Espoo snow covered trail

Espoo, Finland – the perfect winter break

Espoo lies close to Helsinki in southern Finland and despite not being as well known as the capital city, it is a lovely place to spend a few days.  The city boundary covers the attractive centres of Tapiola and Matinkylä and the beautiful Nuuksio National Park. Getting there: Arrive into Helsinki Vantaa Airport (flights from …

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Hotel Matts, Matinkyla, Espoo

Hotel Matts, Matinkylä, Espoo, Finland

Hotel Review Location: Hotel Matts is a luxurious 4 star hotel which has been open in Matinkylä, Espoo since early 2021.  The hotel has a metro and bus station just outside the door enabling guests easy access to travel around the scenic Espoo coastal area and into the centre of Helsinki in under 20 minutes. …

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Helsinki sign in Winter

Helsinki – the perfect winter city break

Finland's capital Helsinki is beautiful all year round and although it attracts more visitors during the summer months, winter breaks to this Nordic city are an absolute delight. Below are my suggestions for making the most of this winter wonderland. Market Square (Kauppatori) Start with a walk around the market square and admire the harbour …

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Silja Line boat, Helsinki

Tallink-Silja Line Day Cruise Helsinki – Stockholm

Whilst staying in Helsinki recently we planned a two day Roundtrip Cruise to Stockholm.  Cruise ferries depart daily at 4.45 p.m. and arrive in Stockholm the next morning enabling visitors to spend a day in the Swedish capital before returning to the ferry for the return voyage. Embarkation  Tallink-Silja Line have two identical cruise ferries …

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Alzette Valley, Luxembourg Old Town

Hotel Simoncini Luxembourg

Location: Hotel Simoncini is located in the centre of the historic old town just around the corner from the Golden Lady monument in Constitution Square and the Notre Dame Cathedral. We took Bus 16 from the airport, with a journey time of only 15 minutes to Hamilius, followed by a five minute walk to the …

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Clarion Hotel, Aviapolis, Helsinki Airport

Clarion Hotel Aviapolis, Helsinki Airport

Hotel Review Location: The Clarion Hotel is the newest of the airside hotels at Helsinki Airport, Finland.  It's located a 20 minute walk from the terminal in the tranquil Aviapolis district, an area largely home to aviation offices and the Finnish Aviation Museum. The hotel is 30 minutes by train from Helsinki city centre (trains I …

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Ghent riverside

48 Hours in Ghent, Belgium

Ghent is Belgium's fourth largest city and one of the country's most beautiful.  It's easy to reach from the UK without the need for flying as we took the Eurostar service from London St. Pancras to Brussels. The journey takes only two hours with regular onward connections to Flanders cities on Belgian Railways.  Trams 1 …

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Mechelen main square

48 Hours in Mechelen, Belgium

Mechelen is one of Flanders art cities and a hidden gem located midway between Brussels and Antwerp. We travelled there by train from Leuven, taking just 30 minutes, with Brussels even closer at 15 minutes for easy onward connections to Eurostar or flights from Brussels airport. The perfect two day itinerary Day 1:  We'd arranged …

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Leuven town hall, Belgium

48 Hours in Leuven, Belgium

The Flemish region of Belgium lies to the north of the country nestled between the Netherlands and France.  Most visitors head to Bruges or Ghent but Leuven is equally beautiful and less crowded than its more famous neighbours.  The city is home to one of Europe's oldest universities (KU Leuven) with many of its historic …

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Vondelpark

Park Plaza Vondelpark, Amsterdam

Hotel Review Location: The Park Plaza hotel is located on a tree lined quiet street in the upscale Oud-Zuid district of Amsterdam, just steps away from the beautiful Vondelpark.  Tram 2 serves the hotel making it easy to get around as it takes just 20 minutes to Central Station passing many of the city's attractions …

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