Northern Europe
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Wrocław, Poland: The Perfect European City Break Destination
Poland has become one of my most visited countries, I enjoy spending time there so much. After selecting Poznan for a festive break last year, this time we decided to head to Poland’s fourth largest city Wrocław. It’s located on the Oder River in the Lower Silesian region of the south west of the country.…
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Hotel Simoncini Luxembourg Review
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 Review
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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How to Spend 48 Hours in Ghent: Top Things to Do, See & Eat
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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Top Things to Do in Mechelen, Belgium in Just 2 Days
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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What to Do in Leuven in 48 Hours: Best Sights, Food & Tips
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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Park Plaza Vondelpark, Amsterdam Review
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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A Day in Hamburg: Explore Chocoversum and Miniatur Wunderland
There were more foodie treats in store for us to experience during our Hamburg city break with a morning visit to Chocoversum, the city’s chocolate museum. It’s located in the Kontorhaus district with the nearest U-Bahn station being Meßberg on the U1 Line. We joined one of their 90 minute chocolate tours which are offered…
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Hamburg’s Best Eats: A Culinary Tour Guide for Visitors
After a good night’s sleep in my lovely room at the Scandic Hamburg Emporio I enjoyed breakfast along the corridor in the hotel’s ‘Living Room’ which is for the exclusive use of guests staying on the upper two floors of the hotel. Here I enjoyed a selection of cold cuts of meat, mackerel and smoked salmon…
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Hamburg City Guide: Top Attractions, Food & Things to Do
With three days to explore a world of culinary delights and top sightseeing spots in Hamburg I couldn’t wait to get off the plane! I’d travelled with KLM from Leeds/Bradford connecting via Amsterdam and with direct flights available from both London and Manchester, the city is easy to reach for a short break from all…
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Day trip from Helsinki: Nuuksio National Park
Within easy reach of the Finnish capital lies Nuuksio National Park, an area of crystal clear lakes, forests and rugged crags. Getting there by public transport from Helsinki city centre takes just over an hour with a car journey taking around 40 minutes. We bought Helsinki Day Cards €12 (£10.45) allowing unlimited travel in zones…
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How to Spend a Day in Tapiola, Espoo on a Helsinki Day Trip
There are so many lovely places to visit in Helsinki and the surrounding area and one of my favourites is to spend a day in neighbouring Tapiola. With the opening of the western extension of the metro it’s now possible to reach Tapiola from the city centre in only 15 minutes. A one day ticket…
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Tallink Megastar Review: Helsinki to Tallinn Ferry Experience
Spending time in the Finnish capital of Helsinki is absolutely lovely and one of my favourite places to visit. As well as enjoying the city and surrounding area taking a ferry across to Tallinn in Estonia for a day is a very popular excursion as the journey time is only two hours. On our recent…
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Explore Luxembourg’s Moselle Valley: A Scenic Wine Region
Our final day in beautiful Luxembourg had come around all too quickly but with a late afternoon flight back to the UK we still had ample time to explore. Our plan for the day was to drive to Luxembourg’s wine growing region in the Moselle Valley just 40 minutes from the city centre. We made…
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Discover Luxembourg’s Müllerthal Region: The Little Switzerland
From our base in Luxembourg’s city centre it was just a 40 minute drive to the Müllerthal region which is often referred to as Little Switzerland due to its hilly landscape and beautiful hiking trails. Our first stop was at the Scheissendempel Cascade located on road 121 close to Müllerthal. We parked in a small…
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The Best Castles to Explore in Luxembourg
After spending the previous day exploring Luxembourg’s industrial heritage we turned our attention to its beautiful Ardennes region. This is located in the north eastern part of the country and home to several magnificent castles. We drove along some winding roads and made our first stop at Bourscheid Castle, a 40 minute journey from the…
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A Guide to Luxembourg’s Industrial Heritage Sites
After exploring the sights of Luxembourg City centre the previous day, we turned our attention to the country as a whole with a plan to spend the following days touring Luxembourg’s four distinct regions starting with the industrial heritage of the south west. As public transport is totally free throughout the entire country we did…
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Exploring Luxembourg City Centre: Top Attractions and Hidden Gems
Luxembourg is one of the world’s smallest countries, similar in size to the county of Dorset in south west England. It’s located in north western Europe and bordered by Belgium, France and Germany. It may only be small but it certainly packs a punch as we found out during our recent visit. The previous afternoon…
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Leonardo Royal Hotel, Nuremberg Review
Hotel Review Location: Nuremberg is situated in Bavaria, southern Germany and is a delightful place to enjoy a city break with its impressive old town, Imperial castle and wealth of museums. The Leonardo Royal Hotel is a newly opened hotel (2021) located in the city centre just a few steps from the railway station. As…
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A Walk Around Prague Centre: Exploring the Heart of the City
Our final day in Prague had come around all too quickly but as we were booked home on an evening flight we still had plenty of time to enjoy the city. After checking out of the lovely Mama Shelter hotel we took a short tram ride to Letna Park, located in an elevated position in the…
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Discover Prague’s Hidden Gems: Off-the-Beaten-Path Attractions
Our day started with a visit to Prague Planetarium located close to the hotel in Stromovka Park. It’s dome is one of the largest in the world and measures 23.5 metres in diameter. It’s free to view the permanent exhibition of optics and to explore the numerous interactive astronomy displays. For those interested in star gazing, tickets…
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Prague Castle and National Museum: Must-Visit Historical Landmarks
After enjoying a hearty breakfast in the lovely restaurant at Mama Shelter we boarded a tram to Wenceslas Square so that we could visit the National Museum. This square is the largest in Prague and takes its name from St. Wenceslas, the Czech patron. It’s actually more of a rectangle than a square and was formerly known…
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How to Spend a Perfect Weekend in Prague
The previous afternoon we’d taken an EasyJet flight from Manchester over to Václav Havel airport in Prague to enjoy a short break in the Czech capital. Getting into the centre was inexpensive as 90 minute transport tickets cost only 40czk (£1.38). For visitors aged 65+ travel on public transport is free of charge and no…
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The Wensleydale Hotel, Middleham, North Yorkshire Review
Hotel Review Location: The Wensleydale Hotel is located in the delightful small town of Middleham nestled on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales National Park. It’s just two miles from the bustling market town of Leyburn and 10 miles from Richmond. For those travelling from London or the south, Middleham can be reached by taking…
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