Southern Europe
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Riviera Travel Douro River Cruise Day 7 & 8
Day 7 Our week on board MS Riviera Rose was drawing to a close with just one full day left to enjoy the luxurious facilities on board. After another delicious breakfast served in the ship’s main restaurant we wandered up to the sun deck where we found some comfortable chairs shaded by a large parasol…
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Riviera Travel Douro River Cruise Day 5 & 6
Riviera Rose – Day 5: The ship set sail whilst we were having breakfast enabling us to take in the spectacular views from the restaurant windows. The engines on Riviera Rose are very quiet and if it wasn’t for the ever changing views one may not even realise that the boat was moving. Riviera Rose…
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Riviera Travel Douro River Cruise Days 3 & 4
Riviera Rose: Day 3: We enjoyed a leisurely start to the day, starting off with a delicious breakfast whilst taking in the breathtaking views of the Douro Valley as we sailed along the river. We passed through two more deep locks as well as sailing under a very low bridge so we watched with interest…
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Riviera Travel Douro River Cruise Day 2
We woke refreshed after a good night’s sleep on board the Riviera Rose and started off the day with a relaxing breakfast in the ship’s restaurant. It was just like staying in a luxurious, boutique hotel – barista made cappuccinos, a selection of fresh fruit, yoghurt and pastries, followed by our favourite Eggs Benedict. After…
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Riviera Travel Douro River Cruise: Day One
Day One We were so excited to be setting off on our first ever river cruise and after enjoying a relaxing overnight stay at the Gatwick Airport Sofitel we woke refreshed and then boarded the shuttle across to the south terminal to check in for our TAP flight over to Porto. Whilst waiting in the…
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MS Riviera Rose Review
MS Riviera Rose is a luxurious ship that has been specifically designed to sail along the Douro River in Portugal. Newly launched in April 2025, the ship is 80 metres in length and can accommodate up to 114 guests in 57 cabins, including 4 balcony suites with a total of 38 crew. I was excited…
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The Gomerino Hotel, Valletta, Malta Review
Hotel Review Malta is a small Mediterranean island that’s popular for its pristine beaches and guaranteed sunny weather between Easter and October. It’s also perfect for a winter break with temperatures averaging 18 degrees. In December, Malta transforms into a wonderland full of festive events, dazzling Christmas lights and plenty of seasonal cheer for all…
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Gibraltar – the perfect one day itinerary
The British overseas territory of Gibraltar is filled with historic sights, attractions and activities. At only 3 miles (5 km) long and 0.75 miles (1.2 km) wide it’s a tiny relic of the former British empire but there’s more than enough to keep a family entertained for several days. For those visiting just for the…
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Villacana Villa, Cancelada, Spain Review
Accommodation Review Overview: Villacana is an idyllic development that has been designed in the style of a typical Andalusian “white town” or pueblo blanco. With its narrow flower adorned passageways and direct access to the beach it is one of the most sought after locations on the Costa del Sol. Villacana Villa Location: The Villa…
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Travel Guide: Naples Top Things to See and Do
Naples is a port city in the Campania region of southern Italy. With 4.4 million inhabitants it’s the third largest city in the country. Most visitors flying into Naples airport don’t stop off to explore the city but instead pick up hire cars and head south to explore the Amalfi coast. Despite the city previously…
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Christmas in Valletta, Malta: A Festive Travel Guide
Malta is a small Mediterranean island that’s popular for its pristine beaches and guaranteed sunny weather between Easter and October. You might not be aware though that in December, Malta transforms into a wonderland full of festive events, dazzling Christmas lights, and plenty of seasonal cheer. Getting there: Ryanair, EasyJet and Air Malta all offer…
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A day in Ventimiglia, Italy
From our base in Nice we planned a day trip to Ventimiglia, 8 km across the border in western Liguria, Italy. We took the 10:36 train from Nice Ville station (single tickets €8 for the 55 minute journey). As with our visit the previous day to Antibes we opted to buy single tickets as these…
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Best Things to Do in Bucharest on a Weekend Trip
After a good night’s sleep at the Mercure Bucharest City Centre we walked the short distance to the Romanian Athenaeum concert hall which stands on the edge of Revolution Square. This ornate domed, circular building is an architectural gem and is the city’s main classical music venue. As well as being able to purchase tickets for…
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How to Plan a Trip to Bucharest: Top Tips & Travel Guide
Day 1 On noticing that the low cost Hungarian airline Wizz Air had introduced flights from Leeds-Bradford airport to the Romanian capital of Bucharest, we were soon tapping away on our laptop to book flights. The day soon arrived for our 3 hour morning flight over to Bucharest which departed slightly later than scheduled. With…
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A Walk Around Bratislava City Centre: Top Sights and Hidden Gems
Our Bratislava city break was drawing to a close but with a late evening flight back to the U.K. we still had a full day of sightseeing to look forward to. We started off by visiting the Blue Church located quite close to our hotel in the eastern part of the old town. It’s known…
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How to Make the Most of a Day Trip to Vienna from Bratislava
Whilst staying in Bratislava we seized the opportunity of spending a day in Vienna as the two capitals are located close together. To get there we took a CityLink train from Bratislava central station (standard tickets €14 return). Surprisingly there were no ticket machines on the station concourse resulting in a lengthy queue at the…
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How to Visit Devin Castle from Bratislava by Bus: A Perfect Half-Day Trip
After enjoying a delicious buffet breakfast at the Danubia Gate Hotel we set off for a day of exploring the city and its surroundings. We began with a look in the Old Market Hall as each Saturday it offers a wide range of fresh produce, food and drink between 10.00 a.m. and 3.00 p.m. It had…
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How to Spend a City Break in Bratislava: Top Spots to Explore on Foot
It was a 3.00 a.m. start for our drive to London Stansted for our early morning Ryanair flight to Bratislava. On arrival at the airport it was pleasing to note that bag drop was running efficiently and queues through security were much shorter than we’d recently experienced. The bonus being that we had ample time…
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A Guide to Riding Lisbon’s Historic Trams and Funiculars
Our stay in Lisbon was drawing to an end but we still had a few hours left on our final day for exploring more of this beautiful city. After one final hearty breakfast in our hotel we took the metro to the Praca Restauradores for a ride on the Elevador da Gloria which links the…
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How to Spend a Perfect Day in Cascais – Easy Train Trip from Lisbon
After enjoying a leisurely breakfast we took the metro from the nearby Marques de Pombal station along to Cais do Sodre and from there transferred to the urban rail line for our train to Cascais. As with our visit to Sintra the previous day, travel to Cascais is included in the Lisbon Card, making it…
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From Sintra to Belém: Must-See Sights Near Lisbon
After breakfast, we caught a train to the charming small town of Sintra from the beautiful Rossio Station in Lisbon’s city centre. Train travel for the 40 minute journey is included in the Lisbon Card making the card extremely good value. Sintra is classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is one of Portugal’s most…
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Discover the Best of Lisbon on a Weekend City Break
In search of some winter sunshine we decided to head south and spend a few days in Lisbon. Our flight with Ryanair departed from a quiet Bournemouth Airport mid-evening and as it was very late by the time we had cleared immigration in Lisbon airport we opted to take an Uber into the city centre…
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Gibraltar Highlights: 20 Top Sights and Experiences
The British overseas territory of Gibraltar is filled with historic sights, attractions and activities, more than enough to keep the whole family occupied for an entire week. Here are my suggestions of the top 20 things to see and do. 1. Ride the Cable Car – take the cable car up to the top of…
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The Rock Hotel, Gibraltar Review
Hotel Review Location: The Rock Hotel is an historic hotel built in 1932 in art deco style located in a commanding position on the Rock of Gibraltar. It quickly became a magnet for the rich and famous and is considered to be one of Europe’s iconic hotels so we were looking forward to following in…
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