As you’ll know from my Amsterdam city guide, as well as chilling the hell out, wandering the canals and just floating around where the wind took me, I also got stuck into some absolutely perfect food. Much like any other large European city, there is such a huge range of places to eat and drink that it can be difficult to know where to turn.

Added to this, it’s very easy to make a food mistake.

Much like how I feel when I see tourists head to Garfunkel’s in Leicester Square, I can see that there would be some terrible tourist traps in the centre of Amsterdam, that there is no need for you to fall in to. So, grab my foodies guide (and Sophie’s too!), your google maps and your tastebuds and enjoy some of the best food we found in the Dutch capital.

Breakfast and Brunch

Every day should begin with brunch, am I right? It’s my absolute favourite meal of the day, and Amsterdam does good brunch. Here are my top three recommendations for incredible mid-morning food – head to these places for all your brunch dreams to come true:

The Avocado Show

I spotted The Avocado Show in an article in the Easy Jet magazine on my way home from Naples, and as soon as I landed I hurriedly text Beverley and Sophie to get it added to our agenda.The Avocado Show is Europe’s first avocado restaurant which only opened this year, and is located in my favourite neighbourhood of De Pijp.

The food was, predictably, amazing. We got stuck into nachos, the prettiest avo on toast I’ve ever seen and an amazing avocado and quinoa salad with a giant burrata perched on top. The flat whites were good and plentiful, the atmosphere was buzzy and whilst a bit of a gimmick, it was all delicious.

You will find huge queues and no booking system, so arrive early to avoid disappointment. You can put your name down and go off for a coffee too.

Bakers + Roasters

Bakers + Roasters is a little Kiwi/Brazilian cafe with a huge brunch and breakfast menu including eggs, avocado, pancakes and a scrumptious vegetarian breakfast that is not to be missed. I ate that and it came served with BREAKFAST POTATOES. That should basically always be a thing.

They do an excellent range of coffees and juices too, and the service was extremely friendly. As it is quite small, you may have to wait – but they take your phone number and give you a text when they are ready. You can grab a takeaway flat white and hang by the canal whilst you wait.

Coffee + Coconuts

Coffee + Coconuts is probably the most instagrammable cafe I’ve ever been to, and I have worked in Shoreditch. They should probably open there to be honest as they would go down a storm, and I’d get to visit every week. This was a really spacious cafe over three floors, with light natural wood, a huge open frontage and lots of foliage.

The menu had all the usual brunch menu items with the addition of gorgeous cold brewed coffee and a refreshing watermelon juice. I went for a classic smoked salmon and egg on sour dough toast, whilst Sophie tried their breakfast burrito – have it on good authority that the burrito is delicious.

Pancakes! Amsterdam

It’s important to engage in cultural eating on a trip, but it is no hardship when pancakes are the order of the day. Of course there are plenty of places to get your stack, but Pancakes! Amsterdam has the most inventive menu of both traditional Dutch and American stacked you’ll find in the city.

There are four different locations, but we headed for the one just by Central Station after we had dropped our bags off for our last day. We had to wait around 10 minutes for a table, but the turnaround time is quick – although we didn’t feel rushed at all.

So the pancakes then. We opted for stacked with banana, maple syrup, strawberries and whipped cream (the bananas were baked into the pancake batter, which left the pancakes moist and tasty), and a traditional Dutch pancake with ham, camembert, chicory and a raspberry sauce. I know. The most extra pancake topping you might hope to find but it might just have been the best thing I ate all weekend.

Even with all these crazy toppings, each pancake was just 13 euros each. What a steal!

Pluk

Amsterdam is full of concept stores with cafes built in, and Pluk is probably the nicest of the lot. Completely instagrammable with gorgeous homewares to buy and a cake selection that left me salivating, we headed up to the mezzanine floor to peruse the menu for our first brunch in the city.

I immediately went in for their Eggs Norwegian, an inventive Benny on a brioche muffin which did not skimp on the smoked salmon portion. Beverley opted for their Matcha Pancakes that came heard with fresh fruit and syrup and after sneaking a taste I can confidently say that the matcha green tea flavour was really lovely.

There are actually two Pluk stores and we opted for the slightly bigger one on Reestraat (in fact, this particular street was a brunchers paradise with Jansz and Ree7 on the same stretch). Brunch crawl anyone?

Lunch and Dinner

Our brunch strategy was also often a sneaky money-saving strategy, as we were so full we didn’t need to eat anything else until dinner, but all of the following places could be switched in for lunchtime if you got peckish. There are so many options in Amsterdam at every price range so it’s well worth doing some research first, but here’s where we ended up (spoiler: these were extremely tasty options).

Food Hallen

Another European city, another food hall. It’s a tough job, but somebody has got to try all the food markets and rank them in order. Luckily Food Hallen was one of the best. It’s an incredible covered market based near Amsterdam Oud-West with food stands, bars and communal seating.

As you may have noticed from my other city guides, this sort of place is becoming pretty common in European cities, and Food Hallen was up there in terms of quality and vibe. They had an amazing gin bar, and on the Friday night the DJ was smashing out 90s RnB classics like it was no big deal. A must visit.

I grabbed a fancy hot-dog and some taqueiros, and washed it down with a couple of incredible artisan gin + tonics – but you could have had Thai, Mexican, dim-sum, burgers, cured meat, fish or pizza, and the main bar was fully stocked with wine, spirits and craft beer.

Little Thai Prince

I actually always struggled to find decent Thai food, and so when Beverley suggested Thai for our Saturday night dinner I was all the way enthused. Beverley’s excellent suggestion took me about as close to the Red Light District as I was going to be at Little Thai Prince, and it was nice to be in amongst one of the busier areas of town.

We feasted on some excellent Thai food which was exactly what the doctor ordered – I had a rather predictable Pad Thai (sorry, I’m so basic!) and Sophie had a chicken and rice dish that was so yummy, I had food envy for the whole meal. We also grabbed some spring rolls and fish cakes for starters which were absolutely needed – especially after all the beer and cocktails we’d spent two days consuming.

The restaurant was small, but authentic. You may have to queue, but it’s worth it.

Sotto

Ever since my trip to Naples in 2017, I’ve become a real freak for traditional Neapolitan Pizza. Whilst I long to return to Napoli for the really good stuff, it is possible to find really authentic tasty pizza in other places in Europe.

Sotto is one of them, and boy do they take their pizza making endeavours seriously. They have been apprenticed to the guards of the Neapolitan pizza: The Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana (VPN) and they have also gained experience in affiliated pizzerias in Naples. The pizza is fresh, with only the dough made in advance to allow time to rise, and cooked to perfection in a specially made wood fired oven.

That’s nice and all, but how did it taste? Well, it tasted very very good. I’d say that it has firmly made it into my top three pizzas of all time (with de Michelle in Naples taking top spot and Rudy’s in Manchester taking the second). The base was cooked to perfection, and the sauce made with San Marzano tomatoes was just the right side of sweet to complement the buffalo mozzarella.

We opted for the Margherita Extra (which came with fresh pomodoro tomatoes) and the Prosciutto Cotto with the best slithers of Italian ham. The pizzas were absolutely huge, and actually we probably could have shared one – if you want to grab starters or sides I’d definitely recommend sharing a pizza because even with my appetite I struggled.

What was most surprising was the price. Our pizzas hovered around the 11 euro mark which is remarkable given the size and the quality ingredients used. There are three Sotto’s in Amsterdam and we headed to the one located at Kadijksplein which had some lovely views over the water. Before you go, bear in mind that this is a no cash restaurant, so you’ll need your debit card and pin.

Caffe Espirit

Whilst we largely hopped onto one of the tables outside due to its location and dappled shade, Caffe Espirit was a total surprise food wise. Based in Spui Square, it’s a sprawling restaurant and bar taking up a lot of space (meaning plenty of outdoor seating). They do everything from sandwiches to burgers and to full on salads and have just introduced a raw/vegan menu.

Although we were pretty full from our pancake breakfast that day, we knew we wanted to eat something before heading to the airport, and so opted for one of the salads (with chips on the side, obviously). The Omega salad was full of red quinoa, avocado, peppers and green hummus, perfect for veggies, vegans and gluten free diets. It’s definitely worth popping onto the terrace even for a drink to soak up the atmosphere in the heart of Amsterdam and the late afternoon sun.

Brouwerij Troost

On our second visit to Amsterdam, we just wanted something simple and close to home for our first evening. We’d had a delayed flight, and it was extremely warm so anything at that point would have done for us. Luckily we were staying just a 2 minute walk from Brouwerij Troost, a small craft brewery chain and taproom that does excellent beer and super food.

I was really excited to see they did a sour beer (I’ve decided I’ve got really into the sour beer movement) called Club Tropicana, and we also tried their Pilsner which was very tasty. They do a craft beer flight to try, and if we’d returned I’d definitely have given this a go. We both opted for the Veggie Burger, with sides of sweet potato and traditional fries – but the menu was vast.

Luckily, there are locations all over Amsterdam, so you don’t have to travel out to Amsterdam-Oost if you are staying there.

Bars and Cafes

Obviously I couldn’t go to Amsterdam without sampling the beer culture and some of the cutest canal side cafes and bars around. I barely even scratched the sides of what was on offer in 3 days, but here is what I got around to trying.

SkyLounge Amsterdam

The SkyLounge is located right at the top of the DoubleTree Hilton, and this rooftop bar is a great place for amazing cocktails, but mainly the incredible view. If you head over in golden hour you get rewarded with beautiful views across the entire city (and you’re more likely to be able to grab a seat outside). Cocktails are expensive, but one lasts for a really long time.

In spring they have outdoor heaters, as well as these amazing cushions which heat up when you sit on them. Yep, I’ve been scouring Google to buy my own. I had a Purple Sunset (which was based on gin, violet liqueur and cinnamon syrup – dreamy) and Sophie + Beverley had tiki cocktails called Sky Tai (which included lots of rum and fresh fruit).

Cafe de Prins

Cafe de Prins was so good we visited twice! Right alongside the canal, you could hang here with a cold beer and watch the world go by for an entire afternoon and not feel like you’d wasted any time. I have it on good authority (Beverley), that the bitterballen here is really good, but we didn’t get to try it this time.

Cafe Fonteyn

We stumbled upon Cafe Fonteyn completely by accident. I love it when that happens – when you find the perfect location for people watching and a cocktail before making your way home after a lovely evening.

Despite its location in the heart of Amsterdam Central on Nieuwmark, this was not a touristy spot full of English beer and watered down cocktails. In fact, it had a distinctly local feel, with groups of freinds pulling up chairs to long tables outside for a good old fashioned chinwag. As we sipped on our perfectly made Dark ‘n’ Stormy cocktails, we couldn’t have felt more at home.

Adam + Siam

On my second trip to Amsterdam, Beverley had a tattoo booked. As much as I love her, I cannot be around tattoo shops for fear of crying/wetting myself/passing out, so I had an afternoon to myself during which I thought I’d do some sightseeing.

Except, I happened upon a chalkboard side along Rokin proclaiming the best Aperol Spritz in the city and well, the rest is history. Adam + Siam really do make a fantastic Aperol Spritz (I had three just to be sure), and a great shaded terrace area to watch the world go by. I saw some fantastic Asian fusion dishes coming out of the kitchen too, so I’m sure it’d make a lovely spot for a sunny lunch.

Ree7

Located just along from Pluk on Reestrasse, Ree7 is a cute cafe stacked full of cakes, sandwiches and quality coffee. We only stopped in for a coffee, but the sandwiches we saw served to those around us were outstanding. If we’d had another day I think we’d have made a beeline here for lunch and I can’t wait to go back to Amsterdam to spend more time here.

CoffeeCompany

You’ll find so many independent cafes around the city, but sometimes you just really need a coffee and a sit down whilst exploring. CoffeeCompany, a chain of slick cafes across The Netherlands has got your back. We opted for a refreshing iced latte with an extra shot of caramel and basked in the sunshine in one of their De Pijp locations. Well priced, great coffee and you’ll find them in all the most convenient spots.

Sweet Treats

Amsterdam is great for many reasons, but their love of waffles, pancakes, biscuits and anything loaded with sugar is definitely one of them. With all that wandering around canals you are going to need to keep your energy up, so I’d definitely recommend popping into one of the places below to get your sweet fix.

Sticky Fingers

Sticky Fingers is basically a bloggers delight. Pretty coffee, pink tiles and sweet treats – a travel bloggers dream right? Located near the Vondelpark, we headed here after getting caught in a rainstorm of epic proportions to dry off and indulge our sweet tooth. If you like banoffee pie, definitely visit if you’re in the Vondelpark area.

All the food is organic, homemade and delicious with extremely friendly service. I could see myself spending Sunday afternoons with coffee and the papers, and perhaps heading home with a big box of their popcorn (from their vintage popcorn machine!).

Ijs Bakery

In the heart of Amsterdam’s central district you’ll find lots of places to grab a waffle or a crepe. We happened upon the exquisitely tiny Ijs Bakery when we realised the cookie bakery Van Stepele had sold out (next time!).

They did every sort of pastry and muffin you could imagine, but we grabbed insanely chocolate covered waffles, laden with fruit and oreos and sauces. Sometimes you just need a sugar hit. And a good lie down afterwards.

Van Wonderen Stroopwafels

Can you believe that I didn’t actually have a stroopwafel until my second trip to Amsterdam? No, me neither. But here we are, and it was completely worth the wait. Sure, a stroopwafel is ten a penny in the city, but no one does them like Van Wonderen, a specialist bakery in the heart of Amsterdam.

For the uninitiated, a stroopwafel is made from two thin layers of baked dough with a caramel syrup filling in the middle with a texture somewhere between a cake and a biscuit. At Van Wonderen they take this concept up a notch, covering them in goodness and syrups and sweeties to ensure the sugar rush is completely authentic!

Beverley opted for a single large M&M covered waffle, whilst I couldn’t decide so I ordered two medium waffles – a salted caramel and a kletskop. Do not be fooled, the mediums are not small at all, but I polished them off with aplomb whilst sitting by one of Amsterdam’s many canals.

Did I expect to go home with such a satisfied stomach? No, no I did not. Amsterdam is genuinely a foodies paradise and in just three days we’ve barely seen the best. Whether it’s canal side dining, cocktails with a view or just a hearty, coffee filled brunch Amsterdam has it all. Top it off with a waffle or two, and I can’t imagine a better city for eating!

Want more? Here’s my chilled out city guide to Amsterdam.

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But before that, and before this blog kicked off properly I was a two weeks in the sun kind of girl.  I thought that’s how you did travel. You took 10-12 days of your holiday allowance for that once in a year sort of trip, and used the rest for life admin and Christmas. I managed to travel to Mexico, Costa Rica, Cuba and the Dominican Republic that way, and I do not regret spending a few years holidaying in that way and having time to see places in a way that suited my life back then.

For now, I’m at a bit of a travel crossroads. I keep a piece of paper stuck to my wall with all the potential destinations I could visit in a year – city breaks in Poland, a short beach holiday in Cyprus, a heritage visit to a cute town in the UK. All of these are manageable if I work hard and save my pennies. But I’ve been yearning for more. I want a longer adventure, some time to relax (I haven’t had more than 7 straight days off work for three years) and a destination that is a little bit fabulous.

But the longer adventures, and the something a little bit fabulous will need a budget that I just don’t have right now. There’s the mortgage to pay, the house renovations to complete (that hole in my back wall is getting bigger by the day) and the ever present reality that soon I might have a little Sparrow to spend my pennies on.

So it is pretty incredible to have been shortlisted for The Post Office Affordable Travel Blogger of the Year Award, and a prize of £5,000 to spend on the trip of a lifetime.

*opens the party poppers, pours a gin and tonic*

I’ve thought long and hard about what a trip of a lifetime would mean to me, given my desire to go a little further, and for a little longer than my average two night break. I considered Fiji, a visit to Kruger National Park in South Africa, Lord of the Rings spotting in New Zealand or maybe even a USA road trip. But there is only one place that I really dream about, and that brings tears of joy to my eyes when I think about it (honestly, I cry at everything).

I want to go and visit the swimming pigs on Exuma Island in the Bahamas.

Those swimming pigs

Yes, you heard that right. There is a place in this big wide world of ours where where pigs swim in the sea – a phenomenon that doesn’t occur anywhere else, and it just so happens to be in one of the most beautiful places on the planet. There are many theories as to how this happened, many linked right back to the explorations of Christopher Columbus. I’ve watched the video that I stumbled across one night whilst in a You Tube black hole at least a hundred times, and I’m desperate to get under the skin of this a little more, and find out about the history of this island, and how these gorgeous animals came to exist so far away from the habitat we might associate with them in the UK.

You could, by now, call it an obsession.

The swimming pigs live on Exuma, a district of the Bahamas, consisting of over 365 islands which are known as cays. I’ll be honest and say that I was never particularly drawn to the Bahamas as a holiday destination before the magical pigs led me on a journey of internet discovery. Don’t get me wrong, it really looks like paradise but I’m not a sunbathe on the beach type of girl, and when I have been to a destination like this in the past it’s always been combined with cultural activities and visiting cities too.

But I couldn’t have been more wrong about the Bahamas, and it’s now perched high on the top of my bucket list. Actually, nothing else on my bucket list really matters!

Staying in Nassau

The Bahamas are made up of over 700 islands and cays, meaning that there is so much to explore and do. That said, I’d stay opt to stay in Nassau, the capital of the Bahamas, because from there it is an easy day trip to hang out with the swimming pigs, and if it were possible I’d totally do that twice!

If I had the chance to stay in Nassau itself, I wouldn’t be short of other things to explore. The imposing Fort Fincastle (built in 1793), colonial streets and pastel hued buildings, a gorgeous lonely lighthouse to photograph and Arawak Cay, known for its street food culture.

The Cloisters, located on Paradise Island within Nassau look especially beautiful – the remnants of a 14th century French monastery that was brought to the island. Apparently the views from here over the whole of Nassau are breathtaking, and I do enjoy a good view.

There are plenty of amazing hotels in Nassau too – including the Grand Hyatt Baha Mar and Breezes, both of which would certainly hit my criteria of being a little bit fabulous and allow me to really relax between adventuring! It is the trip of a lifetime after all.

Exploring further afield

Given there are so many islands and cays to visit, I’d love to squeeze in some time exploring a little further afield. The Glass Window Bridge is unlike anything else I’ve ever seen before, and visiting would give me the opportunity to see another area of The Bahamas, Eleuthera. It’s known as the “narrowest place on earth” and is where the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea meet.

Lucayan National Park is home to a spectacular system of underground caves. Whilst I can’t scuba dive, it is also home to many hiking trails which is something I’d love to do (and I’m sure will bring back memories of hiking in the rainforest in Costa Rica). Gold Rock Beach is also located inside the park boundary and I’m sure that I could manage a nice little sit down in the sun taking it all in!

Finally, Harbour Island is home to many historical landmarks and natural areas of beauty that are well worth seeing. Firstly, it is home to the famous Pink Sands Beach, pink hued from  the 4,000 species of forams that live in the sand. Secondly, if I look hard enough I’ll find a hidden and very much overgrown 17th century battery built by the English to defend the island (and I love ruined places). And finally, I really want to see some of that colonialist architecture, so I’ll try and sneak a peek at the Commissioner’s Residence, built in 1913.

Let the voting commence!

You can head on over to The Post Office website to vote for me as Affordable Travel Blogger of the Year until midnight on Tuesday 17th July, and hopefully make my trip of a lifetime a reality. I’ve never spent anywhere close to £5000 on a trip, and to be able to do something so special and so completely fabulous would make my decade. And I’d of course take you all on that journey with me through my photography and stories from this stunning destination.

If you’ve enjoyed my city break guides, UK day trip tips or musings on how travel can still be a part of your life if you work full time, I’d so appreciate your vote. And if not – I hope you enjoy the idea of swimming pigs as much as I do – here’s that video of them again one more time. You’re welcome.

The post Where would you go for the trip of a lifetime? appeared first on As The Sparrow Flies.

And Munich is synonymous with Oktoberfest and beer drinking culture which didn’t really appeal to me (despite my new-found appreciate for beer).

But I was drawn to Munich over the past few months due to seeing many pictures of Neuschwanstein Castle – that famous, fairytale castle at the foot of the alps that inspired Walt Disney and a generation of King Ludwig II fans. As I did my research on how I might get to see it for myself, it seemed that the most logical place to base ourselves was Munich.

And so the research into Munich began, and the more I read and planned, the more I started to see that actually, there was a lot more to this fascinating city than beer drinking. With a gorgeous and well preserved old town, museums for days and just the type of traditionally cooked, heart warming food I adore, I started to realise that Munich might just be the city for me.

And it was. A long weekend in Munich was the perfect Spring trip for me, and I think it might be for you too. Quirky, beautiful and down to earth, here’s how to get the best from your Munich city break (with some help along the way from the marvellous team at Marco Polo Travel Guides).

Getting around during a long weekend in Munich

Munich is a well connected and very easy city to get to, no matter where you start from. We actually travelled via British Airways this time as we couldn’t find our usual budget airlines – it is actually a more expensive city to travel to as opposed to Berlin. Don’t let that put you off – Munich remains good value once you are there! Whilst small, Munich’s airport is in easy reach of the main city on the S-Bahn, taking just 45 minutes to Munich’s central station. From there, you can travel onwards to the other parts of the city, as well as a number of other stations in Germany (and beyond – you can easily reach destinations in Austria from there too if that is your thing).

Once in Munich, like most major German cities you can use a very well connected metro system known as the S Bahn (runs both underground and overground to destinations further afield) and the U Bahn (an underground network in the city centre). It’s easy and cheap to use, costing just 6.70 euros per day for travel around the inner network. This also includes bus and tram travel too, (and depending on the ticket out to the Airport), but we tended to stick to the S and U Bahn services for most of our trip.

Like many metro systems in Europe, you’ll need to validate your ticket before jumping on a train if you get a single ticket and there are not any barriers to remind you. Look for the machines by escalators or entrances and insert your ticket where it will stamp it with the time and date. They do have ticket inspectors on the train and you can be fined if you haven’t done this!

Munich is actually very walkable as a city, and we did spend a lot of time on foot exploring but with the train services being so reliable and so cheap we often took the metro from our hotel into the city centre of an evening to save our feet for the next day!

As I mentioned before, you can also get to other locations within Germany from the central train station in Munich, and we made use of that to travel to Nuremberg for the day. It is definitely better to book your train in advance (we did this via Trainline) to save time a little money, but the ticket offices there are really helpful if you decide to make a spontaneous trip!

Where to stay on a long weekend in Munich

Munich has a raft of incredible accommodation options, and we were spoilt for choice for hotels of every budget and type. We actually found there to be quite a lot of quirky and boutique style options to stay in, and as we were staying for longer than our usual short city break, we decided to try two different hotels to mix up our stay! Both of our hotels were around the central station, and we found that to be a great place to make a base because we were doing a couple of day trips outside of Munich.

25Hours Hotel The Royal Bavarian

We first stayed at the 25Hours Hotel The Royal Bavarian (we were guests of the 25Hours Hotel Group) located right next to the station. It used to play host to a postal service and the royal telegraph and there are plenty of off-the-wall features both inside the rooms and the common areas to keep your interest. We were lucky enough to stay in one of their chamber rooms which were a little bigger and featured windows on two sides ensuring we got plenty of light into the room and space for all our stuff.

The bathroom featured gorgeous copper plated taps and a rainfall shower against a backdrop of super sleek black tiles, and we even had a small desk featuring an old fashioned typewriter with paper to write a letter home. Instagrammers, eat your heart out!

The hotel features an asian-fusion restaurant (where you also eat breakfast – which was delicious. I don’t think I’ll get over their homemade bircher muesli), cafe bar and the 1st floor Boilerman Bar complete with more books than you can shake a stick at and unusual taxidermy.

Location alone makes this hotel worthy of a stay, but it was truly a feast for the eyes and senses – I audibly gasped when we got in the lift, but I won’t spoil the surprise for you if you decide to stay!

Cocoon Hauptbahnhof

For the majority of our time in Munich we stayed at the Cocoon Hauptbahnhof, just five minutes in the other direction from the station and one of three Cocoon hotels in Munich. Whilst just as unusual, this hotel had a totally different feel to the 25Hours Hotel and was a little more laid back and relaxed – in fact we found this hotel to be more catered towards families or younger travellers.

Design wise, this hotel was styled like a Bavarian ski lodge, with ski-style paraphernalia everywhere you looked. In our room (we booked a Large Double Room, known as the Relax Alm) we had distressed wood everywhere, enamel bathroom fittings and a huge picture of a cow above our bed. I felt like I was a character from the Heidi novels, and this was a very good thing.

Wifi was free everywhere, and breakfast was a help yourself affair with plenty of breads, muesli and cold meats and cheeses to go around. They also had a well stocked bar and lounge area with a mix of chairs, swing seats and yes, a cable car that you’d find on a ski resort!

I’d wholeheartedly recommend both of these hotels for your long weekend break in Munich, but you’ll find at least 538 hotels in Munich alone on Booking.com, so you’ll definitely find something that suits your travelling style and budget.

Things to do on a long weekend in Munich

There is a huge amount to do in Munich itself, and add to the fact that the city makes a perfect base from which to explore smaller towns and cities and the Bavarian mountains you’ll never be at a loss for something to do. Despite the fact we were there for five days, which is longer than we usually spend in a city, there was so much more we could have done and I’m desperate to go back and do it all over again.

It’s said to be one of the only places where you’ll see people carrying both skis and surf boards, and added to the history of Munich itself, the laid back Bavarian culture which is some different to many of the other major cities in Germany and of course the beer this is one place that I can truly hand on heart say there is something for everyone.

Take a self-guided walking tour

Regular readers of my city guides and itineraries will know that I often book myself on a free walking tour on the first day of my trip. Well this time, because I was there for much longer I mixed it up a little and took us on a self guided walk using the new Marco Polo guide that they have released for Munich. I always use guide books when planning a trip and I have to stay that many of the recommendations in this city guide (including the food) are inspired by the research I did with this guide.

The guide itself includes four fantastic discovery tours (with an awesome touring app to go with them), and the “Munich at a Glance” tour was perfect for a history and architecture lover like me. We started at Munich’s most famous square (the Marienplatz), and from there found our way around several churches and cathedrals, the huge outdoor market, a few museums and the famous English Garden. Whilst they gave us an itinerary for the whole day, we ended up coming back to the guide time and time again for inspiration for all our Munich based days and for food and drink recommendations too.

I wasn’t sure whether I’d be too lazy to truly get the most of a self guided tour (I do really like being led around so I don’t have to think about where I’m going next), but it has really changed my mind about how I tour cities from now on. Munich has a lot of public free wifi spots, so the touring app was great to help get my bearings. If you are visiting Munich I’d definitely pick up a copy of this guide and give yourself a day to explore using the knowledge of the Marco Polo team! Many of the attractions listen below were visited during my self guided walking tour.

Marienplatz

The Marienplatz is a great starting point for any trip to Munich, and is a great place from which to get your bearings. It’s located centrally in the Old Town and despite the fact that Munich has many architecturally interesting sites, I’d say it is most certainly its architectural heart. You’ll find many things of interest here before you move off and explore the rest of the Old Town, and it is definitely worth spending some time here (especially if you time it right)!

The Mariensäule (or St Mary’s Column) was erected in 1638 at the end of the Thirty Years War to signify Munich’s survival against the Swedes. It’s a great meeting place, and you’ll often find musicians and entertainers gathered here too. At 11am, noon (and 5pm during the lighter months) you can also gather here to listen to the world famous Glockenspiel. Be warned – it has a reputation for being one of the most disappointing tourist attractions alongside Copenhagen’s The Little Mermaid and Brussels’ Manneken Pis but I found it quaint and a little hilarious as to how rudimentary it was. Just go with low expectations and you’ll be tickled!

From there you can also see both the New Town Hall and the Old Town Hall. Now, don’t be confused. The Old Town Hall actually looks the newer of the two buildings (with the New Town Hall being the magnificent gothic structure housing the Glockenspiel), but it has undergone many renovations including one as recently as just after the Second World War. The New Town Hall was my favourite of the two, its 260-foot tower launching right into the heart of Munich’s skyline.

Buy all your goodies to take home at the Viktualienmarkt

You’ll know by now that I’m a sucker for an awesome market, and the Viktualienmarkt is one of the best outdoor markets I’ve ever visited on my travels. Established in 1807, it has it’s own beer garden and stalls selling high quality fruit and vegetables, flowers, herbs, meats and bread and is surrounded by eateries.

You’ll also find a maypole right in the centre, a core part of Bavarian culture, signifying what visitors to that area will find there – you’ll find maypoles dotted all over Munich, particularly in Beer Halls and Gardens!

We grabbed lunched at the outdoor beer garden too, and I can confirm that the market is the perfect spot for people watching!

Take a stroll around Munich’s magnificent churches.

If there is one thing that Munich does well aside from beer, it’s churches. There are plenty of them within striking distance of Munich’s Old Town centre, and they are all beautiful in their own unique way.

Probably the most stunning and important in Munich is the Frauenkirche, with it’s two unusual green domed towers soaring into the sky – in fact, these are the highest towers in Munich and they are protected so that they will always be the most distinct thing about Munich’s skyline, standing at 99 metres. It’s actually the Cathedral of Our Lady and designated seat of the archbishop and has many myths surrounding it – including the clear footprint you can see near the front door – said to belong to the devil!

Peterskirche is another church just off the main square of Marienplatz and is the oldest church in Munich. It’s where all those dreamy photos of the view over the city are taken, but you’ll need to climb 306 steps to get there! Sadly, the tower was closed for renovations when we visited, so this is something else I’ll definitely check out on my return!

Possibly one of the stand out churches in Munich is the Theatinerkirche which is located towards the Residenz – you won’t miss it as it is a gorgeous deep yellow colour and Italian in style. In fact the architecture was far more in keeping with the romance of churches we came across in Rome and Pisa.

Finally Michaelskirche is one not to be missed – although not quite as impressive from the inside as some of the other churches I’ve mentioned, step inside from the busy approach to the Marienplatz and you’ll find a truly beautiful church interior. It’s where King Ludwig II is buried, and if you visit on a Sunday you can hear Munich’s most famed church choir.

The Residenz

You’ll find The Munich Residence opposite the magnificent yellow church and on the edge of the Old Town, right in the heart of what I like to call the art district of Munich with lots of galleries. To do it justice, you’ll need at least a day, but we spent a rainy afternoon exploring some of the treasures inside. The former royal residence now plays home to many art collections spanning Baroque, Rococco and Neo Classical periods.

If you only have a few hours, you can decide which rooms to visit in advance. I recommend this as it really is the most complex museum buildings in all of Europe!

What I would definitely recommend, which is totally free, is the Hofgarten, just to the rear of the residence. It is a really tranquil garden, flanked by both the Residenz and the Bavarian State Chancellery (which in itself is a beautiful building to see). It’s Italian Renaissance in style, and you can often see dance classes or boules games being played there.

Cost: 7 euros per adult, free or just 1 Euro on some Sundays.

Englischer Garten

On the subject of gardens, you’ll find another huge (and surprising) garden in Munich which is beautiful in all weathers. I can testify to this because I visited in slightly miserable weather (and rain) and it really was both beautiful and still busy with locals on their morning walk.

The 1000 acre garden is actually one of the largest urban parks in the world and a real source of pride for locals. The Englischer Garten is named as such because of its more English style planting and style (which is very different to the Italian Hofgarten) and unlike many other gardens it has lots of delightful features to explore and keep your interest.

Probably most famously is the Eisbachwelle, a permanent standing wave which provides year round surfing which we witnessed on a cold day. Didn’t I tell you Munich was famous for seeing skis and surfboards being carried around?

Further on you’ll find a Japanese Tea House, and regular Japanese Tea Ceremonies are held here from April to October. My favourite detail was the Monopteros, a circular Greek temple from which you can get some classic views of the Munich skyline (and determine once and for all the the Frauenkirche really does stand the tallest of all the buildings in the city.).

Further still (and the furthest we walked) you’ll happen upon the Chinescher Turm (originating in 1790), a popular beer garden and resting spot which gets very busy in the summer.

Munich Stadtmuseum

There are so many museums and galleries in Munich, you’d need to stay for a month to do them all justice, which meant selecting where we were going to go was a tricky decision. In the end we fixed upon the Munich Stadtmuseum so that we could get a really good sense of the whole history of the city to go alongside our self guided walking tour.

Located close to the Marienplatz and Viktualienmarkt, Munich’s City Museum really takes you on a journey in time through the centuries of development, war, culture and politics to help you understand why Munich and its people exist the way they do today. Munich’s first official mention dates back as far as 1158, so there is plenty of ground to cover with key pieces of history and art displayed along the way.

The museum took a good couple of hours to explore and was accompanied by an excellent audio guide and book. If you are only going to visit one museum in Munich, I’d recommend you try this one as it’ll give you a good sense of how the Munich you are visiting now came to be.

Cost: 4 euros per adult, including an audio guide and book.

Drink in all the Beer Halls

Although I said I wanted to get under the skin of Munich’s culture aside from all the beer, there is no getting away from it – Munich really is the capital of all that is beer. Whilst I’m still not convinced I’d enjoy Munich during Oktoberfest, I had an excellent time working my way around some of Munich’s most famous beer halls and gardens too see what all the fuss was about it.

And I can tell you, there is a reason why so much fuss is made. Aside from getting to try lots of different Munich beers (and some in the huge stein glasses, which is almost a litre), it was great to experience the vibe in some of these historical and huge beer halls and get into it with locals and tourists alike.

I’ll be covering all the beer facts you need in a later post, but I’d really recommend a visit to the following places to get your Munich beer on:

• Hofbrauhaus – the biggest and most famous beer hall in Munich. It’s impossibly large!
• Augustiner-Keller – a landmark beer hall with a huge garden (seating up to 7,000!)
• Schneider Bräuhaus – home of wheat beer and a great place to pick up a traditional Bavarian breakfast

The Feldherrnhalle

Translated to “The Field Marshals’ Hall”, this was intended to honour the Bavarian Army and was constructed in 1841. If you’ve been to Florence, you might recognise the style from the famous Loggia dei Lanzi in the Piazza della Signoria which houses some important statues.

Whilst it is great to look at, it’s actually more well known for its importance in World War II history – it was the scene for the end of Hitler’s putsch in 1923 and became somewhat of a cult site for Nazi supporters when they came to power in 1933.

The Michael Jackson Memorial

Never let it be said that Germans are not loyal when it comes to their musical icons – let’s face it, this is why David Hasselhoff still has a music career. And it is for this reason that a memorial to Michael Jackson exists outside of the Hotel Bayerischer Hof on the monument to Renaissance composer Orlando do Lasso.

Brilliant.

Take a day trip to Nuremberg

If you’ve tired of all that Munich has to offer, or just want a change of scene there are plenty of places to visit on a day trip. Munich is well located and connected to many other German (and Austrian) towns and cities, and we decided upon Nuremberg for it’s history and it’s extremely well preserved medieval architecture.

It’s an easily walkable city, and you can walk a whole circuit taking in important sites such as the medieval castle, Frauenkirche, Lorenzkirche, the old town walls, Albrecht Dürer’s House and the world famous Toy Museum. Once you’ve tired of the medieval buildings and history you can make a stop for traditional Nuremberg sausage and beer in one of the many traditional restaurants dotted across the city.

If you are visiting Nuremberg, you’ll want to take in some modern world history too – and you can visit the Nazi Rally Grounds and the War Crimes Tribunal in which you can visit and excellent museum and see inside the actual courtroom where the Second World War Tribunals took place. It was a chilling, important place to visit and well worth the short day trip from Munich!

A fairytale visit to Neuschwanstein Castle

Last but not least is really the whole reason why we selected Munich for a city break in the first place. Visiting this castle has been at the top of my agenda for many many years, not just because it is probably the absolute prettiest castle I’ve ever seen, but also because it is said to be the inspiration behind Disney’s famous princess castle.

Set deep in the Bavarian forest, it is actually quite a distance from Munich, but don’t let that put you off. Whilst you can travel there by train, we decided to hop on to a day trip offered by Sandemans. We travelled on a luxurious coach (which was really great as it was a miserable day and it was a 2.5 hour journey) and got to hear lots more about the history behind Munich’s most mysterious castle and the life of King Ludwig II.

The castle blew me away – it really was as spectacular as all the pictures say it is, even in the rain and hail, and the short tour we did inside really brought the passions and madness of King Ludwig II to life. If you are planning a trip to Munich, do not miss this trip to the foot of the Bavarian Alps. It’ll take your breath away!

Cost: £40 per adult for a full day tour with Sandemans, and 13 Euros for entrance inside the castle which is optional.

The ones that got away

There were so many other places we could have visited in Munich, but even with five days we ran out of time – you’ll never be lost for something to do in the city and when I finally get to return, these will be the sights I’ll put on my itinerary:

• Nymphenburg Palace – the summer residence of the ruling families of Bavaria
• All of the art – Neue Pinothek, Alte Pinothek and the Haus Der Kunst
• Deutsches Museum – the largest science and technology museum in the world
• NS-Dokumentationszentrum -dedicated to the history of anti-semitism and racism
• The Botanical Gardens – one of the most beautiful in all of Europe

And these don’t even scratch the surface of what Munich has to offer!

Where to eat + drink during your Munich weekend

If you head to Munich, you’ll be greeted by the best there is to sample in Bavarian cuisine. Whether that’s weisswurst (white sausage), schweinsbraten (roast pork) or dumplings, you’ll never be lost for a traditional dish or two.

I’m putting together a bigger guide to food and drink in Munich so you can take your seat at the best garden (and sample the best sausages), but until then, here’s a quick guide to where I ate whilst there.

• Haxnbauer. An old Munich city restaurant, it serves the finest roast dishes you’ll have in Munich, including the very local and traditional pork knuckle, or Haxen slow spit roasted and served with potatoes and sauerkraut.
• Burger and Lobster Bank. If you’ve tired of traditional Bavarian dishes, you might want to head for something a little different. Serving exquisite lobster, juicy burgers and cocktails to die for this restaurant wasn’t cheap but its ambience and the perfectly cooked lobster more than made up for it.
• Cafe Am Glockenspiel. Touristy, but well placed for a magnificent view over the Marienplatz and famous Glockenspiel. Try and time your visit for when the Glockenspiel plays and you’ll be richly rewarded – just remember to ask for a seat over looking the clock!
• Ratskeller. Located deep in the cellar of the town hall we found a really lively bar and restaurant serving every traditional dish imaginable, and if you’ve tired of the beer they do good wine and cocktails too. I tried the pork schnitzel and it was delicious.
• Hofbrauhaus. Not just for drinking, this beer hall also does hearty plates of meaty food ready to soak up all those steins you’ll be putting away. The menu might seem expensive at first, but I didn’t see anyone manage to finish a full plate of food!
• Biergarten Viktualienmarkt. The perfect place for people watching, beer drinking and eating at lunchtime in amongst the hustle-bustle of the market. I had a really decent plate of currywurst and chips here and managed to sit outside even during a blowy March day.
• Weisses Brauhaus. Probably the best place to sample a traditional Bavarian Breakfast – white sausage, wheat beer and a salty pretzel with a gorgeous sweet honey mustard on the side. Don’t knock it until you have tried it – it set us up for a full day of exploring!

A note on Bavarian culture

Life in Munich is a beautiful mix of all that is traditional in Bavaria, mixed with a modern culture and young, thriving society. I found Munich to be slower paced than other big cities in Germany which was a welcome change, and allowed us to really give in to our wanderlust and do just that – wander.

There isn’t much of a late night scene, and drinking starts earlier (at breakfast!). We found many of the older locals in the traditional lederhosen dress (particularly on Easter Sunday when we went for our traditional breakfast), and we found the culture to be much more social than in Berlin. Shared tables, lots of chatting and putting the world to rights was the order of the day here, and we certainly have never felt more welcome than we did in the heart of Munich.

**This post was sponsored by the wonderful team at Marco Polo, but my new found love for Munich  and Bavaria is 100% mine!

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When Andrew and I did last manage to get away for a longer summer break we didn’t think about it too much. We looked at package deals to Cuba at around this time of year, booked up and then jetted off for 14 days and had a marvellous time. If only it was that easy every time – almost three years later and we still haven’t had another one because we simply cannot choose a summer holiday. So how are we going to make a decision and finally choose it? Here are some steps I’m going to to take to make it really easy.

1. Make sure time of year and length of holiday is locked in

This one for me is really important. Make sure you’ve agreed how long you want to go for – a long weekend, a week or a full fortnight getaway, and the time of year. High summer is great for me but not for my husband, so we usually have to opt for Autumn, and after September as that is when my parents go away and we need to have someone to look after our cats.

See? Complicated.

Once you’ve agreed when, get those dates locked in and booked off work before it is too late. If you are going for a last minute deal, give yourself some leeway either side of the chosen dates to take advantage of the offers available.

2. Decide on type of holiday

If one of you wants a city getaway, and one of you wants to get down on the beach you’ll have a problem. Although some travel agents now offer multi-centre trips for you to book (or you can piece together your own), by and large you’ll need to make a choice. For some, just lazing on the beach can be boring (how?!!). For others, dashing round museums in a city can feel not in the least bit relaxing.

Some beach holidays allowed us to explore decent tourist spots (Cancun in Mexico is great for this), but it is better to agree up front what sort of holiday you want and need and most importantly how you want it to make you feel.

3. Tot up your budget

This is the most important thing to do once you’ve decided when and where you’ll go. Take into consideration spending money, travel costs and anything else like insurance or passport renewals. Visas can also catch you out so make sure you’ve fully explored the necessary paperwork needed to travel – and those all important jabs!

Many people think all inclusive holidays are super pricey and out of reach, but actually they can represent great value if planned correctly. If you are travelling somewhere that doesn’t have much going on outside the resort or can be expensive, all inclusive is great because all your meals, snacks and drinks are pre-paid – meaning you can have a great time without worrying.

You might even be able to afford some luxuries that may have seemed out of reach if you plan your budget and save up correctly. What about a flight upgrade for that all inclusive trip or Chicago maid services for the ultimate in city break luxury?

These are my top three tips for choosing a holiday this summer. I fancy New York or South Africa this year but again – still struggling with all of the above!

What are your top tips for holiday decision making?

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As well as offering pure out there natural beauty, and a manageable set of trails to ramble, it also has a few surprises up its sleeve which left my open-mouthed with wonder every time. Grab your rain jacket (it is the UK after all!) – here’s what to do at Virginia Water.

Take a turn around the lake

Virginia Water is a man made lake, created in the 18th Century first by William Augustus the Duke of Cumberland, and then after a few disasters along the way, completed under the guidance of King George III. It was designed as a place of pomp and pageantry, and you can still see that in amongst its wide pathways and beautiful scenery.

Virginia Water reminds me of the sort of place the upper class characters of a Jane Austen novel would take a turn around in the afternoon sun. With their big dresses and parasols, walking slowly and gossiping about the events of the day. But it’s ok, you don’t need a fancy parasol to enjoy a walk around the lake – at 4.5miles in circumference it’s a manageable place for anyone to have a leisurely stroll.

Uncover the secret Totem Pole

If you take an anti-clockwise walk around the lake from the entrance, it won’t be long before you happen upon one of the most surprising features of Virginia Water. It has its very own Totem Pole! Gifted to Queen Elizabeth II by Canada, the Totem Pole was carved by Chief Mungo Martin of the Kwakiutl Federation.

It stands at 100ft tall and is impossibly hard to look up at as it spikes into the blue sky. Erected as part of the centenary of the province of British Colombia becoming a Crown Colony, it still delights and fascinates not only children, but adults too. It’s amazing to see how the carving and the colours have stood the test of time, as well as the British Weather!

Explore the Roman-style ruins

On the other side of the lake the next installation will also make you gasp a little if you aren’t expecting it. Roman ruins in Surrey of all places? Well not exactly. Installed in 1818 to mimic a genuine Roman relic of the past, this folly is known as the Leptis Magna Ruins.

So where is Leptis Magna? Well, it was actually a city in Roman Libya, and is the source of many of the stones you’ll find at Virginia Water. Some of the stones are from the principal basilica, an arcade and several minor palaces in Leptis Magna, which has its own interesting history as part of the Roman Empire.

The Leptis Magna Ruins have already undergone much restoration works, but they are such a beautiful focus point of Virginia Water, set against the expansive lake.

Walk through the dense woodland

Whilst part of Virginia Water is all wide pathways, there is another part that is gorgeous woodland and gardens, which feel completely magical to explore. A mix of dense wooded areas and grassy paths and gorgeously planted gardens, Virginia Water leads to the Valley Gardens.

In fact, so much of Windsor Great Park is completely connected, and you may just decide to stray off the path towards 250 acres of landscaped beauty at the Valley Gardens, instead of completing your circuit around the lake. If you do, you’ll be greeted by impossibly tall beech trees, or if you visit in the spring, the Azalea Walk filled with varieties of coloured azaleas.

There are a number of trails through the Valley Gardens, but to get the most of Virginia Water you should choose the Lakeside Route which gives amazing views over the whole lake.

Snap a picture next to the waterfall

Like much of Virginia Water, the Cascade Waterfall is all man made beauty, but what you can see there to day isn’t the first waterfall to be there. In fact, the first got destroyed and so was rebuilt in the 1780s. It’s a wonderfully shady part of the lake walk, and on a hot day provides some excellent respite from the sun.

Virginia Water is free to visit, and is open year round, with slightly shorter opening hours during the winter. There is a car park, which charges £2.50 per hour. After you’ve explored what to do in Virginia Water and all its surprises, there is also a cafe and pavilion to have a well earned cuppa in!

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And I don’t mean London either (although I am endlessly grateful for having so much variety to explore there), but take a train in any direction for an hour or so from the capital and you’ll end up somewhere beautiful, somewhere exciting and somewhere that is perfect to explore for just a day.

That is how I found myself in Oxford. It’s shameful how close this historic city is to where I have always lived, and yet I have barely visited and know very little about the city except for the university and of course seeing the iconic pictures of people punting down the river. To celebrate the launch of their brand new guide to Oxford, Marco Polo arranged a casual walking tour around this stunning city – and this is how I spent the day!

How to get to Oxford

Oxford is a really easy city to visit by train – it has a large and centrally located train station with frequent arrivals from both London and the North. It takes just an hour direct from Paddington, and booking my tickets only a couple of weeks before I paid £20 return (at the time of writing).

You can also grab a coach, either the Oxford Tube or the x90 which costs £15 and runs every 15 minutes from London. Fun fact, they both stop at my local tube station of Hillingdon, which shows you just how criminal it was for me not to have visited properly sooner!

Of course, you can arrive by car, but it isn’t something I’d recommend. Although Oxford is really well linked by the M40, M4 and A34, you can’t really park in central Oxford. You have to make use of the Park + Ride facilities, which although work really well are not quite as convenient as as the train or coach!

Historic spots to see in Oxford

You’ll be spoilt for choice in Oxford, and it certainly isn’t a place you can see everything in during one day – in fact you’ll want to make room on your itinerary for plenty of food and drink stops along the way (see below), so Oxford is perfect for a more casual approach to sightseeing!

The Covered Market

Long time readers of this blog will know that I am a sucker for a good market, and The Covered Market in Oxford was as quaint as you would imagine it. Dating back from 1774, the market building is historically beautiful in and of itself, but it also includes many stalls and shops that are fantastic for tourists and locals alike. Around half are food stalls, including traditional butchers and greengrocers alongside sandwich shops and bakeries.

Mixed in you’ll find florists, and clothing boutiques and gift shops, meaning that not only is it a great place for people watching (it is very busy on a Saturday), but also to pick up any items you usually would when shopping!

The Bridge of Sighs

The Bridge of Sighs is an iconic landmark in Oxford, and is actually named the Hertford Bridge. It’s nicknamed so because of its similarity to the famous Bridge of Sighs in Venice, and it links two parts of Hertford College together. Fun fact thought – it was never supposed to be a replica of that bride in Venice, and it actually looks more like the Rialto Bridge there instead – I’ll let you make your own mind up!

The bridge itself was built in 1914, and is located in an area with lots of other beautiful architecture in the city, over New College Lane.

University Church of St Mary The Virgin

This is a church which is right in the centre of where the University of Oxford grew from, and its parish is actually almost entirely made up of university buildings and colleges. It dates back to the 1200’s, although it is believed that there was church here from Anglo-Saxon times.

It’s a really pretty church, and many church historians believe its spire is the most beautiful in England – the tower dates back from 1270, even though many parts of the church have been rebuilt over the centuries since.

Holywell Street

Although I haven’t explored every street in Oxford, I’d hazard a guess that this is the most pretty street in the city! Packed with both historic buildings and a run of gorgeous pastel coloured houses it is a photographers dream and absolutely worth a visit to get those stereotypical “quaint English” shots!

There are many stories of who lived in some of these houses, but perhaps my favourite is that JRR Tolkien lived at 99 Holywell Street between 1950 and 1953.

Radcliffe Camera

As we rounded the corner, my breath was taken away by how stunning the architecture of the Radcliffe Camera was. It was built between 1737–49 in neo-Classical style to house the Radcliffe Science Library, part of the University of Oxford.

It’s now part of the Bodleian Library, and the Radcliffe Camera is connected by an underground space called the Gladstone Link, which is also a reading room. It’s things like this that make me appreciate old English University locations so much – gorgeous architecture and hidden passageways!

Queen’s College Oxford

You can’t visit Oxford without getting a peek at at least one impressive university college building, and in Oxford you’ll find plenty. The grand university architecture is one of the biggest attractions to tourists from across the world. Queens College is located right on the High Street and was founded in 1341. You can take a couple of steps off of the main road to glimpse some of the buildings and it really is a treat for the eyes.

Watch punting from Magdalen Bridge

Another thing about those English university towns is punting! Punts are flat bottomed boats which are propelled through shallow water by pushing against the river bed with a pole. The Magdalen Bridge is the perfect spot to watch this typical English summer activity, but if you want to try it yourself you can head down to the Magdalen Bridge Boathouse to hire a punt and give it a go. I’ve never tried it, but really want to!

Where to eat and drink in Oxford

Oxford is full of incredible eateries – from every chain restaurant you can imagine to a gorgeous collection of indies and bars that cater for the student wallet and beyond. We punctuated most of our day in Oxford with a good sit down and a drink – here’s where we stopped off along the way.

The Handle Bar Cafe and Kitchen

It’s practically written in stone that you can’t start a day exploring a new city without a good brunch, and The Handle Bar and Kitchen is the most perfectly located cafe to begin with. Just a 10 minute walk from the train station, it’s a cycling themed cafe with bike paraphernalia scattered everywhere (including from the ceiling), with big rustic wooden tables to perch down on whilst you choose your meal.

The Handle Bar cater for everyone – we had vegetarians, vegans and those needing gluten free options within our party and requests were met with no fuss. The brunch options were plentiful, and although I went for the extremely predictable avocado on toast it was served with paprika, almonds, seeds and beetroot hummus and looked so beautiful I didn’t want to eat it! It’s ok, I did though – and along with my flat white it was delicious.

The Varsity Club

I’m a huge fan of rooftop views, and in a place like Oxford with so many historical buildings I was keen to see if I could find the perfect spot. Luckily fellow travel blogger Jess knows the area pretty well and led us through the covered market to The Varsity Club – a four level nightclub and cocktail lounge that has unrivalled views across the city from it’s rooftop bar. Whilst we had a bit of a wait to get up there – it being one of the first nice days of the year – we didn’t even have time to order drinks from the lounge bar below before being ushered upstairs.

And the views are worth the wait. With it’s own dedicated bar and in the warmer months full restaurant service, it’s a really special spot. I immediately ordered an Aperol Spritz and settled in for a gossip with my new-found travel blogging friends with the dreamy spires of Oxford before me. I can see this being a great place to enjoy golden hour, and the summer sunsets would be absolutely beautiful.

Although you can’t book unless you are a party of 7+ people, the short wait to get up there is definitely worth it!

The Turf Tavern

This popular (but pretty well hidden pub) is a historical gem in the heart of Oxford. It’s use as a drinking house date all the way back to 1381, making it one of the oldest, if not oldest pub in Oxford! Although largely frequented by Oxford’s huge student population, it as a lively and welcoming place with plenty of outdoor seating and a winding set of low beamed roomed inside. It was the perfect place to stop for a mid-afternoon G+T, and I can see myself coming back with Mr S to try some of their real ales on tap.

If you are in to celeb spotting, the Turf Tavern have had a few through their doors over the years. It is strongly rumoured that Bill Clinton has been hear, alongside Richard Burton, Elizabeth Taylor, Tony Blair, CS Lewis, Stephen Hawking and the cast and crew of Harry Potter. It’s also reportedly haunted by the ghost of Old Rosie, a woman who drowned herself in a nearby moat after her lover did not return from the English Civil War.

When we visited, we saw no ghosts or celebrities (although we did see an entire party of Spidermen dressed up for a stag party!), but it had such a lovely atmosphere of those sort of lost afternoons you can often have in an English pub garden that we didn’t mind too much!

Vaults and Garden Cafe

You can’t come to a quintessentially British city without partaking in a spot of afternoon tea. You absolutely can’t. So it’s lucky then that we finished our day in Oxford with a traditional cream tea at the Vaults and Garden Cafe located just along from the world famous Bridge of Sighs in a building from the 1320’s. It’s famous for its beautiful vaulted ceiling and gorgeous gardens, and is a really wonderful spot for breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea.

We had the full works – a three tier cake stand piled high with sandwiches and freshly baked shoes with a choice of jams and sumptuous clotted cream. What was fantastic is that they had baked vegan and gluten free-scones for those in our party with dietary requirements, so if you are worried about that I’d call ahead in advance and see what they can do – they were super flexible.

The food kept coming, and I certainly think you’d get your money’s worth (and need a nap after – I had a very long sleep on the train home!) with an afternoon tea here. It was all topped off with a glass of bubbles, and if I hadn’t had to catch a train home, I would have been keen to take my drink outside and soak up the last rays of the spring sunshine.

I can absolutely see myself visiting Oxford a lot over the summer – it’s easy to get to, its completely beautiful and it has so many wonderful places to eat and drink that I’m not sure I’d exhaust all of them in my lifetime. It’s exactly the type of place I want to wander with no set agenda – but it’s also the perfect spot for more in depth exploration. Armed with the Discovery Tours in the Oxford Guide from Marco Polo I’ve now got a few day trips planned this year!

*My trip to Oxford was sponsored by the guys at Marco Polo who have just released their brand new Oxford guide – but the dreamy wanderings and the copious eating was all mine!

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But indulge me, please. I’ve got more stories to tell.

Almost a year ago, I embarked on a new experience for me. I went off and booked a weekend away with strangers I had met off the internet to Amsterdam. You might think well it’s just a trip to Amsterdam, but you’d be wrong. It changed…everything.

The beginning

In that hazy weird time between Christmas and New Year in 2016 I made a bold and very spontaneous decision. I’m a planner. Spontaneity isn’t me. Whilst most people that think they know me know me as a chatty, loud, pain-in-the-arse sort, in real life I don’t make new friends easily. I hate networking, I hate making small talk with strangers and I often rely on the comfort of people who know me really well. The older I’ve got, the more introverted I’ve become. Sure I’m still a gobby opinionated pain-in-the-arse, but it drains me, easily.

So in that weird hazy time between Christmas and New Year I booked a city break WITH TWO STRANGERS FROM THE INTERNET.

I endured all the jokes about being “holiday catfished” by people that don’t understand the power of female friendships online. But I confronted my mild state of panic and anxiety about being with people I don’t know in a new city. I was scared and excited. And the thing about that is whilst this is NO BIG DEAL to some, it was a challenge to me. And I overcame it. Through friendship.

And I went to Amsterdam and had the best time.

The lessons

The lessons from this weekend spent wandering the canals of Amsterdam were plentiful. In fact they just kept coming, wave after wave of realisation hitting me, even after I returned home. I started to realise that I’d spent my life imposing an awkward set of rules on my life, not just with travel but with everything. Be in control, never be a passenger, do not show vulnerability, keep to things that are familiar to you.

These rules were only hurting me.

I learnt about the power of female friendships and the true power of the internet too. That it wasn’t about pushing yourself forward, or climbing a ladder, or worse still promoting yourself aggressively. I mean it is about all of those things, but most of all it is about connections. The internet has brought so many people into my life. Wonderful people who I can spend a whole weekend with, chatting away like we’d known each other all our lives. It felt good.

I learnt that my comfort zone is very much a small line that strays not far from myself. As I’ve got older I’ve tightly wound a protective rope around my life, dismissing any experience that might be a little different, a little confronting, a little hard. Getting on a plane alone to meet two strangers on a trip I haven’t had full control of was terrifying. But it’s fair to say my comfort zone is getting a little broader these days as a result of my trip, and I’m stepping outside it more often.

I learnt that having full control over something doesn’t mean that it is better. I’ve spent all my life controlling the situation. Planning and over planning and this seeps into my travel habits too. I follow the itinerary to the letter, plan where to eat, when to sleep. But this weekend in Amsterdam had no plan. It had no agenda. It was just a series of walks and chats and beers and sheltering from the rain with new friends, making perfect memories. It was, uncontrollably perfect.

Most of all, this trip away with two strangers who are now my firm friends made me reassess habits that have been having a detrimental impact on my mental health. I’m more open now, to new experiences and to doing things someone else’s way. To meeting new people and making friends. And to travelling slowly, with no plans apart from just to be there.

My weekend in Amsterdam changed everything for me. It taught me about city break self care – and that city breaks aren’t just for discovering new places. It’s about discovering yourself, too.

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Actually, that isn’t quite true. I love being at home, and I love my cats and my life in London. But I do wish I had the freedom to go where I want, when I want and then trot back home whenever I pleased. I mean everyone needs a regular cuddle with my cat Clive. He’s the best.

But the other reason why I’d love to be able to live my life a little more free and easy is so that I don’t have to choose what type of travel to experience I get to take. If you’re not on the road full time, living your life like a flashpacking superstar you have to make a choice how to use your holiday days. Sometimes I want to flit about the back streets of a city. Sometimes I want to lie on the beach for two weeks with a book.

So what is better? A big holiday or a weekend break?

The case for the big holiday

I haven’t had a two week proper belter of a holiday for almost three years. They were pretty much the only holidays I used to take, and boy, I lived for them. Lived for them. I’d plan for ages in advance ticking off the months, weeks and days before I could run out of work, onto a plane and into the Caribbean Sea. Every year I’d buy a new summer holiday wardrobe of swimwear and wafty kaftans and flip flops and get excited for my luxury two week break.

I always spent ages picking the best hotels, the ones with the incredible dining options, great beachside views and if the hotel room had a jacuzzi – well that was just to be expected. I’d work my backside off all year to be able to afford it and spend those two weeks chilling the hell out. After all, I’d earned it, right?

Within that two weeks on the beach I’d always spend some time seeing stuff too – I’d pick my locations not just because of their fabulousness. In Mexico and Cuba I went on a range of excursions to see different parts of the country and I’d come home feeling relaxed, cultured and pretty satisfied with my choices.

But it is never enough.

Because the list of places I wanted to see just grew and grew, and long haul took up so much time and money. I started to weigh up whether one big blow out to one place fulfilled my travel needs or not. And the answer was it did not. At all. I loved having two weeks off work to look forward to, but the return to normal life was always so much harder, and I’d be back at my desk knowing I’d have another whole year until my next trip.

And if I was taking the world on in yearly bites, I’d never get through the list of all the things I wanted to see!

The case for the city break

I have become the consummate city breaker. In 2017 alone I racked up 14 cities across Europe, ranging from a night to a few days in each destination. There were no beaches, often no sunshine but jetting off on the regular started to really become the way I love to travel.

I’ve had the chance to experience so many different cultures – Italy, Spain and France offering so many different things to cure my raging wanderlust. In three days I can see wonderful art, eating perfect food and sit with a drink watching the sun go down over busy cities.I can’t even count how many UNESCO World Heritage sites I’ve been to this year, and I’ve travelled to places I only dreamed of before because I always focussed on the two week blowout.

Leaving work on a Friday and being back on a Monday meant I could fit so much more travel in around my day job. I felt cultured, classy and so mature, especially when work would ask how I’m spending my weekend – oh you know, I’m just jetting off to Lisbon for the weekend. I always had something to look forward to, because the next trip was just around the corner.

But, constant travel in small breaks is tiring, especially if you have a full time job. I spoke to a little of this when I talked about dealing with travel burnout. Not only do I not get one big break from work, which I so think is needed to maintain balance and wellbeing, I’m constantly on the go, and don’t have enough time to travel, work, sleep and do life admin.

And city breaks are tiring. There is so much to see and do, and the way I like to see cities mean I’m walking way more than I would in my work life, staying up later, waking up earlier and eating a hell of a lot of rich food. I’m back at my desk on a Monday feeling shattered, full and a little bit shellshocked to be honest.

After a year of constant city breaking, I’m gagging for a big blowout beach break.

So what’s the answer – well, I’m not going to give you one, because I just can’t pick. Big holidays allow you the opportunity to slow down, relax and lean in to the sun, beach and luxury (I’m not talking about backpacking here – that’s a different kettle of fish entirely). But city breaks are thrilling – they are cosmopolitan and exciting and they give you that culture injection which you can do on the regular. You don’t have to wait for that two weeks to roll round.

This year, I’m planning on meshing my travel experiences. Less of them, but more of a balance. Can I do a bigger trip and a few city breaks on the side? See things more locally? That’s my aim – you don’t have to choose a big holiday or a weekend break. I’m going to spend the next year showing you can do both!

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But I digress. I’m talking to my long-time internet friend Emma-Louise Trotter from lifestyle blog The Life Edit. Based in Harrogate, we chat about how travel has been a part of both her most brilliant and most difficult memories, and as an amazing storyteller it will feel like you are right there with her. We talk about her early experiences of European camping trips with her parents (and the lost art of sending postcards), and how her Dad’s death led her to travel more than ever before.

As well as sharing stories from her travels in Dubai, Italy, France and across the USA, we talk candidly about mental health, and how Emma-Louise sees travel as her therapy. We also chat about how your Mum can make an excellent travel companion as you get older. For anyone who wants to get under the skin of why people are driven to travel, and enjoys a deeper discussion on the emotional side of seeing the world this is the episode for you.

Where you can find Emma online:

• On her blog, The Life Edit
• On social at Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Facebook
• Emma is also a fantastic creative consultant, and you can find out more about her work and training offers too!

Things we mentioned on the podcast:

• Why travel is Emma’s therapy
• Emma’s amazing solo travel tips
• A Spring guide to what to pack for New York
• How to spend a brilliant week in Rome

How you can listen to the podcast:

• Going to the Episodes page
• Subscribing on The Apple Podcasts App
• Listening on YouTube
• Subscribing on Stitcher Radio
• Listening on Spotify

Remember to tweet me at @SamRSparrow with the hashtag #thetravelust with your favourite travel tips and memories and your perspective on what we’ve discussed on the show, and check out the back catalogue of my travel chats with other incredible travellers!

If you’ve enjoyed this episode, I’d love you to leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts so that more people can be inspired to travel and develop that sense of travelust.

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But this all costs money! Days out, summer gear, getting your outdoor space spick and span, holidays abroad, festivals, pub gardens with friends – all these things can add up to a huge bill at the end and you get to September broker than broke. Or something.

If you have a family, or even a large group of friends, summer days out to keep the kids happy and the parents happier can cost an absolute bomb. The price of theme parks literally make my eyes water they are so high and yet we all seem to love them when the summer rolls round. There are lots of ways you can save money on day trips around the UK, and for some of them they don’t even require much forward planning, leaving you more freedom to do what you fancy as the days roll by!

So I’ve tried to put together some awesome ways you can have fun over the summer months without breaking the bank, and breaking a sweat. Easy summer savings – I like this very much!

• Seriously, make use of free museums. They charge you nothing to get in and on a rainy summer day they are the perfect place to keep occupied. This list of free museums allows you to see the nearest to you, so get ticking some off this list!
• Use vouchers – Tesco Clubcard and Nectar allow you to swap points for deals to all the big theme parks and other attractions. Check how far in advance you have to swap them for and plan accordingly! Alternatively with the Days Out Guide from National Rail, you can get 2 for 1 tickets to loads of attractions in London and the South East with a valid train ticket (and this ticket could be just £2 and doesn’t have to be used…make the most of this deal!). Finally keep an eye out on cereals, crisps and other foodstuffs for vouchers to collect for days out.

• Take a packed lunch. The big cost of a day out is often the food. Get savvy by bringing food in with you as opposed to paying through the nose for a crap burger and chips. You don’t need soggy sandwiches, there are plenty of ways for you to get creative!
• Cheaper travel is the next thing to think about – book tickets in advance and use whatever rail tickets you can, including a Gold Card, Young Persons Railcard or Family Card if you have it. When travelling around London always do it through an Oyster card and you’ll save loads. Check out the Trainline, National Rail and TfL websites for more details.
• Festivals are all the rage and as you know I love a good festival. But they do not come cheap. If you didn’t manage to lay your hand on festival tickets this year, what about trying to volunteer instead? Alternatively, there are a huge array of festivals that are put on in the community for free. I love the Notting Hill Carnival, and the Mayor’s Thames Festival in London, but this map allows you to search by location for ones nearest to you.

• Enjoy the outdoors for free or little cost! Once the weather gets cracking, getting out to local parks and gardens with free access is the perfect way to spend a chilled out sunny Sunday – or if you live by the sea, make the most of it! Get outdoors, take a packed lunch and a blanket and maybe treat yourself to an ice cream on the way home. If you have a Lido or local outdoor pool near you, these often are low cost for a full day of entertaining for the kids (or big kids like me).
• Stoke up the BBQ – but don’t spend a packet. If you have a nice outdoor space you can invite friends over for some relaxing. But top tip – ask people to bring something either drink or food related. BBQ food can add up if you buy specialist stuff, but a pack of sausages and normal burgers will do fine – or alternatively make your own! Asking people to bring salads and accompaniments brings down the cost. And don’t worry of you don’t have a BBQ. You can cook under your grill and eat outside…we won’t tell anyone!

How will you be saving money on days out this summer?

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