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WHERE TO STAY IN LONDON: Insider tips on finding a good deal

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If you’re never been to London, deciding where to stay can be quite difficult. There are lots and lots of options, but prices are way too high, and there are many bad hotels around. Here are my tips for getting a good deal:

Money matters:

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Accommodation in London is really expensive (it’s really expensive to rent here too, so there’s no escaping it!).

If your only concern is about money, then Easyhotel is as cheap as it gets. With double rooms start at £30, it really doesn’t get cheaper than that. Of course there’s a trade off: this place is tiny, and you even have to pay extra for a room with a window!

Other usual budget options include Ibis and hostels – although in London even a bunk bed in a shared room can cost over £40! Tripadvisor had good mid-range options from £80, although really it’s unusual to pay less than £100 per night (yikes!).

I’ve stayed at the Royal National the first time I visited London. It’s a good option: a massive and boring hotel, but good value and good location.

And of course there’s Airbnb, with lots of options for around £80 for two. This is probably the best choice of all.

I’m sure there are absolutely tons of high-end places, but this blog doesn’t really know anything about that.

Location, location, location

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London is a big city, but public transportation is very good, so as long as you’re inside zones 1-2 of the tube you can’t go very wrong. But these some good areas to consider:

  • Victoria is a good area to stay, as it’s very central and there’s lots to see and do.
  • King’s Cross is another good option, as it’s a transportation hub and it’s close to Islington – a nice region to explore with a great nightlife.
  • Around London Bridge, especially near the river, there are some of the main sights, and it’s not as full of tourists as other areas.
  • Soho is at the heart of the action, but I imagine would be quite expensive to stay around there.
  • And for those who want a more authentic experience, staying a bit further from the centre should be considered.

But the best way to have a great time in London is staying with a local, as I’m sure my friends would tell everyone!

TRAVELLING ON FILM: 3 movies to watch again this summer

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Summer in England is not always as sunny as one might hope, which is probably why everyone here seems obsessed with sunlight! These are some films to inspire summer trips:

1. Easy Rider

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Easy Rider is a classic road trip across America: motorcycles, loud music and so much attitude! This film shaped a whole genre, and the acting is great – Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper and Jack Nicholson are all amazing as ever. One to make you reminisce of long road trips!

2. Grease

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Grease is the perfect film to watch during the summer: The over-saturated look, the over the top fashion, and of course, the amazing music all make this as fun as it gets. And don’t forget to sing along to Summer Nights!

3. Vicky Cristina Barcelona

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Vicky Cristina Barcelona is another great Woody Allen film about a city. Vicky and Cristina are American friends who decide to spend a summer break in Spain. Unlike other Woody Allen films, this is not as neurotic as you might expect. To watch sipping white wine!

AN ASTRONAUT’S GUIDE TO LIFE ON EARTH, BY CHRIS HADFIELD: The perfect book to read on a plane

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Chris’s Hadfield book, An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth, was on my wishlist for a long time, and I finally bought it when I had a long wait at the airport. This is a great book to read on a plane: you can look out the window and understand why people are obsessed with space exploration.

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When Chris was at the ISS for 6 months, his twitter account became really popular for the great photos he was sharing, showing the intricate details of deserts, oceans, hurricanes… I love looking out the window from a plane, seeing little villages above the clouds in Slovenia, the Andes cutting through Chile, the dryness of Morocco.

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His book tells the amazing story of how he went from dreaming of being an astronaut when he was 9, to actually going to space many years later. It includes lots of fun tales about the ins and outs of being an astronaut, but it is also a book about achieving goals and being focussed (which is exactly my kind of thing). It is the perfect read for a holiday – you’ll come back wanting to do more and more!

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Listen: Chris Hadfield’s rendition of Space Oddity has millions of hits of youtube and is just great!

FINDING TIME WHEN THERE’S NO TIME: Travelling when you have a 9 to 5 job

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There are lots of people out there who have left it all behind to travel full time. Sometimes I wish I were one of them. But I’m not. I work in an office, and fit my little adventures around my job.

I definitely wish I had more time to travel aside from the 25 days I get as a holiday allowance. But I still make the most of it. I travel on a Friday after work and commute back on Monday morning (thank you, Eurostar!); I make the most of bank holidays (even if it means paying extra to travel); and I always make sure I have my next holiday to look forward to (Venice, I can’t wait to see you again!).

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After a couple of years of a lot of travelling and a lot of working, I think I managed to find a good balance. I’m not (yet) quitting my day job to go travelling full time, but I am making sure I visit amazing places as often as I can. And when things get a bit stressful in the office, I remind myself that another short break is not too far.

Travelling gives me a broader worldview, and helps me regain energy when I’m tired. Working in an office makes me a very organised traveller, and a practical one too. Weirdly, these two activities end up complementing each other.

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I’m sure there are lots of others travellers fitting their adventures around a 9 to 5 schedule (I know a few of them).

Just make sure you fit some travelling in your busy schedule!

TRAVEL READING: 3 sites to inspire new trips

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When I’m not travelling, I’m thinking about it. I spend a lot of time reading about places, discovering new destinations and making sure I make the most of my upcoming trips. Here’s a selection of sites that I like:

  1.  Flygirl: This is a new travel blog by Jezebel (a great blog which gives me hours of fun). It features funny and amazing tales about travelling, focusing on women. The perfect distraction!
  2. Revealed Rome: Italy has been on my mind a lot recently, and this blog about Rome is great. It gives you the insider’s view, and it has lots of features about food. Yum!
  3. Sawday’s: This website focuses on accommodation, but it’s not like other hotel search sites. There you will find the most amazing places, the kind of accommodation that you can plan a whole holiday around. For when you need a relaxing break.

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Do you know any inspiring travel sites?

WILD, BY CHERYL STRAYED: A book to read when you just need a break

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Wild, by Cheryl Strayed, tells the true story of a woman who decides to hike the Pacific Crest Trail solo. I bought it while waiting for a flight, and it turned out to be the perfect book to take on a trip.

As it’s often the case with long journeys, Cheryl’s leads to personal discoveries and and reflection. And as you follow her steps through the trail, you feel like you too are taking that journey, becoming increasingly more distant from the woes of daily life.

I can’t think of a better book to take on a trip. By the time I finished reading it, just as I returned to London after a weekend away, I felt like I too had just finished a long journey.

One to read when you need a scape from daily life!

  • Watch: The book was recently made into a film, and the screenplay is by Nick Hornby (a favourite of this blog). I haven’t watched it yet, but it’s on my list!

TRAVELLING ON FILM: Soundtracks to take on the road

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I’m not a fan of musicals, but some films have really great soundtracks. Here are some movies with great music to take with you when you’re travelling:

1. Billy Elliot

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I’ve seen Billy Elliot three times in the cinema, countless times on tv, and I’ve been to the musical twice – it really is the best. This is a very British film, telling the compelling story of a boy growing up in northern England in the 80s, amid miners’ strikes and all that.

Most people think Billy Elliot is a film about ballet – it is not. It’s about perseverance and pursuing your goals no matter what, about going after your passion. And yes, there’s lots of dancing too!

The soundtrack includes The Clash, The Jam, T-Rex and it’s just great. Hear it loud!

2. Buena Vista Social Club

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Cuba has been on my wishlist for a long time (maybe next year!). The vintage cars, the lively atmosphere, the history… it really seems like a very unique place.

Buena Vista Social Club really captures this spirit. This documentary follows Cuban musicians recording an album, so of course it’s full of good Cuban music. And it was directed by Wim Wenders, who is always great in making places come to life in his films.

Besides the movie, some of the musicians also went on to release solo albums (Ibrahim Ferrer being the most famous of them). And you can also watch them live on tour!

3. Chicago

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I’m not a big fan of traditional musicals, but Chicago is a very good film. It is set in the 1920s, and shows Chicago as a city full of intrigue, but it also includes great music and impressive dancing.

A film that calls for a big bowl of popcorn!

ROAD TRIP READING: The Grapes of Wrath

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John Steinbeck’s books are always a good option to take on a trip. His adventures in Russia are amazing, and his most famous novels usually set the scene nicely in America.

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The Grapes of Wrath follows the story of a family moving from Oklahoma in search of a better life in California. It’s not an easy journey – and the road that they travel, alongside the changing landscape around them, serve as a nice backdrop to the story of Tom Joad and his family.

As ever with Steinbeck books, the story develops slowly, and you are taken along on the journey as you read the book. It was also beautifully adapted into a film by John Ford.

One to take with you on a road trip!

THE MAGIC MOUNTAIN: A book to read to on a long journey

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Reading The Magic Mountain, by Thomas Mann, is like going on a journey. You arrive in the Swiss Alps, feel the light breeze and breath in the deep air.

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The book follows the routine of the lead character in minute detail, and as you get to know Hans Castorp, you also connect with the environment around him.

The passage of time is slow; the days repetitive. As you turn page after page (the book is quite long) you start to feel like you’re in the mountains too.

Some books stay with you long after you’ve finished reading them. This is on of them.

Take it with you when you go on a long trip!