Hosted across three different countries – Mexico, the United States, and Canada – this will be the first World Cup to span multiple nations at this scale. It also marks the second time the United States has hosted the tournament, and anticipation is already building across the host countries. For football fans, it’s the perfect excuse to plan an unforgettable trip, combining FIFA World Cup games with exploring some of the continent’s major cities, iconic landmarks and vibrant neighbourhoods.

With dozens of host cities and iconic host venues spread across regions and time zones, choosing your home base is almost as important as picking your match tickets. Whether you are hoping to attend group stage matches, follow your national team throughout the entire tournament, or even secure a seat at the World Cup Final, your chosen World Cup host city will shape your overall fan experience. From west coast destinations along the Pacific Coast to eastern region powerhouses in the Big Apple, each location offers something slightly different – from natural beauty and world-class museums to live music, sports bars and famous city centre attractions.

Travel logistics also play a major role. Many of the host cities offer direct flights from Europe and beyond, making North America more accessible than ever for international supporters. Excellent public transport networks in major cities like New York City and Toronto, alongside modern stadiums with cutting-edge design, such as SoFi Stadium and Mercedes-Benz Stadium, ensure easy access on game days.

The experts at football ticket marketplace Live Football Tickets have analysed various tourism factors, ranging from hotel prices, the number of tourist attractions, and climate, to determine which host city is the best to visit. By comparing accommodation costs, cultural highlights, safety, weather conditions during the summer months and overall value for money, they have ranked the World Cup cities to help fans decide where to base themselves.

Here are some of the best places to consider for the men’s World Cup in 2026.

Guadalajara, Mexico

Overall score: 8.19/10

Topping the list is Guadalajara, one of Mexico’s vibrant World Cup cities. With lower living costs (around £489.15 per month) and average hotel prices of just £124.11 per night, it’s a good option for fans planning to stay for the entire tournament or several group stage matches.

During the summer months, temperatures average a pleasant 20°C, ideal for exploring the city centre between match day action. Guadalajara offers colourful streets, live music, and vibrant neighbourhoods – delivering a true Mexican fan experience.

Mexico is also home to legendary stadiums, including Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, which will once again host World Cup matches on the global stage. For many supporters, seeing a national team play here is a once-in-a-lifetime, truly unique experience.

Toronto, Canada

Overall score: 8.12/10

Toronto is another standout World Cup host city, offering safety, culture, and easy navigation. Matches here will take place at BMO Field, while Vancouver’s BC Place (near Stanley Park and the Pacific coastline) will host games on Canada’s west coast.

Although living costs are higher (around £823.59 per month), Toronto’s safety and modern infrastructure make it one of the best cities for international visitors. With excellent public transport, world-class museums, and great places to eat and drink, it’s an appealing base between fixtures.

Canada’s natural beauty – from waterfront trails to nearby national parks – adds even more appeal for fans with free time between matches.

Mexico City, Mexico

Overall score: 8.04/10

Mexico City combines affordability (around £564.60 per month) with cultural depth, boasting nearly 190 museums and countless attractions. It remains one of the most iconic World Cup cities thanks to Estadio Azteca, which will again welcome the game of football on the world’s biggest stage.

With bustling streets, historic landmarks, and easy access to airports offering direct flights from Europe and beyond, it’s a compelling choice for fans travelling from overseas.

Los Angeles, United States

Overall score: 7.4/10

Los Angeles is one of the headline host cities in the United States, with matches taking place at the spectacular SoFi Stadium, known for its sleek, modern design and state-of-the-art facilities.

Located on the west coast along the Pacific Coast, LA offers sunshine, beaches, and easy access to Santa Monica. With zero average days of rain during tournament months and temperatures around 19°C, it’s ideal for outdoor exploring.

Fans can spend downtime visiting Santa Monica Pier, exploring vibrant neighbourhoods, or heading north to the Bay Area to see Levi’s Stadium near the Golden Gate Bridge. The western region of host venues also includes Seattle near Pike Place Market, giving fans even more to explore across time zones.

Kansas City, United States

Overall score: 7.36/10

Kansas City, in the central region of the United States, will host games at Arrowhead Stadium, one of the country’s most atmospheric sporting venues. With average hotel prices of £135.25 per night, it’s among the more affordable US options.

For fans focused primarily on match day atmosphere, local supporters and sports bars create a buzzing environment on game days. Its central location also makes travel between other host countries and cities relatively straightforward.

Miami, United States

Overall score: 5.48/10

Despite its glamorous reputation, Miami ranks lowest among the researched host cities. With higher hotel prices (around £225.92 per night) and fewer attractions compared to cities like New York City, it can be a pricier stop.

That said, proximity to South Beach, year-round sunshine, and a lively nightlife scene still make it worth visiting for some supporters.

Other Major United States Host Cities

The US alone will host matches across multiple regions, including:

• New York City and New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium (near Times Square and Central Park in the Big Apple)
• Philadelphia at Lincoln Financial Field, in the historic “City of Brotherly Love” near the Liberty Bell
• Atlanta at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in downtown Atlanta, featuring a retractable roof
• Dallas at AT&T Stadium near downtown Dallas
• Houston at NRG Stadium
• San Francisco Bay Area at Levi’s Stadium
• Miami at Hard Rock Stadium, close to South Beach
• Boston’s Gillette Stadium in the eastern region

From the bright lights of the Big Apple to the beaches of Miami and the energy of downtown Atlanta, the fan experience will vary dramatically depending on where you base yourself.

Choosing Your Best City for the 2026 Tournament

The 2026 Football World Cup will bring together fans from across the globe – from those who watched the tournament in South Africa to supporters following stars like Lionel Messi on the global stage once again.

Whether you’re hoping to attend the opening match, see your national team in the group stage matches, or even witness the World Cup Final, your choice of World Cup host city will shape your entire trip.

From Mexico’s culture-rich cities to Canada’s scenic coastlines and the diverse major cities of the United States, this tournament offers something for every type of traveller. Wherever you choose as your base, 2026 promises to deliver an unforgettable celebration of the game of football across North America.

The post The Best World Cup Host Cities to Add to Your Travel List – 2026 appeared first on Birds and Lilies.

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Starting college is an exciting milestone, but it can also feel a little daunting. Whether you’re moving away from home for the first time or commuting from home, there is a lot to think about before the academic year begins.

The good news is that a little preparation can make the transition much smoother. From choosing the right course to getting organised and settling into a new routine, there are plenty of ways to set yourself up for a successful and enjoyable college experience.

Research Your Options Carefully

Before accepting a place, take the time to explore all of your options. Every college and university offers a different experience, so it’s important to look beyond rankings and brochures.

Think about the course content, teaching style, location, accommodation options, and support services available. If you’re considering studying overseas, institutions such as ICMS can offer a very different experience from studying closer to home, so it’s worth comparing what each option can provide.

The more research you do now, the more confident you’ll feel about your decision later.

Get Your Finances Organised

One of the biggest adjustments for many students is managing money independently. Tuition fees are often only part of the overall cost of attending college.

You’ll also need to budget for:

• Accommodation
• Food and groceries
• Transport
• Course materials
• Social activities
• Personal expenses

Creating a simple monthly budget before term starts can help you avoid unnecessary stress later. Many students find it useful to track spending during the first few months until they understand where their money is going.

Stay on Top of Important Paperwork

College life comes with plenty of forms, deadlines, and administrative tasks. Missing an important deadline could cause unnecessary complications, so it’s worth creating a system to stay organised.

Keep copies of:

• Acceptance letters
• Student finance documents
• Accommodation agreements
• Identification documents
• Course registration information
• Medical records and insurance details if needed

Saving digital copies alongside physical documents can make it much easier to find what you need when you need it.

Gather Everything You’ll Need

Preparing for college isn’t just about academics. If you’re moving into student accommodation, you’ll need plenty of practical items to help you settle in comfortably.

Creating a checklist of your college packing essentials can help ensure you don’t forget anything important. Alongside study materials and technology, remember everyday items such as bedding, kitchen supplies, toiletries, extension leads, storage solutions, and weather-appropriate clothing.

Getting organised before move-in day means you’ll have one less thing to worry about when classes begin.

Establish Healthy Habits Early

The freedom of college life can be exciting, but it also means taking responsibility for your own schedule. Between lectures, assignments, social events, and part-time work, it’s easy to feel pulled in multiple directions.

Building healthy routines from the beginning can make a huge difference. Try to establish regular sleep patterns, schedule study time throughout the week, and leave space for exercise, hobbies, and social activities.

Good habits developed during your first semester often become the foundation for success throughout your entire college experience.

Common First-Year Challenges

Even with plenty of preparation, most students experience a few bumps in the road during their first year. Knowing what to expect can make these challenges easier to navigate.

Homesickness

Missing family, friends, and familiar surroundings is completely normal. For many students, homesickness fades as they settle into their new environment, make friends, and develop new routines.

Sharing Accommodation

Living with roommates can be a learning experience. Communication, respect, and clear boundaries often go a long way towards creating a positive living environment.

Managing Money

For many students, college is the first time they’re fully responsible for budgeting. Tracking expenses and avoiding impulse spending can help prevent financial stress later in the year.

Balancing Commitments

Juggling coursework, study sessions, social events, and personal responsibilities can feel overwhelming at first. Learning to prioritise tasks and manage your time effectively is a skill that will benefit you far beyond graduation.

Making the Most of Your College Experience

College is about much more than earning a qualification. It’s an opportunity to develop independence, build lasting friendships, explore new interests, and gain valuable life experience.

By planning ahead, staying organised, and giving yourself time to adjust, you’ll be far better prepared for the challenges and opportunities that come your way. The transition may take a little time, but with the right preparation, you can start your college journey feeling confident, capable, and ready to make the most of every opportunity.

This is a collaborative post.

The post How to Prepare for College and Start Strong in Your First Year appeared first on Birds and Lilies.

Let’s look at four Chrome features that most users never try. And, we’ll also talk about the one extension that might just become your new favourite browser tool.

1. Automatic Tab Groups

Raise your hand if you’ve ever had so many tabs open that you can’t tell which one is the budget spreadsheet and which one is the recipe for that lemon drizzle cake you promised to make. Here’s a feature that turns tab chaos into calm.

• If the feature is available in your version of Chrome, right-click any open tab and select ‘Organise Similar Tabs’. Chrome will suggest tab groups based on the pages you have open, scan everything you’ve got open, and instantly bundle similar sites together.
• It names the group for you and lets you assign a colour.
• You can minimise the entire group with one click. When the kettle boils or your toddler needs attention, collapse the group and pick up exactly where you left off.

Right now, I’m researching flights for a summer trip to Greece, and Chrome has neatly grouped all my airline tabs into one tidy little cluster. The best part? You can also drag and drop tabs between groups or manually rename a group. 

It’s ridiculously satisfying, and once you try it, you’ll never go back to the old messy tab bar.

2. Reading List

You know that moment when you stumble across a brilliant article, but you simply don’t have time to read it? That’s where the Reading List saves the day.

• Click the Side Panel icon (looks like a little page, just left of your profile photo) and choose “Reading List”.
• Add any page with one click: click the star in the address bar, then select “Add to reading list” instead of “Add to bookmarks”.
• The list has two sections: “Unread” and “Pages you’ve read”. Mark an article as done, and it moves automatically, keeping your nightstand digital clutter‑free.

The Reading List landed in Chrome back in 2021 and remains criminally underused. 

Perfect for anyone who reads as much as you probably do – whether it’s parenting blogs, budget travel tips, or the latest health trends.

3. Chrome VPN Extension

Let me introduce you to the one add-on that sits quietly in your browser, ready to protect you without you even noticing it’s there. Most people think a VPN is complicated – something for IT professionals or people hiding from the government. But the truth is far simpler. 

What can you actually use it for in everyday life?

• Browsing for holiday flights, and suddenly the prices shoot up – a VPN can help you compare prices as if you’re searching from a different location.
• Shopping online from a coffee shop’s dodgy Wi-Fi, and you want to keep your card details safe.
• Trying to read an article, but your internet provider has quietly blocked it.
• A VPN can help reduce tracking linked to your IP address (although it won’t prevent all forms of online tracking).

Note: The best VPN extension for Chrome is simple to install. In most cases, it takes just a few button presses to install and upgrade your internet experience. 

4. Live Caption

Live caption generates real‑time captions for any audio playing through Chrome. Including YouTube videos, podcasts, and live streams. 

• Turn it on in three clicks: Three dots > Settings > Accessibility > toggle Live Caption.
• The captions appear in a small bubble you can drag anywhere on your screen.
• Everything happens locally on your device, so the audio and captions aren’t sent to Google’s servers and your privacy is protected.

Perfect for when the kids are asleep, and you can’t turn up the volume, or when you’re watching something with tricky audio while dinner simmers on the hob. 

It works for British English, too. Honestly, once you switch it on, you’ll wonder why every browser doesn’t do this by default.

Improve Your Google Chrome Experience Today

Every single feature we just walked through has been sitting inside Chrome for months or years, ignored by millions of people. The same goes for that quiet VPN extension you’ve been meaning to try. 

We spend so much time hunting for shiny new apps when the real upgrades are already under our fingertips. So give one of these a try to get the most out of Google Chrome, the most popular browser on the internet. 

This is a collaborative post.

The post 4 Things You Can Do in Chrome That Most Users Have Never Tried appeared first on Birds and Lilies.

A house extension can completely transform the way that you live without needing to pack boxes or leave a neighbourhood you already love. Here are 5 great reasons to seriously consider adding more space to your home.

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1. You can stay in the area that you love. Finding the perfect location is never easy. You may already be close to schools, work, family, or your new favourite coffee shop. Instead of starting over somewhere new, a home extension gives you a chance to improve your current space while staying exactly where you are. A skilled builder can help to create extra room without losing the character and comfort that already makes your house feel like home. Moving can also come with plenty of hidden stress, so extending your house can feel far less disruptive in the long run.
2. You get more space for everyday life. One of the biggest reasons that people choose extensions is very simple. They need more room. Whether it’s an extra bedroom, a larger kitchen, a second living area or a home office, additional space makes everyday life feel a lot more comfortable. Families grow and lifestyles change over time, So what once felt spacious can suddenly start feeling cramped. An extension can give your home the flexibility to grow alongside your needs.
3. It could increase your property value. A well-designed extension can add significant value to your property. Buyers are often drawn to homes with larger living areas, extra bedrooms, and modern open-plan layouts. While the upfront cost can seem substantial, it can become a worthwhile investment over time. Of course, not every renovation guarantees a massive return, but practical and functional improvements tend to attract strong interest in the housing market.
4. You can customise it to suit your lifestyle. One of the fun parts of extending a home is the ability to create a space that works for your daily life. Maybe you want a reading nook or a bigger entertaining area. But unlike moving into a new home designed for someone else, an extension allows you to shape the layout around your own needs. It becomes a chance to prioritise and improve not just the house itself, but the way that you live in it.
5. Light and natural flow are improved. Older homes sometimes feel closed off or dark, especially if the layout no longer suits modern living. More natural light can completely change the atmosphere of a room, which makes it feel brighter, warmer and more inviting. Extensions often provide the opportunity to open up the space and add larger windows, which allows you to improve the overall flow of the home. 

This is a collaborative post.

The post 5 Reasons to Say Yes to an Extension to Your House appeared first on Birds and Lilies.

Updated 2nd of June.

This post contains affiliate links which means I may earn a very small commission if you purchase through my links, at no extra cost to you. Thank you for the support!

The Best Amazon Kindle UK Book Deals for 99p in June

I love reading a physical book, but digital books on your Kindle are so convenient, especially if you’re a big reader. They’re always available on your phone or tablet when you have a few minutes to read, are travelling, or are waiting for someone. They’re also usually much cheaper and don’t add to your massive physical book TBR (to-be-read) pile!

I have a lot of books in a big pile in my room, and my bookcases are full, but I get through so many more on my Kindle, so I love finding some great Kindle deals, too.

I have the free Kindle app on my phone and tablet, plus a Kindle, so I can keep reading wherever I am. Kindles are brilliant; they’re so light and compact, with weeks of battery life, so they’re perfect to take with you and particularly great for holidays.

I’ve looked through all the best Kindle book deals available right now, and here is my pick of the best Amazon Kindle ebooks for 99p this month. There are lots of great 99p Kindle deals this month, perfect for sitting in the sunshine with and getting absorbed in a good book! ​There are also some free Kindle books included in these book deals on Amazon.

Some of these books are also available for free on Kindle Unlimited, which gives you access to millions of books, audiobooks, and magazines. You can try it for free for 30 days here.

If there are lots of 99p Kindle books you want to try in June, it could be worth seeing if they’re included in Kindle Unlimited, as it might work out cheaper to get a free trial and then continue to subscribe to a few months of Kindle Unlimited while you read them all.

Please note: prices were correct at the time of writing this post, but Amazon prices often change quite quickly, so don’t wait if there are any you really want!

You can check for more Kindle Daily Deals here. Also, if you are an Amazon Prime member, don’t forget to check out Prime Reading – you can get hundreds of books and magazines included for free every month!

​Hope you enjoy any new books you get for a bargain price! I’d love it if you shared this post with your family and friends – I’m so grateful for all the support you give.

99p Kindle Deals June 2026

Click the image to be taken to the book – happy reading!

Don’t forget to come back again on the 1st of July 2026 for all the new Kindle 99p offers!

If you’re looking for a new Kindle, then the Kindle Paperwhite is a great option.

Free Trials of Amazon Products

Free trial of Amazon Prime (includes Prime Reading)

Free trial of Kindle Unlimited

Free trial of Audible

Free trial of Amazon Kids+

June Kindle Deals Pin

Pin this post to come back to later (I update it every month!):

This post contains Amazon affiliate links. This means that I may earn a small commission if you use my links at no extra cost to you. For more information, see my disclosure policy.

The post The Best Amazon Kindle Book Deals for 99p – June 2026 appeared first on Birds and Lilies.