All posts by Travel for a living

August 4, 2019 Travel Diary, Germany

A Night in Hamburg – a photographic tour of Hamburg Harbour

A Night in Hamburg - Photographic tour of Hamburg Harbour - Travel for a Living

Last week had me stay a night in Hamburg. I love Hamburg, always have. The people here are a completely different mentality to the ones around my home area. But despite their rather rough and direct exterior, I do get on well with them. And as for Hamburg? It is just a beautiful city with a very relaxed atmosphere. In recent years I have only occasionally visited for work though. But whenever I do have a night in Hamburgon my work agenda, I am really looking forward to it. As these always turn out to be rather special. From visits to the Hamburg Christmas market, to a spontaneous concert at the (then newly opened) Elbphilharmonie.

July 31, 2019 Frequent Flyer, Travel Tips & Advice 7 Comments

My experience flying Hop! for the first time

Seems this year is a series of firsts when it comes to flying. I’ve extended my knowledge of different airlines quite a bit. Flying LOT Polish Airlines for the first time at the start of the year. Followed by my first ever Lauda Flight back from Vienna. More recently my first two flights with Vueling. And today I’d like to share with you my experience of flying Hop for the first time.

Hop is one of those airlines that I vaguely heard about before, but I never really used them before. Probably because they mainly do inland flights within France. And I don’t travel to France that often (yes, I know this does sound a bit weird, given that I just returned from a holiday in France a couple of days before the trip). However, I did have a business trip to Marseille and Toulouse. And whilst the flights to Marseille and back from Toulouse were both British Airways, the inland flight between Marseille and Toulouse was operated by Hop (although it was actually booked on Air France and we only realised afterwards that it would be operated by Hop).

So, what can you expect, when flying Hop for the first time?

How about, I just tell you about my first flight on Hop?

July 21, 2019 Sightseeing 11 Comments

Ten Things to do on Isle of Wight

10 things to see on the Isle of Wight - Travel for a Living

The Isle of Wight is one of my favourite places in England. Located in the English Channel, just a few miles south of Portsmouth, the Isle of Wight is England’s largest island with approx. 23 miles (37 km) across. And whilst it is just a 20-minute ferry ride away, going down to the island for a weekend feels like a completely different world. Perfect for winding down and recharging one’s batteries. So, whether you plan a weekend trip to the Isle of Wight or want to spend a week camping, here are my 10 things to do on the Isle of Wight.

July 18, 2019 Frequent Flyer, Travel Tips & Advice 3 Comments

What to expect flying Vueling?

I am a frequent flyer and am boarding at least one flight pretty much every single week of the year (six flights in seven days might well be my personal record). As such the whole booking, check in and boarding process has pretty much become second nature and I don’t lose much sleep over it. That being said, every now and then I will find myself on board a new airline that I have not flown with before. And although the overall process is the same for all airlines, it is the finer points that change. Such as hand luggage allowance or on-board catering. As I was recently flying Vueling for the first time (and in case you wondered, it is pronounced something like ‘Welling’, not quite how I would have pronounced it… but then, I don’t speak any Spanish), let me tell you what to expect flying Vueling.

July 9, 2019 Travel Tips & Advice, Germany 11 Comments

12 Things to Know about Germany

12 Things you need to know about Germany - Travel for a Living

As you might know, I grew up in Germany. And although I have lived in the UK for over a decade now, Germany is where I spent most of my life. But the longer I live abroad, the more I stumble across little peculiars. Nothing major. After all, life in the UK and in Germany isn’t a million miles apart (language aside obviously) and you can adapt fairly quickly. But same as the Brits have their own ways of being, so have the Germans. So, if you are considering a trip to Germany anytime soon (Berlin for example), let me share with you 12 things to know about Germany. Some might be obvious, others not so much. But if you want to avoid sticking out like a sore thumb and being instantly recognised as a tourist, try and memorise at least a few of those things.

July 4, 2019 Travel Diary, Sightseeing 8 Comments

What to do and see in Ljubljana Slovenia

Heading to Ljubljana for the first time and wondering what to do and see in Ljubljana? - Travel for a Living

Earlier this year I spent a whole week in Slovenia. And I got to spend quite some time in Ljubljana. Although sightseeing time was limited to the evenings, I got to see quite a bit. So, if you are thinking about heading to Ljubljana any time soon, let me tell you what to do and see in Ljubljana.

June 27, 2019 Sightseeing, London 9 Comments

Best Shopping Places in London as a Plus Size Woman

plus size shopping in London - Travel for a Living

Shopping as a plus size woman isn’t always fun. Being looked down at from staff, squeezing into cute dresses a little too tight (as they just wouldn’t come in a larger size), in changing rooms barely the size of a shoebox. I am not judging, I’ve been here myself for most of my life (and although I have lost some weight, I am still far from a size 0 model). Obviously, there is always the option of online shopping, allowing you to try it all on in the privacy of your own home. But what if you actually love browsing shops and seeing what’s on offer before buying? After all, London is perfect for shopping. Well, good thing I’ve got you covered. So, if you are heading to London anytime soon and fancy shopping in London as a plus size, I have compiled for you the best shopping places in London for plus size women.

June 23, 2019 Travel Tips & Advice 4 Comments

What you need to know when driving in Switzerland

As I just spent two days travelling the length and width of Switzerland by car, I noticed that a few things are rather different. And I am not referring to the most obvious compared to the UK. Yes, Switzerland drives on the right side of the road. But so does the rest of Europe and I am used to that. It is more the subtle differences that set Switzerland apart from its neighbouring countries. Therefore, should you be heading to the Alpes soon, let me tell you all you need to know about driving in Switzerland.

June 19, 2019 Sightseeing 14 Comments

Day Trip from San Francisco to Sausalito

Am I boring you yet with my San Francisco posts? I hope not, I still have loads more to come (who would have thought we ‘only’ went for six days). Assuming you’ve read about our week in San Francisco already, you know that we ventured out one day. And did a day trip from San Francisco to Sausalito by bike.

When we planned our trip to San Francisco, I was all up for crossing the Golden Gate Bridge by bike (and to be honest, the prospect of doing a day trip from San Francisco to Sausalito by bike was what sold SF to Mr. T in the first place). But I wasn’t quite sure, just how far I would like to go by bike. I am not an experienced rider. Yes of course, as a kid I would ride my bike almost anywhere (growing up in a village with limited public transport makes that a necessity). But then I went through a 20-year ‘phase’ of not riding a bike at all and only started getting back on one last year. The longest ‘tour’ I had done this decade was around 10km. And that was pretty much all flat. So, doing a trip of 30+ km felt a little daunting.

But enough of the moaning, let’s get going with our day trip from San Francisco to Sausalito by bike.

June 15, 2019 Sightseeing, London 5 Comments

Ceremony of the Keys at Tower of London

Experience the Ceremony of the Keys at the Tower of London - all you need to know - Travel for a Living

Have you ever heard of the Ceremony of the Keys? No? But surely, you’ve heard of the Tower of London? Hard to miss that one when visiting London. For most people a visit to the Tower will be part of their itinerary when visiting London for the first time. But a visit to the Tower usually comes with a hefty price tag. So, what if I would tell you, you could get into the Tower of London for free? Sounds intriguing, doesn’t it? OK, enough of the teasing. Let’s dig right into it and I’ll tell you how to experience the Ceremony of the Keys at the Tower of London.

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