Travel Money Saving Tips

It's no secret that when you are travelling or looking to book a travel trip you need to be saving. There are different ways that you can save for different travel scenarios but you need to be prepared to spend time in order to be able to save. 

Transport

It's important to look and make sure that you are booking your transport for your destination in the best possible way. Sometimes if you are doing a long haul flight it can be cheaper to book a flight with a stopover but this will make your journey longer so you need to decide which you want to sacrifice. Some airlines offer a system where you can collect air miles and if you think you will be flying with the airline frequently it is something that is worth collecting as they can total up to allow a free flight in the future. Some cities will have more than one airport which will mean that it can be cheaper to fly in to one of the airports.

Train tickets are best being booked in advance which can be done at least 12 weeks before your journey. A rail card is worth getting if you are someone who gets the train on a regular basis. 

Accommodation

When it comes to booking accommodation for your trip its best to research to make sure that you are getting the best type of accommodation that you can for your money. It's important to consider the location of your accommodation to make sure that it's not going to cost too much in transport for getting around whilst you are on your trip. Some hotels offer free nights if you are staying for so many nights which can be worth doing. Hotels.com also offer an awards scheme where if you book so many nights with them you can earn a free nights stay. 

On Location

Before going on your holiday it's best to do some research in to what you want to do whilst on your holiday in case there is anything that you have to pay for which can be cheaper to book in advance. Some attractions will have a certain time when they are free to enter or will be discounted. 

Do you have any other ways that you like to save money whilst on your travels?

LauraJane

Instagram

Twitter

City Guide: Valencia

If you follow me on Instagram you will have seen that I recently went to Valencia for a couple days which was a trip to go and see my friend who is currently living there. 

 Valencia is a city that you never hear many people say that they are going to for a city break but I think that it's the perfect place to go for a weekend city break. If you are staying in the main city centre of Valencia it is very easy to walk around and see everything as you walk around there are a lot of pretty buildings. One thing I liked about Valencia is that it was easy to be able to find plenty of places for food and drink which are reasonably priced. Whenever I go to a city I always like to make sure I get to see the cathedral which was no exception in Valencia. There is a little river area which is lovely to walk along which is known as Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias. 

My visit to Valencia fell during the Fallas period which is a celebration that they have in Valencia for Saint Joseph which lasts from 1st March through to 19th March. During this period everyday at 2pm they have an event which is known as La Mascleta at Plaza del Ayumtamiento which is where they set off firecrackers for 7 minutes they also they did a colour version of this on the Saturday evening at midnight whilst I was in Valencia. On the final day of Fallas they have approximately 350 'constructions' located around the city which people will have built over a period of time and these will be burnt down apart from one which is selected as the winner. There is a museum which you can visit where you can see a piece from the constructions that have won in previous years. Whilst I was in Valencia they had a display of some of the constructions that are going to be used on the final day in a museum where people are able to pick their favourite one. 

Hope you enjoy my insight to Valencia.

LauraJane

Instagram

Twitter

Travelling Hand Luggage Only

At the time of this I am getting ready to fly off to Valencia, this is my first trip travelling with hand luggage only. I've never realised it could be so easy to travel hand luggage only but it is something that I would say is only suitable if you are doing a short trip. I am using a small purple case that I bought in Las Vegas a few years ago.

For anybody who is going to be travelling with hand luggage only I would recommend that you try and take as less clothes as possible so try and take items that will be suitable for more than one occasion so perhaps take a top that will last day and night. For shoes I would say to only take one pair as well as the ones you are wearing as they are something that can take up a fair bit of space in your luggage. When it comes to packing toiletries you need to make sure that you are taking toiletries that are travel size and that any liquids are under 100ml. If you are taking a hairdryer it's best to take a travel size one which you are able to buy from Boots.

LauraJane

Instagram

Twitter

Looking ahead to 2017

Happy New Year! Hope you've all had a lovely Christmas and New Year. 

I don't think I could be more glad for 2016 to be over for a lot of personal reasons, I'm hoping that 2017 is going to be a much better year. 

At the moment I have 3 trips booked and potentially planning another trip which are as followed:

Berlin: I'm going to Berlin for a few days with my friend in March.

Venice/ Greek Cruise: In May I'm spending a couple days in Venice before boarding an NCL ship to cruise around Greece visiting places such as Santorini and Mykonos.

Asian Cruise: In October for my parents 30th Wedding Anniversary we are doing an Asian Cruise from Hong Kong to Singapore visiting Bangkok and Vietnam onboard a Celebrity cruise ship. 

I'm hoping to visit my friend in Valencia at the beginning of March.   

Hopefully I will be able to go on a couple more short breaks depending on finances. 

LauraJane

Twitter

Instagram

San Francisco to Las Vegas

         If you follow me on Instagram you will have seen that I recently went to America. I flew from London to San Francisco where I spent a couple of days before travelling to Santa Barbara for the night with a short stop at Monterey Bay where I then continued to Las Vegas. 

San Francisco

This was my first time visiting San Francisco and it is somewhere that I will be definitely going back to. It is such a relaxed city with plenty to see and do which I find appealing. 

Fisherman's Wharf was the first place that I visited once arriving in San Francisco and checking in to the hotel, I stayed at the Holiday Inn Express Fisherman's Wharf. This is an area which is full of restaurants and is the perfect place to go if you are a fan of eating seafood. For food I went to Boudin's which is famous for it's sourdough bread and had a pizza (I'm not a fan of seafood) which was nice but something I wouldn't be wanting to have again. 

On the first full day I did a tour bus around the city of San Francisco taking in all the sights that were on offer. Once I'd done a full trip I then got off at Golden Gate bridge to then get a bus to a small town called Sausalito which was lovely with little unique shops. Whilst in Sausalito I went to a burger place called Napa Valley Burger Company which was the best burger that I've ever had. In the evening I went to Ghiradelli Square for a little walk around and to visit the chocolate shop which is somewhere you need to go if you are a chocolate fan which sadly I'm not the biggest chocolate fan, I'm more of a savoury person than a sweet person. 

On the second day in San Francisco I visited Alcatraz which is somewhere that I would say people must visit when they go to San Francisco. It is a very eerie place as you see how the prisoners used to live within the cells and just how close it is to mainland which was something I did not expect. 

                

Whilst in San Francisco I also visited Pier 39 which is where the sea lions are located. Pier 39 was a lovely place to just have a walk around and go in the various unique shops as well as a Christmas shop which I think sold some amazing decorations. I would recommend to visit Pier 39 in the morning as it was very busy when I went at mid afternoon. 

          

Monterey Bay & Santa Barbara

I only stopped at Monterey Bay for an hour and it was a lunch stop so it was not a place that I got to really see but from what I saw it seemed to be a nice place and is somewhere that I would like to for a  longer period of time. 

  

                

Santa Barbara was another place that I didn't get to see as I arrived early evening and left early the next morning. I stayed at the Best Western Peppertree Inn which my favourite hotel for the duration of the visit to USA. 

Las Vegas

This was my 6th visit to Las Vegas so it is safe to say that it's a place I love to visit. This time the visit was unfortunately only a short one so there wasn't much time to do anything. One thing that I do love to do in Las Vegas is go shopping which is what I did as soon as I arrived but something new that I did this time was go to the North Shopping Outlet and got myself a bargain as I got a pair of DVF heels for $64 instead of $400. For any shopping fans going to Las Vegas I would recommend Forum Shops as the best place to go shopping where you must also go to The Cheesecake Factory where they serve some of the best food I've ever tasted. 

Whilst in Las Vegas I went to the Neon Boneyard Museum which is where they have some of the old neon signs from hotels that used to be open which is worth a visit. If you do choose to visit it is recommended to pre book a time as you have a guided tour. 

      

In Las Vegas they have a High Roller which is the equivalent to the London Eye which allows you view all over Las Vegas and is a must. I did the High Roller during the day and is something I would like to do in the evening next time I visit. 

Las Vegas is one of them places that I say you either love it or hate it but I love it as there is so much to do whilst you are. For this visit I didn't see any shows as I didn't have time unfortunately. 

LauraJane

Twitter

Instagram

Feel free to ask any questions that you may have. 

What's in my Hand Luggage (Long Haul)

As you read this I shall be on my holiday in America which you will get to read all about when I come home. Keep an eye on my instgram as I will post a few photos on there when I have wifi. 

Bag: Zara £35.99

This bag is perfect for travelling as its a nice size and has got three parts. The front pocket is where I shall keep my passport and the front zip part is where I shall keep my magazine and iPad.

Inside my bag I try to keep it to the essentials that I need for my flight. I like to have a pair of fluffy socks as I seem to always get cold feet. I also like to have a magazine to read as well as my iPad for watching anything I want or to play any games in case I can't find any films to watch on the plane. 

I take a small clear toiletry bag containing:

Kate Spade Rollerball Perfume

Deodorant

Hand Sanitiser

Hand Cream

Moisturiser

Hand Wipes

Lip Balm

Mascara 

Eye Drops

LauraJane

Twitter

Instagram

A Guide to Liverpool: My Home City

Despite living in Liverpool I always forget just how much there is to do here and how nice a city it is. Liverpool is very well known for being the home city to one of the greatest musicians The Beatles, there is a museum dedicated to them at the Albert Dock as well as statues located on the waterfront. 

The Albert Dock is a place that every visitor must take a walk around as they are able to browse around shops as well as visit some museums such as Tate. There are also a selection of restaurants and bars at The Albert Dock which cater for a variety of tastebuds. The Albert Dock was a working Dock up until 1972 and has got the largest collection of Grade 1 listed buildings in the UK.

One street that must be visited in Liverpool is Bold St where there is a large selection of boutique shops which I love walking around. There are also a number of different restaurants, cafes and bistros. Bold St is a street where you will find all different types of people which makes more interesting. If you do go to Bold St there is an Italian restaurant/cafe called The Italian Club which you must visit as the food in there is amazing.

Liverpool is one of the only cities to have two cathedrals, one is a Catholic Cathedral and the other is a Church of England Cathedral. The Anglican Cathedral which is the Church of England Cathedral is gothic and can be seen around a lot of the city. It is also a Cathedral which is used to host events such as graduations. 

The Metropolitan Cathedral which is the Catholic Cathedral is known around the city of Liverpool as Paddy's Wigwam. 

One of the most popular tourist attractions in Liverpool is the Liver Buildings which forms one of the 'three graces', the other two are The Port of Liverpool Building as well The Cunard Building. The Liver Buildings are used as offices for various companies. Around Liverpool there are different stories told as to why there are two Liver Birds located on the top of the Liver Buildings.

Liverpool has the largest collections of museums and galleries outside of London. For anybody that is wanting to do some shopping in Liverpool should visit Liverpool One where there is a selection of shops including Zara, Topshop and Victoria Secrets. 

LauraJane

Twitter

Instagram

Europe Travel Wishlist

There are many different places that I would like to visit across Europe but there are only so many places that you can visit at a time. The top three places that I would like to visit are Milan, Paris and Prague. 

Milan, Italy

Milan is known to be a very fashionable city which appeals to me as I think it will be interesting to see what the different people are like there. I have seen pictures of the Duomo Cathedral which I think looks beautiful and is something that I would like to be able to see in person. Milan is a city that I feel that I would only need a day or two in. 

Paris, France

Paris is a city that I've wanted to visit for a long time. I want to go and be able to sit with a pastry and coffee whilst I watch the world go by for a bit before I go about seeing the city. There are so many different places that I want to visit in Paris such as Eiffel Tower, Louvre and Notre Dame Cathedral. I also want to experience the culture that Paris is able to offer.

Prague, Czech Republic

Prague comes across as a cheap city to visit which is appealing as well as the experiences that are on offer within the city. I like the idea of Prague being split into old town and Jewish quarter which I think will make any trip to the city interesting. From pictures that I've seen of Prague it looks to be a very picturesque city which I love about some cities as it can be nice to just look at the beautiful buildings that are surrounding you. 

LauraJane

Twitter

Instagram

All pictures have come from google search. 

Tips for booking your next holiday

Booking a holiday can be stressful for some people so here are some tips that I like to follow when booking any sort of holiday short or long. 

Before you start any planning for your holiday you need to set a budget for your holiday as this will make it easier when you are looking for your accommodation. Also you need to decide what time of year you would like to go which affects the price of your holiday. I always try to make sure I don't travel when the schools are off and I find it a lot better to be at the destination mostly during the week and try to avoid travelling at the weekend as this will increase the price.

Research

I find that research is one of the most vital things you do when you are booking any type of holiday. One of the first things that I would recommend to research is where you are going to go on your holiday and then once you have decided where you are going to go I would then look in to what you would like to do whilst you are at the destination. Once you have decided what you would like to do at the destination it will give you an idea of how long you will need to book for as the worse thing you would want is not to book long enough which I've had happen to me in the past. 

Before I go on my holiday I like to have a little research on blogs to see what tips I can find for the destination I am going to and to see if I can find any places that I must visit. 

Transport

When looking for flights I always look at budget airlines first and will then look on  Expedia as they will give you different airlines for you to compare. I always try to make sure that I've got a direct flight as if you end up with a layover that is taking precious time away from spending at the destination of your holiday. Some cities have more than one airport so it is important to make sure that you are booking to fly into the right airport and that you are comfortable with getting from the airport to your destination. 

It is always good to take a look at the local transport at the destination you are going to as sometimes it may be easier for you to get from the airport to your accommodation by local transport. It is also good to try and familiarise yourself with the local transport so that you have some sort of idea where you are going when you get to your destination as if you look lost you can become an easy target for pickpockets. 

Accommodation

When it comes to booking your accommodation you need to think about whether you want to be in the centre or if you want to be on the outskirts. You also need to consider what type of accommodation do you want and what basis you want to book. I prefer to book a hotel without any meals included as this allows you to try the foods of the destination you are visiting. For breakfast I always end up in the local Starbucks getting a coffee and a pastry. 

Everyone has different expectations as to what they want they want out of the accommodation and this is something that you need to consider. Read the reviews for the hotels but don't take everything to be the truth as what one person thinks of the accommodation may not necessary be what you think of it. 

For booking accommodation I look at Expedia and Hotels.com but I will look at some of the local hotel websites. 

Booking Extras

You need to make sure that you book travel insurance for your holiday. I always get an annual multi trip insurance as this makes it cheaper for if you plan to book more than one holiday. It is also  important to make sure that you book the correct type of insurance as not all insurance will cover worldwide travel. 

Depending on where you are going you may need to book passes or excursions so it is important to take a look at whether or not you need to and make sure you are using a website which is legal. Some destinations have attractions which can be really popular so it would be worth booking these before you travel. 

Make sure you check to see if there are any vaccinations or visas you need for your destination of choice.

LauraJane

Twitter

Instagram

Feel free to leave a comment with any question or suggestions of what you would like me to write. 

Why should or shouldn't you book a cruise?

Cruises are a type of holiday that I've done a lot of over the last few years. A lot of people ask me why do I like doing so many cruises and whether or not they should do one. They are not the type  of holiday for everyone as we all like to have different types of holidays. 

Why should you book a cruise?

The best thing about doing a cruise is waking up in a new destination every morning as well as being able to see some of the beautiful scenery as you sail in to some ports such as Lisbon, Portugal. Cruises allow you to visit places that you would not normally think about going to for a holiday or short break such as Gibraltar. They also allow you to get a taste of a place that you may then decide to go back to another time for a short break which is something I've done previously. When at ports cruise companies offer excursions which go to places that you would more than likely not go to if you went to that port of call for a short break or holiday. 

A good thing about doing a cruise is that all your food and entertainment is in one place and you don't have the trouble of having to find somewhere to go for food. The entertainment on cruise ships a lot of the time cater for a wide range of age groups and interests. When paying for your cruise it includes the cost of food, entertainment and accommodation although sometimes cruise companies will have an offer on which will includes so this means that the only extra money that you need for your holiday is what you want to spend when you are ashore. On previous cruises I have found that you are able to enjoy foods that you would not normally find in restaurants and that you are able to try a lot more new dishes. 

If you are looking for a new experience when it comes to travelling then I would recommend a cruise. A cruise can also be very relaxing as you spend a day at sea which I find to be a calming day as you get used to the ship that you are on. 

Why shouldn't you book a cruise?

If you are someone who doesn't like to be just in one place of an evening whilst on holiday then a cruise would not be for you as there will only be a couple of bars for you to be able to go. Also you are restricted as to what you are able to do of an evening as some cruise companies only have a small number of activities of an evening. 

Some people like to be able to spend a couple of days at a destination this is not the case when doing a cruise as you will only get between 6-12 hours in a port, it varies for each port as to  how long you will have at the port. When doing a cruise you need to be prepared for having a limited amount of time at your port. 

If you have any questions feel free to ask.

LauraJane

Twitter

Instagram

P&O Britannia Cruise Ship

If you've seen my previous blog you will have seen that I recently went on a Norwegian Fjord cruise onboard P&O Britannia. This was my first time onboard the Britannia as well as my first time doing a P&O cruise, I've previously done Royal Caribbean and Thomson cruises. 

Eating and Drinking

Onboard the ship there are different places for you to be able to eat and drink. Some of the eating places onboard you have to pay a cover charge which varies in price depending on where you choose to go. There is a lot of inspiration from celebrity chefs such as Marco Pierre White, James Martin and Eric Lanlard in some of the eating places. At the Market Cafe you can enjoy cakes which are inspired by Eric Lanlard such as Red Velvet Cake which I did treat myself to and it was one of the best Red Velvet cakes I've had. 

There is a Olly Smith inspired wine bar that also serves food called  The Glasshouse. There is a large choice of wine to choose from for those who do enjoy a glass of wine, I like Moscato which is very rarely seen and it was available at The Glasshouse which made me very happy. On one visit to The Glasshouse we ordered some food which I would say is more of a place to go for lunch. The food was lovely, I got a taster dish of chicken liver parfait, chicken tenders with a parmesan crumb and mushrooms in a breaded crumb. 

You can also enjoy food at The Beach House which has got an American style menu. On our visit I got sizzling chicken fajitas which were the best fajitas I've ever had. Whilst at The Beach House you can order a steak which you are able to cook yourself on a lava rock. 

There is a place onboard called The Limelight Club where you are able to enjoy entertainment as well as food for a charge of £22. Entertainment you can enjoy include Darren Day and Jaki Graham. We went to see Darren Day who was really good as he did different impressions and sang some swing songs. The Limelight Club is definitely somewhere I would recommend people to go whilst onboard and I found that this was where we enjoyed the best meal onboard. 

Other places to go for a drink onboard include the pub where you can also join in with quizzes as well as karaoke and Java which serves Costa coffee.

Entertainment

There is places onboard the ship where you can enjoy entertainment such as the Live Lounge and the main theatre. Entertainment onboard included:

• P&O showcase performing musicals
• Ventriloquist Jimmy Tamley
• Badness (Madness Tribute Act)
• Annie Lennox Tribute Act
• Comedian (can't remember his name)
• Swing Singer (can't remember his name)

Miscellaneous

Onboard there is a cookery club where you are able to enjoy cookery classes from an onboard chef with dishes including Thai Street Food. There are select cruises which offer the chance of a masterclass from either Marco Pierre White or James Martin. 

There are some shops onboard which sell different products including make-up, perfume, sunglasses, jewellery and clothing. Brands available to buy include Benefit, Pandora, Radley and Ray Ban. 

Britannia is the newest ship in the P&O fleet and they have relaxed the dress code. For our 7 night cruise we had 2 formal nights, I like formal nights when on cruises as I think it's nice to get dressed up and to see everyone else onboard also dressing up. 

Any questions feel free to leave a comment. 

LauraJane

Twitter

Instagram