Instant Dopamine release 😅✌🏽 Instant Dopamine release 😅✌🏽
💦Your sign to go book some villa fun with your 💦Your sign to go book some villa fun with your besties😆

😮Would you believe me if I told you I found this villa 4 hours before landing in Marbella.

🙈I realised on THE DAY of flying that what we had originally booked was a scam.

🤭 When I first realised I text my pal and we were both just laughing about it all, like “OF COURSE, it’s a scam, why wouldn’t it be” as the day went on the stress began to creep in 😅

📞After some calls to @airbnb, and by some strOke of luck, I managed to find this little gem. I called the host directly (to make sure we didn’t get stung again 🐝) and then it was ours. 

💰We even got this cheaper than the original thanks to an apology discount voucher from Airbnb. 

So thankfully it all worked out in the end 😎😅✌🏽

Have you had any travel mishaps like this?
🌴Marbella Snippets 🇪🇸 ☀️It’s the f 🌴Marbella Snippets 🇪🇸

☀️It’s the first holiday I’ve been on in a while where I’ve done nothing but relax. No hiking or hours of exploring involved (obviously it’s my favourite thing to do) but it was nice to just chill, and and drink with my best pals. 👯‍♀️

What do you prefer… relaxing or exploring? 😴🧗🏼‍♀️
I can, I will, I already have 😂✌🏽 I can, I will, I already have 😂✌🏽
The reason why I’ve been MIA for all of July. Bu The reason why I’ve been MIA for all of July. But I’m back for August ✌🏽🌻
🎈Thirty, Flirty, Thriving🎈 I may or may not 🎈Thirty, Flirty, Thriving🎈

I may or may not have waited 18 years to say that 😅. It’s also a lie, in reality I’m Thirty, Awkward and Tired 😅😅. 

Here’s hoping the next 30 years are filled with as much adventure as the last ✈️🌍❤️

📍Camber Sands
🇬🇹Solo Travel moments in Lake Atitlan, Guate 🇬🇹Solo Travel moments in Lake Atitlan, Guatemala❤️
Agreed ✈️🛫🛩🛬🌍🌎🌏 Agreed ✈️🛫🛩🛬🌍🌎🌏
☀️🕶Long nights, golden hour glow, sunkissed ☀️🕶Long nights, golden hour glow, sunkissed skin and a nice cold glass of @castillodeibiza = those perfect summer days 🌊🍷

What’s your favourite thing about summer? 🌅
𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐕𝐄𝐋𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐎𝐅𝐓𝐄𝐍 𝐎𝐍 𝐀 𝐓𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 𝐁𝐔𝐃𝐆𝐄𝐓. 

💰Here are my top tips on how to travel often but keep the costs down. 

💙Be more flexible with you destinations and go to places that have the cheapest flights. ⬇️

My top tip for finding these is head to @skyscanner add in the dates you want to go and type in “EVERYWHERE” in to the destination box. @skyscanner will bring up the cheapest flights in ascending order. 

💙Use deal finding apps like @jacksflightclub @travelzoo_uk @secretescapes @holidaypirates @voyageprive_uk to find deals on flights, hotels and holidays. 

💙Avoid paying for checked luggage where possible. Try the clothes rolling technique, you’ll be surprised at how much you can fit in your hand luggage by doing this. 

💙Don’t splash out on fancy hotels if you don’t plan on being in the hotel much. This for example could be on a city break, chances are you will spend most of the day exploring and use your hotel litterally to sleep and shower. 

💙 If you are solo travelling, stay in a hostel. Meet people that you can do activities with , which can also help share/spread and cut costs.

💙 Get on to Google and find out the best free things to do at your destination.

💙Try to cook some meals where you can. I know part of travel is trying out new foods but if you are doing it often cooking one or two meals is a great way of cutting costs. Alternatively book accommodation that offers free breakfast as part of their package. 

💙 Walk as much as you can to cut down on transport costs.

💙Alternatively if walking isn’t an option and you’re in a city, buy their local travel transport card (eg Oyster card for London). I’ve found that a lot of European cities have super cheap train/tram/bus costs and are even cheaper with one of these cards. 

💙Rent a car. Renting a car can be sometimes miles cheaper than going on a package tour or excursion. Sometimes this isn’t the case but do your research first to see what’s your best option
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European cities you NEED to visit 🌍 European cities you NEED to visit 🌍
TRAVEL OFTEN AROUND YOUR 9-5⬇️ 🟠 Obvious c TRAVEL OFTEN AROUND YOUR 9-5⬇️

🟠 Obvious choice but make use of the weekends. Fly out on Friday night and home Sunday evening. Really good to squeeze in a mini city break. 

🟠 For longer holidays use the same method as above. Fly out on a Friday night and home the following Sunday. You can get almost 9 days away and only have to take 5 days off work.

🟠 Make use of your bank holidays. Tag on an extra day off around a bank holiday. For example around the Easter break. 

🟠If you are flying on weekdays fly out late evening and fly home early morning so you don’t have to take those flying days off work.

🟠 Work from your holiday. Commit to working one or two mornings whilst you are away. This can help in saving up a few half days when you get to the end of the year. However this is probably not worth it on shorter trips

🟠 If you are able to travel with work. Make a holiday out of that by tagging on a few days holiday after the work trip is over.
Thing to do in Bruges ⬇️ 🇧🇪Enjoy the Br Thing to do in Bruges ⬇️

🇧🇪Enjoy the Bruges food and drinks scene
🇧🇪Hop on a Canal Tour 
🇧🇪View the Rozenhoedkaai
🇧🇪Visit one of Bruges many Musuems
🇧🇪Minnewater Park
🇧🇪Have a drink by the Canal
🇧🇪Visit the In Bruges filming locations
🇧🇪Indulge in some of the finest Belgian Chocolates.
🇧🇪Wander through the Markt
🇧🇪Climb up the Belfry Tower (Belfry of Bruges)
🇧🇪De Bruges square  
🇧🇪St Bonifacius Bridge
Bruges, Mini Vlog 🌺🍺🇧🇪 The cutest litt Bruges, Mini Vlog 🌺🍺🇧🇪
The cutest little city on canals
@wappingdocklandsmarket 🥕🌶🌽🍅 @wappingdocklandsmarket 🥕🌶🌽🍅
Sound on 🔈 For legal reasons this is a joke x Sound on 🔈

For legal reasons this is a joke x
@whitehouseglamping [gifted stay] @whitehouseglamping [gifted stay]
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Money spending tips with @christina.intheclouds 😂✌🏽
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Europe, Road Trips · April 3, 2020

Tromso, Norway – A 5-day Road Trip Itinerary

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Tromso, Norway, has been on my bucket list ever since visiting Iceland 2 years ago. Iceland was so magical and I just knew that Tromso, Norway and in fact all of Norway would provide me with a similar, if not better experience. It quickly made it’s way to the top of my bucket list!

With an endless list of beautiful places to visit in Norway, we tirelessly deliberated on the best place to go. After looking at factors such as cost, and travel time a decision was made. We decided on a 5-day road trip and head to Tromso, Norway.

Day 1 – Tromso, Norway

Our flight landed in Tromso, Norway at Tromso Airport around 2pm. This was following a layover in Oslo as there were no direct flights on this day. We picked up the car that we had pre-booked with Europcar and headed to our accommodation.

We stayed in the cutest cabin at Tromso, Norway Lodge and Camping. The staff there were so lovely, I had accidentally booked a cabin without a toilet and when asked if we could move to a cabin with facilities, they didn’t charge us the full price for the upgrade!

Tromso, Norway
Tromso, Norway

Here are some things to do in Tromso, Norway:

  1. Take a walk around the Harbour
  2. Visit the Arctic Cathedral
  3. Fjellheisen cable car (We didn’t actually go on these ourselves but took a drive up to a nearby viewpoint to see some of the views)
  4. Stock up on groceries at the local supermarket– Norway isn’t best known for its cuisine, and a basic toastie in a cafe can set you back a £7. If you’re staying somewhere with cooking facilities, my best bit of advice would be to cook your dinner and prepare lunch and snacks for the days ahead.

Tromso, Norway
Tromso, Norway
Tromso, Norway

Day 2 – Tromso to Sommarøy Island

On day 2 we decided to get up early and set off for Sommarøy Island with a few scenic stop offs on the way.

Stop 1

Telegrafbukta beach was the first stop, which is in Tromso, Norway itself. If you are looking for more things to do in Tromso I would recommend giving this beach a visit, however, I wouldn’t say this is a must-do, you’ll see plenty of amazing beaches and fjords en route to and in Sommarøy itself.

Tromso, Norway

Stop 2

Our next stop was the picturesque town of Ersfjordbotn. After walking around the shore and taking a thousand pictures we stopped for a coffee and cake at the cutest cafe Bryggejentene. I recommend trying the custard cinnamon swirl!

Tromso, Norway
Tromso, Norway
Tromso, Norway
Tromso, Norway
Tromso, Norway
Tromso, Norway

Stop 3

Stop 3 was completely unexpected! It is a place we just happen to pass on our driving route from Tromso, Norway towards Sommarøy. After a bit of googling I discovered that this place was called Nordfjordbotn and it was probably one of my favourite views from the trip.

To get the best view of the Fjord you will have to pull up in a small lay-by on the side of the road. You’ll know this is coming up as you’ll see a tall slim building on the top of a hill (bad explanation I know, but it’s a bit random and out of place so you’ll know what I mean when you see it).

Stop 4

Our penultimate stop for the day was Krinta Beach on Sommarøy island itself. The water here is so blue (even when it’s cloudy). This is a definite must-see if you’re visiting Sommarøy.

Before heading to our accommodation we grabbed some lunch from Havfrua Cafe. We ordered two portions of chicken nuggets and chips and this set us back around £25 ( I think now you see why I recommend buying groceries and cooking your own meals). Although it was delicious and a nice escape from the cold.

After our day of adventuring, we finally checked into our accommodation at the Sommarøy Arctic Hotel (which is just over the bridge on Hillesøy island). We spent the rest of the evening relaxing, drinking endless cups of coffee, walking around the local area and chasing the Northern Lights (these were non-existent due to excessive cloud cover).

Note: This hotel does not have cooking facilities, so you will have to buy dinner here. Be sure to stock up on snacks from the supermarket too as the bar is quite expensive.

Day 3 – Sommarøy Island to Senja

Before checking out of our hotel we enjoyed the complimentary buffet breakfast, and also used some of what was on offer to make sandwiches for our lunch.

We had then planned to do a small hike in Sommarøy called Ørnfløya, but the designated parking spot was covered in meters of snow so we decided to leave it and head straight to our cabin in Senja.

After 3.5 hours driving and a few snack and pee stops we arrived at our cabin in the south of Senja in the cutest little town called Stonglandseidet.

We had a little walk around the village before sunset, then headed back to our cabin lit the fire and cooked our dinner.

The forecast for the evening was clear skies, so we spent 6 hours waiting for the Northern Lights to come out, but no such luck.

Note: I suggest using https://www.norway-lights.com/ to track activity Northern Light activity as well as downloading an app called “My Aurora Forecast” to decide whether it’s worth your time searching for them.

Day 4 – Exploring Senja

We woke up early to watch the sunrise from our cabin, and as you can see from the pictures we were in the perfect spot to see the sun come up from behind the mountains.

Sunrise in Senja, Norway

Stop 1 – Wildlife Cruise

We then set off to Hamn I Senja towards the north of the island to jump on a wildlife cruise we had booked on to the day before. Unfortunately, we didn’t see any wildlife on the cruise (apart from a few seagulls), but as per with Norway the views were just incredible, and to top it all off we did spot some wild reindeer near the grounds of Hamn I Senja. 

Stop 2- Senja Tourist Route

As our accommodation was in the south of Senja Island and the majority of the Senja Tourist Route is in the very north, we decided just to do the last couple of stops on the tourist route, “Bergsbotn” (a viewing platform looking out over a fjord) and “Gryllefjord” another small town built around a fjord.

To be completely honest If you are short on time I would miss out seeing Gryllefjord. Bergsbotn, however is definitely worth the visit.

Other spots you can visit on the Senja Tourist Route are: Tungeneset, Mefjordvær and Ersfjordstranda beach. Click here to find out more about the best spots to visit on the Senja Tourist Route

It’s important to know that there is only one main road around Senja Island. This means that there will be a lot of going back on yourself when heading to the different spots on the scenic route.

Note: Toilet stops on the island are very limited, just something to bear in mind.

Day 5 – Home Time

On day 5 we drove back to Tromso to catch our flight back to London. The drive back from Senja to Tromso, Norway will take you approximately 3.5-hours.

In conclusion, it was a very successful trip (apart from the Northern Lights not coming out to say hello). I cannot recommend this Tromso, Norway road trip enough…So what are you waiting for?

Cost Breakdown
Dates of Travel: 5th – 9th March 2020
Flights: £150pp with SAS
Rental Car: £300
Accommodation for 4 nights: £200pp
Spending Money: £300pp (including Wildlife cruise at £95)

If you are looking for some more Nordic/Scandanavian inspiration then check out my post on Iceland here.

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I'm Christina a part-time traveller who is exploring the world around my 9-5. From canyons to coasts, I love all kinds of adventures. I've created this space to provide you with all the travel inspiration and my top tips for seeing more of the world in less time.

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Instant Dopamine release 😅✌🏽 Instant Dopamine release 😅✌🏽
💦Your sign to go book some villa fun with your 💦Your sign to go book some villa fun with your besties😆

😮Would you believe me if I told you I found this villa 4 hours before landing in Marbella.

🙈I realised on THE DAY of flying that what we had originally booked was a scam.

🤭 When I first realised I text my pal and we were both just laughing about it all, like “OF COURSE, it’s a scam, why wouldn’t it be” as the day went on the stress began to creep in 😅

📞After some calls to @airbnb, and by some strOke of luck, I managed to find this little gem. I called the host directly (to make sure we didn’t get stung again 🐝) and then it was ours. 

💰We even got this cheaper than the original thanks to an apology discount voucher from Airbnb. 

So thankfully it all worked out in the end 😎😅✌🏽

Have you had any travel mishaps like this?
🌴Marbella Snippets 🇪🇸 ☀️It’s the f 🌴Marbella Snippets 🇪🇸

☀️It’s the first holiday I’ve been on in a while where I’ve done nothing but relax. No hiking or hours of exploring involved (obviously it’s my favourite thing to do) but it was nice to just chill, and and drink with my best pals. 👯‍♀️

What do you prefer… relaxing or exploring? 😴🧗🏼‍♀️
I can, I will, I already have 😂✌🏽 I can, I will, I already have 😂✌🏽
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