travel
Prague, Czech Republic
On January 23rd, myself and 23 other students embarked on a four day, three night trip to Prague in the heart of Czech Republic. Last year I headed to the beautiful city of Budapest, so I had high expectations for Prague. Although we were there for 3 nights, the first and last days were primarily spent travelling to and from the airport. We managed to fit a good bit in to our other two full days- here's what we got up to!
Where to stay;
We stayed in the cutest little hostel about 15/20 mins from the city centre by tram called Sir Toby's. The rooms were clean and affordable, and the bar downstairs was where we started our nights every evening. With happy hour from 6-8pm and beers for around 90c, you couldn't go wrong! The breakfast in the morning was a help-yourself sort of situation but the food was delicious. They also had a free dinner most evenings which I tried on the first night and it didn't disappoint. It's the perfect hostel for travelling with a large group of people, but I think if I was to visit Prague again I'd prefer to stay closer to the city centre. I've friends that stayed in a hostel there called Mosaic House and they had no complaints either.
Things to do & see;
For our first full day, we went on a two hour walking tour around the city. This covered parts of the old and new town, and cost around €6 each. Similar walking tours are usually free, but the common courtesy in Prague is to tip the tour guide whatever amount you want at the end. The day we went on the tour also happened to be the coldest day during our trip, with temperatures hitting -9 during the day. We ended the tour a bit early because of it- even with three layers of clothes on, I've never felt a bitterness like it! For our second full day, we took the 1-hour train journey out to the concentration camp town of Terezín just outside of Prague. As a bit of a history nerd, this trip in particular was one that I was really looking forward to! As we went through a company, the trip (including travel time) was about 6 hours long, but it was so worth it. It's genuinely the strangest town I've ever visited, and it was so moving to hear what went on there during WW2.
Food & nightlife;
I'll be honest- 24 students on a tight new year budget meant that most days, we were just eating pizza from the local takeaway retaurants. As I mentioned above, our hostel had free dinner which I tried the first night. I always make an effort to at least try the traditional food in the country I'm visiting! It was some sort of red lentil soup and it was delicious. My favourite meal was on the last evening when some of us went to a local Czech restaurant. I had goulash in Hungary but I was dying to try the Czech version and it was honestly one of the best dishes I've had in a while! I also tried trdelnik (pictured below) which was such a warming sweet treat.
We went out every night (nothing new there) to a variety of bars and clubs including the famous 5-storey Karlovy Lázne, as well as another club called James Dean and a bar called Groove. The student nightlife was a lot quieter than I expected (compared to Budapest this time last year) but the drinks were still ridiculously cheap.
Have you ever been to Prague? If you're heading there soon and need any more information, pop me a comment below or tweet me and I'll try my best to help!
3 Nights in Prague | Travel Guide
2.03.2017
Prague, Czech Republic
On January 23rd, myself and 23 other students embarked on a four day, three night trip to Prague in the heart of Czech Republic. Last year I headed to the beautiful city of Budapest, so I had high expectations for Prague. Although we were there for 3 nights, the first and last days were primarily spent travelling to and from the airport. We managed to fit a good bit in to our other two full days- here's what we got up to!
Where to stay;
We stayed in the cutest little hostel about 15/20 mins from the city centre by tram called Sir Toby's. The rooms were clean and affordable, and the bar downstairs was where we started our nights every evening. With happy hour from 6-8pm and beers for around 90c, you couldn't go wrong! The breakfast in the morning was a help-yourself sort of situation but the food was delicious. They also had a free dinner most evenings which I tried on the first night and it didn't disappoint. It's the perfect hostel for travelling with a large group of people, but I think if I was to visit Prague again I'd prefer to stay closer to the city centre. I've friends that stayed in a hostel there called Mosaic House and they had no complaints either.
Things to do & see;
For our first full day, we went on a two hour walking tour around the city. This covered parts of the old and new town, and cost around €6 each. Similar walking tours are usually free, but the common courtesy in Prague is to tip the tour guide whatever amount you want at the end. The day we went on the tour also happened to be the coldest day during our trip, with temperatures hitting -9 during the day. We ended the tour a bit early because of it- even with three layers of clothes on, I've never felt a bitterness like it! For our second full day, we took the 1-hour train journey out to the concentration camp town of Terezín just outside of Prague. As a bit of a history nerd, this trip in particular was one that I was really looking forward to! As we went through a company, the trip (including travel time) was about 6 hours long, but it was so worth it. It's genuinely the strangest town I've ever visited, and it was so moving to hear what went on there during WW2.
Food & nightlife;
I'll be honest- 24 students on a tight new year budget meant that most days, we were just eating pizza from the local takeaway retaurants. As I mentioned above, our hostel had free dinner which I tried the first night. I always make an effort to at least try the traditional food in the country I'm visiting! It was some sort of red lentil soup and it was delicious. My favourite meal was on the last evening when some of us went to a local Czech restaurant. I had goulash in Hungary but I was dying to try the Czech version and it was honestly one of the best dishes I've had in a while! I also tried trdelnik (pictured below) which was such a warming sweet treat.
We went out every night (nothing new there) to a variety of bars and clubs including the famous 5-storey Karlovy Lázne, as well as another club called James Dean and a bar called Groove. The student nightlife was a lot quieter than I expected (compared to Budapest this time last year) but the drinks were still ridiculously cheap.
Have you ever been to Prague? If you're heading there soon and need any more information, pop me a comment below or tweet me and I'll try my best to help!
Glasgow, Scotland
After waking up ridiculously early one Friday last month, I checked my emails (as usual) and the first thing I saw was an email from Ryanair- "€2 FLIGHTS". Feeling rather spontaneous, I gathered some of the girls together and after repeatedly trying to access the crashing website, seven of us managed to book return flights to Glasgow for 4 quid. Cheaper than a trip into Dublin city!
Because we were flying out early in the morning and flying home late that night, we wanted to fit as much sightseeing in as possible. Here's what we got up to!
12 Hours In Glasgow | Travel Guide
11.24.2016
Glasgow, Scotland
After waking up ridiculously early one Friday last month, I checked my emails (as usual) and the first thing I saw was an email from Ryanair- "€2 FLIGHTS". Feeling rather spontaneous, I gathered some of the girls together and after repeatedly trying to access the crashing website, seven of us managed to book return flights to Glasgow for 4 quid. Cheaper than a trip into Dublin city!
Because we were flying out early in the morning and flying home late that night, we wanted to fit as much sightseeing in as possible. Here's what we got up to!
Liverpool, UK
After my original holiday fell through and with time already booked off work, myself and two of my besties decided to pop over to the UK for a small break away. Today's post is all about the 48 hours we spent in Liverpool, before we headed off to Manchester for a night. Liverpool is the perfect city for students- mostly because of how cheap it is! Our flights were €20 return with Ryanair and we stayed in a hotel called Days Inn, which was about £70 between us for the two nights. I thought I'd put together a little student friendly travel guide for anyone that's thinking of heading away this year for a quick city break!
48 Hours In Liverpool | Travel Guide
7.03.2016
Liverpool, UK
After my original holiday fell through and with time already booked off work, myself and two of my besties decided to pop over to the UK for a small break away. Today's post is all about the 48 hours we spent in Liverpool, before we headed off to Manchester for a night. Liverpool is the perfect city for students- mostly because of how cheap it is! Our flights were €20 return with Ryanair and we stayed in a hotel called Days Inn, which was about £70 between us for the two nights. I thought I'd put together a little student friendly travel guide for anyone that's thinking of heading away this year for a quick city break!
Budapest, Hungary
I say this all the time, but I feel like every time I travel, I grow as a person. Back in January I headed to Budapest with a group of fellow photography lovers from college, and I came back feeling completely refreshed. Not only did I make a whole bunch of like-minded friends, but I fell in love with the city, too.
Budapest Photo Diary
3.11.2016 Budapest, Hungary
Budapest, Hungary
I say this all the time, but I feel like every time I travel, I grow as a person. Back in January I headed to Budapest with a group of fellow photography lovers from college, and I came back feeling completely refreshed. Not only did I make a whole bunch of like-minded friends, but I fell in love with the city, too.
What To Eat:
Custard tarts (or 'pastel de nata') are a Portuguese speciality, and by god,they're delicious! I really didn't think I'd enjoy them but I had way too many during my 5 day stay in Lisbon. The best ones I tried were at Confeitaria Nacional (Praça da Figueira 18B). We had breakfast there twice as it was only a 5 minute walk from our apartment! I also recommend their hot chocolate (one of the best I've ever had) and their croissants. For dinner, we mostly had Italian as there were plenty of restaurants to choose from. We really enjoyed Romans (Rua Augusta, 216-218) and Da Vinci Ristorante & Pizzeria (Rua Jardim Do Rejedor, 37-45).
Confeitaria Nacional
Breakfast at Confeitaria Nacional & Dinner at Da Vincis
Places To Visit
Two day trips that are quick to make and well worth the time are Cascais and Sintra. Lisbon is a beautiful city itself, but if you're looking to fit in a trip to the beach, then Cascais is the place to go. It's only 40 minutes by train from the Cais De Sodre station (which is also on the metro line) and cost around €4.40 return for an adult. There are many beaches there and it was absolutely scorching when we went there (twice!). Sintra is another town that's also around 40 minutes away, which you can get to from the Rossio train station. It's a beautiful old little town that has plenty of castles. We chose the Quinta da Regaleira, the cheapest of the 'palaces', which was stunning on the outside but a bit of a let down inside. We also took a little train around the city which cost €5 each!
Cascais beach & Quinta da Regaleira
Where To Shop
The streets of centre Lisbon itself, particularly around the Baixo-Chiado metro station, are full of shops like H&M and Zara. There's also plenty of cheaper shops with jewellery for as little as €2 and handbags for €10. However if you prefer to have all your shops under one roof, the Vasco Da Gama shopping centre, beside the Oriente metro station, is a must visit! From Sephora to Stradivarius, there's something to suit everyone, not to mention a massive food court with the likes of Pizza Hut and KFC.
So there you have it! My guide to Lisbon. If you have any more questions about where to stay (or if you're looking for a beautiful apartment recommendation) don't hesitate to get in touch via twitter or email.
Have you been to Lisbon before?
-Rachel x
My Travel Guide To Lisbon
7.27.2015
What To Eat:
Custard tarts (or 'pastel de nata') are a Portuguese speciality, and by god,they're delicious! I really didn't think I'd enjoy them but I had way too many during my 5 day stay in Lisbon. The best ones I tried were at Confeitaria Nacional (Praça da Figueira 18B). We had breakfast there twice as it was only a 5 minute walk from our apartment! I also recommend their hot chocolate (one of the best I've ever had) and their croissants. For dinner, we mostly had Italian as there were plenty of restaurants to choose from. We really enjoyed Romans (Rua Augusta, 216-218) and Da Vinci Ristorante & Pizzeria (Rua Jardim Do Rejedor, 37-45).
Confeitaria Nacional
Breakfast at Confeitaria Nacional & Dinner at Da Vincis
Places To Visit
Two day trips that are quick to make and well worth the time are Cascais and Sintra. Lisbon is a beautiful city itself, but if you're looking to fit in a trip to the beach, then Cascais is the place to go. It's only 40 minutes by train from the Cais De Sodre station (which is also on the metro line) and cost around €4.40 return for an adult. There are many beaches there and it was absolutely scorching when we went there (twice!). Sintra is another town that's also around 40 minutes away, which you can get to from the Rossio train station. It's a beautiful old little town that has plenty of castles. We chose the Quinta da Regaleira, the cheapest of the 'palaces', which was stunning on the outside but a bit of a let down inside. We also took a little train around the city which cost €5 each!
Cascais beach & Quinta da Regaleira
Where To Shop
The streets of centre Lisbon itself, particularly around the Baixo-Chiado metro station, are full of shops like H&M and Zara. There's also plenty of cheaper shops with jewellery for as little as €2 and handbags for €10. However if you prefer to have all your shops under one roof, the Vasco Da Gama shopping centre, beside the Oriente metro station, is a must visit! From Sephora to Stradivarius, there's something to suit everyone, not to mention a massive food court with the likes of Pizza Hut and KFC.
So there you have it! My guide to Lisbon. If you have any more questions about where to stay (or if you're looking for a beautiful apartment recommendation) don't hesitate to get in touch via twitter or email.
Have you been to Lisbon before?
-Rachel x
Hey everyone,
Guess who's back in Ireland? Much to my dismay, me! Don't get me wrong, I do like my home country, but that post-holiday depression has certainly hit. And I've only been home a few hours! It was my first time in Lisbon- and Portugal in general, actually- but I really did love it. There's something about Lisbon that really captured my heart. Between the beautiful weather, the old fashioned buildings and plenty of things to see and do, it's safe to say it's a place I'd definitely like to return to!
I took so many photos during my trip (some which can be seen on my Instagram here) so there'll be plenty of outfit and travel posts coming your way! I have a pretty busy week ahead, but I'm feeling so inspired to blog. Travel really does broaden the mind, and thankfully this trip has brought me out of that dark hole of blogger's block!
Playsuit- New Look
Sandals- New Look
Bag- vintage
Hat- Penneys/Primark
Shop similar here...
Have you ever been to Lisbon?
-Rachel x
OOTD- The Streets Of Lisbon
7.25.2015
Hey everyone,
Guess who's back in Ireland? Much to my dismay, me! Don't get me wrong, I do like my home country, but that post-holiday depression has certainly hit. And I've only been home a few hours! It was my first time in Lisbon- and Portugal in general, actually- but I really did love it. There's something about Lisbon that really captured my heart. Between the beautiful weather, the old fashioned buildings and plenty of things to see and do, it's safe to say it's a place I'd definitely like to return to!
I took so many photos during my trip (some which can be seen on my Instagram here) so there'll be plenty of outfit and travel posts coming your way! I have a pretty busy week ahead, but I'm feeling so inspired to blog. Travel really does broaden the mind, and thankfully this trip has brought me out of that dark hole of blogger's block!
Playsuit- New Look
Sandals- New Look
Bag- vintage
Hat- Penneys/Primark
Shop similar here...
Have you ever been to Lisbon?
-Rachel x
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