2020 is finally coming to an end, just a few more hours to go. Is it just me, or did it feel like 2020 went on for about three years at least? I mean, can you even remember what happened back in January?
Usually, I would use these last few hours of the year to reflect on my travels of the last 12 months, total up the number of flights I’ve taken, the countries I’ve visited. And generally dwell in travel memories and highlights of the year.
London in the run up to Christmas is pretty special and should really be experienced at least once in your life. I mean, yes it can get super hectic if you leave your Christmas shopping to the last minute. And obviously loads of people come to London before Christmas, so that the city is packed. But it can be pretty magical, if you just take your time. Rather than getting caught in the hustle and bustle, why not spend an hour or two slowing down and enjoying the Christmas lights? How about a little London Christmas lights walking tour? I mean, what better way is there to see London’s Christmas Lights if not on foot? And best of all, it is completely free.
When visiting a new city, working out which ticket is best for your needs should ideally be one of the first things to do. Otherwise you might end up spending a lot more money on public transport than you really need. And no one wants that. After all, we all know that city trips don’t come cheap, let’s not blow our budget on silly mistakes. When heading to Paris, there are many ticket options available, and I have written in great length about them. The one option that is probably least known to tourists is the Pass Navigo. What is it? Is the Paris Navigo Card suitable for tourists? And is the Navigo the cheapest option for my Paris trip?
Have you ever visited the Beamish Living Museum of the North? No? Have you even heard of it? OK, I’ll be absolutely honest with you. Neither had I, until I started putting together the itinerary for our trip up North. It is a museum (this much you can gather from the name I guess), but what is so special about it? And is the Beamish Museum worth a visit (I pretend) I hear you say? Glad you asked. Let me tell you all about our visit to the Beamish Living Museum of the North and whether we thought the Beamish Museum was worth the visit or not.
In the current situation, travel options are a tad limited. So, when thinking about destinations for our late summer holiday, it was clear that it would be within the UK. No way would I risk having to quarantine for a fortnight. It was just the question of where to go. One favourite was Cornwall, as we originally planned to go there in July, then had to cancel for family reasons. Alternatively, maybe another trip to the Isle of Wight? After all, it’s been a year and a half again, since we last went (and as some of you might remember, thanks to me getting stuck in Paris, that weekend was a little shorter than planned). But in the end, we decided to head up north and stay in Sunderland for four nights. We’ve never actually been there, but for sure there’d be plenty of things to do in Tyne and Wear?
Up until March, heading into London was a normal thing to do. After all, I might not live there anymore, but I still work in London. Whether it was my daily commute into the office, meeting up with friends, shopping or simply exploring town, London was only ever a 45-minute train ride away. Occasionally a little longer, if train services were disrupted. But never ever could I imagine not being able to actually get to London for weeks on end. But then, it happened. The whole world came to a brief stop, the UK (and many other countries) went into lockdown. Although we are now gradually getting back to some form of normality, the new normal feels a million miles away from the old normal.
And the same goes for trips to London.
Are you considering heading to London for a day? Or do you live around London, but never really explored the city? Whichever reason, if you find yourself with a couple of hours spare, how about seeing the highlights of London in three hours? And best of all, you can explore all that London has to offer on foot. No need to get up close and personal with others on public transport. Sounds good? Well, how about you join me for a self-guided ‘London in three hours’ walking tour.
I guess I am not alone in saying it’s been months since I last travelled. But, with lock down restrictions gradually relaxing in the UK and around Europe, I am slowly easing back into the idea of travelling.
To be honest, I haven’t quite decided yet how comfortable I am with the idea of flying again. So, when the time came last week to finally go over to Germany again, we opted for a car journey instead.
Obviously, we’ve taken ferries to mainland Europe numerous times over the years. And therefore, know exactly what to usually expect. But how different would the ferry from Dover to Dunkirk be during Covid? Well, let me share with you my experience with the DFDS ferry, to give you an idea of what to expect (just to be clear, this is not a sponsored post. We paid for our ticket and I did not receive any incentive to write about my experience).
It might not come as a massive shock to you that I travel a lot. I mean, even if you are new to my blog, ‘Travel for a Living’ is probably giving it away just a tad. As part of my job, I’ve spent the best part of the last decade travelling the length and width of Europe (and beyond, like those trips to Israel). And to make the most of these travels, I’ve signed up to quite a few frequent traveller programmes over the years. But should you? Well, to help you decide, let me tell you which ones I’ve signed up for. And most importantly, if these frequent traveller programmes are really worth it.
Tell me, am I the only one with a serious case of wanderlust at the moment? As we all sit at home and dream of travelling, how about I take you on a little photo tour? To one of my favourite places in the world. No, not New York for once… and no other major city either. Instead, how would you feel about nature, beaches and waves? Sounds good? Come with me to the Côte Sauvage in Quiberon / Brittany.
