
I spent a day in Geneva today. It was long overdue - Switzerland is a country I have never visited and has been on my bucket list for a while now. A day in Geneva was enough to convince me that everything I had always imagined Switzerland to be was a reality - in a very good way.
You could be easily forgiven for never having heard of Zadar. This seaside city is often overlooked for the more popular cities of Split and Dubrovnik. Let me give you 10 very good reasons to go there and discover it for yourself ...
If you think the Côte d’Azur is all about row upon row of sun loungers lined up in the tourist hot spots of Nice, Monaco Cannes and St, Tropez, then be prepared to think again. The Côte d’Azur has a wild side. 4 days walking on the Golden Isles could change the way you think about the French Riviera for good.
Lanzarote on Foot - There is so much more to discover on this island than tourist hot spots Playa Blanca and Puerto del Carmen. Discover the quieter side of Lanzarote - best explored on foot.
Sweden's Original Ice Hotel in Jukkasjärvi. The hotel is unique and the location fascinating. It's time to travel a little deeper ...
A stay at the Ice Hotel Jukkasjärvi Sweden is a truly unforgettable experience. Discover what it is REALLY like to stay there and what made our trip great.
A trip to the Ice Hotel Sweden is a definite bucket list must do. But what is it REALLY like to stay there? Read on for practical tips and all you need to know before you go...
Looking for suggestions for good hotels in the Northern Italian Lakes? Here are some suggestions for the perfect place to stay in Lake Maggiore.
Lake Maggiore - so close to little Lake Orta, but so different. 5 times larger and stretching right across the border into Switzerland. Gusto e Passione await you - come and explore a little further …
Lake Orta - Tiny in comparison to the rest of the Italian Lakes, but all the more attractive as a result. A hidden gem of a lake that can be easily explored in the shortest of short breaks. Piccolo e perfetto!
Southern Ireland Accommodation Reviews. Where to Stay on a 10 Day Road Trip and - just as importantly - where NOT to stay! Honest accommodation reviews that might just save you time - and money.
Once outside of Dublin, 6 days allowed us plenty of time to explore Southern Ireland's Highlights - and Lowlights.
Our 10 day road trip around the highlights of Southern Ireland begins where many others who have travelled this road before us began - in Dublin 's Fair City.
We’re Walking the Catalan Coast - Y Viva Espanã. Join me for a week long hike along 80 kilometres of the stunning coastline of Catalonia.
Grand Hotel La Cloche Dijon. A luxurious hotel right in the heart of the city. It has everything you would expect from a 5 star city hotel.
Discover Dijon's Delicacies in the Gastronomic Capital of Burgundy. A myriad of regional specialties are waiting to tempt your palate in this fascinating region of France.
Discover the Delicacies of Dijon in 1 Day. Dijon is a foodie destination not to be missed. Come & take a stroll through its quaint streets with me ...
A city full of surprises - here are 10 surprising facts about Amsterdam you might not know ...
The Pulitzer was a perfect choice of hotel for our short break in Amsterdam. The Pulitzer is a comfortable hotel and ideally located right in the centre of the city. Everywhere you want to visit is within easy walking distance. The rooms are nicely decorated with a modern feel and every effort is made to provide you with everything you need for your stay including a shopping bag, a brolly and even a bike repair kit!
3 days in Amsterdam is a challenge. There is a lot to see in this city - although we saw most of the major sites and walked through every part of the city - we were both left wanting more.
Amsterdam Day 3 - Museum Het Grachtenhuis, Albert Cuypmarkt Stroopwafels and a Canal Cruise with Those Dam Boat Guys.
Amsterdam Day 2: Anne Frank's House, Van Gough Museum, Vondelpark and - after dinner - an Evening Canal Cruise
I am travelling with my daughter on this trip and we have three days to get to know Amsterdam and appreciate the best it has to offer. I am looking forward to sharing the journey with her and seeing a new city through her eyes as much as my own. We have based ourselves at the Pulitzer Hotel right in the centre of Amsterdam so we don't waste too much time getting from A to B (see accommodation review for more detail). We have 3 days in Amsterdam - how best to fit everything in?
The Posada el Corcal de Liébana nestles beneath the beautiful Picos mountains and provides guests with the warmest of welcomes and Spanish hospitality.
Colletts delivered a well organised wildflower walking holiday with expert guiding to ensure you could locate all the best examples of the Spring flora in the Picos de Europa.
The Spring flower season in the Picos de Europa is short but spectacular. There are around three weeks between 20th May and 7th June when the mountains burst into life with a wide array of colourful alpine plants.
The thermometer is your ally in Gran Canaria! We visited at the end of March when it was grey and wet back home in the UK and were treated to pleasant tempera
Goodbye Hurtigruten - and Tusen Takk - Thank you very much ! Tourism was always part of the basis for the Coastal Express though with brochures printed in several languages…
Gale force winds were blowing all day today meaning that the ship was rocking about a lot leaving many people feeling nauseous - including me. The on board shop was doing. roaring trade in sea sickness tablets - even the crew were taking them. The decks were closed, which meant you couldn't even get a breath of air. Everything began to feel very claustrophobic. Unfortunately, seasickness on Hurtigruten is something you may well have to put up with if the weather is rough - which it often is - so come prepared!
Vesteralen Hike Yesterday, we made a brief stop at Hammerfest - the Northernmost town in the world. It is a tiny place, but there is a really interesting Restoration Museum…
The Snow Hotel Kirkenes 25 tonnes of ice and 15000 cubic metres of snow are shifted each Winter to build the famous igloo Snow Hotel Kirkenes.Every year, the hotel is built…
Where East Meets West On the Edge of a Forbidden Frontier Kirkenes - the turning point of the Hurtigruten's voyage - is just a few miles from the Russian border…
World’s End at the North Cape The ship docked at Honningvãg this morning - the capital of the North Cape. At 71 degrees north, this is as far north as…
What ARE the Northern Lights? The northern lights are a physical phenomenon that occurs when electrically charged particles from the sun hurtle towards the Earth. The light becomes visible when…
Entering the High North - Tromsø The sunrise was beautiful this morning - a gentle pink light hung over the coastline for quite some time. A beautiful Norwegian sunrise Mount…
Crossing the Arctic Circle We are crossing the Arctic Circle at 7.30 this morning. You could have bought a postcard with a special stamp and posted it from here all…
It’s time for the Snowshoes! The Nordlys docked at Trondheim this morning allowing us time to lace ourselves into our snowshoes (snøskoene) for a hike through the deep snow covered…
Day 2 - Friluftsliv Bergen We left Bergen at around 10 last night and headed for the pretty Art Nouveau port of Ålesund. If you wanted time to visit Bergen…
Tomorrow, we embark on "the world's most beautiful voyage" on the Hurtigruten line, departing from Bergen and travelling over 2,500 nautical miles to the Top of the World at the North Cape. We hope to see the Northern Lights (there is a guarantee of a free cruise of you don't) en route and then retrace our steps slowly back South down the coast to Bergen. The voyage will last a total of 12 days, crosses the Arctic Circle twice and visits 34 Nordic ports along the way.
A 5.30 start was again scheduled – we didn’t go. Good move – bacon was back on the breakfast menu this morning and was still quite hot early on. Temperatures on the vans were -14 this morning and the only bird anyone saw was the red grouse, again. No Snowy Owls then (which was the one bird we had really both been hoping to see).
We drove right up to the Arctic Circle in the afternoon, which took a long time, but it was sort of satisfying to be able to say we had actually been there and could justifiably put a pin in the map. Scary thought – if I am getting satisfaction from putting a pin in a map, maybe there is something of a twitcher in me? Let’s move on …
Can Finland get any worse? Yes - it can! I was still hoping that things might get better as we went further north and into the Kuusamo National Park…
It was hard to see how this trip could get any worse, but the suggestion was then made that a trip to the rubbish dump might be just the thing to raise the spirits. Seriously?! Yes – this was serious. Rubbish dumps are a food source of course, so there just may be some gulls there … Yes, you guessed it, we waited two hours at the rubbish dump, but it was another no show.
HELP! I am on the wrong holiday! I could have chosen to stay at home, munched a few Easter eggs, dug the garden or just chilled out - but I…
Arrival in Oulu - The light was beginning to fade by the time we got to the snow covered forest. The Northern Hawk Owl sat obligingly at the top of one of the tallest fir trees in the forest and – despite the failing light – I did manage to get a photo of him, although it was so cold that I hard to work hard to make my finger press the shutter button. With hindsight, this eventually turned out to be the highlight of the whole trip!
As the lengthening days of Spring signal the approach of Summer to the Arctic tundra, we are heading far north for a long week-end to Finland to spend Easter on the Arctic Circle in search of owls, many other birds and (hopefully) reindeers.