20 Travel Hacks for 2019

1. Take a scarf. A scarf is multi functional and comes in very useful. You can use it to cover up your sunburn, keep you warm, cover up at religious sites and even double up as a hand towel. One item, many uses.
2. Take comfortable footwear. There is nothing worse than going for a full day out in shoes that hurt your feet.
   
3. You don't need to be fluent enough to hold a conversation, but know enough of the local language to be polite. Making the effort to be polite will be appreciated, even if most of the conversation has to be in English.
4. Write down the address of where you are staying. This will help if you get lost or if you are trying to tell a taxi driver where you want to go.
5. Bottled water. Enough said. Make sure you don't get dehydrated if you are out somewhere warm, it's easy to forget to drink water. I bought a large thermos bottle to keep my water cooler for longer whilst travelling in hot climates.
   
6. Get a paper map before you leave the airport. If you didn't travel with one get one. It will not only highlight popular places, but is much more useful for navigating. I have used paper maps to pick out what I want to see in a day and decide on which is the best order. A lot of good travel guides will have paper maps of popular areas, as well as suggestions for things to see.
   
7.  Don't rely on google maps. It got me totally lost and whilst I will use it in the UK, I will not trust it abroad again.
   
8. Carry a worldwide travel adaptor. I have 2 of these and they are so much better than having to get a different one to travel to different places. One item and you are covered for whichever country you end up in. I also recommend a universal sink plug, as not everywhere you go will have one. See My Top 6 Travel Purchases for more useful gadgets to take.
9. Protests may be fun to watch but they are a nuisance if you are trying to get somewhere. Chaos ensues with all the roads they close.
10. Take a reusable cup. I have a silicone collapsible cup, which is light weight, doesn't take up much space but expands out to a large cup. More and more places give you discounts if you take your own cup for takeaway drinks. I have also been known to take my spork away with me. It's also useful if you don't quite trust the crockery.
    
11. If you pack light, you have more space for shopping. One for all the girls out there. Be realistic about what you need to take and try not to take things you are unlikely to use at all. We all do it, but the less you take, the more space you have for souvenir shopping.
    
12. If you have medical supplies/medication carry them in your hand luggage. There is nothing worse than your hold baggage going missing with all your important medication and supplies in. Also, carry medications in their original boxes as it will help if you get your bag searched. However make sure you put your sun cream in your hold luggage due to the 100ml cabin bag restrictions for liquids.
    
13. Take a hoody/jacket. Even if you are going somewhere warm, the plane can get quite cold, so take a hoody and maybe a pair of socks to help you stay warm.
14. Take clothes that mix and match to make a number of outfits. Rather than pack your whole wardrobe, take things that you can mix up to make different outfits for all occasions.
15. Packing cubes/Travel vacuum bags etc help you pack. I took travel vacuum bags which the air rolled out of when I went travelling to help me make the most of the limited space I had available in my bag. My friend used packing cubes and wash bags to keep everything contained. Remember to keep what you might need first easily accessible though for when you arrive.
16.  Roll it, don't fold it. I got this from a book and to be honest was a bit sceptical, but it does work. Rolling your clothes actually reduces volume allowing you to pack more. When I spent 3 months travelling I rolled all my clothes before I packed them into a vacuum bag and I haven't looked back since.
17.  Consider if wheels help or hinder. Suitcases have their advantages but they also have their downfalls. I was very much pro-suitcase when I travelled before. Suitcases are great for a beach holiday, however if you are travelling they can be a lot more effort than they are worth. If you are somewhere with lots of staircases, or worse, cobblestones then a suitcase is a bad idea. I took a camping rucksack on my 3 month travels and was pleasantly surprised. It was easy to pick up and go, took up less space than a suitcase, was very durable and as I was carrying it, stairs and uneven ground were not an issue.
    
18. Layers - enough said. Take layers, regardless of your destination. Some of the hottest countries get a bit chilly by night, plus you need to remember what season it is when you arrive back home. Layers will make it easier to adjust if you are too warm or too cold.
    
19. Carry a light waterproof. Unless you are going somewhere cold when you will need a thicker waterproof. Always stick a lightweight waterproof in your bag for those unexpected showers or to keep you warm if its a bit windy. Remember it rains in hot places too and should you meet monsoon season.... well enough said.
20. Share your experiences Whether you keep a diary or write a blog or just tell your friends over coffee. I started to journal after a friend at University told me I should and the blog started at the request of friends who wanted to know what I was up to when I spent 3 months abroad. Keeping a record for yourself also helps you save those precious memories.

Thank you to everyone who made suggestions for inclusion in this blog post.

Vienna, Austria

I am a great fan of a good Christmas market and therefore went to Vienna, which was very very cold for a few days. Austria is a German speaking country, meaning their markets are also very close to the high standard set by my trip to Berlin several Christmas' ago.

At the airport we purchased 72 hour travel cards (24 and 48 hours also available) for about 25 euros. We also had to pay a couple of euros extra to initially get the train into the city and again to return to the airport. Whilst we didn't need to show our ticket each time we used the metro and tram, you did need one for random checks. The inspectors circled the exit and it felt a bit like you would get rugby tackled if you failed to show a ticket.

Vienna is home to a lot of palaces. We brought a 'Sisi ticket' for 30 euros, which gave us access to 3 of the palaces with audio guide tours included. We visited Schönbrunn and Hofburg Palaces, home to Emperor Franz Joseph and Empress Elisabeth (also called Sisi). They were both very elegant and beautiful places, one of which also had stunning grounds. The Hofburg has the silver collection on display, with thousands of pieces intricately crafted for the royalty dinners. It then moves into the Sisi museum which tells of Empress Elisabeth, who travelled a lot and was murdered in Geneva. She was also the Queen of Hungary and her coronation dress was on display. It ended with the imperial apartments where they lived. The audio guides where very informative and you typed in the number for what you are looking at.

Schonbrunn Palace

Gloriette

The Hofburg

St Stephan Domkirche (cathedral) stands on the ruins of 2 other Churches. It has a unique multi-coloured tile roof.

Pulpit stairs

The tiled roof

We visited the Liberation Monument, erected by the Russians during their occupation after WW2.

We took the metro to the river Danube and walked to the metro on the island in its centre. It was a bit overcast, but there was a nice view and lots of big boats moored up.

The hotel we stayed in near Strudelhof Palais had a roof terrace with a brilliant view of the city. Next door are the art nouveau steps leading up to the palace. It was a rather steep staircase and overlooked the Liechtenstein Palace and grounds just down the road.

Liechtenstein Palace

Art Nouveau Stairs

The Prater Ferris-wheel is something I certainly recommend. It cost 10 euros for a 10-15 minute circuit. We went at twilight and the wheel gives great views of Vienna, with the advantage of a display of what you can see. It also had the best souvenir shop of all those I had seen whilst in Vienna.

We visited a lot of Christmas markets, all of which had their own mugs. For a deposit you get your drink in a mug, then either return it and get the deposit back, or keep the cup. My favourite mug was from the market in Maria-Theresia Square. However, the market at the Rathaus was the best of them all. It was the biggest market and the Christmas lights were amazing with the town hall lit as its backdrop.

Rathaus Market

The food in Vienna was also really good and the cakes were just so worth it. Torte, Schnitzel and soo much cake.

#Christmas@Kew 2018

This is solely a photo blog after I went to see the Christmas Lights in Kew Garden in London. It took us just over 2 hours to walk round the mile route, but look at all the shiny lights we saw. I brought an off peak ticket, which saved me a fortune, all by going on a Thursday. If you want to drive, parking costs an extra £7 and sells out fast.

Enjoy.....

City of London - Open House 2018

Every year for one weekend buildings across London open their doors to the public. The majority of these are places that don't usually have public access. As you will see from the photos it was a rainy weekend.

The City of London is only 1 mile square. Some of the buildings needed to be pre-booked or used a ballot system in order for entry. There are a lot of other free places to visit across the whole of London. You can either find out more online or get a book from the library. The information usually comes out in August for open house weekend in September.

We visited 3 different Churches within the city. One of them being St Stephen Walbrook. This church is the place were the Samaritans was founded and was build by Christopher Wren as a protype for St Paul's Cathedral. It's altar was made by Henry Moore in 1972 and is a large central stone  (8ft wide) commissioned by Lord Palumbo. The surrounding kneelers were made by Patrick Heron, an abstract artist, in 1993

St Stephen Walbrook

We managed to get onto a pre-booked tour at the Leadenhall building around the architect's offices on the 14th floor. The building leans back from the street as there is a protected view of St Paul's Cathedral from Fleet Street. The lift lobbies at the back of the building were put in last and mean that the whole floor space is available for use. Unused lift lobbies are home to the toilets. 

The view from the 42nd floor of the Leadenhall Building, at 198m high were very good. Had it not been raining the view would have been amazing. It overlooks a number of landmarks, including Tower Bridge, the Shard, St Paul's cathedral and the Thames.

View of London from Landing 42

The Gherkin

More of London from Landing 42

We visited Customs House alongside the Thames. There were a number of presentations and stands giving information. The Long Room is home to a large open plan room and neighbours the robing room, where originally the judges would get dressed into their finery. From the quayside you get a great view of Tower Bridge and HMS Belfast.

View from Customs House quay

Finally we visited Billingsgate Roman Baths. They are very well preserved as they have been protected since the 1800's when they were first discovered. It was built at the centre of another building. It clearly shows the 3 different sections of the Roman Baths - the cold, warm and hot rooms, along with the fire to keep the hot room hot.

Billingsgate Roman Baths