Author: louise

I'm Louise, a London based blogger who writes about her ordinary life. I love to travel and enjoy life, so expect everything from Hawaii to Pisa with some food, fashion and fun thrown in. I want this blog to inspire people in some way (I know, big dreamer!), whether it's to visit a place that they haven't thought about before or just try something new. Please feel free to contact me for a chat about absolutely anything, or if you feel that we could work together. louise@lulubellelife.com L x

What I wore in Munich…

On By louiseIn Fashion, Travel, Uncategorized2 Comments

It’s been a while since the south of England has been blessed with sunshine and warmth. If we’re honest it’s barely tippled over twenty degrees and we are in the height of summer. For summer lovers such as myself this has been a huge disappointment. I spent the grey months of winter dreaming of summer days in flip flops and sundresses and have been most unimpressed with 2016’s offerings. Without meaning to moan (and sound ridiculously superficial) I’ve been so upset that I haven’t been able to don on my careless summer outfits that match my carefree summer attitude. I have also purchased a few nice items that I just haven’t been able to wear without risk of hyperthermia. That’s why I was extra excited when I saw that the weather forecast for our long weekend in Munich was sumptuous sunshine and buckets of warmth. Finally a chance to parade around in my new purchases and feel the sunshine kissing my skin. Hurrah! I realise just how melodramatic this all sounds but honestly I feel so upset when I’m faced with grey skies day after day. I’m just the kinda girl who needs a little sunshine in her life!

I love to explore a new place by foot because I find that you can really get a feel for it and absorb the little details. The architecture, the atmosphere, the ambience. I find that if I’m in a taxi or train the moment just whizzes by and I miss out on the beautiful ordinary things that are being offered. With all of this in mind I knew that I needed to pack clothes that would keep me cool and be super comfy.

On the first day of our German adventure I wore a black Playsuit from Urban Outfitters. I am such a fan of playsuits because they can be dressed up or down, look gorgeous, come in a variety of styles and are so comfortable. What more could you ask for from summer attire? 

This Playsuit in particular is absolutely beautiful with its swishy skirt and amazing backless look. The fabric is really soft and light too. I think I fell in love the second I saw it. I teamed it with a black pair of Ray Ban Wayfarers and black sandals I picked up last year in Tesco although these were quickly ditched when we went for a paddle in the river. 

On the first day we mostly just explored the city on foot, embracing bicycle loving Munich and activating Holiday Mode. It’s funny how you don’t realise just how much you need a break until you escape from everyday life and I very much enjoyed not following a routine. We danced along the river, stopping for a paddle amongst sun worshippers before sinking off for a delicious burrito at a cute restaurant nearby. I loved walking the streets, letting the cream and terracotta buildings soothe my soul before stopping for an ice cream and hotel snacks. German supermarkets are amazing for stocking up on tasty chocolate (hi there, Merci!). The evening was devilishly beautiful, lit by the sun setting, the warm air preventing us from wearing a jacket and eventually we retired to our hotel room. 

I was torn between a trip to the zoo or Neuschwanstein Castle on our second day, but opted for the zoo because whilst I adore the warm weather, travelling for four hours in thirty-six degree heat isn’t my idea of a fun Saturday. I was disappointed not to see the magnificent castle that inspired Disney’s Sleeping Beauty, but I left part of my heart in Munich, so I know we will go again some day.

Being such big fans of walking, we decided to walk to Hellabrun Zoo, a mere hour away from our hotel room. The weather was dreamy once again and I had the chance to wear this wondrous floral number from Urban Outfitters. This dress is really unique, I’ve seen a lot of dresses in my years on this planet, but I am yet to find a dress that even comes close to this beauty. The devil really is in the detail with its backless approach, sweet cut, button detailing and layered skirt it is literally like heaven sent down a little package of dress perfection and that’s before I’ve even touched on the summery floral print (a girl’s dream!).

Needless to say from the moment I slipped this dress on my body I knew that it was a dress I would love for the whole summer. A dress that I don’t even care if I’m seen wearing millions of times because it really is just that brilliant. Oh and another thing… You don’t even need to iron it after washing (I did mention it was a girl’s dream, right?!).

The dress and I stumbled upon the cutest little market I have ever seen. Bursting with local produce and a flower stall that could have held my attention for days, I wondered how easy it would be to just stay in that city forever although with an amazing dog and a mortgage back home, I quickly realised living in Munich is a pipe dream. That and my German sucks. So we continued on with our plan of visiting the zoo.
Soon enough it was time for a spot of lunch and we visited an Italian restaurant that was really authentic. The food tasted how I imagine winning the lottery feels. It was absolutely divine.

Once we were stuffed with gorgeous food, we continued our walk and had a wonderful trip to the zoo.


Sadly it doesn’t seem like summer will appear over London anytime soon, so I think I will have to wait until our next adventure to wear these outfits again, but at least we had Munich.

Have you visited Munich before? What are your favourite summer fashion picks?

L x

The Second Love of my Life by Victoria Walters…

On By louiseIn Books, Lifestyle, UncategorizedLeave a comment

The Second Love of my Life is the debut novel from the lovely Victoria Walters. 

It follows the story of artist Rose who is trying to rebuild her life in fictional seaside town Talting after losing her husband at a young age in a terrible accident. Rose is such a likeable character who has been through so much, but still has such a big heart. It was interesting to start in the middle of a really glum time for Rose. Often stories start with upmost equilibrium followed by tragedy. I quite liked that we arrived in the middle of such a major part of Rose’s life.

 Like all good stories, the journey is bumpy and like all good chick lit novels, slightly predictable. I really enjoyed Victoria’s writing style as it was so easy to enjoy no matter what sort of day you’ve had. It’s the type of story that you can take on your commute or on holiday. 

Of course, given the nature of the storyline there is the occasional sad part, but on the whole this book is uplifting and full of hope. Sometimes you just need a bit of simple chick lit in your life and The Second Love of my Life ticks all of the boxes. Rumour has it it’s only 99p at the moment for the kindle edition too. Bargain!

Best bits:

  • The development of the story between Rob and Rose
  • The light tone of the story
  • The creation of Talting

Worst bits:

  • Predictable in places
  • It felt a little drawn out around the middle of the story and full on towards the end 

Read it if:

You love a good chick lit story that is heartwarming and a little bit different.

Have you read The Second Love of my Life?

What books are on your list to read this summer?

L x

Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach, exploring the Disneyworld Waterparks…

On By louiseIn Travel, UncategorizedLeave a comment

My first taster of a Disney water park came when I was a child and had been whisked away during the holidays to ‘do Disney’. I was so excited because visiting Disneyworld is a dream come true at any age, but especially as a child when Belle is your heroine and Scar is your mortal enemy. From the moment I was told we were going I could not wait. Although, I’m certain that I wasn’t entirely sure what ‘Disneyworld’ was exactly. Was it a castle? Was it where all of the characters from my childhood existed? Was it the flying Dumbos and a parade? I wasn’t quite sure, but one thing I was sure of was that I needed to experience it. 

Once we had arrived and visited a couple of the parks, it was quite clear that it really was a world of Disney. So much to explore, so many famous faces to meet and two incredible water parks. I absolutely adored all of the parks, but the water parks were firmly cemented in my memory. Right up there with the castle and the giant Epcot golf ball was the shipwreck of Typhoon Lagoon saved in my memory of childhood highlights for eternity. I think it’s because we don’t have anything like it here in London that made me love the water parks so much. Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t prefer them over Magic Kingdom, but I loved my days there all the same. That’s why I wanted to make sure we visited both Disney water parks when we visited Disneyworld last April. That and I wanted to get my money’s worth after paying almost £1000 in tickets alone!

The first of the water parks we snuck in a few days into our trip. For some unknown reason we opted to hit up Blizzard Beach first and I couldn’t wait to park myself in a doughnut and roll around the lazy river whilst devouring that gorgeous Floridian sunshine, so as soon as we arrived we whipped off our clothes and got straight in (well, we actually waited for our pals to arrive and messed around in the wave pool for a bit first, but you get the picture). I had forgotten just how much fun water parks are and we had an absolute blast racing down water slides and floating around in various inflatable objects. I think in every adult there is a little bit of fun and Disney sure know how to encourage you to unleash it.

The second water park that we visited was Typhoon Lagoon, the one that made it into my childhood memory favourites list. I’ve got to admit I was a bit worried about a couple of things. Firstly that my memory had let me down and it would actually be a bit pants and secondly that because we had such a blast at Blizzard Beach, our expectations were high and we ran the risk of being disappointed. Let me assure you that was not the case and we had an even better time at Typhoon Lagoon! Who knew?!

There are so many good things about Typhoon Lagoon, from its epic wave pool with the sound of the water crashing echoing across the park like a roar from an angry T-Rex, down to the water Rollercoaster where you choose between the route of ‘Coconut Crusher’ or ‘Pineapple Plunger’ (the banana one was closed). They also have a huge drop slide (which apparently includes some sort of colonic irrigation which nobody tells you about, but gave our husbands quite a treat when they took on the slide) and a snorkelling pool where you can swim amongst a variety of fish. Typhoon Lagoon has it all. 

Both parks are great for a bit of fun and relaxation in the sunshine. We loved them so much and will definitely hit them up the next time we are in Florida.

Have you visited the Disney Water parks?

L x

Disney’s Animal Kingdom…

On By louiseIn Travel, Uncategorized3 Comments

I was super excited to be hitting up Animal Kingdom during our trip to Florida. The most recent addition to the phenomenal Disneyworld parks, Animal Kingdom combines Disney, rides and er, animals.

Being such a fan of both Disney and animals, I couldn’t wait to see how the two would be combined to make a theme park. Let’s just say I wasn’t disappointed and had such a magical day at Animal Kingdom.

When we arrived at the park we were greeted with your usual Disney vibes and enveloped in a sumptuous haven that felt as if we had been transported to far away lands. It is such a tranquil park and we loved all of the greenery around.

We had a walk, watching gorgeous creatures in their immaculate enclosures. I much prefer seeing animals wild and free, but I know that Disney do a lot of conservation work and actually have quite a few rescue animals that wouldn’t otherwise have survived in their natural habitat.

It was such a beautiful day in the Floridian sunshine. If I could bottle up weather and keep it with me for eternity, I would choose the sunshine that blankets Florida. It is totally gorgeous.

It wouldn’t be a trip to a Disney park without sampling some of the main attractions. A huge attraction both figuratively and literally to Animal Kingdom is the coaster Everest. Now I have been known to be quite a wimp when it comes to fast rides. Hey, I’ve even ditched people right after we’ve been strapped in. I think these days I’ve desensitised myself a little and I’m getting much braver. So I decided that I would conquer my coaster fear and hit up Everest. Don’t get me wrong it’s not a completely terrifying ride, but it’s a bit fast and goes backwards in the dark, which is something I haven’t exactly been welcoming to in the past. We met up with some of our friends in Florida and decided to co-ordinate our fast passes so that we could ride Everest together. I was a bit apprehensive during the climb at the start, but I absolutely loved it and I think that it is now up there with my favourite rides of all time (number one being the Cars ride at Disneyland California – it’s off the hook!). I love this photo of the six of us on Everest. I find it especially entertaining that I’m reaching out to my poor friend Kate for support!

I actually went on all of the rides at the Animal Kingdom and had such a fun day. Although I wasn’t too thrilled with this Dinosaur ride – my face is completely mortified!


To be fair, the kid at the front wasn’t feeling it either!

I would definitely recommend the rapids too. It’s similar to the Rapids at Disney in California, but only has one drop and isn’t quite as aesthetically pleasing.


We all throughly enjoyed walking around the park, admiring the various creatures that call Animal Kingdom home and trying to dry off after being drenched on the rapid ride.

Another highlight was the safari. It was amazing and really well done. The attention to detail is fabulous and we really did feel like we were on an African adventure.

Overall, we had a great day at Animal Kingdom. I think it’s definitely worth a visit. Make sure you take advantage of the fast pass system and factor in time to just enjoy the park. It’s super relaxing and absolutely gorge!

Have you visited Animal Kingdom?

L x

Me Before You…

On By louiseIn Books, Lifestyle, Uncategorized3 Comments


Aah… Jojo Moyes. What a complete legend. Her writing style is brilliant, telling a story so well that you aren’t even aware it’s a story. Her writing flows and is something you can read anywhere from the train home to the poolside in an exotic location. 

I read Me Before You at a time when I hadn’t read anything that had excited me for a while. I wanted something to wrap me up in a story so gripping that I couldn’t put it down and thankfully, this is just what it did. I love how I was unsure of the ending right up until the end, how believable the story is, how wonderful the characters are (even Will Traynor), and just how beautifully written it is. That is why it remains one of my favourite books of all time. I love that it’s gritty and not your average chick lit. I love that it’s absolutely hilarious and heartbreaking all at the same time. I love how it tackles a massive issue that is a bit of a taboo. Anyway, in case you haven’t guessed, I’m a huge fan. That is why I was super excited when I heard that Me Before You was being turned into a movie. It’s always a bit of a gamble when a book that you love is turned into a motion picture, but I was excited all the same. Even if I did have to wait a couple of years! 

A couple of months ago the trailer was released, and it was everything that I was hoping for. A great cast and beautifully shot. It made me even more excited for the movie, so I was super glad when it finally came out last week and I could drag my husband along on Saturday. I wasn’t sure if he would like it as he is such an action movie boy, but he rocked up with me anyway and I was pleasantly surprised when he said that he enjoyed it much more than he thought he would. Hurrah! 

Starring Emilia Clarke of Game of Thrones fame, the screenplay was written by Jojo Moyes and I think that’s why it has retained so much accuracy and remained true to the book. The cast are fabulous and have really succeeded in embracing the characters. The funny parts were absolutely hilarious on screen, it was like the scenes had leapt out of the book with added detail. Patrick’s facial expressions were the best. The sad parts were terribly moving, literally all I could hear around me were tissues ruffling and noses snorting. Overall I was very impressed with how the movie has turned out, such accuracy and detail with a wonderful cast. I would highly recommend a watch, even if you haven’t already read the book.

Now I just need to read After You, to see how the story continues!


Have you read the book or seen the movie?

L x

Visiting Disneyworld’s Hollywood Studios…

On By louiseIn Travel, UncategorizedLeave a comment


I absolutely adore visiting the Disney Parks. They are always so beautifully presented, with attention to detail being key. When you visit a Disney Park, they envelope you and take you away from everyday life and into a place riddled with positivity and fun. I think it’s impossible to have a bad day at Disney, even if it’s raining. Once when we were in Paris, I only went on one ride the whole day and still had an awesome time. Speaking of Paris, I love their Walt Disney Studio Park, and was really intrigued to see how it compared to Disneyworld’s Hollywood Studios in Orlando. I hadn’t visited Disneyworld for a few years and my memory of the park was quite hazy, so I was super excited to head back as an adult and see if it exceeded my childhood memories. Sadly, it did not and I was actually quite disappointed by this park. Sure, there’s a cool Star Wars show and the Hollywood Tower of Terror, but there isn’t much beyond that and I did feel quite disappointed. Let’s not get too bogged down because it is still an incredible park that superceeds your average theme park – it is Disney after all. I just felt that in terms of what the other parks have to offer, it is a bit of a let down. I must point out though that it is currently undergoing a massive overhaul and I’m pretty sure that a piece of Star Wars heaven will be born there within the next couple of years. 


I felt that an afternoon spent there was certainly appropriate and there wasn’t really a need to visit over a couple of days. My husband adores the Rock ‘N’ Rollercoaster, which resides at this park and it is also home to the iconic Star Tours which is also in the Paris park. Toy Story Mania is also based here and that ride is super fun and worth a go. There is also a ride called ‘The Great Movie Ride’, which is honestly one of the most bizarre rides that I have ever been on. It’s super odd and I think I spent a lot of the time with my nose scrunched up and generally a bit confused. 

I think I was so disappointed by this park because the one in Paris is tonnes better, with more rides and thrilling shows. I was expecting it to be so much greater as it is Disneyworld, which is supposed to be the Creme de la Creme of Disney and well, it just didn’t excite me much.

I think that you should definitely go and it’s going to be amazing once all of the construction work is done, but don’t plan on spending too much time there as I’m pretty sure you’ll run out of things to do once you’ve done the big rides.

Have you visited Hollywood Studios? Did it live up to your expectations?
L x

Our first BBQ in the new house…

On By louiseIn Lifestyle, UncategorizedLeave a comment


You may remember reading about our house move that took place a couple of months ago. One of the things that really stood out for us when viewing this house back in October was the garden. It has a sumptuous patio area that is a brilliant size and absolutely perfect for barbecues. From that moment on I was on countdown to Summer when we could invite our buddies over and bust out the barbecue. I’ve decided to try and have a barbecue once a month and think it’s a wonderful excuse to have a few people over for a catch up and to stuff our faces. With the warmer weather slowly creeping in (snow one week, heatwave the next?!), last Saturday was a great day for a barbecue. Although a little cooler than the weekend before, the sun was shining and the fire pit burning. Oh how I adore a barbecue!


The hubby and I made a trip to the supermarket to stock up on supplies the night before. We decided to make rocky road and frozen yoghurt as sweet treats for our guests. The rocky roads were so tasty I could have happily hidden them away for myself. Damn you conscience!


When people arrived they brought a wonderful array of goodies from burgers, lemonade, halloumi, right down to this marvellous cheesecake made by our friend Sarah. It was lovely that everybody brought something and meant that we had a gorgeous variety of food on offer.


It was so nice to be out in the garden enjoying the sunshine. Holly loved having lots of people to fuss over her and the new addition to our garden – the Egg Chair – got some use too.


We hung out, caught up and played Heads Up which is an app version of charades and terribly fun. It records the people acting out the cards and is such a giggle. I would highly recommend it. The girls team won – hurrah!


There was ten of us in total and all eight of our guests were part of our wedding party. It’s not very often that we all manage to get together, but it’s so lovely when we do because everybody gets on brilliantly.


We were chatting away in the garden when we realised that Eurovision was on later that evening, which resulted in us deciding to have an impromptu Eurovision party. I have never been massively into Eurovision and have only rarely watched the whole show. A few people popped out to top up our alcoholic stash and then we all put in some change and drew countries out of a hat. I picked The Netherlands and Ukraine and was convinced I wasn’t going to be winning any monies. Flash forward a couple of hours and I had morphed into Eurovisions biggest fan, shouting at the telly and critiquing away. I was convinced that Australia had won (which they had), right up until the last second. I was super pleased when Ukraine won. Hello seven quid!

I had a great time hosting our first barbecue here and can’t wait until our next one in June. 

Have you had your first barbecue of 2016 yet?

L x

A cruise around London Town…

On By louiseIn Food, Lifestyle, UncategorizedLeave a comment


Aaah, London. One of the most beautiful cities in the world, and thankfully the one I call home. Underneath its often grubby exterior, London is such a gem. There’s always something new and exciting going on and I have so, so many fond memories that were created here. That’s why I was extra excited when PGtips invited me along to their Green Tea boat party on the Thames. I literally couldn’t wait to go. 

Now, I’ll be honest, I’m not your stereotypical British tea lover, but I am a big lover of the iconic PGtips Monkey. My Mum is besotted with PGtips and I loved collecting everything they were dishing out when I was a child from hologram fridge magnets down to cuddly chimps, we’ve always embraced the brand. Fortunately I was allowed to take a plus one on our boat trip, so took along Mumsy to try out the various flavours of green tea, mocktails and tasty nibbles.


We had a little walk around town before finding the pier and boarding the boat, ready for our little adventure.


The boat was really nice, and I loved spotting Monkey hanging around.


We found a little table with comfy chairs ready for our trip along the Thames before spotting the nibbles that had been laid out for guests. Ever a fan of food, I couldn’t wait to get stuck in and had a delicious plate of chicken satay, sandwiches and fruit. 


Soon enough some of the lovely folk at PGtips brought over some strawberry green tea and iced tea mocktails. The strawberry tea was super lush, even I (who is quite fussy), enjoyed it. I love that PGtips have created some gorgeous flavours for their green tea. Life is about variety and it’s great that they have expanded the brand. 

I would say that the colour palette of the trip was green, and rightly so as PGtips have carried out a new research report which has found that green colours in the home and workspace help boost productivity and positivity. I think that green is quite a zen colour and reminds me of warm summer days out in the sunshine. I’m always most productive on sunny days, so I imagine that this report is quite accurate.


After having a nibble and refreshing our palettes with some green tea, we stepped out and enjoyed views along the river Thames. When you are familiar with London, it’s often easy to forget about the sumptuous architecture and gorgeous skyline. The trip reminded me of the amazing sights that we have in London and it was nice to take a few moments to take it all in.


The cruise soon got extra exciting as we were presented with a six metre high monkey that had been made out of 110,000 leaves! It was a wonderful surprise and everybody on the boat got snap happy (including my Mum who has recently upgraded to a smart phone!).


It was great to see Monkey bobbing around with the London Eye in the background, the sunshine just breaking through and glistening upon the Thames.

Sadly all good things come to an end eventually and our cruise was no exception. We had a lovely time and will reminisce about our trip every time we have a cuppa!

L x

Exploring Hughenden Manor…

On By louiseIn Lifestyle, Uncategorized2 Comments


A sunny day in England is rather divine. Colourful, sumptuous and resembling the constitutions of heaven, when the sun shines over Britain, it’s impossible to be dreary. I love the positivity and motivitaton that oozes from a perfect sunny day. I love being outdoors and am in my element on a beautiful day. We became National Trust members before Christmas and I am super glad that we did as their sites make for a brilliant spontaneous day out. 

Last Sunday we chose to explore Hughenden Manor in High Wycombe. We all bundled into Phil’s Dad’s car and rode off in to the sunshine to explore this new to us National Trust site. Situated amongst rolling hills, the scenery devours you and it’s impossible to ignore such natural beauty.


We drove up the steep car park and began our trip downhill, already dreading climbing the hill back up again. The staff are super friendly and wonderfully knowledgable. We stumbled upon a tour of Hughenden Manor and learnt so much. It was brilliant. Considering we knew nothing about the place beforehand (I wasn’t even sure there was a house!), we came away feeling rather familiar with the place.


The manor is grand and voluptuous, and I loved imagining what it would be like to live there. Where would I put the couch? Would I move the library? 


Once we had finished having a jolly good nosey, we found a cafe and decided it was cake o’clock. 

The cakes were gorgeous and I had serious food envy after trying Steve’s apple and berry flapjack. It tasted how I imagine winning the lottery feels. 


We then had a stroll around the beautiful gardens and visited the bee hives.


Seeing the bee hives was great. It’s so good that Hughenden are supporting the tiny little creatures that help the world go round. It’s so sad to hear of how much the bees are struggling and hopefully these hives at Hughenden will help the little guys out.


There’s also a lovely walled garden which is home to some gorgeous crops. It’s a pretty little place to walk around and a great place to pick up a couple of plants. I chose a Holly Hock and Geranium. Our back garden is quite bare and I can’t wait for the little bursts of colour to brighten it up.


Soon it was time for us to make our way home, but not before a quick climb and some cow spotting.

Have you visited any National Trust sites?

L x

8 steps to choosing the perfect hotel whilst saving money…

On By louiseIn Travel, Uncategorized2 Comments


It’s no secret that I love to travel. Exploring new lands is my absolute favourite thing to do and I’m constantly on countdown until our next adventure (right now it’s Munich next month). I adore planning all of the details from who we will travel with, what we will do and where we will stay. I feel like my alter ego is a travel agent and genuinely enjoy scrutinising reviews of places online and finding exciting places to visit. 

One of the most crucial parts of planning a trip is finding the perfect place to stay. There are a few steps that I follow when finding the ideal place to call home for the duration of our trip.

So you’ve decided where to head off on your next adventure… What next?

  1. Decide what you are going to do on your trip. We recently went to Florida with the intention of ‘doing Disney’ as well as Universal. I found a great hotel ten minutes’ walk from Universal. I’ve had some experience with theme park travel and have drawn the conclusion that if it is possible to stay within walking distance to the park, then do. It’ll save you loads on parking and general travel, plus your feet will thank you at the end of a long day. So lock down your ideal location for your chosen activities.
  2. Decide what it is exactly that you want from your accommodation. If I am hiring a car, then free parking is essential. I always look for free wifi too and an in room safe.
  3. Prioritise these in order of preference. There is a chance that you might not find somewhere that ticks all of the boxes!
  4. Set your budget. Know how much it is exactly that you would like to pay for your accommodation. Some people prefer to spend a minimal amount on accommodation so that there is more money to spend on days out. Personally, I base my decision on how much time I will be spending at the hotel.
  5. Start your search! I try to be a bit savvy and search a variety of sites online. Hotels.com offer a free nights’ stay after every ten nights booked with them, but they aren’t always the cheapest to book with. Lastminute have a great variety and you can often team their hotels up with flights. Plus they have ‘secret’ hotel stays if you are feeling risky. For the undecided, Booking.com have free cancellations on so many of their hotels, so you can change your mind easily. They also offer book now, pay later. Agoda often has great prices on popular hotels, so they are definitely worth checking. Expedia have an extensive range of accommodation, but aren’t always the cheapest. Airbnb is a little gem that I started using last year. Some of the places are incredible and they are often very reasonably priced too.
  6. Once you have found your hotel, see if you can get cash back. Many places offer cash back through sites such as Quidco. I once received over forty pound back on a booking through Lastminute, so it’s definitely worth checking.
  7. Stalk your chosen hotel for reviews. Before booking, check your decision. Trip Advisor offer a wealth of information for travellers and their reviews are genuine. I also look at traveller photos to see what the place is really like. Unedited images don’t lie!
  8. Book! Once your decision is final, get clicking and booking to secure your place. Then sit back and dream of your next adventure!


How do you decide where to stay? Have you picked up any hints or tricks?
L x