Travel for a Living

October 21, 2023 Sightseeing, Germany 3 Comments

13 Things to See + Do in Palatinate (Germany)

I’ve been writing on Travel for a Living for over six years now. And in that time, I’ve published loads of posts. About my favourite cities New York, London and Paris. Work trips that went horrendously wrong (and some that were just perfect). About mother-daughter weekends or the joy of travelling with a dog. Airport and airline reviews, two-hour travel itineraries… you name it. But you know what? The one thing I’ve somehow never written about is the area I grew up in. Don’t ask me why, it just happened. Let me finally rectify this now by sharing some of my favourite things to see and do in Palatinate.

October 14, 2023 Frequent Flyer

Is Ryanair cheap? Or good value for money?

To many, Ryanair is the epitome of a budget airline. They pride themselves as being a low-cost airline. But how does Ryanair achieve that? And does that mean Ryanair is cheap? Or good value for money? Well, let’s find out.

Anyone who knows me (or has been following Travel for a Living for a while) might have a pretty good idea how I feel about Ryanair and their approach to flying on a budget. But it wasn’t always like that. In fact, I used to love flying Ryanair. So, what has changed? And does my personal dislike for Ryanair mean you shouldn’t fly it?

October 8, 2023 Sightseeing

Two hours in St Gallen – What to see and do

Two hours in St Gallen - Travel for a Living

Lately I have started travelling more frequently again. Not every week. But maybe once or twice a month. Which is actually quite a nice pace. For some of those travels, it means revisiting known places and catching up with old friends. Although I like revisiting old places, it is the chance of exploring new cities that really rocks my boat. Like during my latest work trip to Switzerland. Along with one night in Zurich (which I’ve visited several times), I’ve also stayed in St Gallen for the very first time. I was looking forward to it and was hoping to get enough time for a proper St Gallen sightseeing tour. I even did my homework beforehand and had it all mapped out. Everything there is to see in St Gallen, along with opening times, cost of tickets, you name it. After all, if two hours in St Gallen is all I have, I’d better make it count. Believe it or not, there is actually quite a bit to see in St Gallen, so it would be a shame to miss it.

Don’t get me wrong. I am not saying that two hours is sufficient time to see all of St Gallen. Far from it. I would have gladly spent more time exploring. But my time was limited, so I was determined to make the most of it. That is the downside of business travels. Yes, you might stay in new and unknown places. But that doesn’t mean you have time to be a tourist and go exploring. More often than not, my sightseeing is limited to the evening, once I’ve finished my work. And whilst this is less of a problem in summer, when it stays light until quite late, now that autumn is fast approaching, it gets dark earlier and earlier. And believe me, sightseeing in the pitch black is possible, but only half the fun. Trust me, I’ve tried. Belgrade was one of those that I’ve really only seen in the dark… but then again, still better than not seeing it at all.

July 29, 2023 Frequent Flyer, Travel Tips & Advice, London

Best way from Heathrow to London

Best Way from Heathrow to Central London - Travel for a Living

Are you planning a trip to London and are flying into London Heathrow? If you are a first-time visitor, Heathrow can be a little overwhelming. After all, Heathrow is the second busiest airport in Europe. Definitely best to come prepared. No worries, I’ve got you covered with the best way from Heathrow to central London.

July 9, 2023 Frequent Flyer 2 Comments

My experience flying BA Business Class

Experience flying business class - Travel for a Living

I might not have flown quite as much in recent months as I did three or four years ago. And I am definitely no stranger to flying. But even I still have new experiences to look forward to every once in a while. Like flying long-haul business class for the very first time (finally). Turning left as you enter the aircraft. Exciting stuff. So how about I tell you a little about what to expect flying business class? Is the experience flying business class really worth all the extra money? Well, make it to the end of this post and I might just tell you.

Spoiler alert: I did not actually pay exorbitant amounts for my business class experience. Over the years, I had accumulated enough frequent flyer points to upgrade our flight back from New York to London. But more on that in a bit.

June 13, 2023 Travel Diary, Sightseeing 2 Comments

2 Hours in Amsterdam – a free Sightseeing Tour

Two hours in Amsterdam - Travel for a Living

It had been a little quiet in terms of work travel recently. But in April, I finally had a business trip coming up. The first one this year. To the Netherlands. And since Amsterdam was the nearest airport, I decided to make the most of it with a brief sightseeing tour of Amsterdam. As with most work trips, time would be limited, but I had it all planned out. I would be landing in the afternoon and stay the night in Amsterdam. Sufficient time for a self-guided 2 hours in Amsterdam walking tour.

April 30, 2023 Travel Diary

3 Nights in North Wales

I love a short getaway. So, this Easter weekend, we decided to go on a little break and have 3 nights in North Wales. I must admit, even though we’ve lived in England for 15 years now, we’ve only ever been to Wales once (same goes for Scotland). And that was literally just popping over the Prince of Wales bridge during a weekend in Bristol. We didn’t even make it to Newport or Cardiff that day. Not sure I can even count this as visiting Wales. About time to finally rectify that.

March 30, 2023 Sightseeing, London 7 Comments

30+things in London for free (or little money)

London for free? Sounds too good to be true. Yes, London can be expensive. We all know that, and London is repeatedly right up there as one of the most expensive cities to live in. But that does not mean you shouldn’t visit. With a bit of careful planning, London can be enjoyed without blowing your holiday budget for years to come. How about I tell you about all the fun things to do in London for free? Or how to do London for little money? Yes, these things do exist. They might not include a trip to Madame Tussauds or a private tour of Buckingham Palace. But that doesn’t mean they are less special.

Let’s dive right in. After all, you are here to find out how to save money on your next London trip.

March 24, 2023 Sightseeing, New York City 5 Comments

NYC Neighbourhood Guide – Things to Do Upper West Side

Yay, we finally made it back to New York City. It’s been a long three years, but here we are. And to shake things up, we decided to pick a hotel on the Upper West Side, rather than mid-Manhattan, as we did previously. We have been to the Upper West Side before for a quick mooch around, but this time we decided to spend some more time here and give it a closer inspection. After all, there are plenty of things to do on the Upper West Side. And it does have a very different vibe to Lower Manhattan.

February 5, 2023 Travel Tips & Advice, London 7 Comments

10 Things to do in Hyde Park (London)

When visiting London, chances are you will come near Hyde Park at one point or another. Most London itineraries will include it (and they definitely should). But what things are there to do in Hyde Park? And is it worth visiting Hyde Park when you don’t have much time in London? Well, read on and see for yourself.