Category: Travel

Where to Stay Along the Cotswold Way | The Best Affordable Hotels on the Cotswold Way National Hiking Trail

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I had no idea what I was getting myself into when I started planning my 102-mile hike along the Cotswold Way in England. I just knew I wanted to get away and spend 10 days in nature experiencing the beauty of the Cotswolds. I’m not a hiker by any means, but when I heard about this trail, it seemed manageable. I knew that if I was able to stay in a hotel every night and get a beer at the pub at the end of a long day, that I could make it through anything. My husband, Chris, joined me and we did very minimal training for the hike. Looking back, I wish I’d trained a bit more but we still came out alive and I’d even do it again! The scenery was breathtaking and it was absolutely the break I needed away from the hustle and bustle of life. We walked through hundreds of acres of farmland, walked by thousands of sheep, watched the sunset over the gorgeous green fields, tried fish & chips at the local pubs and somehow, we only got stuck in a rainstorm once! We went in mid-May which is known to be one of the drier months in the Cotswolds, not to mention, most of the spring flowers are still in bloom and the landscape is incredibly green and lush. I’ve already decided that one day when I retire, I plan to move to the Cotswolds and live in a perfect little farmhouse covered in roses and ivy. It took us 10 days to hike the trail and we didn’t take a single day off. If I were to hike the trail again, I would definitely take day off to rest in the middle, likely in the adorable town of Painswick.

I actually have a full guide that you can download for free over on my photography blog, if you’re looking for more tips about what to pack, how to plan your trip, and what not to miss along your hike! We even made a full video series about our hike over on my YouTube channel here! Now, I wanted to share the hotels we stayed in along the way. I spent a LOT of time researching the hotels before our trip and realized there weren’t that many options in most of the towns. These towns are TINY. As in, one pub, one coffee shop, one street. You truly are in the middle of nowhere. The locals are so kind though and you will get the authentic Cotswold experience. I hope this helps you with your trip planning! I’m going to share the hotels in order from Chipping Campden (where you’ll start the hike) to Bath, England. However, you can definitely start in Bath and end in Chipping Campden, it’s totally up to you! We just found it a bit more exciting to end in Bath, spend a day at the spa, and take a few days to explore the beautiful city.

If you’re starting out in London like we did, here are a few hotel recommendations!

LONDON HOTELS:

Montcalm Piccadilly Townhouse, London West End– (where we stayed) 4 star

This hotel was in a great area, close to tons of food and shopping, and even had a cute little coffee shop called Gail’s attached! It was super convenient to be able to grab a coffee and croissant right when we woke up, especially being jetlagged! The rooms were incredibly clean and felt a little fancy, which was much appreciated after our long trip from the US. The room was somewhat small, but we don’t mind since we don’t spend much time in the room anyway. Overall, I would stay there again because the price was great for what we got.

Athena Hotel – (where we stayed in London after our hike) – 3 star

This hotel wasn’t quite as fancy at the Montcalm Piccadilly, but it was clean, which is what I care about the most. It was a bit off of the main strip but we were still able to walk to all of the things we wanted to see. London is surprisingly walkable and the tube can really get you anywhere you need to go. I’d probably choose to stay in the Montcalm Piccadilly over the Athena, but if you’re working with a budget, the Athena is totally acceptable and a clean place to lay your head at night.

LUXURY HOTELS:
Hazlitt’s Hotel – 4-star 
The Resident Soho – 4-star
The Soho Hotel, Firmdale– 5-star
RECOMMENDED LONDON TOURS:
Harry Potter Warner Bros. Tour

One of the highlights of our trip! You can check out my full blog post about this tour here!

Ghost Ghouls & Gallows Boat Tour

A great way to incorporate a boat ride and spooky historical stories about London. Check out my full blog post about this tour here!

Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, Buckingham Guided Tour of London
River Cruise on the Thames 

DAY ONE – LONDON TO CHIPPING CAMPDEN TO BROADWAY

6 miles

Take a morning train from London Paddington Station to Moreton-in-Marsh Station. You can also take the train to Stratford-upon-Avon and then take a bus from there if you’d prefer. We took a 10:53am train with arrival at 12:22pm, but I’d recommend taking an earlier train to have more time to hike to Broadway. We booked our train tickets to and from London directly with the GWR (Great Western Railway) website. Buy the “Two together” rail pass if you’re hiking with someone to save money – GWR.com. Or you can book through OMIO and use the code OMIONEW25 for 10% off for new customers. Their app is super easy to use and keeps all your tickets in one place if you’re traveling amongst multiple countries in Europe.

Take the Robin bus from the town of Moreton-in-Marsh to the town of Chipping Campden where you will begin the hike. There’s an app called The Robin that you can use to track the bus and buy tickets, but it was not working for us. We got lucky and there was a Stagecoach bus (the local standard bus) waiting at the bus stop right outside the train station and we hopped on and bought a ticket to Chipping Campden from the bus driver. It was about a 40-45 minute bus ride and we were dropped off right next to the starting point for the Cotswold Way trail. I believe the Stagecoach buses run every 2 hours and might not run as often on Sundays, so keep that in mind!

HIKER’S TIP:

If you decide to stay a night in Chipping Campden before beginning the hike, I’d recommend the Cotswold House Hotel or The Bantam Tea Rooms & Guest House!

HOTEL RECOMMENDATIONS:
Crown & Trumpet Inn (where we stayed – budget option) – 3-star – Check-in: 1:30-8:00 pm

We were SO excited when we finally saw the Crown & Trumpet inn in front of us. It had been such a long day traveling from London to Chipping Campden to Broadway. Our feet hurt, we were starving, and we couldn’t wait to take our backpacks and hiking shoes off. The Crown & Trumpet inn is old and historic, which you can tell by the crooked floors and quirky building. But it was such a gem to start off our trip. We were sad that we missed dinner because we arrived too late, but we were able to grab dinner at a restaurant just up the street called The Swan. The room was clean and the bed was comfortable, so that was all we really needed! It was a cute place overall and a great place to start off our trip because it was exactly what I had envisioned. We learned to make sure we arrive at the inns before 6 or 7 so that we could make sure we get dinner and drinks before the pubs in the bottom of the inns close.

OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS:
The Broadway Hotel – 3-star
The Lygon Arms – 4-star
Abbots Grange Manor – 5-star


DAY TWO: BROADWAY TO WINCHCOMBE

11.9 miles

HOTEL RECOMMENDATIONS:
The White Hart Inn (where we stayed)- 2-star – Better than we expected! Check-in: 3:00 pm

When I was booking all of my hotels, this is the one that I wasn’t quite sure about. The photos just didn’t do it justice though! It had an adorable, cozy pub in the bottom, the food was delicious, and the room was super clean. It had a traditional english inn vibe, similar to the Crown & Trumpet Inn. There’s nothing quite like fish and chips and a beer at the end of a long hiking day! There was a cozy fireplace too, and I discovered that dogs are allowed in the pubs and it just added to the quaintness of the whole experience.

OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS:
The Lion Inn (very limited hotels in this area – book EARLY)

There is actually a campsite that is close to Hailes Abbey & Church called Hayles Fruit Farm if you prefer not to hike as far as Winchcombe 

DAY THREE: WINCHCOMBE TO CLEEVE HILL

5.6 miles

HOTEL RECOMMENDATIONS:
Rising Sun Hotel by Greene King Inns (where we stayed) 3- staR

The Rising Sun Hotel definitely had the best view out of all of the hotels we stayed in. It’s located on the top of Cleeve Hill and has a lovely picnic area to watch the sunset. The food wasn’t incredible, but it had the traditional english fare like fish & chips and various meat pies. We were exhausted when we arrived so we really enjoyed sipping a drink while we gazed at the view. The room wasn’t anything special either, but it was clean. All of the hotels on our journey were sparkling clean, so that is definitely something I’m not used to after coming from the US. Overall though, I would definitely stay here again just for the view!

OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS:
Cleeve Hill Hotel – 4-star

TIP: Very limited hotel options so book EARLY!


DAY FOUR: CLEEVE HILL TO BIRDLIP

15.8 miles

HOTEL RECOMMENDATIONS:
The Royal George Birdlip by Greene King Inns (where we stayed) –Check-in: 3:00 pm

The trek to the Royal George was one of our longest hiking days, so when we emerged from the woods and saw this beautiful building and glistening picnic area, it almost felt like we were in heaven. I still remember sipping my aperol spritz as I watched tiny bugs flit around as the sun set. The room was bigger than some of the previous hotel rooms, and felt fancier than any of the hotels we’d experienced up until that point. There’s really nowhere else to stay in the this town, so make sure to book your room early! There is a lovely pub and restaurant in the bottom. This hotel is actually owned by the same company that owns the Rising Sun Hotel, so the menu is exactly the same. There is a decent amount of options on the menu, it just felt more like “hotel food” than some of the other meals we had along our journey.

OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS:
George Hotel – Cheltenham – (3 miles off trail)

Big Skies Cotswold Glamping – about halfway through the hike for the day – would be a great place to stay if you didn’t want to hike the full distance this day

TIP: Limited hotel options in this area, book EARLY

DAY FIVE: BIRDLIP TO PAINSWICK

8.6 miles

HOTEL RECOMMENDATIONS:
St. Michael’s Restaurant and Rooms (where we stayed) – 4-star- Check-in: 3:00 pm – 7:00 pm

You can book this hotel directly through their website. We stayed in the Indian room which had a beautiful view of the church in the center of town. This hotel is owned by a couple who also run the restaurant. This is more of a unique experience, similar to an Airbnb. If you’d prefer a more traditional hotel, I’d go with one of the options below. Our room was stunning though, and the bathroom was incredibly unique. This hotel is very central and walkable to everything else in the town. Painswick was my favorite town along our hike and I wish we had stayed another day. Make sure you grab dinner at the restaurant, as it’s known for some of the best food in town! There are quite a few restaurants to choose from, so we actually ended up bar-hopping a little bit. Definitely try a gin & tonic while you’re hiking in the Cotswolds. The local gin in England is amazing!

OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS:
The Falcon Inn– 4-star
The Painswick Hotel – 4-star


DAY SIX: PAINSWICK TO STONEHOUSE

9.5 miles

HOTEL RECOMMENDATIONS:
Stonehouse Court Hotel (where we stayed) – about 1 mile off the trail – Check-in: 3:00 pm

This was one of my favorite hotels of the whole trail. It was stunning and the food at the restaurant was incredible. There is a beautiful and haunting stone building near the river behind the hotel, so don’t miss it! When I arrived at Stonehouse Court Hotel, I was feeling a bit dehydrated and they accidentally booked us a room that was already in use. They ended up upgrading us to a suite, and it was an absolutely stunning and magical experience. The hotel itself feels somewhat ghostly and there is obviously a lot of history behind it. I’ll forever remember this hotel because it was so special. I’m still dreaming about the bread, butter, pie and soup I had there. It was one of the best meals of my life!

TIP: Limited hotel options in this area, book EARLY!


DAY SEVEN: STONEHOUSE TO WOTTON-UNDER-EDGE

14.5 miles

HOTEL RECOMMENDATIONS:
Swan Hotel (where we stayed) – Check-in: 3:00 pm – If arriving after 9pm, contact the hotel directly beforehand 

The Swan Hotel might have been one of my least favorite hotels that we stayed inn. The food just wasn’t great and the room was small. It was still clean though, which matters the most. But I just wasn’t thrilled with the experience overall. There aren’t any other hotel options in this area though, so you don’t have a choice. Maybe we were just having an off night, as there wasn’t really anything specifically wrong with it. Maybe it’s because we were just coming off of a high from the Stonehouse Court hotel!

TIP: No other hotel options in this area, book EARLY!


DAY EIGHT: WOTTON-UNDER-EDGE TO TORMARTON

15.1 miles

HOTEL RECOMMENDATIONS:
Best Western Compass Inn (where we stayed) 3-star – Check-in: 2:00 pm

I was a little nervous about booking a Best Western hotel because I wanted to steer clear of anything that reminded me of hotels in the US. But the Compass Inn still had a quaint, locals vibe and the dinner was quite delicious. There weren’t any other restaurants close-by without getting an Uber. I still think about the dessert I had there though! The rooms were cute, spacious, and clean. It didn’t necessarily feel fancy or upscale in any way, but it was good enough for us! We had a great time here, meeting people in the pub and chatting with the staff. It’s really the only hotel option in the area unless you wanted to stop a little sooner at the Dog Inn in Old Sodbury.

OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS:
The Dog Inn – 3-star – Old Sodbury

TIP: Limited hotel options, book EARLY!


DAY NINE: TORMARTON TO COLD ASHTON

6.6 miles

HOTEL RECOMMENDATIONS:
Toghill House Farm (where we stayed) – Check-in: 3:30 pm

The Toghill house farm is a stunning bed & breakfast and another one of our favorites from the hike. We got lucky and ended up in the attic room, which was incredibly stylized and comfy. There was a beautiful clawfoot bathtub and a gorgeous view of the farmland around us. We wandered the property a bit and met a gorgeous black horse. There isn’t really anywhere else to stay around this location and it’s quite difficult to get to though. Make sure to follow the walking directions the hotel will send to you. There is a free homemade English breakfast included too! This is really more of a B&B and you’ll get to know the owner and family quickly. Such a memorable experience towards the end of our hike. We even made some friends that were also hiking the trail!


DAY TEN: COLD ASHTON TO BATH!

10.2 miles

HOTEL RECOMMENDATIONS:
Oldfield’s House (where we stayed) – 4-star – Check-in: 2:00 pm

I was incredibly excited to stay at a 5-star hotel in Bath at the end of our hike. The Oldfield’s House is a bit off the beaten path and up a hill (which was not ideal at the end of a 102 mile hike), but it was a great price and had an incredible view of the city. The staff went above and beyond and treated us like kings and queens. However, the room was a bit disappointing. We had a choice of two rooms, one was in the basement with no windows and the other was in the attic and was stuffy and smelled strange. However, I think we arrived too late in the day and that is what was left. The house itself is stunning and we loved having a drink in the lounge as we watched the sunset. The room we stayed in looked pretty, but the bathroom needed to be updated and smell taken care of. If I stayed here again, I would make sure to communicate with them which room I’d be getting. It was nice being treated so nicely though and we couldn’t beat the price!

OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS:
The Francis Hotel– 4-star
Leighton House – 5-star
The Gainsborough Bath– 5-star

I hope this helped you in your search for affordable hotels along the Cotswold Way! I still look back on every single one of these hotels fondly because they were all so individually unique. There simply aren’t hotels like these in the United States unless you stay in B&Bs. We met so many lovely people and I came home raving about our trip to my family and friends. I hope I get the change to hike the trail again one day! Don’t forget to check out my full guide for hiking the trail, and make sure to watch our video series on my YouTube channel where we documented every moment of our hike!

Thanks so much for reading!

❤ Myles Katherine

Two days in Krakow, Poland: Recommendations for the Best Food and Sightseeing

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I love spending time in Krakow. It’s a beautiful, walkable city that is easy to navigate and centrally located. Krakow is a great city to visit, whether it’s your first time in Europe or if you’re a seasoned traveler. The architecture is splendid and photogenic, plus the city offers wonderful, hearty Polish food everywhere you turn.

Compared to some of the larger cities in Europe (like Paris, London, Rome), Krakow has reasonable prices, especially when it comes to food and shopping. This is because Poland uses the złoty as opposed to the euro as its currency. I also love that while there are landmarks to see, it isn’t too overwhelming with lists of must-sees. Instead, I think it’s a great city where you can choose-your-own-adventure based on what you are looking for in a trip. You can take a mini walking food tour, marvel at Wawel Castle and St. Mary’s Basilica, hike one or more of the historic mounds around the city, shop at vintage stores, or a combination. As always, I recommend bringing film cameras when traveling to new places. I brought my 35mm toy Holga camera and my Instax Mini 12 Polaroid Camera.

Bazylika Mariacka taken with Holga 35mm
Wawel Castle taken with Holga 35mm
Smok at Wawel taken with Holga 35mm

Day 1: Arrive in Krakow

Krakow is the perfect city to add to a European itinerary because of its ease and location. It’s a 5-hour train ride from Vienna, a 6-hour train ride from Prague, and an 8-hour train ride from Budapest, to name just a few major cities nearby.

I checked into the AC Hotel by Marriott Krakow, which is a 30-minute walk from Old Town, but had great rooms and a lovely breakfast buffet. If you’re looking for something more central and in the action, then I recommend the Hotel Saski Krakow, Curio Collection by Hilton.

I recommend taking your first morning or afternoon in Krakow getting to know the Old Town. This includes visiting the main square that dates back to the 13th century, Rynek Główny. There is a lot to see and do just in this small area. Some of my favorite sites and activities are the following:

  • Climb the Town Hall Tower (Wieża Ratuszowa) for a unique view of the city
  • Take a food tour, such as this one – Krakow: Tipsy Polish Food Tour With History, Pierogi & Shots
  • If you don’t take a food tour, definitely grab Pączki, traditional Polish donuts!
  • Visit the local museums, Rynek Underground Museum and Historical Museum of the City of Kraków
  • Take in the splendor of St Mary’s Basilica (Bazylika Mariacka)
  • Promenade down the historical Floriańska street for some shopping, treats, and photo opportunities
  • If you have time, stroll down to Wawel Castle for a tour and visit the dragon statue (Smok Wawelski)
  • Stroll along the Vistula River for beautiful sunset views
  • Grab a fika break at KAFFE BAGERI Stockholm. The cinnamon & cardamom bun is an absolute must!

The best thing about it is all of these sites are near each other with meandering streets and beautiful architecture to gawk at in between!

Pączki
Kaffe Bageri Stockholm

When you’re hungry and ready for a big comfort meal, Gościnna Chata Restaurant is a must. This cozy restaurant is tucked right off the main square and has its own alleyway leading to the entrance. Be sure to order the pierogis (a traditional Polish dumpling)! The atmosphere is historic and traditional with quirky decor. Having dinner here was a relaxing way to start off my trip and prepare me for a good night’s sleep before heading back to the hotel.

Day 2: Exploring Krakow’s History

If you’re up for exploring more history on the second day, I recommend exploring Kazmierz (Jewish) district and visiting one or more of the historic mounds around the city.

For a lesser-known activity, I ended up walking about 40 minutes from the AC Marriott Hotel to Kopiec Kościuszki. It was chilly in January, and there was some ice and snow, but it was fun to explore a new side of the city. The hike was worth it for the views alone. This kopiec is a great spot for unique photos and offers amazing views. There was a museum that took you through the history of the commemorative mound, created in honor of the Polish national leader Tadeusz Kościuszko.

You can reserve your ticket and skip the line here.


If you’re itching for a tour outside Krakow or end up having extra time, I recommend the Wieliczka Salt Mine Tour. This includes transfer from Krakow to the Salt Mine and back and the entry ticket with a tour by a licensed guide. I recommend carving out around four hours for the tour, and this still leaves you plenty of time in the morning or evening to continue discovering Krakow. It has a fun souvenir shop where you can pick up salt lamps, and other fun decor.

For dinner on your second night in the Kazmierz, I highly recommend Piereszy Stopien. It’s another cozy restaurant that features local ingredients and modern takes on classic dishes. I got the homemade tomato soup with poured dough (little dumplings), chicken and vegetable shashlik, and a wonderful featured drink. Everything was warm and so fresh, perfect after a day of sightseeing in early February.

Last but not least, don’t forget to bring a film camera or two! This post features my 35mm toy Holga camera and my Instax Mini 12 Polaroid Camera.

Instax Mini 12 Polaroids
Taken with Holga 35mm

❤ Natalie Anne

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Hiking the Cotswold Way in 10 Days! A FREE Guide with Hotel, Restaurant, and Packing Tips and Recommendations

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The Cotswold Way is a stunning 102-mile national hiking trail in England. It’s filled with expansive views, ancient landmarks, gorgeous farmland, countless sheep, slow sunsets, and quiet, flower-covered woodlands. It’s as magical as you think it is. But I know from experience that planning a 102-mile hike, especially when you live in an entirely different country like I do, sounds nearly impossible. When I first mentioned to my husband that I wanted to hike the Cotswold Way, it felt like a distant dream. Was I ever really going to go on the hike? Or was it just a pipe dream? I had told myself that I would do the hike before I turned 40. But the more I thought about it, the more I felt like I needed 10 days of peace and quiet. 10 days in nature to organize my thoughts. 10 days of weather, animals, flowers, and all of the natural beauties of life. I just wanted to get away, and this hike felt like exactly what I needed. So, instead of waiting until I was 39, I decided to go ahead and plan the hike at the ripe ole age of 36. Not to mention, a hike that didn’t include sleeping in a tent every night? A warm shower at the end of every day? Sounded like my kind of hike!

Now, my main problem became how do I plan a hike like this? Where do I begin? I had never gone on a long distance hike in my entire life. Heck, I’d never hiked more than 6 or 7 miles in a day! I started doing research here and there but it felt so incredibly overwhelming. I read various articles and blogs of others who had completed the hike and it slowly became less overwhelming. What I did realize though, was that my procrastination was my main issue. I had bought the plane ticket months earlier when I noticed a round trip ticket on Booking.com to London from DC for only $800 each. But the hotels and planning the hiking route was daunting. When I finally booked our first hotel, I quickly realized how few hotels there were in each town. I ended up staying up until 2 am in the morning, booking all of our hotels at once. I had waited too long. Some of the hotels only had one room left, and I was frantically opening tabs on my computer and checking dates to make sure I had done everything in the correct order. So, don’t make the same mistake I made. Book your hotels as early as you can! The towns you will hike through truly are in the middle of nowhere and in some cases, there are only two or three hotels to choose from. Not to mention, you want to make sure you get a hotel that’s near the trail, otherwise you’re adding miles and miles of hiking for yourself, unless you decide to take a taxi or uber. I’ll actually be sharing a full blog post soon with reviews of each of the hotels we stayed in, so you can get a better idea of what to expect!

The only way to keep everything organized was to create a google doc as I was planning, to make sure I didn’t book my hotels out of order, or accidentally book the wrong date. But as my google doc became longer and longer, I realized it might be helpful for other travelers who are also planning to hike the Cotswold Way. I added in some hiking tips, restaurant recommendations, packing lists, and everything that I could think of so that it might feel a little less intimidating for someone else. So, I wanted to share this with you, just in case it helps. I promise you, once you dive in, it’s not as scary and overwhelming as you might think. Remember this; soon you’ll be in beautiful, wide open fields, saying hello to the baby lambs, smelling the carefully curated flowers, photographing the gorgeous limestone cottages, sipping on a beer in a historical english pub, and wondering why you were stressing over this. Take your time, add in a few extra days for relaxation and recovery, get your workouts in, and don’t forget to book your hotels EARLY!

If you aren’t quite ready for a 102 mile hike (totally understandable), you can live vicariously through me! I have a full video series from our hike on YouTube. Follow us along on our adventure here!

I hope this guide helps you in your planning. Feel free to leave any comments below, or ideas for ways to improve the hiking guide. I’m happy to help in any way that I can! We had such an incredible experience. I told my sister the other day that I would definitely do the whole hike again if the opportunity presented itself. It was exactly what I needed, and everything I’d hoped for (and more)! You’ll love it.

❤ Myles Katherine

The Cotwold Way Guide by Cameras & CatsDownload

Essential Travel Tips for Planning Your Own Trip without using a Travel Agent – Portugal Edition!

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I’m not sure how it happened, but at some point my sister and I became the designated travel agents for all of our friends and family. And no, we don’t do it professionally! We just love traveling, we love researching, and we love having memorable and easygoing travel experiences. Ever since our summer abroad in Paris when we were in high school and college, we’ve slowly learned a thing or two about being abroad. It’s always a little overwhelming in the beginning of planning a trip. Flights, hotels, rental cars, day trips, restaurants… it’s a lot to think about it. But if you just focus on one thing at a time, the rest will fall into place. I also wrote this list in the order that I follow throughout the booking process. 🙂 I hope it helps simplify your travel planning!

FLIGHTS

I always start with booking my flight first. It just feels like the “biggest” thing to get out of the way – figuring out the dates! Plus, the plane ticket is usually the largest and most expensive part of traveling so I like to make sure I get the best deal on the plane tickets first and foremost. I typically try to research flight prices on Mondays-Wednesdays when the tickets are usually the cheapest. It’s also helpful to book at 6-8 weeks out for domestic flights and 2-6 months out for international flights. Though, if you’re dates are flexible, I recommend watching the flight prices for a few days (or weeks if you have the time) before making your purchase. I tend to use Booking.com most of the time because it’s easy to find the cheapest flights with their search engine and they offer mix-and-match flights from multiple airlines. Oftentimes, booking directly with an airline site is more expensive. Just make sure to read their refund process because it’s usually different for each airline, even when you book through Booking.com. I tend to do way too much research when it comes to booking flights because I’m always looking for the one with the least amount of layovers for the best price. Yes, sometimes I’ll even make spreadsheets and charts before purchasing… but that’s probably overkill. 🙂 I booked our Portugal trip for 10 days. I always find this to be a good timeline if you’re going to be traveling between two-three cities. And honestly, 10 days wasn’t even enough for Portugal! In Japan, we were there for about 11 days, which felt just about perfect. If you’re spending all of this money on plane tickets, you might as well make it worth your while! And remember, you only live once!

HOTELS

Okay, so you finally pulled the trigger and booked a flight! Yay! After I book a flight, I usually take a few days off to let my brain recharge. Hotel research is a whole other beast. BUT! Booking.com actually offers package deals that include flights and hotels, which makes it even easier! I usually do my initial research on Booking.com and then make sure to read a few reviews on each hotel on Google too before officially deciding. If you’re traveling to Portugal, make sure to check out my blog post – Cute and Affordable Hotels in Porto and Lisbon – for recommendations! I’ve learned the hard way to keep the hotels to a minimum. Meaning, stay in the same hotel for as many nights as possible and avoid switching hotels if you can. It’s such a pain dealing with check-in/check-out times and dragging suitcases down the street and on public transportation. TRUST ME. I recommend only one hotel per city. In many cases, you can take day-trips out of major cities to see landmarks and use your hotel as a home base for the majority of your trip. Also, I definitely recommend reading some travel blogs or reddit posts about the best areas for visitors to stay in for the city you are visiting. You’d be surprised how many people have already done the research for you! Reddit is a lifesaver, in case you haven’t discovered it yet. I use it all the time! You can usually figure out how convenient a hotel is by reading the reviews as well. In Europe, I tend to like hotels that are located near the river, as most European cities were built around waterways. In Porto, I’d recommend the Ribeira and Baixa areas. In Lisbon, we stayed in the Chiado area!

TRANSPORTATION

Booking transportation can be the most stressful part of planning a trip – trying to figure out how to get from point A to point B in a foreign country. Honestly, I just read other people’s travel blogs! After doing a bit of research, I figured out that Omio is one of the easiest ways to book bus and train tickets in Portugal. They have a super easy to use phone app, so just make sure to download it before you go! I booked our train ticket from Porto to Lisbon on the app before we left but I’ve read that you can book train tickets on Omio even on the day of your train ride. You can also book buses and ferries on Omio, all over Europe. It’s a super helpful app! For rental cars, you can also use Booking.com. They always have super competitive rates!

EXPERIENCES AND DAY TRIPS

This is the fun part! What do you want to do while you’re there?! Booking day trips and experiences are the best way to get to know a new country. You can do food tours, ghost tours, boat rides, entertainment, wine tastings, etc. The list goes on and on! I prefer to use Viator for this kind of thing because the experiences usually have a lot of reviews from previous travelers. Sometimes there are multiple versions of the same type of excursion but the schedule of the day is different. They do this so that tour groups don’t run into each other. For example, the Douro Valley Wine Tour with River Cruise that I booked in Portugal had a few different options. You could either do the tour that included two vineyard visits and a boat ride OR a tour that included three vineyard visits without a boat ride. We also did a 3 Hour Food & Wine Tour in Porto, Portugal that we loved – you can read more about it on the blog here! These kinds of tours are typically great for older travelers too because everything is pre-planned and you can choose the tour that works for your accessibility. I try to book at least 2-3 tours/excursions for each trip we take. The tour guides are usually super friendly and willing to share information about their culture and country. You might even find that you make friends through your tour group that you keep up with throughout your travels. And maybe even friends for life!

RESTAURANTS AND FOOD OPTIONS

This can often be the most stressful part of a trip when you’re exhausted, lost, jet-lagged, or starving. Every country is different, which is why I make sure to create a list of restaurant ideas before we even leave for our trip. I make sure to pick restaurants that are close to our hotel for those nights when our feet are throbbing and we just want to hang out in our temporary neighborhood. You can also create your own map using Google My Maps, which is an incredible tool. You can add the restaurants, coffee shops, hotels, landmarks, and anything else you’re planning to do to your map so you can see how far away everything is from each other. Make sure to download your map to make it accessible offline just in case you don’t have wifi or service at some point during your trip.

OTHER TRAVEL TIPS

-Bring a charged power bank with you everywhere. Your phone will die FAST when you’re using it all day for maps, directions, restaurant research, etc.

-Bring a camera! As a photographer, I often bring multiple cameras, but a camera like the Canon G7X Mark II is great for travel because the images are beautiful but the camera itself is super easy to use. You can read more about this camera on my photography blog here! Plus, it’s a tiny point and shoot camera and can fit in your pocket!

-Invest in a rolling suitcase with spinner wheels. These are SO much better than the old school suitcases that you have to drag behind you. It makes the airport experience a million times better, believe me!

-GET AIRTAGS FOR YOUR LUGGAGE! I’ve heard so many nightmare stories about lost luggage. Airtags allow you to track your luggage throughout your trip. Even if you just accidentally leave your suitcase outside of the elevator at your hotel. Airtags are truly amazing. I use them for everything in my life now. Plus, it’s kind of fun to watch your suitcase travel along with you from airport to airport.

I’ll be sure to add more tips as they come to me, but for now, I hope these tips help you in your planning process! Feel free to leave any comments/questions below!

Happy traveling!
❤ Myles Katherine

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Cute and Affordable Hotels in Porto and Lisbon, Portugal – Travel Tips for Couples on a Budget

Published on by C'est le Brie3 Comments

I LOVE a good hotel deal. Especially when I’m planning a long trip and I don’t want the majority of my expenses to be a room that I hardly spend any time in. I always have the intention to lay around in the hotel room and sit on the balcony sipping my coffee, but it never really seems to happen. There’s just always too much to do and see outside of my doorstep! But… I do like to have the option to lounge or sip my coffee with a beautiful view. You just never know! 🙂 That’s why I spend a LOT of time researching our hotels before our trips. I read tons of reviews on multiple websites and I scour the internet for discounts and deals. I’m here to save you a bit of that trouble and tell you about the adorable and affordable hotels we stayed in on our recent trip to Portugal! It would simply be unfair of me to keep them a secret! Below, I’ve included our 4 favorite hotels that we stayed in throughout our 10 day trip to Porto and Lisbon.

1. MEMORIA PORTO FLH HOTEL: My absolute favorite hotel in Porto was the Memoria Porto FLH Hotel. I KNEW it was going to be perfect as soon as I stumbled across it because the photos looked incredible. And honestly, it totally lived up to the hype. As with most European hotels, the room wasn’t enormous, but it was super duper clean and we were greeted with a glass of Port after a LONG journey from the United States. It was quiet and peaceful with a lovely view of the river. It was located right next to the gorgeous and historic Church of Saint Francis and was walkable to pretty much everything we did in the city. Just be ready to get a WORKOUT in Porto. The hills are no joke. But I felt so fit and toned when I got home! Make sure to check out Curioso cocktail bar – it’s walkable from the hotel and was home to the best cocktails we had in Porto.

Also, if you’re going to be in Porto for a few days, I definitely recommend this Douro Valley Wine Tour and this 3-Hour Food & Wine Tour. We had the BEST time of both of these tours and our guides were incredible! You can read more about the Douro Valley wine tour here or the 3-hour food and wine tour here! It’s just an absolute necessity to drink Port while you’re in Porto!

Front Entrance of Memoria Porto FLH Hotel

Basic Twin Room

Private Bathroom

Breakfast Area

Cute Entryway

The Port we received upon arrival and the view from the front entrance of the hotel

Beautiful Park Super Close to the Hotel

Church of Saint Francis

2. ACTA THE CLOVER IN PORTO – We only stayed one night at the Acta the Clover but it was so so lovely. We had a large balcony looking over the city and we left the windows open all night long. Our room was facing away from the train station so it was quiet and peaceful. And it’s located super close to the Trinidade metro/train station which is one of the main stations in the city. It felt very fancy, especially the service we received at the front desk. They even had fruit-infused water in the lobby which I always appreciate, especially in Europe. Once again, it’s a pretty small room but that’s just typical of Europe, especially if you’re traveling on a budget. For me though, I care about cleanliness and comfort, and this room was everything we needed. My husband and I argued over whether this hotel was nicer than the Memoria Porto but I think that just shows that they were both amazing!

Double Room

Balcony View

In-room Coffee Bar

3. HOTEL PORTO INTERFACE TRINIDADE BY KAVIA IN PORTO – The Hotel Porto Interface Trinidade was probably the least nice of the three hotels we stayed in in Porto, but it was probably the most convenient. It’s literally right across the street from the major Trinidade train station. You just walk across the street and you’re there. So if you’re short on time and want to stay close to transportation, this is a great option. It was quite loud, even with the windows closed but I don’t mind sleeping with earbuds in. I’ve gotten used to traveling with them though, so it’s not a big deal for me as long as I have those. My husband, however, can sleep through anything so he didn’t even notice. The hotel overall was very clean though and I like that you needed the key card to get in through the front door. It made it feel safer, especially being right across from the train station. It’s a very busy area near lots of shopping and major sites, but it did feel a bit crowded. I preferred the quiet area near Memoria Porto, but my husband liked being closer to the inner part of the city. Once again, it’s pretty small. Don’t do what I did and bring a giant American suitcase with you because it won’t fit anywhere in Europe. You would think I’d learn my lesson by now, but I still haven’t…. I just like to bring all of my cute outfits!! I forgot to take photos before we’d already settled in with our suitcases, so just ignore all of our stuff everywhere. 🙂

Double Room

Private Bathroom

4. BOUTIQUE CHIADO APARTMENTS AND SUITES IN LISBON – The Boutique Chiado Apartments and Suites was my husband’s favorite of the 4 hotels. And thinking back on it now, it was definitely the biggest and most comfortable of them all, especially for an extended stay. It was like a little home away from home. It had a large living room area, a mini kitchen and a separate area for the bedroom. It was absolutely gorgeous and in a great location. The Chiado area has a lot of great restaurants and coffee shops, and is just a short walk to a huge bar scene area if that’s more your vibe. If we ever go back to Lisbon, I will definitely book this hotel again, no question. It was incredibly affordable and we appreciated the extra space, for sure.

Also, just as a quick travel tip, we used Omio to book our train travel between Porto and Lisbon. It took me a while to figure out the best way to book train travel from the US while we were planning. This was by far the easiest and least confusing option. They have a cute and fun app you can use, and the tickets are super affordable. You can find tickets from Porto to Lisbon here!

Hotel Entrance

Double/twin Room Deluxe

Private Bathroom

View from the Living Area

Hotel Entrance

We had such an incredible time in Portugal and the hotels make such a big difference. My family always reaches out to me for hotel recommendations because I love saving money where I can but I’m also not willing to give up my comfort and safety. All of these hotel rooms are perfect for a traveling couple on a budget. I hope this information helps you in your trip planning!

WHERE TO BOOK:

MEMORIA PORTO FLH HOTEL on Expedia.com

ACTA THE CLOVER IN PORTO on Expedia.com

HOTEL PORTO INTERFACE TRINIDADE BY KAVIA IN PORTO on Expedia.com

BOUTIQUE CHIADO APARTMENTS AND SUITES on Expedia.com

TRAIN TRAVEL RECOMMENDATION:

OMIO

Happy travels!

❤ Myles Katherine