Northern Europe
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Explore Amsterdam’s Must-See Sights and Discover Naarden Fortress in the Afternoon
After enjoying a leisurely breakfast in the Park Plaza Vondelpark’s restaurant, we checked out of the hotel leaving our luggage to collect later. We’d decided on a morning’s sightseeing and felt we couldn’t visit Amsterdam without taking a canal cruise. We therefore took a tram to Westermarkt, close to Anne Frank’s House on the Prinsengracht canal…
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Zuiderzee Open Air Museum & Volendam, The Netherlands
After a delicious breakfast in the Park Plaza Vondelpark’s restaurant we set off bright and early to visit some interesting places outside of the city. After taking Tram line 2 to Central Station we caught a train to Enkhuizen one hour away. Standard single fares are €13.20 each but by purchasing online tickets we saved €1…
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A Guide to Keukenhof Gardens and Vondelpark in Amsterdam
Amsterdam is one of my favourite European cities, famous for its canals and tulips and somewhere I always enjoy visiting. The city centre is absolutely gorgeous with its scenic canals, quaint architecture and world renowned museums but did you know that there are lots of idyllic places to visit further afield that are easily accessible…
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Exploring History: Nuremberg Rally Grounds, Courtroom 600 & Afternoon in Fürth
Nuremberg’s history is complex with its symbols of power from the days of the Holy Roman Empire in Germany to its dark Third Reich history as the ‘City of the Nazi Party Rallies’. On our final morning in the city we took a tram to to the south east of the city to view the…
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Explore Nuremberg’s Castle and Old Town: Best Spots to See on Foot
A leisurely breakfast in the stylish restaurant of Nuremberg’s Leonardo Royal Hotel was a perfect way to start the day tucking into a varied buffet selection followed by omelettes freshly made to order. After downing two cappuccinos we were ready for the day ahead and utilised our Nuremberg Cards by taking the metro, followed by a tram…
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Top Highlights for a Weekend in Nuremberg
Nuremberg is the second largest city in Bavaria, southern Germany. It’s a city famous for its Imperial castle, half timbered houses and cobblestone squares, and somewhere I’d long wanted to visit. One Friday evening a few weeks ago my wish finally came true as we took a Ryanair flight from London Stansted to Nuremberg’s Albrecht…
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Discover Sligo: Oyster Tasting and Rejuvenating Seaweed Baths
Starting the day in Strandhill, Sligo we drew back the curtains to beautiful views across the bay and after enjoying a delicious breakfast buffet we checked out of Strandhill Lodge and Suites. Leaving there, we took the car the short distance down to the beach where we were pleased to find free parking. It was…
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Discover Donegal Town, Handmade Hanna Hats & Breathtaking Slieve League Cliffs
We slept soundly in our beautiful suite at the Abbey Hotel and feeling refreshed, headed downstairs for breakfast in their Market House restaurant. After being tempted with an array of hot and cold dishes we were ready for the day ahead and a morning stroll around the attractive small town of Donegal. Our walk took…
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Exploring Glenveagh National Park and Letterkenny in Donegal
After enjoying a traditional Irish breakfast at the Dillons Hotel in Letterkenny we explored the town. The hotel is located along Main Street, reputed to be one of the longest in Ireland and is lined with a varied collection of shops, cafes and bars. In the market square we viewed four life size bronze sculptures entitled…
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Top Free Things to See and Do in Helsinki
In addition to a large selection of world renowned museums, galleries and attractions for which an entrance ticket is required, there are many inexpensive ways to enjoy a short break in Helsinki. Listed below are my suggestions for some really lovely free things to see and do. Helsinki City Museum – located on the corner of…
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Where to Find the Best Seaside Cafes in Helsinki
Finn’s love their coffee, consuming the most per capita in the world. As you might expect, there’s a vibrant coffee culture and to experience the best that Finland has to offer you really need to try an authentic cinnamon bun (korvapuusti). Versions of these buns have been around since the 18th century and it has…
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Making the Most of the Helsinki Card: Attractions, Transport & Savings
A three day Helsinki Card might at first glance seem expensive as it costs €74 but as it covers a wide range of attractions and scenic boat trips that can cost at least €20 each then it’s possible to make substantial savings whilst using the card. It is also valid on public transport including trams,…
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Helsinki Weekend Break: The Ultimate Guide to Explore the City
Visiting Helsinki, Finland’s beautiful capital city is a delight at any time of year. Located on the shores of the Gulf of Finland, the Helsinki archipelago consists of over 300 picturesque islands and wherever you are in the city, it is never far from the sea. Getting there: Helsinki International Airport is located in the…
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The Pullman Hotel, Cologne Review
Hotel Review Location: The hotel is located in a central yet peaceful location in the Innenstadt district of the city, just an easy 12 minute walk from the central railway station. Arrival and check-in: The spacious entrance lobby is bright and airy with modern furnishings. Check-in is from 3.00 p.m. and it was shortly after…
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Top Highlights of Cologne: Best Things to See and Do
The hotel’s restaurant appeared quieter than the previous morning but as breakfast is served between 7.00 and midday on Sundays, perhaps other guests were having a well earned lie in. We enjoyed tucking into a wide selection of healthy and perhaps not quite so healthy (but equally delicious) options to keep us going for most…
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Exploring Cologne: Top Things to See and Do
After enjoying a hearty breakfast in our hotel we popped on our coats and scarves and wandered along to Cologne Cathedral which had been closed the previous afternoon as a service was taking place. Fortunately, it was open and we were able to admire the majestic interior with its wonderful stained glass windows. This UNESCO…
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Arriving in Cologne: How to Get from the Airport and First Impressions of the City
After recently enjoying a winter break in Düsseldorf, we decided to turn our attention to neighbouring Cologne, another German city that we had yet to visit. Looking into airline schedules from Manchester we discovered that we could fly out at lunchtime on a Friday returning just before midnight on the Sunday allowing us plenty of…
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Düsseldorf’s Japanese Quarter: Exploring Little Tokyo in Germany
Our final day in Düsseldorf began with a leisurely buffet breakfast at the Holiday Inn Express, then after packing up our belongings we took the U Bahn along to Graf-Adolf-Platz to enjoy a morning stroll around MedienHafen (Media Harbour) near the Rhine Tower we had visited the previous morning. This former abandoned city docks located…
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Düsseldorf Highlights: Benrath Palace & the Rheinturm Tower
After enjoying a delicious breakfast in our hotel we wrapped up warm as a strong wind was blowing and took the U Bahn to Graf Adolf Platz so that we could take a ride up The Rheinturm, one of the city’s landmarks (admission €9 (£7.47) or €5 (£4.15) with the Dusseldorf Card. Designed by Horst H…
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Düsseldorf Altstadt & the Altbier Safari
I really enjoy visiting Germany and noting that Eurowings had flights departing from Manchester mid-evening on a Friday we decided to head there for a weekend break. It was just a short 65 minute hop over to Düsseldorf, the state capital of North Rhine Westphalia and our first experience of Eurowings, the low cost arm…
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Stuttgart’s Rack Railway
We allowed ourselves an extra hour in bed and then enjoyed a leisurely breakfast in the hotel’s restaurant. The IBIS had a good selection of hot and cold dishes and in one corner a waffle station where guests could make their own fresh waffles. As we had arranged a late check out we left our…
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Guide to Stuttgart’s Motor Museums: Mercedes-Benz & Porsche Experiences
After enjoying a varied selection of dishes for breakfast in our hotel’s restaurant we were ready to set off exploring. If cars are your thing then Stuttgart is definitely the place to visit as the city is the home of Mercedes and Porsche. Both of these motor manufacturers have museums on the outskirts of the…
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Stuttgart City Break: How to Get There, What to See, Do, and Eat
It was a wet and windy start to the day as we travelled by train to Manchester Airport for our lunch-time Ryanair flight to the German city of Stuttgart. There was ample time to pop into Costa for some pre-flight sandwiches and cups of coffee before boarding our Boeing 737-800 aircraft. Luckily I had been…
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Frankfurt’s Hidden Gem: The Deutsche Bundesbank Museum Guide
Our short break in Frankfurt was sadly drawing to a close as we enjoyed breakfast on our final morning at the IBIS Styles Frankfurt City. The hotel had been very pleasant ticking all the boxes for us with its modern stylish decor, good breakfast selection and quiet yet convenient location between the city’s central railway…
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