A budget friendly guide to Greenwich, London

Situated on the banks of the River Thames, Greenwich is known for its maritime history and the iconic Cutty Sark. It is well worth exploring and has its own unique atmosphere and village feel compared to that of bustling central London.  While London can be an expensive city a day trip around Greenwich doesn't have to be as there is so much to see and do that is both free and family friendly. I recently visited with my two children and we enjoyed all the sights but with hardly any of the costs and I thought I would share with you my budget-friendly day guide to Greenwich.    Firstly there are a variety of ways to reach Greenwich, as we were staying in Stratford we opted for the DLR, with a quick change at Canary Wharf, it was an easy and quick way to reach Greenwich and able to see out of the front of the DLR while travelling under the Thames is an experience in itself.  We disembarked at Cutty Sark station which brings you to the heart of Greenwich and as soon as yo......

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Exploring Little Venice with Go Boat

On a recent trip to London we stayed at the Permier Inn in Paddington Basin, an ever growing area which has been regenerated in the last two decades to create a creative and vibrant place to explore, that runs along the canals near Paddington Station. A short walk from the basin you will find Little Venice, this popular spot is worth the hype, with canal boats, waterside cafes and tree line streets, this is an area we have always enjoyed visiting. For the first time however we got the chance to explore Little Venice and Regents canal from the water with GoBoat , offering a whole new perspective and experience of one of our favourite spots in the capital city.  GoBoat Paddington offers self-drive boat hire on their eco-friendly electric boats that have room for up to 8 people, which makes it very reasonable when you split the cost between so many for such a unique experience. You don't need a boat licence and they teach you everything you need to know to be able to enjoy the waterw......

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Wahaca Oxford Circus - Family review

When it comes to travel and eating out with kids, you want to go somewhere that is within a reasonable budget (which isn't always easy in London) and you know there will be something for everyone and balances dishes with depth for adults and fun favourites for kids. This is where Wahaca comes in, it offers up a delicious and creative take on Mexican food along with great choices for younger diners and it's one of our go-to places in Cardiff so we decided to try out the Oxford Circus location on a recent trip to the capital.  Close to Oxford Street and Oxford Circus Station, its central location is perfect after a long day of adventuring and offers a relaxed and cool place to recharge and refuel. I would advise especially in the summertime to book in advance although in the quieter months, you can usually find a table, which is what we did and the staff were really friendly throughout the meal.  What I love about Wahaca is the array of nibbles and small plates, making it a bit......

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How to have a Japanese-inspired Day out in London

Enjoying Kyoto Gardens in Holland Park My kids and I, like many people, have a deep love and fascination for everything Japanese and while we would love to jump on a plane to Japan (hopefully we will one day) right now with ongoing travel restrictions that are still in place in Asia means that's not the most feasible option. So how do we learn more about Japan and experience some of the culture without actually travelling there? First of all, we have been reading a lot of books, watching documentaries and films and learning how to cook some Japanese-inspired food at home. But then my son asked if we would have a Japanese-inspired day out in London for his birthday and like any major city London is a melting pot of cultures and influences, so we set out to see what we could find. 1. Kyoto Garden, Holland Park We started the day with a relaxing walk around the beautiful Kyoto Garden in Holland Park. Kyoto Garden was a gift from the city of Kyoto to commemorate the friendship between ......

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Z Hotel City, London - Family Travel Review

*This is NOT a collaboration, I paid for my hotel stay in full We love a break to the big smoke AKA London, there is just so much to see and do and it's a place you can never get bored of. It's also a destination that despite what most people think, you can easily do on a budget as there is such an abundance of free museums, attractions and deals to be had as well as plenty of street food and reliable public transport really does mean you don't need to spend a fortune to enjoy this bustling city, which is why we visit at least 2/3 time a year. Every time I take the kids for an overnight trip I aim to get a centrally located hotel or hostel for under £85 for a family room.  We have stayed in an array of places from an Airbnb right in the heart of Covent Garden to Premier Inn, Travelodges, YHA, backpackers etc and on a recent trip we decided to try out a Z Hotel family room . I had stayed overnight in a Z hotel before in Soho but that was without kids so I was interested to s......

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YHA London Central - Family Travel Review

*We were provided with a family room for one night in exchange for an honest review. We covered the costs of our own travel & food (including breakfast). I think there is a misconception that a visit to London is going to cost loads of money, especially if you want to stay somewhere central but it really doesn't have to be the case. If you read my blog you will know that we love the YHA, not only does it provide well-located budget accommodation but as a charity and helps to transform young lives through travel and adventure and every stay helps the YHA carry out their fantastic work. I've found that many people seem unaware that they offer family accommodation and private family rooms which have everything you need. Earlier this year the boys and I stayed at YHA Ironbridge Coalport , set in beautiful Shropshire near the heritage-rich town of Ironbridge and it made for a perfect family weekend break. As we had done mainly rural breaks with YHA I was excited to see w......

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A taste of Cuba at Gabeto, Camden with Red Letter Days

This post is part of an unpaid review with Red Letter Days One of my favourite places in London is Camden and even though I don't spend as much time there as I did in my youth when the opportunity arises I take it as it's always a nice jaunt walking around the canals, searching for some vintage clothing pieces, taking in some music and eating good food. The one great thing about living in Cardiff is London is only a short 2hr train ride away, making day trips doable and I recently headed to the Capital for a few child-free hours and had the chance to try out one of the many foodie experiences Red Letter Days offer. Red Letter Days have a huge array of options from upmarket restaurants, champagne experiences to beer tastings and trying out new local delights but when I came across Gabeto in Camden with it's Cuban inspired menu and daily salsa dancing, I knew that was the place I wanted to spend an hour or two savouring the atmosphere over a cocktail or two. ......

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11 Of My favourite foodie spots in London

Living in Cardiff means I am only a 2hr train from central London, making the English Capital an accessible and easy destination for day trips, weekend breaks and work events and luckily I get to visit on a fairly regular basis. This, of course, means I have a variety of favourite foodie spots from family-friendly dining to cocktails, coffee on the go to brunch and breakfast spots. In collaboration with SquareMeal, the UK's best-known restaurant, bar and venue website that offers unbiased reviews and an easy to use booking system, I thought I would share my favourite foodie places in the Capital city. Breakfast and Brunch La Boheme , Soho Located in the heart of Soho, Cafe Boheme, a very cool and chic long-standing French establishment that has been going for 25yrs and serves up some of the best french toast with Chantilly cream and rhubarb around as well as pastries and cold-press juices and is somewhere I love to have an indulgent treat when I'm in that part of ......

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A Day in London with Nickelodeon and Ninja Turtles

Over the weekend we were invited to the Rise of the Ninja Mutant Turtles Nickelodeon event in London at Bay Sixty Six skatepark, a skatepark I used to visit when I was much younger and was really looking forward to taking the boys along for an action packed day of skateboarding, pizza and checking out the new TV series, we even watched one of the Ninja Turtles films the night before to get into the mood.   As usual the kids were fantastic on the train journey from Cardiff to London, it's become somewhat of a regular journey for us and as we pack tablets away during term time we do allow them to play some apps when we are travelling so it's something they look forward too. My eldest who has recently got into skateboarding and scootering was especially excited to visit BaySixty6 as well as see the new series of the Ninja Turtles. As soon as we arrived at Baysixy6 the boys where handed some Ninja masks and my youngest wore it pretty much the whole ......

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