I’ve had A LOT of fun embarking on cheap travels for the last two years but what’s next for this channel? Will my cheap travels continue?
Well, I sure hope so. But to keep on going, I’d love your help to spread the word of this channel! And if you’re not subscribed already, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR PAL?!
In return, I promise to upload more. Let’s give this a proper bash, eh?
Visiting Poland can be super cheap but what about its capital, Warsaw? Well, we decided to try our best to wine, dine and get cultured with a budget of just £100 each.
Could this be the most affordable European city break EVERRRR??!!
Important to note that we didn’t change our normal holidaying habits to keep this under budget because we wanted to show just how much it would cost to go, explore and enjoy a few treats.
I’ve just realised I never posted the link to my latest video!
What started out as a work trip to Istanbul and LA (I make radio docs for those of you who don’t know!) turned into an amazing getaway to Napa and Yosemite in California.
Now, with work paying for my flights, that was all taken care of but as for the day to day… Jeez. What happened to the days when the US was a cheap destination? It was PRICEY! Yet, we still managed to find a way to do it for less…
I think you can’t get excited for Christmas until AT LEAST 25th November however, that doesn’t mean to say we can’t all be booking our Christmas Market getaways now…
All deals listed are:
And this time, I’m looking at departures from Manchester.
(You can check out my London deals here).
Sat 1st Dec – Mon 3rd Dec
Hamburg, Germany
Flight – £96pp
Airbnb – £71.50pp
Total cost – £167.50 per person
Sat 8th Dec – Mon 10th Dec
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Amsterdam – £80pp (there are a few cheaper options but I preferred the timings on this one)
Hotel – £78pp
Total cost – £158 per person
Also for the same dates is a cracking £27 flight to Belfast – their markets are also supposed to be top notch.
Sat 15th Dec – Mon 17th Dec
Basel, Switzerland
Flight – £64pp (or just £54pp if you left at 1810)
There are some really decently priced Airbnbs including this and this HOWEVER, in 2018, Basel introduced a nifty little incentive for tourists where if you book into a hotel, you get a free BaselCard which gives you free public transport and a load of discounts! Given how spendy the city is, I think that’s a good deal. The website says that it will be handed to you on check in, but apparently if your booking is marked ‘mobility ticket’ then you can even use it to get to your hotel. Madness. So make sure you email your hotel ahead of time to ask what’s what.
Hotel – £81 each
Total cost – £145 per person
Let me know if you end up booking any of these – or if you find your own deals of your own! I STILL haven’t booked a getaway for myself… There are just TOO MANY OPTIONS!
#ad #BlackFriday #Expedia
The wonderful thing about being obsessed about finding travel deals is that when a brand you know and love gets in touch and says things such as ‘we’re offering up to 75% off hotels for Black Friday, does that interest you?’ it’s the easiest decision in the world.
So here is a post brought to you by yours truly – and Expedia.
Here’s the deal. On Friday 23rd November at 9am, they’ll be releasing a hotel coupon from here that could see you saving up to 75% off (fan me down, lads).
This can only be used on their app so make sure you’ve got it downloaded and ready to go at 9am before someone else (read: me) swipes a bargain from right underneath your nozzle.
As I’m also in the market for a hotel or two at the moment (when am I not?), I also got thinking about all the things that can help make Black Friday shopping an ease and not an effort. Starting with…
1. Mark your calendar
This year, Black Friday lands on Friday 23rd November however some brands may start to trickle out the deals a few days before and after.
2. Research
The best way to get a good deal is to prepare and have a think about where you’d like to go.
On my list at the moment is:
(so HOLLER AT ME if you see any deals for these come up)
So, what we all need to do before Black Friday is research those destinations a bit more:
Sure, you might find a proper cheap flight but if you find out you’re there for monsoon season and your £100 visa won’t even come back in time, you’ll be gutted.
3. Get ready
As you may need to pounce on a deal, it’s definitely worth asking yourself the following questions:
Check your holiday allowances and remember, if you haven’t booked Christmas off yet (and you’re on a standard UK full time contract), you’ll need 4 days to take off between 22nd Dec – 1st Jan.
If you’ve got some dates in mind, it’s worth putting some feelers out with whoever controls your holiday allowance. In the very least, check when you definitely couldn’t take time off to avoid disappointment.
Be it a mate or a date, get them on board now. That, or just embark on your own solo adventure which makes things a hell of a lot easier to organise!
Get all the travellers passport details ready to go!
This is really important because sales are EXCITING and before you know it, you’ve plonked £400 on your credit card that you can’t really afford. If you’re travelling with others, agree on your budget, and factor in a maximum price you’d go to if you find something proper lush.
Most sites will need you to put the full amount onto one card so if you’re going away with someone else, make sure you’ve got enough to cover the cost
4. Bookmark, follow and download
Now you’ve got an idea of where you’re going, it’s time to bookmark websites, follow social media accounts and download apps in preparation.
A good trick on Twitter is to create a list of airlines, hotel groups and comparison sites, which will compile all their social accounts in one place.
If I was being coy, this is where I’d slip in the old ‘oh, did you know Expedia are up to something fun too?’ trick but I feel like I’ve blown that already. So, all I’m gonna say, again, is UP TO 75% OFF ON THEIR APP! DOWNLOAD IT NOW!
5. Check that you’re actually getting a deal
Right, I’m off to limber up for Black Friday morning. Do come and join me on Instagram where I’ll be sharing what I discover!
Christmas may only be 6 weeks away but if you’re hoping to amp up your excitement with a festive weekend break, there’s still time to bag a bargain.
All deals listed are:
First up, we’re taking a look at deals from London. Make sure you check back throughout the week to also find deals from other areas on the UK!
(Prices last updated on Monday 12th November at 7:30am)
30th Nov – 2nd Dec
Warsaw, Poland
Flight – £73pp
Airbnb – £48pp
Total cost – £121 per person
Sat 1st Dec – Mon 3rd Dec
Toulouse, France
Flight – £21pp
Hotel – £81pp
Total cost – £102 per person
Fri 7th Dec – Sun 9th Dec
Bucharest, Romania
Flight – £94pp
Airbnb – £41pp
Total cost – £135 per person
Sat 8th Dec – Mon 10th Dec
Bremen, Germany
Flight – £34pp
Hotel – £95pp
Total cost – £129 per person
Fri 14th Dec – Sun 16th Dec
Copenhagen, Denmark
Flight – £67pp
Hotel – £97pp
Total cost – £164 per person
FINE I WENT OVER BUDGET ON THIS ONE – but it does have free breakfast so… Can you let it slide??!
If you want something fancier than a 2 star, you could also try this lush 4 star hotel for the same price but it is a little further out. However, Copenhagen public transport is very good.
FINAL OPTION: you could also fly to the Danish city of Aarhus on the same dates for a mere £35! The flight times are mint too and, having visited twice before, I can imagine Christmas on its cute, cobbled streets being proper magical.
Sat 15th Dec – Mon 17th Dec
Gothenburg, Sweden
Flight – £46pp
Hotel – £91pp
Total cost – £137 per person
If you do end up booking any of these deals – or finding an even better one of your own – then please, let me know!
As well as commenting below, you can also find me on Twitter and on Instagram.
London done – Manchester deals are next!
watch related videos:
James and I visited the Christmas markets in Timisoara, Romania last year and for a two night break for two adults with B&B accommodation, flights, airport transfers, a three-course meal, coffee, mulled wine and cake spent the grand total of… £92.10 each.
I AM NOT JOKING.
What’s even better than going on holiday and living like a local? Going on holiday and living like a LUXURY LOCAL!
Our apartment in Barcelona was stunning – and here’s exactly how you could stay here yourself for a whole lot less money than your average hotel.
ENTER STAGE LEFT: Love Home Swap!
This is the second time we’ve used Love Home Swap (remember that insane New York apartment with the Emmy Award? Yeah, that one was one of them too) so to say we’re impressed is a total understatement. I really love how not only the quality of homes on the site are proper BANGIN’, but also that there’s nice ‘community vibes’ – because no one’s there to make money out of you. Everyone’s just after the same thing – somewhere nice to stay.
In this video, I’ll break down how we found this particular apartment and how we used Love Home Swap’s clever ‘points swap’ feature to stay. We also go to our friends’ incredible Barcelona wedding, get a chronic hangover (standard) and properly explore the neighbourhood of Eixample.
I often get asked what I prefer when I go away – a hotel stay or a short term rental.
And whilst I love having a a full size fridge to store my 2 euro wine (what, that’s not the first thing you buy when you’re on holiday?!!), I’ve really started to appreciate a night or two at a super lush hotel.
That’s why when Booking.com asked if I fancied staying a night at the Sofitel London St James I had to enforce the ’10 min text back rule’ as to not scare them off by going ‘OF COURSE I BLOODY DO I’M OUTSIDE ALREADY CAN YOU LET ME IN PLZ BBZ’.
Being a mere 35 minutes from my usual place of residence, this was definitely more of a ‘staycation’ but a quick google summarised the hotel’s 5 star credentials (restaurant and bar – tick, spa – tick, Hermès toiletries – TICK) meaning that this mere jaunt across town warranted a full face of makeup, a coiffed bouffant and an IRONED TOP (huge feat).
On arrival, the doorman took our bags and I had around 3.7 seconds to come up with my new ‘I always frequent 5* hotels’ alias (Tamara, interior designer, wears jodhpurs on the weekend).
We were given a Luxury Room (the hierarchy of rooms goes Classic – Superior – Luxury – Premium Luxury) and all you need to know is that the bed was HEAVEN ON EARTH. James had to do a bit of a high jump backwards spring to get on and I thought I’d nearly lost him in the marshmallow folds at one point.
The next morning, we swanned down to breakfast and I was made up over the Veggie Fry Up (£14 – not too bad for a central London hotel) which someone had actually given some thought to. The sweet potato hash brown and overloaded avocado on toast were veggie brekkie EXCLUSIVE. Other breakfastaries (real word) take note.
Being INCREDIBLY CENTRAL (basically the Queen’s neighbours) and pretty plush, this hotel ain’t the cheapest. In fact, when I rang up reservations to ask what price their rooms start at, I unwittingly entered a volley of dead end questions and was told “unless you know the date, I can’t tell you a price”. Thanks love.
Booking.com, however, were a little more forthcoming and online it states that ‘prices for upcoming dates start at £331 per night’.
For someone who loves a good deal, that’s a lot of money (hell, I think I did three holidays for that last year) but more and more I’ve found myself planning getaways where I’m happy to stay somewhere less flash if it means that I can go all out for the last night or two.
So, what are my tips for staying somewhere glam AF without breaking the bank?
As always, let me know where you end up booking (or if you score any amazing 5* hotel deals) as I shall always endeavour to holiday vicariously through you all!
Booking.com gave me the room (THANX GUYZ!) and, having not written anything more than a YouTube bio in a while, I decided to blog about it. Therefore, here lie my honest thoughts, feelings and advice for you to enjoy your own luxury stay! 😄
The ‘deadliest airline in the world’ has got its act together in recent years but many are still reluctant to fly Aeroflot.
Yet at £258 for a return flight to Tokyo, we were willing to give it a go.
So, just how bad was it?
Everyone loves to talk about how expensive Japan is and so I thought it would be a great chance to flex my money saving muscles and rustle up an epic trip of:
First up, it’s all about the flight. AND WHAT A BARGAIN IT WAS!!!
how many holidays 