Travel for a Living

February 28, 2021 Travel Diary, Sightseeing 10 Comments

An Afternoon at the Szechenyi Thermal Baths – the best Thermal Bath in Budapest?

Spending an afternoon at the Szechenyi Baths in Budapest - Travel for a Living

Did you know that Budapest has no less than nine thermal baths and a staggering 123 thermal springs? When planning our mother-daughter-weekend in Budapest, visiting one of those thermal baths was top of our itinerary. And with so much choice, we decided on a visit to the Szechenyi Baths. But is this the best thermal bath in Budapest? Or should we have gone to one of the others? Well, let me tell you all about our afternoon at the Szechenyi Baths and you can decide for yourself.

When it comes to mother-daughter-weekends, our usual time slot for years was the August bank holiday weekend (ok, with the exception of visiting the Vienna Christmas markets obviously, not many of those around in August). But when it came to planning our Budapest weekend, we also decided we’d rather not go in August. As visiting a thermal bath in Budapest (or anywhere really) in the height of summer didn’t sound much fun. Much more appealing when it is cold outside (maybe even with a little snow on the ground?). Therefore, we settled for a weekend in November instead.

January 14, 2021 Travel Tips & Advice 14 Comments

Taking our dog abroad post Brexit

If you don’t follow me on Instagram and haven’t read my 2020 review (I know, how could I even doubt that), you might be not know that back in October we finally got ourselves a little dachshund puppy. Frank is an absolute amazing clever little dog (obviously my completely unbiased opinion here) and we are completely head over heels in love with him. I mean who wouldn’t be, just take one look at those puppy eyes and wrinkly legs. But since we love to travel and back then were still planning on seeing the family in Germany for Christmas, we had to ensure we had everything needed for taking a dog abroad post Brexit.

Travelling with dogs between the UK and the rest of Europe has always been different, not just since Brexit. With the UK being a rabies free country, they are very protective when it comes to travelling with dogs and other pets.

December 31, 2020 Travel Diary 2 Comments

2020 – The Good, the Bad, the Ugly (aka my yearly review)

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.

December 14, 2020 Sightseeing, London 7 Comments

See London’s Christmas Lights on Foot

How to see London's best Christmas Lights on foot - Travel for a Living

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.

November 9, 2020 Travel Tips & Advice, Paris 4 Comments

Is the Paris Navigo Card suitable for tourists?

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?

November 3, 2020 Travel Diary 5 Comments

Is the Beamish Museum worth a visit?

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.

September 29, 2020 Travel Diary, Sightseeing 6 Comments

4 Nights up North – Things to do in Tyne and Wear

What to do in Tyne and Wear - Travel for a Living

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?

September 18, 2020 Travel Diary, London

London after Lockdown – What’s it like?

What's it like visiting London after Lockdown - Travel for a Living

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.

September 4, 2020 Sightseeing, London 15 Comments

Best of London in three hours – exploring London on Foot

How to see London in three hours - Self guided London on foot tour - Travel for a Living

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.

July 29, 2020 Travel Diary, Travel Tips & Advice

What’s it like on the ferry from Dover to Dunkirk during Covid

What's it like on ferry Dover to Dunkirk during Covid - Travel for a Living

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).