Travel
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Holiday Inn, Winchester Review
Hotel Review I was recently invited to stay at the Holiday Inn, Winchester which underwent a major £2.5m refurbishment programme in 2019 to expand its lobby and dining areas and add a luxury spa. Location: The hotel is located on the outskirts of Winchester in southern Hampshire, south west England. The city lies 60 miles…
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A Walk Around Winchester: Exploring the City and Its Stunning Cathedral
After enjoying a hearty breakfast at the Holiday Inn Winchester we decided to leave our car behind and take the bus into the city centre. With a stop at the end of the drive it couldn’t have been easier as the journey only took 7 minutes. (Bus 64, day tickets £4). The bus terminated close to…
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Winchester Weekend Getaway: A Short Break Guide
We planned an autumn break in the historic city of Winchester, located in Hampshire, south west England. The previous night we’d stayed with family close by allowing us two full days to explore the city. On arrival in the city, we left our car in the Chesil Street multi-storey car park just a couple of…
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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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Holiday Inn Express Derry-Londonderry Review
Hotel Review Location The Holiday Inn Express Derry-Londonderry is Derry’s newest hotel and is located in the heart of the city centre on Strand Road just a 20 minute taxi ride (fare approximately £12) from City of Derry Airport. Derry is Northern Ireland’s second city and has so much to offer not only as a city…
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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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Blenheim Palace Afternoon Tea Review: Elegance and Taste
Blenheim Palace is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the family home of the 12th Duke of Marlborough, as it has been for all the Dukes in the past 300 years. It is the only non-royal house in England to hold the title of a palace. Location: Blenheim Palace is located in Woodstock, Oxfordshire 8…
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Bartons Mill, Old Basing, Basingstoke Review
Location: Bartons Mill is located in the picturesque village of Old Basing in Hampshire, just two miles east of Basingstoke. Easily accessible by road Bartons Mill lies 43 miles south west of London and is less than 10 minutes drive from junction 6 of the M3 motorway. For guests arriving by train, Basingstoke is on…
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Exploring Basingstoke’s Past: Old Basing and Milestones Museum
After a good night’s sleep we started the day with a delicious cooked breakfast at the lovely Barton’s Mill on the outskirts of Basingstoke. It was a bright, sunny morning as we set out on foot to explore the picturesque village of Old Basing. From Barton’s Mill we followed a short section of the Basing…
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How to Enjoy a Weekend Getaway in Basingstoke
We planned a short break in Basingstoke, the largest town in Hampshire, located close to the West Berkshire border. The town lies 30 miles (48 km) north east of Southampton and 48 miles (77 km) south west of London. It is easily accessible by road being just a few minutes drive from Junction 6 of…
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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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Discover the Beauty of Hawes in Wensleydale
Our stay at the Wensleydale Hotel had been lovely and before checking out we enjoyed another of their delicious breakfasts to set us up for the day. We then packed up the car and headed off to explore more of this beautiful part of Yorkshire. Our first stop was at Aysgarth Falls just a 25 minute…
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A Leisurely Walk Around Richmond, North Yorkshire: What to See
Our day started in the best way possible with a delicious breakfast at the Wensleydale Hotel, Middleham and this set us up nicely for the day ahead. We’d planned to spend the day exploring the historic market town of Richmond, noted for its Norman castle, elegant Georgian architecture and riverside setting. It took us just…
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