itinerary

RELAXING IN VIENNA: Pretty cakes and baroque architecture

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I was looking forward to this trip. For Easter in 2014 we went to Prague and had the best time, and I thought Vienna would be a nice follow up.

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I wasn’t really sure what to see, so I decided to do a free self-guided walking tour, which was great. Instead of doing it all in one go, we did it over two days, leaving lots of time for each place we visited.

DAY 1: City Centre

The tour starts at the Opera House, a great place to grasp the grandiose architecture which is so characteristic of Vienna. We didn’t do this, but there are lots of performances available there.

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Nearby is the lovely Burggarten (or Castle Park), great for a visit on a sunny day. We then reached the Albertina Museum, which seems to have a great collection (we ended up not going in).

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It was the perfect time for a little break, so we had the famous chocolate cake at Sacher Hotel. Yum!

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We then reached the Capuchin Imperial Crypt, where many members of the Hapsburg family are buried. It was a very interesting display.

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Walking around Karntner Strasse (the main pedestrian thoroughfare) we finally stopped at St Stephen’s Church, a very impressive gothic cathedral right in the centre of Vienna.

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Our final stop of the day was at Mozart’s Apartment which unfortunately was pretty boring!

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DAY 2: Around the Imperial Palace

Another great area to visit starts at Michaelerplatz, an impressive square which has preserved Roman ruins at its centre. This is where the famous Spanish Winter Riding School is located (I’m not massively into horses so I don’t really get the appeal, but it’s a nice building).

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Right behind it is the National Library, the Hofburg Imperial Palace and Hero’s Square. All this area is incredibly impressive, full of beautiful buildings and gardens. Everything is quite grandiose, so you can spend a lot of time contemplating and taking photos.

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SCHONBRUNN PALACE

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Another iconic Viennese highlight is Schonbrunn Palace, which is a Unesco Heritage site. This is an impressive baroque building, and the gardens outside are also very nice. The queues were incredibly long, so we decided to walk around the park and enjoy the sunshine instead!

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HOW TO DO IT:

Stay: We got this amazing flat though AirBnb which was just perfect. The place was very nice and ideally located right at the city centre.

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Eat: Food wasn’t particularly veggie-friendly, so it was a good idea to stay in a flat where we could cook. We found a couple of nice places through Happy Cow. Landia was good to taste local dishes, and Xu’s Cooking might not have been particularly local, but it had amazing veggie Chinese food and the service was perfect! There are also lots of cafes around, all with amazing cakes. We didn’t get in, but Demel had the prettiest selection of treats!

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Drink: Local beers are great and there are lots of nice bars around. It being spring, spritzers seemed to be the drink of choice in many places – perfect!

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Transportation: In the city centre, most things are within walking distance. There’s also a good metro network, and it’s often cheaper getting a day ticket instead of singles.

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A perfect break for early spring!

A WEEKEND IN EDINBURGH: Beautiful views and rainy days

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I have a good friend in Edinburgh, so I’ve been there a few times to visit. It’s a beautiful place and very close to London, so it’s perfect for a weekend trip.

Here are some good things to do in Edinburgh:

1. Wander around the Royal Mile

Edinburgh’s city centre is very pretty and it’s always bustling with life. A great place to walk around and explore. And the impressive Edinburgh Castle is right nearby and definitely worth a visit.

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2. Hit the bars

Edinburgh is great for pubs – there’s just too many to choose from! Sample a few to find your favourite!

3. Go to the beach

If the weather is good, it is a good idea to explore some of the Scottish coast nearby. We went for a walk in Aberdour, which is a quaint little town 30 minutes from Edinburgh.

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4. Visit a museum

Edinburgh has some great museums, and the National Museum of Scotland is one of the best. Besides the impressive permanent collection, the terrace on the 7th floor has great views over the city.

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HOW TO DO IT:

  • Go: There are lots of flights from London, but taking the train is also a good alternative – the journey takes about 4h40.
  • Stay: Staying close to the city centre is the best option as most of the sights are within walking distance.
  • When to go: The weather in Edinburgh can be positively dreadful in the winter, so avoid going between November and February. In August the Edinburgh Festival is on with lots of amazing art and comedy.

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DRINKING IN STYLE: 3 pubs to visit in Edinburgh

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Edinburgh is full of great pubs, and as it turns out I spend a lot of time in them every time I’m in the city. On my last visit I went to these three cool places:

1. THE GROSVENOR

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This pub is located about 15 minutes from the city centre, and although it’s still very close, it’s much less busy than pubs in central Edinburgh. A good option if you want to avoid the tourist crowds.

2. BOW BAR

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This traditional little bar is centrally located and had great atmosphere. Friendly staff and a great range of beers on tap – that’s all you need really!

3. CASTLE ARMS

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Located very close to Edinburgh Castle, this pub is a good option for a break while sightseeing. I didn’t try it, but the food looked delicious.

A SUNNY DAY IN SLOVAKIA: Day trip to Bratislava

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Although I’m slowly working through the list of European countries I want to visit, I’m in no rush to cross places of my list – in general I like to see as much of a place as I can.

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But Slovakia being so easy to reach from Vienna, we decided to get on a train to Bratislava and see what it was like.

The main thing to do there is walking around the Old Town. This part of the town is very nice, full of little narrow streets and old historical buildings.

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It was a beautiful day, perfect for having a beer in a cafe and taking photos in the main square.

We then went up to the castle which overlooks the city centre. You also get views of the Danube river which goes through the city.

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After exploring for a while, we stopped for lunch at a local restaurant. Food wasn’t particularly veggie-friendly but it was nice nonetheless.

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HOW TO DO IT:

Taking the train from Vienna is the easiest way to visit Bratislava. The trip takes only 1h and return tickets cost 16€.

The station in Bratislava doesn’t provide much in way of information – to get to the city centre you need to walk under the subway to find a bus stop behind the station. From there, bus 93 will get you to the city centre in under 10 minutes (many thanks to the helpful local who showed us the way).

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This is a great option for a day trip as the city is quite small and you can see a lot in a day.

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THE 5-MINUTE TRIP PLANNER: Vilnius, Lithuania

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I’m going to Vilnius in June. We were looking for a weekend trip, checked the map, and decided on Lithuania.

I don’t know much about the place, but it’s always good to go somewhere different!

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Photo by Mantas Volungevicius

HOW TO DO IT:

  • Go: Wizzair has a convenient flight from London to Vilnius, with return flights from only £80 per person.
  • Stay: We chose our accommodation through TripAdvisor. Hotels are quite cheap at around £60 per night for a double room.
  • Do: Wander around the Old Town, which is a Unesco Heritage site. It just looks so pretty!
The 5-minute trip planner: Planning a short trip in no time.

A WEEKEND IN ROME: Delicious gelato and beautiful ruins

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All I wanted was a good slice of pizza.

I went to Rome many years ago, but it was during the summer and mostly I remember feeling too hot to enjoy it. So I was looking forward to mild March days this time around!

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We left London Friday after work and got back first thing Monday morning, so we only had two days to explore. As it wasn’t my first time in the city, this was fine. But if you’re going to Rome for the first time you definitely need more than that!

Roman Forum:

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I was really keen to explore the Roman Forum and take some nice photos. We took a tram to the beautiful Piazza del Popolo and headed towards Via del Corso.

This is a great area to wander around – there are many beautiful buildings and you can also see some highlights such as the Spanish Steps along the way. Don’t forget to stop at the Perugina shop to stock up on delicious chocolates!

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We headed to the monument to Vittorio Emanuele II and stopped for lunch nearby. It’s a good idea to find restaurants in little streets to avoid the most touristy places.

The restaurant we visited was called Vinando, and it was a great choice. I had a delicious spaghetti with cheese and pepper, which I chose as it’s a Roman speciality. To drink we had a bottle of Pinot Grigio. Just perfect!

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We then climbed up Capitoline Hill, to see the square which was designed by Michelangelo. Rome is truly amazing in that everywhere you turn there’s some incredible part of history right there.

We finally got into the Roman Forum, and spent an hour or so exploring the many ruins. It is an amazing site, full of temples and arches and other ancient monuments. Tickets cost 12€ per person and also include entrance to the Colosseum.

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We then stopped at the Pantheon for a quick gelato break.

In the evening we went for dinner and beers at the Roma Beer Company, a nice bar with countless options of beers to choose from.

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Capuchin Crypt:

The next day we headed to the Capuchin Crypt. This is a unique site off the beaten track. Besides being a good museum with a nice Caravaggio, the main attraction is the crypt, with displays of bones arranged in many little chapels. It was really strange, but very interesting! Plus not many tourists go there, which is a rarity for Rome!

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We stopped for lunch at a local place nearby, Gran Caffe Roma, where I finally had that pizza I was looking for. It was delicious!

We then hopped back on the metro for a walk around Villa Borghese. This is a very nice park, perfect for a sunny day like this, and you get beautiful views over the city.

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Another gelato stop and that was the end of our little trip! A lovely weekend in a scenic city.

HOW TO DO IT:

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  • Go: There are lots of flights from London, with Easyjet usually being the best option. Flights take about 2h30. From the airport, you can get the Leonardo da Vinci Express to the city centre for 14€. But if you’re not alone, it’s probably better just hopping on a taxi instead – it costs around 55€.
  • Transportation: Understanding the public transport in Rome is not very easy. Firstly, it can be a bit tricky to work everything out and sometimes it can be a bit difficult to buy tickets in advance. The main thing to remember is that you must validate your tickets before every trip! Buses and trams are normally a better option than the metro.
  • Stay: I had my accommodation sorted, but there are lots of options of places to stay in Rome, so check Hostelworld and TripAdvisor. Book in advance to get the best deals.
  • Food: Italian food is really the best, so just go for it! The basics, like pizza and pasta, are always a safe bet. For dessert, you must try gelato and tiramisu, which are really available everywhere. Also don’t forget to try a good mozzarella, which you can have as part of Caprese salad. There’s also a great selection of fruit, and I love that blood orange is so common there!
  • Drink: The local wine is very good and the prices are great. Local beers such as Moretti and Nastro Azzurro are very good but not particularly cheap. Plus Italy is a paradise for coffee lovers.

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THE LONDON GUIDE: Insider tips for the best art in London

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London has some of the best museums in the world, and many of them are free to visit! For such an expensive city, London is very generous with its art. Here’s my quick guide for making the most of London museums:

1. NATIONAL GALLERY

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Right at Trafalgar Square, the National Gallery is a great place to see amazing art. You can easily spend a whole day wandering around, staring at masterpieces such as the Arnolfini Portrait and The Ambassadors (two of my favourites). It’s also a great place for British art, with anything from Turner to Hogarth.

It’s free to visit and there are many free talks and even drawing lessons!

Around the corner is the National Portrait Gallery. Visit on one of their late shifts to enjoy special talks and live music.

2. TATE MODERN AND TATE BRITAIN

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Split on either side of the Thames, Tate Modern and Tate Britain are among the most well-known galleries in the UK.

The Tate Modern specialises in (obviously) modern art, with exhibits cleverly displayed in a range of broad themes. The building is an attraction in itself, with the massive Turbine Hall serving as a unique venue for large displays which are specially commissioned annually.

Tate Britain is the home of British art (my words). Here you can see the best of the Pre-Raphaelites alongside Henry Moore sculptures. The building has been renovated recently, when all the displays were reorganised strictly by date.

Both are free to visit (temporary exhibitions are paid). Check for special events as well as free tours.

3. THE BRITISH MUSEUM

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It’s impossible to visit the British Museum without ending up reflecting about colonialism. This museum holds a massive collection of historic objects from all over the world, from Easter Island Moai to Egyptian mummies.

Entering the permanent collection the first thing you will see is Rosetta Stone. Just a few rooms away are the equally famous Elgin Marbles – the insides of the Parthenon are not in Athens after all.

The British Museum is located within a beautiful building with a Greek façade which is replicated inside the museum with a modern twist. The main court houses nice souvenir shops and a good cafe. Free to enter except for temporary exhibitions.

4. EXHIBITION ROAD: V&A, Natural History Museum, Science Museum

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Exhibition Road in South Kensington is home to three amazing museums.

The V&A is just too wonderful to describe. The beautiful building is home to the largest collection of design objects in the world, with room after room filled with beautiful displays. Join one of their free tours and then chill out at their fancy cafe.

Across the road is the Natural History Museum, where you can see dinosaur fossils alongside dodo models. It’s a great museum, but avoid weekends as it’s always too packed with children.

Next door is the Science Museum, a fun and interactive museum which include exhibits like a lunar module. Again it’s full of children on the weekends, so it’s best avoided then.

All of these are free to enter, except for special exhibitions.

5. OTHER POPULAR MUSEUMS

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  • Royal Academy: Very centrally located, it’s not free to visit, but it has great exhibitions on all the time.
  • Courtauld Gallery: Housed in the beautiful Somerset House, this is the best place to see impressionism in London. Tickets at £7.
  • Wallace Collection: The building has just opened after a long renovation, so it’s a good time to visit. Stop for a meal at their popular restaurant.
  • Transport Museum: I visited this recently, and it was really fun! Tickets are expensive at £16, but you can visit as many times as you wish throughout the year.
  • Soane Museum: An unusual home filled with a unique collection.

6. GALLERIES

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There are countless galleries around London, with new displays available every day. Just wander around Hoxton or Soho and you will find lots of places with great art.

Famous galleries such as the White Cube or the Saatchi Gallery are always a good starting point.

Within the Southbank Centre, the Hayward Gallery has great temporary exhibitions, with tickets at around £10.

HOW TO PLAN:

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There are endless options of museums and galleries in London. For up to date information, TimeOut and the Art Fund have comprehensive listings of what’s on at any given time.

Go get lost in a museum!

THE 5-MINUTE TRIP PLANNER: Day trip to Stratford-upon-Avon

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Stratford-upon-Avon could as well be renamed Shakespeareland. Not only is it Shakespeare’s birthplace, but also this is referenced all over the place – the Mayflower Chinese takeaway being a particularly memorable take on it.

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It’s a very nice place for a day trip, with a pretty city centre full of nice shops.

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HOW TO DO IT:

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The 5-minute trip planner: Planning a short trip in no time.