#146 Bruges, Belgium

My experience of Bruges (also known as Brugge) was absolutely magical. I had seen the movie. I had read it was nice. But I really only decided to go because I found incredibly cheap flights to Brussels and Bruges was a short train ride away.

Bruges was like a fairy tale, with incredibly old winding streets and picturesque old buildings. I only spent about 24 hours in this wonderful place, and while it was more than enough to see all the main sights, I could easily have spent a few more days just relaxing and soaking up the atmosphere. It is one of the few places that I would highly recommend to visit, and in fact I look forward to returning again.

Transport and Accommodation

I got to Bruges via train from Brussels which took just over one hour. Since I am under 26 years old I qualified for a Go pass, which means I can travel anywhere in Belgium for only €6.40, which is fantastic value! I was also surprised to find out that there are a few hostels in Bruges, and they were similar in price to what I found in Brussels too. I stayed at Hostel Lybeer which was very close to both the train station and the historic centre and although it was quite nice, however I would be open to staying somewhere else if I were to return.

If you haven't, you should try watch the film In Bruges before you go. I'd seen it a few years ago but I actually didn't have the time to watch it before I went so I'm rusty on the details. I'm probably a little prejudiced since it's an Irish film, it's a black comedy and a little bleak at times, but a really well made film and it does show you quite a few sights around Bruges as well. It was on Netflix however I think it may have been removed from the lineup.

Weather

As I visited in May, the weather was gorgeous - getting to around 29 degrees Celsius (which for my Irish skin was a bit much). Apparently I was lucky with the weather as I was told Belgium is quite a rainy country, and in fact it rained on my second day there, however I had already seen all the sights and was getting ready to leave anyway. Since the aesthetic of Bruges is all outdoors, I do think wet weather would put a damper on it, but these are risks you take!


I arrived on an early train from Brussels, left my baggage at the hostel and started my day with a free walking tour by Legends of Bruges. It was a 2 hour tour and was a good introduction to Bruges and took us around all the main sights, as well as giving a brief history of the town. I really enjoyed it, and think it may have been one of the better free walking tours I had been on. Following on from the tour I walked around the sights again and took my time, especially with photos etc.

The best way to get around Bruges is walking, it's a short walk from the train station and the town itself is very small to get around. There's also horse and carriage rides, and of course boat rides as well. The boat ride tour itself is very good value, €8 for about 30mins, and they run every few minutes. I found it very enjoyable, however they really fill the boats so it was a little cramped in terms of legroom.

While Bruges does offer surprising more value for money than expected in terms of accommodation and sightseeing, I feel the biggest barrier is eating out. I found it difficult to find or decide on a restaurant that would offer value, so I settled for buying my own breakfast and lunch in the supermarkets. There is a McDonalds, however I am glad to say I didn't need to visit!

Food

One of the many things Belgium is famous for is chocolate - and there are plenty of places in Bruges to buy some. My preference would probably be The Chocolate Line by Dominque Persoon, as you can try chocolates with strange flavours there, such as wasabi and bacon. In terms of Belgian waffles, I admitted in a previous post I'm not a huge fan, but there are a few different places you can get them, I went to Chez Albert based on reviews but I didn't think it was anything special in comparison to other places.

#145 Brussels, Belgium

I spent a lovely 24 hours in Brussels, which I found was more than enough time to see all the main sights in the city. 

I started the day with a free walking tour, which took me around all the sights and gave me a brief history of the city. Although I didn't particularly like the tour guide I still enjoyed the tour and being brought around the city, and would recommend it as a good way to see the all the sights if you only have a short time. 

 
Belgian WafflesBelgian Beer 
Transport 
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After the tour I had lunch, then revisited some of the main areas again so I could get more photos and soak in the atmosphere a bit more. Of course the main attractions are the Grand Place (the big colourful square) and the Mannequin Pis (the tiny statue of the boy peeing), both within a moments walking distance of each other. 

The most popular places for lunch would be the many places that sell French fries, of course the fries being a Belgian invention that was introduced to Americans by some French speaking Belgians (hence the confusion of the name, although in Ireland we just call them chips).  

Weather

Being mid-May the weather was glorious and got as hot as 27 degrees, although I had heard that it usually rains a lot in Belgium and had rained for a few days before my visit. To beat the heat I treated myself to a visit to one of the many gelato places in the city centre, they all seemed to have similar prices and flavours. 

Belgian Waffles

As for the waffles - I have a confession. I didn't really like them!! I absolutely love sweet things and had been drooling over photos of Belgian waffles on Instagram in the days before my trip. However I had two - one was plain and I thought it a bit stale tasting, and the other was covered in strawberries and cream from an eatery in Bruges (which is apparently the best), and while it was definitely fresh I still found it very heavy and a bit chewy, not what I was expecting. My sister has a waffle maker in her house and I much prefer the light and fluffy ones we make, sorry Belgium! 

After a return to my hostel for a shower I headed out again to the Parlementarium, the interactive exhibit about the European Union, which is of course based in Brussels. They provide free audio guide devices with little screens which you can use to interact with the many exhibits. I was tired and honestly skipped through a lot of it but it's a modern and interesting facility nonetheless and would be a good place to visit while the weather is very hot in the afternoon. 

Belgian Beer and Belgian Chocolate

Of course Belgium is also very famous for its beers and there are many bars and restaurants with plenty of space to sit and relax outside, a cold beer in hand. One of the most famous bars in Brussels is Delirium Village, a complex of about four or five different bars ranging from tequila bars to beer, based on the famous Delirium beer, a very strong beer with a pink elephant logo.

There are also many chocolate shops, however you will find that many are for example Leonidas or Godiva and are the same as you can get in these chain stores in your home country, or are tourist traps selling very poor quality chocolate in boxes from China that say "Belgium" on them. It can be difficult to try find a genuine chocolate shop!

Transport

In terms of transport, most of the main sights are within walking distance of each other, but there is a metro, bus and train available. During my visit to Belgium I also went to Bruges, which is just over one hour away by train, so very closeby. You can also get trains to countries like the Netherlands, Luxembourg and France.

#144 On Travelling During The Summer

So we're at the end of April now, and summer is steadfast approaching! I'm sure a lot of you have already planned your summer holidays away.

Summer holiday. Eponymous. Renowned. A standard part of life for many people. Yet a summer holiday is something I admittedly don't really understand. Why travel during the summer? The reasons I can think of would be that either a) you have kids in school, b) you're still in education yourself, c) you work in education, or d) you like really hot weather.

Sandhamm, a popular holiday island in Sweden

So basically it mostly revolves around school. If you're not a teacher and you don't have child in school, I have no idea why you would actually ever want to travel during the summer season. I personally hate summer travel, I did it last year in Asia as I was unfortunately in the above mentioned grouping of being a teacher, and I would have much preferred to have done it any other time of year. Why do I hate it so? Summer travel is a) crazy expensive, b) overcrowded, c) tons of unsupervised children running riot and d) just too damn hot.



Irish people don't get a lot of warm weather, so most of them like to holiday in Spain or somewhere with a warmer climate. However, a lot of places are quite warm all year, and by going in the summer the Irish subject themselves to weather that is uncomfortably hot (although they will deny it) and earn dodgy tans and wince-worthy sunburns that they will wear back home like badges of honor.


I don't like hot weather. I don't like annoying children. I don't like being ripped off. I do not like summer holidays. Next month I will make a short mid-week trip to Belgium, and then I will remain static until around October, when the weather cools off, the prices dip, and the crowds are few and far between. Bliss.

Sunset on an island in the Stockholm archipelago

#143 Edinburgh, Scotland

Since I’m from Ireland, visiting Scotland didn’t seem particularly exotic or exciting for me because it’s so close both geographically and culturally. However, for my sister’s birthday this year we decided to finally visit the capital, Edinburgh, and cross it off the to-do list. The fact that flights were really cheap also helped make up our minds, and honestly we had an absolute blast. We really, really enjoyed our time in the city and would recommend it as a great place for a city or weekend break. 

Flights and transport

Writers Museum

When we arrived at our hostel early in the morning she guessed we were either from the Dublin flight or the overnight bus from London, so now we know coming from London that the bus is an option. You can also get trains and flights but these are likely to be far more expensive.

Edinburgh International Airport is really close to the city and connections are cheap, you can get either the tram or bus – we opted for the route 100 airlink bus which cost only £7.50 return and took about 30mins each way. The bus had a few stops along the way (including Edinburgh Zoo) and we got off at the final stop at Waverly station, from where we could easily walk to our hostel in the Old Town. I had looked up tickets for the tram and buses should the weather be very bad to walk around, but actually all the main sights in Edinburgh are very close together and since the weather was clear (although very windy) we easily just walked everywhere.

Sightseeing and things to-do

It's worth mentioning first of all that most of the attractions in Edinburgh are quite expensive, so unless you have a large budget you should plan in advance and try and pick and choose what to see and what to leave out. We had considered getting a free walking tour, and actually while eating breakfast we happened to notice a crowd forming for one right outside the restaurant so we went out and joined it. Sandemanns do lots of walking tours around Europe and this Edinburgh one was enjoyable, although there are also different groups and types of tours available too. It was a good way to see the city and get your bearings, so I would recommend doing it the day you arrive as it will give you ideas on where to go back and visit again yourself. 

National Museum

We were never given a map which is probably a first on my travels, but I had downloaded an offline Google map of the city on my phone and since the city's quite small anyway we didn't really need one. Obviously the main attraction is the Castle, but since our hostel overlooked it and we're really cheap we actually just took pictures outside...we never paid to go in. This sounds like a sin, but honestly we just weren't up to paying to go inside as we were fairly certain we didn't have an interest, and we're fine about that choice. The attraction we enjoyed most was the National Museum Of Scotland, it was free, absolutely huge and had great exhibits including ones on Scotland but also lots of interactive ones with natural history and science.

Greyfriar's Bobby

Some of the sight-seeing areas include Greyfriars Kirk graveyard, the statue of Bobby the dog, the Elephant House cafe (where JK Rowling wrote Harry Potter), Calton Hill (good views of the city and also the Greek monument), Arthurs Seat (views) and Prince's Street (shopping). We didn't climb up to Arthurs Seat, this was for a variety of reasons like we didn't have any appropriate clothes and we really weren't sure how difficult it would be as reviews were mixed between it was easy and quite tough, so in the end we decided not to risk it just in case. 

The other main attractions are the Edinburgh Dungeons and Real Mary Kings Close. I've done the London and Amsterdam Dunegon's and I find them good fun although I appreciate they wouldn't be for everyone. This time I  had read lots of positive for Real Mary Kings close, so we said we would spend our hard earned cash going to this. This was a big mistake, we absolutely hated it. We found it incredibly overpriced for what was offered - namely empty rooms, and I genuinely can't see how it's so busy and how it's so popular as it was by far the worst attraction I've every visited on any of my travels around the world, so please avoid it and spend your money elsewhere. Many people also visit the city just for the Zoo to see rare Giant Pandas, but I've already seen them in China itself so I didn't need to see them here too. 

Food and Drink

Elephant House café

We have probably never eaten so well as we did on this trip. The fact that obviously everything was in English and we were familiar with the food and menus also made it easier for us to pick and choose wisely. I had looked up some places on TripAdvisor and also looked for deals on Groupon – opting for a cocktails and nachos deal in a bar. 

There are absolutely tons of places for afternoon tea in Edinburgh, and although it’s primarily an English thing you’re still in the UK so with the variety it’s a good time to try. The best and most expensive would be in the famous Balmoral Hotel, this was out of our price range but as it was my sisters birthday we still opted for a relatively expensive set at the Fourth Floor Bar in Harvey Nicholls. While I enjoyed it I would probably try somewhere else in the future, especially somewhere a little cheaper too.

We didn’t go out of our way to try any haggis but we did end up trying a little as part of our large cooked breakfast (sausages, pudding, eggs, bacon etc) at the City Café which was very enjoyable, it was like an American diner and looked like a cool spot to go out at night too. On another morning we had porridge and gourmet tea at Eteaket which was a quaint café and a must for any tea lovers as they had a great selection.

For dinner our highlight was Cosmo, which I believe is a buffet chain around the UK. The foods were delicious and there was a great selection including desserts (which are usually a let-down at most buffets). Would absolutely recommend this as a great place to really load up for the day (we skipped lunch so we were really hungry by the time it opened at 5.30). It can get very busy on weekends and even on a Tuesday at 6pm it was crowded so go early if possible.

Another Scottish thing is deep fried Mars bars, which is basically a chocolate bar dipped in batter and fried. We found one at Grassmarket for £2.50 which was definitely overpriced as the bars cost them less than a pound, so shop around and pop into any chipper (fast food restaurant) and you should be able to find one. 

#142 Amsterdam, Netherlands

I enjoyed my time in Amsterdam. I wasn't sure what to think before I went, but I found it made a for a really good relaxed city break, and if you're careful it can be a cheap trip too!

Transport

Bikes and canals

Everyone says the best way to get around Amsterdam is of course by bike, but we opted to walk around, and it really didn't take that long to get from A to B, so if you want to save a little money or you're not a keen cyclist than just walk! There are of course trams and buses but as the city isn't that big and the sights all quite central we didn't need to use these. We became very lazy and didn't partake in a walking tour as we had planned which I do regret as I imagine it would have been good, however we did splash out (literally) on a canal boat cruise and it was honestly quite nice just to sit back and relax and be taken around instead of walking, although due to the price it's not something I would usually do.

Sightseeing

I think one of the most important attractions is the Anne Frank House, which houses the attic where Anne and her family hid during WWII, and from where she wrote her famous diary. It is obviously very popular and gets very busy so it's best to book in advance through the website and get an allotted time slot at which to go. I found it very poignant but also a little disappointing...the rooms were all empty but some did have photographs of recreations of what they would have looked like. Apparently this was at the wishes of her father who didn't want them to furnish the rooms so I feel bad criticizing it, it's just not quite what I had expected when I had planned to visit.

Clogs

Some of the other main highlights include the Van Gogh museum and a few other art museums, but I have absolutely no, and I really mean no, interest in art so there was no way I was shelling out for the expensive entry fee. The Heineken Experience is also quite a popular tourist attraction and my sister went another time and said it was good, however my friends weren't interested in going and I was happy saving my money anyway so we didn't visit. We did the Amsterdam Dungeons which was good fun, but I realise that it is quite a cheesy attraction and not for everyone's taste. It's worth noting it's a little cheaper to book this online.

Red Light District

Of course we all know what are the most famous attractions in Amsterdam....drugs and hookers. We were an all-female group so there was no chance we were going to partake in an hour with a lovely woman, but we did have good fun walking around the Red Light District and I will admit that the vast majority of the women in the windows were gorgeous so I can see the temptation. I'm going to say I am too cool to do drugs of any kind so I didn't visit any of the special weed cafés, but my other friends visited before and said the "moon cakes" and "space brownies" tasted disgusting and had a very gritty, sandy texture. There is a definite smell of the wacky tabaccy when you're walking around the streets so if you really don't like it then obviously Amsterdam is not a good place to visit for you.


As for more cultural things, there are tons of little towns and villages close to Amsterdam which are easily accessible by train. We visited Zaanse Schans which is famous for it's windmills. It was a short trip on the train and the ticket was very cheap. Although the weather was a bit on the cold and damp side when we visited, the area was very pretty with lots of little tourist shops and cafés. There is also a cocoa factory there so when you get off the train there is a sweet chocolate-y smell in the air which is very unusual!

A windmill at Zaanse Schans

Shopping

Cheese

Of course the Netherlands is very famous for clogs so you'll find lots of these everywhere, but you'll also find lots of cheese shops and flowers as well, especially tulips. We visited the flower market but it was a bit of a let down, just lots of stalls with primarily seeds, but perhaps this is because we visited in November and it was out of season. My friends took home some cheese, but I just opted to pop into every cheese shop around and stuff my face with the delicious testers.
Also just in case: don't be a fool and try take any weed home with you ;)

#140 Cheap Japanese Souvenirs 2016!

I wrote a short post about this all the way back in October 2012, but since it's now one of my most popular posts on this blog I've decided to write an update here.

Daiso in Harajuku

So, having lived in Japan twice, I can now confirm the absolute best and cheapest place to look for souvenirs is at the Japanese dollar store equivalents - the most popular being Daiso, but there are tons of other chains and smaller stores that can offer other great products too (such as Watts and Seria).

All 100yen store prices are set at 108yen (including tax), with a very small selection of products 216yen or more (but they will be very clearly labelled as such, and the cashier will remind you when you checkout too so there's no surprises).

Maneki Neko (lucky cat)

Some of the great things you can buy here includes chopsticks, lucky cat statues, keyrings, Japanese fans, flags and head ties, green tea sweets, Japanese stickers, Japanese socks, fancy Japanese paper, traditional Japanese games etc. I've gotten so used to some common Japanese household objects that I don't even see them as special anymore so it surprised me when my sister visited and picked out some Japanese household items we don't have in Ireland to take home with her, so I'm sure you'll find something weird too! Some stores have more souvenir type goods and the best place in Tokyo for these is in Daiso in Harajuku, but all stores around the country will have something you can find to take home with you.

Japan is probably the most expensive country in Asia, and pretty far up the list in the world too, so buying souvenirs can really empty your pockets here if you're not careful. Therefore, the worst places you can shop is at any of the main tourist areas - sure they look great and they're better quality, but you will be paying up to ten times the price for similar items. Some of the worst tourist shopping areas in Tokyo are at Akihabara (the electric town) and the narrow street approaching Asakusa Sensoji Temple (the one with the giant lantern). I would say you should shop around at the 100 yen stores first, and if there's an item you absolutely must-have or need then splash out on that item there.

Obviously you are limited with 100 yen stores as you're not going to find a katana sword or kimono clothing or something more spectacular - but then my next piece of advice is to find a recycle store (second hand shop). These places will only take high quality goods so you can be sure of getting something decent, but then it may not be as cheap as some charity/second hand stores you're used to in your country. Another good place to look would be at flea markets, we accidentally found a very good one in Osaka at Shittenoji Temple and got some very cheap kimono (a little old and a little stained but this didn't bother us) but this is unfortunately only held about once a month so you would need to check the dates before you plan your trip.

Green tea Oero

Japanese paper

Japanese masks and flags

Japanese stickers

Japanese traditional games

Special goods for Rio Olympics

#130 No More Sleeper Trains From KL-SG/SG-KL

As of 19^th May 2016, the timetables have changed and getting the train from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore (or vice-versa) is no longer a viable option.

Unlucky for me, the change was made one day after I finally booked my flights, one arriving into KL and one leaving from SG, which means I need to find another way to get from KL-SG.

You can find more info about the updated timetable here on Seat61: http://www.seat61.com/Malaysia.htm#Train_times

“There are no more overnight sleeping-cars on the Malaysian north-south route. You now need to change at Gemas when travelling from Johor Bahru [Singapore] to KL.”

The new schedule means the train now leaves Kuala Lumpur at 1.22am, and you must get off and switch trains at somewhere called Gemas. You arrive into Gemas at 3.40am but you won’t leave until 4.10am. You’ll arrive into Johur Bahru [Singapore] at 8.10am.

While not impossible to do, the very late departure time and changes in the middle of the night now makes this route a no-go for most people, including me. If you’re still interested, the total trip costs around 52rm (11eur).

The Bus

Since you couldn’t book the sleeper train until one month before departure, I had previously decided to also look up alternative options should I be unable to book online in advance, or the train be fully booked. I could always get a flight, but that would waste time and be more expensive. Thankfully, there’s a bus.

The bus from KL to SG takes around 5 hours (estimates range from 4.5-5.5hrs depending on traffic) and costs range from 30-45sgd (20-29eur), but the average is 37sgd (24eur). Just like with the train, it is more expensive to go from SG to KL, so keep that in mind. It appears you can book the bus much further in advance, at least 3 months, and I have read that they work with foreign credit cards.

Most of the buses appear to be luxurious. There are large, individual, reclining seats with lots of legroom, built-in massage functions, entertainment system and charging point. It is similar to first or business class on an airplane, and totally different from your average bus in most countries! They also provide water, hot drinks and a meal during the journey, and make rest stops for the bathroom along the way.

The first buses leave KL at 7am (arriving around midday) and cost 37sgd (24eur), and the last bus leaves 11.30pm. Since the journey is only around 5 hours, it would mean arriving into SG around 5am, which unless you’re heading straight to the airport I obviously wouldn’t recommend.

The buses from KL usually leave at Berjaya Times Square (a central hub of the city and near many hostels and hotels) and arrive into SG at Golden Mile Complex, a mall which is a 5min walk from Nicholls Highway MRT station so convenient for transfers.

The bus ticketing sites I found are busonlineticket.com  and easybook.com. I have yet to use these sites so I cannot verify their trustworthiness, but easybook seems to be…well…easy to use, but busonlineticket is quite similar, and the times/prices are all the same. You can also book direct from the company, so it might be a better idea to use the aforementioned sites to find the bus you want, and then book it directly from the company.

I have read many reviews online about Transtar Soliataire bus service, and that is also the one that leaves first at 7am, so I will likely get that one. However, I have also read some reviews that said the bus was an hour late. This would be very unfortunate, as I had first planned to take the train and arrive in SG at 9am, and now it will be around 12pm earliest. I have seen mentions of Aeroline, but when I look at the bus options on the ticketing sites it is not one of them, so perhaps it only works SG-KL direction.

While at first I was obviously annoyed my best laid plans have come apart, and that I’ll now have to spend more money on an extra night in a hostel and a more expensive bus ticket, and also that I will be arriving into SG a few hours later than expected, it’s not all bad.

The bus looks like a fun experience, and by Western standards the ticket is very cheap. It’s also easier than trying to figure out the Johur Bahru-Woodlands shuttle, and the new collection and drop-off points are very close to both my hostels in KL and SG.

Basically, I’m just glad I noticed the timetable change now and can figure out the bus and book another night at my hostel. I’m just worried for people who were expecting to get on the sleeper train soon and have not been made aware of the changes.

UPDATE: I took the Transtar bus from KL to SG last week. It was a good bus and good service, the only downside was it took the full 7 hours - we left 7am and arrived 2pm.

#108 AirBnB in Japan

I recently went on a trip to Kyoto and Osaka. It was a Japanese public holiday, and everything booked up quite quickly. With no hostels available, or hotels in our price range, we ventured onto AirBnB.

If you don't know, it's basically an app where you can stay at a persons house. It's usually much cheaper than a hotel or even a hostel, especially if you have a group of 4 or 6. You even can find some unique places, but it all depends on the situation.

So I had downloaded the app and browsed through it before. Cheap prices and quirky locations sounded very tempting. But the thought of actually turning up to a strangers house, and just hoping for the best that it was like the photos, sounded a little scary. However, with no other options available, it was time to take a chance!

I was honestly very nervous about the whole thing (the added language barrier didn't help), and as I had suggested it, if it were to go horribly wrong I would have other people to answer to. The good news is, it was a great success! With a group of 6 of us, it was much cheaper than if we had gone to a hostel, and we had the places to ourselves. Both places were perfectly clean, and I had no complaints (and I do like to complain!).

My biggest recommendation for using AirBnB is to book somewhere which already has a lot of reviews. This is probably the best way for you to decide if the place is actually as listed and therefore a good choice. (I actually accidentally booked a place with no reviews, which really worried me as it is definitely not something I would purposely do, and although it was fine it really isn't worth the risk!)

You pay through the website so if anything does go wrong you can get a refund - it's just the being temporarily homeless thing would be the issue....

Some of the downsides; it was a hassle to be there at the allotted times to be shown around/given the key. We (as a group) had all agreed on times - but when it came down to it we were an hour early for the first place and had to wait outside, and the second place I had to check in by myself because everyone else went for dinner. Not ideal. The freedom of a hotel or hostel is much more advantageous, but I'm sure with some places they leave the key for you under a mat or in the postbox.

As we were a relatively big group having only one key was a bit tricky, we were trying to guess who would be home first, or if we should leave the door open if someone was coming home late and we wanted to sleep. Maybe some places have more than one key though..

Also, don't expect for everything to be exactly as listed. I was so relieved that it wasn't a scam and the houses were in good condition that I didn't care about anything else, but other members of the group were concerned about the wifi information or the "hot tub" they had listed (presumably a bath?). Although if they list it it should be there, it's not a hotel and you're not paying hotel prices. If it's a nice place for a good nights sleep, try not to stress over minor details.

Overall, I would like to stress that point. It's not a hotel, and you're (probably) paying far less than the hotel going rate. So you can't expect hotel service and hotel quality, and to do so would be foolish. If you want hotel quality, book a hotel. But if you want to take a chance, keep an open mind and try something new, then this is a good option for you.


Would I use it again? Honestly, not unless I had to. Although my experience this time was overwhelmingly good, I feel like the casual nature of it will always make me apprehensive, and the fear that if something goes wrong then I'm on the street or paying high rates for a last minute hotel is just too great.
But if everywhere else is booked up, or the prices are looking a little high, I'd definitely venture back on and see what I can find.

#101 London

LONDON!! So just before Christmas I went on a trip to London, and I have only just got around to telling you about it. Sorry!

I went from Ireland and got the bus/boat over - it was cheap and it was good. The ferry was delayed by about 2 hours on the way over (bad weather), but I had two seats to myself on the bus (each way!) and we made regular stops at petrol stations so you could take a smoke break, pee, stretch your legs, grab a coffee etc. For the €53 it cost I can't fault it and would definitely recommend it! (Read more about it here; travelbanter.blogspot.ie/yes-it-is-cheaper-than-flying).

It wasn't my first time in London, but it was the first time as an adult so I could decide what I wanted to do! As you know I had a small budget, and I'm not fond of paying for things, so all of what I did was free! This included Camden markets, Big Ben and Houses of Parliament, Trafalgar Square, Tower of London and Tower bridge, British Museum, Harrods, Baker St, Buckingham Palace, Oxford St, Victoria and Albert Museum, looking at Christmas lights etc etc.

In fact, once you get your transport sorted (some form of Oyster card - it's not cheap but it's 100% necessary!) you can actually visit many of the major famous places in London for free. If you're thinking of going inside somewhere, check review sites ahead of your visit, as some of them will give you a good indication if it's overpriced and mediocre.

It being Christmas we also went to Winter Wonderland at Hyde Park. And it was wonderful! It was absolutely packed full of people, craft stalls, food stalls and amusement park rides. It really was a winter wonderland, and entry was free which was the best part!

I was lucky with the weather, and the day we decided to do the outdoors sightseeing (Big Ben etc) it was blue skies! I don't think you need a bus tour or to pay in to most things - you can pretty much find all you want to do quite easily once you work out the tube!

 

I cannot remember where this was!

 

British Museum (free!)

Harrods at Christmas

Festive ice skating 

Trafalgar Square

Big Ben

London Eye

Oxford St

Hyde Park Winter Wonderland

#98 London on the horizon

I'm going to London in a few weeks. I've been to London before, it was 5 years ago on my 18th birthday, and my older sister and I went for a weekend. We did the London Eye and the London Dungeons and we got one of those bus tours around everywhere else. It was the end of November and the Christmas lights were all up which was a nice touch.

Christmas!

So I've already been. But then I was only 18 and I was chaperoned by my older sister. This time I'm old and hardened and well travelled and I'll be with a friend (who I haven't seen for nearly 2 years, so you know it's gonna go down!).

London is horribly expensive, but then I've seen the major sites and I'll be with a friend who also happens to have a spare bed in her room which is wonderfully convenient!

Thankfully I'm a native English speaker and occasional viewer of Eastenders so there will be no language barrier to contend with on this occasion, and I think my biggest worry will be the currency. The pound-euro rate has more ups and downs than a rollercoaster, so even though I'm not going for a few weeks I've started eyeing up the exchange rates in order to try and get the best value.

The transport around London is pretty expensive, I'll probably be getting a £30 Oyster card, and travel within zones 1 and 2 (basically central London) has a max daily charge of £7. So (avoiding peak times!) it should be £28 over 4 days. Peak times are 6.30 am to 9.30am (easy enough to avoid I think) but again also from 4pm to 7pm, which is slightly more difficult to avoid, but by (Prince) George I'll try my best!

Not this kind of oyster though

#97 Budapest, Hungary

Budapest. Cheap, wonderful, exciting! I was really impressed with Budapest (ha, it rhymed!). The Hungarian capital inhabitants weren't the most polite or helpful, and the language is completely unintelligible, but if you get past these minor details it's a wonderful city.

The most famous sight is the Parliament building, located on the banks of the Danube river. You can get a great view of here from Castle Hill and Gellert Hill.

Parliament (view from Castle Hill)

Castle Hill is just absolutely fabulous! It is home to Fisherman's Bastion, a fairytale-esque wall, the colourful Matthias Church, and of course Buda Castle (Fun Fact: the Katy Perry video for 'Firework' was filmed there!). It also has some winding streets with cute cafes and shops. It has a magical atmosphere (even with the hundreds of bus tours and groups) and was a real treat. 
To get there take the 16 or 16A bus from the sloping hill opposite Szell Kalman tér station, it leaves regularly and only takes about 5 minutes. I took the bus, but despite what you hear on the internet I don't think it would be a struggle to walk it.

Fisherman's Bastion

Gellert Hill is less impressive and much smaller in comparison to Castle Hill, but is nice all the same. The main focus is a large 'Lady Liberty' type statue, and it still offers wonderful views of the city. It's not as easy to access, you need to walk up quite a few steps in a park type area to get to the top. It's lined with benches and I found it quite a nice walk, but I noticed some less-fit and elderly were struggling a little towards the top. Some bus tours drive you very close to the top, you only need to walk a short way uphill, no steps or anything involved, and I would reckon is suitable for absolutely everyone.

Gellert Hill

Other sights include the Shoes on the Promenade memorial, which is located very close to the Parliament building. Then there are the baths which are purported to be a 'must-do', but the thoughts of hanging out in our swimwear surrounded by other tourists didn't really appeal to us so we gave it a miss. There was plenty for us to do in the 2 days we spent there without wasting time going for a swim.

For nightlife, your only option is one of the ruin bars. Basically they're all just very hip and indie bars with oddball décor and layouts, with cheap alcohol. We popped into one before dinner and since it was early it was quiet, but it gave us a chance to look around and it did look pretty cool.

There are many cruises along the Danube available, but it would be useful to perhaps book in advance (especially on weekends) as there are hundreds of bus tours who take up quite a lot of space! (Alternatively if you are there for a few days, perhaps go to the office the day before and buy your ticket for the next day). We took a night time cruise, and it was lovely to see the Parliament building and Castle Hill lit up, since we had already seen both during the day.

The currency there is the Hungarian Forint, and 300 forint is about €1. Prices are cheap - a 72 hour travel card is about €13.

We got the train in from Bratislava, but Ryanair fly there too. The train is cheap, so I would recommend a trip to a neighbouring country since you're in the 'hood (Slovakia or Austria are probably the closest).

Panorama

Parliament by night

Budapest and the Danube from Gellert Hill

Parliament

Shoes on the Promenade memorial

Instant - ruin bar