I travelled to Amsterdam for work, I paid to stay an extra night to capture more footage and have more time to research this article.

Amsterdam: we did a city guide back in 2016, so it was about time I revisited. Weirdly, I visited the same time of year and I can highly recommend November to visit (it’s so twinkly!), but obviously spring is the city’s true time to shine (one word: tulips).

HOW TO GET THERE

This is the first time I’d caught the train to Amsterdam. I went via Eurostar and it was delightful! I live near King’s Cross so for me, the journey was super smooth and I love that you get to work on the train (limited wifi but it’s possible!) and arrive in the heart of the city. It’s not necessarily cheaper than flying but I loved it being more environmentally friendly without long airport queues and you walk out onto a canal in the city centre instead of a luggage carousel. Would highly recommend!

HOW TO GET AROUND

The obvious answer is bicycle here, although I explored the city a lot on foot. It’s quite an easy city to navigate but the bicycle lanes can be daunting. I didn’t use the metro system this time and walked everywhere I needed to go, it’s fairly flat and there are beautiful views along the canals.

WHERE TO STAY

I stayed at Ruby Emma, which was great value (for a wonderfully comfy room), but it was a bit far out of town (nearish a metro station, which takes you into the centre in around 20 mins) and staff generally just shrugged when I asked for local recommendations (mainly because there weren’t any!). I’m not sure I’d book again, but I rented a bike into town and had a wonderful stay regardless.

WHAT TO DO

Explore the De Piijp area: for shopping (where I discovered Merry Xmas Shop!), great food  (Ami, Pho 91, Little Collins) and people watching. So many places had outside seating with heaters to watch the world go by (and the Albert Cuyp Market has lots of affordable food stalls for on the go lunches).

Fab Dutch brands to shop: Anna + Nina, Scotch & Soda, Tony’s Chocolonely (the shop is chocolate heaven!), Hema (of course!) and Miffy (which you can shop with their collab with Hema!). There is a lot of gorgeous vintage shopping too.

Stroll along the 9 streets: so many great boutiques, art shops and antiques for window shopping; I grabbed my morning coffee from Wolf and just wandered aimlessly, which is so rare to do!

Rent a bike if you fancy (most hotels and local stores offer), but be prepared in case it rains! I got poured on and regretted not having a hood or an anorak.

I didn’t get time to get to the Rijksmuseum this time but it is one of my favourites for their unparalleled Dutch Masters collection. And next time I’d like to visit the Moco Museum for modern art.

Previously I had visited the Anne Frank House, which is a must visit (but book online before you go as it gets booked). I also love the Rembrandt Huis Museum and if you do get time, try visiting Den Haag, which I loved on a previous trip. It’s a beautiful town and the Mauritshuis is one of the best galleries I have ever visited – hopefully Vermeer’s ‘Girl with a Pearl Earring’ is not out on loan if you do!

WHERE TO EAT

If you head to De Piijp there are so many gems, I had a brasserie style steak frites at Ami and then bought some food on the go from Albert Cuyp Markt during the day. Pho 91 is great for no fuss food but gets busy so be prepared to queue a little.

I walked passed LouLou pizza bar which looked great and this road was a great bet for chic yet affordable restaurants – I made a note to come back here! Obviously, places like the bar at The Hoxton Hotel are great for food, too – we stayed at the Hoxton last visit which was near so many great shops and cafes and they have just opened a new hotel – ‘The Lloyd‘ – which I didn’t get round to visiting but I’m sure would be just as chic.

I’ve been doing these city guides for a long time, read some of our other city guides here.

People always ask if I prefer Tokyo or Kyoto and for me, Kyoto has the edge – I think it’s the astounding history, the upholding of tradition mixed with everything we already love about Japan (food, culture, architecture). I do think Kyoto can be a bit overwhelming with so many sights and Temples and there can be more ‘touristy’ spots too (but in a cool, Japanese way, not in a Picadilly Circus kind of way!), so do try and plot in some time just to wander around and eat more leisurely, which is what we did this trip.

HOW TO GET THERE

We got the bullet train from Osaka to Tokyo (on our way back from Koyasan), it took under 15 minutes. We flew into Tokyo for our trip but it might be worth seeing if flying into Osaka works out cheaper for you – you can get a bus or regular train between Osaka and Kyoto easily. Travelling between Tokyo and Kyoto (via a bullet train) takes approximately 2 hours so both cities can be done in one trip.

WHERE TO STAY

Last trip we stayed in Hotel Mume (in the Gion district) which we absolutely loved! This time we thought we’d stay in a different area and stayed in a really conveniently located hotel (by the Imperial Palace) called Noku (Oomi Travel recommended and booked for us). It was lovely, tastefully decorated, not too fancy but had everything we needed and most importantly, it was located above a metro station (Maratumachi), which made getting around so easy.

What we mainly liked about this hotel was the surrounding neighbourhood, it felt really local – everyone was on bikes and there were so many great restaurants we discovered. We barely walked a few blocks for great food.

WHAT TO DO

On our last visit we did so many more sights on the tourist trail (Arashiyama, Golden Pavilion, Imperial Palace – read my last city guide here) and even had a private tour guide (we’ll never forget Meg!). This time, we had a few places on our agenda but other than that, we just wandered the streets and popped into shops that looked interesting! We stayed 3 nights and visited:

Fushimi Inari Shrine – the one shrine I was desperate to revisit. Sadly, we experienced our one thunderstorm of the trip whilst here but it still didn’t detract from its beauty! We walked the famous Tori gates, shopped in the local tourist shops and took photos as the sun was setting. It is free to walk through the gates and it’s quite a walk up them (they reach the sacred Mount Inari, 233 metres high) so don’t panic if you can’t get a ‘quiet’ photo at first, most people drop off halfway so as long as you walk near to the top you will get your shot!

Pontocho Alley – I remembered this ancient alleyway full of bars and restaurants as one of my highlights from last trip. It is definitely a place to visit but sadly we found it the most touristy spot of our trip this time, we felt rushed through with people stepping on our toes, it felt where everyone goes for dinner rather than a hidden gem – it was much calmer in the daytime. That said, we went back to Kappa Sushi (saved from our last trip) and it was still good.

As we had a more loose itinerary, we did a few more spontaneous visits – Museum of Kyoto had an exhibition called ‘Women Between Hopes and Fears’ which was beautiful and walkable from our hotel – the museum is free but we paid for the exhibition. We also spent a bit of time in independent stores, the area around the Museum of Kyoto (around the Kama River, Sanjo-Dori and Karasume-Oike area) has lots of gorgeous art, stationery and antique shops too. We bought a tenugui from Nijiyura, found some gorgeous vintage stores which eventually led us to the Termachi-Dori arcade where I found more gorgeous stationery shops (Tag, in particular) and Chris and I both found some pieces in Kinji vintage. We did the Manga Museum as it was nearby and there was an exhibition we were interested in but I probably wouldn’t recommend it to anyone outside of a megafan – most of the manga is in Japanese and it’s more a local resource centre.

We stopped in a few Lawsons along the way to top up on cold drinks and air con and lived on iced coffees from all the independent cafes. But the main reason we were shopping was to look for vintage art and we did manage to find a few pieces in the stores in this area, but also remembered a store in the Gion district we wanted to revisit.

The Gion District is a must visit in Kyoto, the home of Geishas (Maiko), ancient Shrines and traditional teahouses, it’s the ancient part of the city that still feels like walking on a film set. We headed to Shinmonzen Street which is known as the antique street, but most are more like trinket shops with bowls, ceramics and art at reasonable prices – we found some artwork for under £10.

WHERE TO EAT

Apart from sushi (Kappa Sushi and Kanazawa Maimon Sushi in Kyoto station) we mainly ate in Izakaya (traditional tavern) type places. I’d recommend walking around Kyoto main station as there were so many great affordable places there (and it was nice to get out of the 35 degree heat!). Kyoto is definitely about the sweet treats, here you’ll find lots of bakeries, matcha ice cream and mochi sweets/souvenirs (especially around the Gion shopping area).

For dinner we stayed in our local area and stumbled upon two great places:

Tsukitotage Izakaya (remove shoes when entering) – we had yakitori (meat skewers) and came to roughly £20 for 4 dishes and drinks.

Chabuya Honten – great atmosphere in a tiny bar, lots of sharing plates, yakitori and noodle dishes. The perfect end to our Kyoto stay.

For more travel tips and our Tokyo itinerary, read my Tokyo blog here.

Things I loved in Japan:

Changing tables in men’s bathrooms and often entire rooms for changing babies for both sexes.

Ometenashi: Japanese hospitality. It is unmatched, the way you are treated by everyone is incredible, we were given little souvenir salt shakers in one restaurant, we were thanked every time we went through a turnstile in Kyoto station, if you look lost someone will help you and go out of their way to take you to where you need to go.

They way they embrace both ancient tradition and futurism almost simultaneously.

Heated toilet seats – I never realised how much I braced myself before going!

The attention to detail, the perfecting of one dish (ramen, for instance) and doing it well.

Being a kid is celebrated, adults are seen in the arcades and manga stores as much as kids.

Women only carriages between certain hours of the day, and instead of just a few seats they have entire priority and disabled carriages on the metro.

HOW TO GET THERE

We booked our flights with Finnair, it worked out much cheaper than BA and had direct flights to Tokyo Haneda, it partners with Japan Airlines (whom our flight was with) and I cannot recommend enough. We got a taxi to our Hotel from the airport after a long flight but I have caught the train before and it’s pretty easy.

TRAVELLING IN JULY

July is such a great time to travel around Japan! There were many reasons for this: firstly, we travelled in July for our honeymoon and loved it – the Gion festival (Arts festival) was on in Kyoto, it was very HOT which made it hard in some ways but also meant there were less tourists than, say, September (when lots of tours are on) or April (considered the best time to visit for cherry blossom season). It’s around 30 degrees in Tokyo but everywhere had air conditioning, even the metro stations, plus the tall buildings means there is plenty of shade so it felt more pleasant than travelling around London in similar weather. It was very humid and it is rainy season, although we only had one short downpour this entire trip (last time we had a few days of rain) . We chose school holidays as it meant our kids went on their own holiday with grandparents at the same time. If we go back, it would definitely be with the kids (maybe in 5 years time), once they can really get involved and cope with jetlag a bit easier, we saw lots more families with older kids this time around.

HOW TO GET AROUND

We walked or took the metro everywhere, taxis are quite expensive and it’s so easy to navigate the city using public transport. We used a Shinkansen (bullet train) pass to get from Tokyo to Kyoto and something we didn’t realise last time is that you also get free travel on all the JR lines in Tokyo and Kyoto with your bullet train pass. Often, you can get to where you need on these lines alone (or walk a bit extra to make it work) which saved us quite a bit of money. But the bullet train might not be the most cost effective decision if you’re not travelling around that much. You can get more local trains or buses between Osaka/Kyoto/Tokyo which might work out better value for your trip.

For other metro journeys we just topped up a card with cash and used it like an oyster, it was really affordable to get around this way (these cards/passes work in Kyoto too). Always make sure you tap out at stations – I accidentally didn’t tap out in Tokyo and then my card didn’t work in Kyoto and I had to wait until I got back to Tokyo to sort it! For Kyoto I just paid per journey.

If you are travelling around, there is an excellent luggage forwarding service (Takkyubin) which your hotel can help you with. We used it once (although has gone up in price since last time – it’s now roughly £15-£20 a suitcase) this trip, we sent our suitcase ahead to Kyoto and took a holdall into Mount Koya for one night and our case was waiting for us in Kyoto. They offer next day delivery usually but I probably wouldn’t risk it the day you fly home! Most stations also have luggage storage if you need to leave cases for a day.

WHERE TO STAY

We stayed at the Muji Hotel in Ginza. I have only stayed in Ginza once around 15 years ago when I was travelling on my own – it’s the shopping district with tons of luxury shops so figured it was a safe place to stay as a young woman on my own. Funnily enough we didn’t even go to Ginza last trip as we thought it was boring – but we LOVED staying there this time! The shops close in the evening and then it is so quiet, it feels quite villagey, local and safe (especially as it so well lit from all the signs). Here’s why we loved Ginza:

The Muji hotel – I was so excited to stay here and it didn’t disappoint. Small but perfectly formed rooms, it was minimal yet functional, calm and comfortable. It’s above their flagship store and as you check-in they present you with a list of items you can take home with you (including slippers and stationery!). Breakfast was the perfect introduction to simple Japanese living: udon noodles, fish and curry but also eggs and bacon if you wish. Our tip is not to go down to breakfast on the hour (as that’s what everyone does!) – try 10 to or 10 past the hour.

Nightlife – Ginza isn’t buzzing like other Tokyo districts at night but it has a lovely atmosphere and we discovered so many amazing restaurants in our neighbourhood. We loved heading out on the metro in the day and then just walking to and from dinner in the evening. There were loads of karaoke places nearby too.

Location – Ginza is really close to most places, you can walk to Shimbashi, it’s near Tsukiji Fish Market and our hotel was also right by the Metro (Ginza-Itchome) which is a central stop for getting around the city.

The shopping – this trip I wanted to enjoy the shops more and Ginza has them all – Daiso (the 100 yen store, everything under £1), Itoya (100 year old stationery store), and Loft as well as the fancier stores like Louis Vuitton and Gucci (which we didn’t frequent!).

WHAT TO DO

This time we wanted to spend time in Tokyo like locals, we did all the big sights last time (the Sensō-ji Temple, Yoyogi Park, Harajuku) and this time we wanted to just eat and relax. But first: Studio Ghibli Museum (which was shut last time we were here – it’s closed on Tuesdays!). It’s really hard to decide whether or not to visit this museum, you’re not allowed to take photos inside so there’s not much to research online and it’s a 45 minute journey outside the city but we decided to take a punt on it, after all we were in Tokyo and Chris is a huge fan.

It was gorgeous, the area of Mitaka itself was suburban, leafy and a joy to walk around, try to get there on time as the queues start for the gallery as soon as it opens. There are limitations on visitors everyday (Oomi Japan organised our ticket for this, aparently they’re quite hard to get hold of in advance!) which means it’s busy but not overly so. There were a lot of families and kids (were we the only grown-ups on our own? Perhaps, but we didn’t feel weird) and there is a lot to see: original illustrations, stills from films, lots of interactive elements and you get to see a unique short film only available to visitors (in Japanese, but it’s quite a simple plot to follow!). It was a morning well spent, it still felt very local and not too touristy, you also can’t spent more than a few hours there which was a nice surprise and meant we were back to the centre of Tokyo by lunchtime.

My favourite shop in Tokyo is Loft and there’s a 5/6 story one in Ginza which I spent a lot of time in. It’s like walking around the bottom floors of a department store like Selfridges: teas, chococlates, gifting, stationery – but way more affordable. The exchange rate to GBP was really good, so even in the 100yen store Daiso (my other favourite store), each item was around 65p each. We mainly bought gifts for the kids or stationery we can’t get easily in the UK (see my reel on what I bought here). Lawson, 7 Eleven and any Pharmacies are also worth visiting, where you can find quirky gifts, food, snacks and Japanese beauty products cheaply.

Akihabara was another place on our list as we only briefly visited last time, it’s ‘Electric Town’ and a larger than life part of the city filled with anime and manga shops, gaming stores and 5 story buildings filled with ‘Claw Machines’ that didn’t seem to be rigged – we both won on our first go! It’s a tween/teen heaven but also fun for adults, we enjoyed spending a few hours here and brought back photobooth stickers of us as anime characters (after using the beauty stations set up next to the booths, of course).

A highlight was karaoke, there are lots of places to do it – Big Echo is a popular one, we did Karaoke Kan which was right by our hotel and had great views out to Tokyo (it was roughly £25 for an hour which included 2 beers).

And then we spent the rest of our time eating!

WHERE TO EAT

We mainly ate noodles in Japan, it’s much easier to come across and a much cheaper, everyday meal. You can’t really go wrong with ramen here and even the cheapest food you order from a vending machine is delicious! Our first night we arrived late so asked the staff at Muji for their recommendations (I would always recommend this) and we ended up in a cute, stylish ramen place nearby called Menya Yukou – 2 beers, 2 ramen dishes and a side of gyozas came to £20. There’s no tipping culture in Japan so it made a big difference to how much we spent.

We love the simplicity of Coco Ichibanya for katsu curry. Kaitensushi (conveyor belt sushi) is an affordable way to eat but they’re not as common as you’d think, a lot are in department stores or train stations – we did see Sushi-go-round which looked good and for affordable sushi – Sushi No Midori. The best places for us are the small, unassuming places that don’t look fancy, they often have the best atmosphere, too. In Ginza most restaurants are at ground level, so many places in Tokyo you have to get a lift to the entrance and it’s very hard to back out if you’re not sure on the vibe! Here you can peek in and see if it’s busy or the food looks good.

We did a ‘Ramen Tour’ whilst in Tokyo with Frank, a ramen enthusiast (his site 5am ramen should become your go-to if visiting) who taught us the different types of ramen, from my favourite: tsukemen (dipping noodles) to all the different varieties of broths and toppings. He gave us a low-down on his top 5 ramen restaurants in Ginza (they were all within 5 minutes walk!), gave us their history and backstory (each one had a niche: female owned, family run for 50 years, famous for their spicy broth etc) and we picked our favourite to visit.

We ended up in Hashigo – it was a simple bar, no tables and so busy that as soon as you have finished, you leave, to let those in the queue behind you start. It was the best ramen I have ever tasted and it was a small unassuming place we’d passed by a few times without noticing (probably because there were no English signs – but they had an English menu once seated). These were Frank’s other ramen recommendations (in/around Ginza):

• Funamizaka
• Shichisai
• Oborozuki
• Kamitoku
• Takahashi

A small word of warning: if you buy snacks or a takeaway iced coffee, there are no bins. Literally. Not one on the streets. We spent hours walking around with a plastic container and couldn’t find any. We realised after a while that no one was eating ‘on the go’ and there are even signs in cafes asking if you take away, you take your rubbish home with you. I am still incredulous that the streets are so clean without any bins! But that’s another one of the amazing things about Japan.

EXTRA INFO

We took mainly cash, which seems crazy in such a modern city but it helped us track our spending plus we had read a few articles saying that overseas cards don’t always work and the few times we tried our card they were temperamental! Everywhere we went accepted cash no problem, and in the countryside it is preferred (the Temple we stayed in Kyosan insisted on cash, and apparently it’s quite hard to withdraw as only certain cashpoints within 7 Elevens work with overseas cards). Something to bear in mind.

Data roaming was expensive for us, so we used wi-fi from the hotel. Most tube stations and shopping malls (and Starbucks) have wi-fi readly available and in places like Kyoto they had their own ‘city wifi’.

Plugs and voltage are the same as the US, in other words your straighteners might not work. Thankfully I had a pair of $5 Target mini straighteners which served me well!

Google translate is helpful for menus but we found no problem with language and were always understood in some way!

We booked our flights then used Oomi Travel for a lot of our itinerary (previously Unique Japan Tours – whom we booked our honeymoon with!). We paid for our trip and knew roughly where we wanted to go but Darina helped book everything and all the extras we wouldn’t have imagined – our itinerary was quite simple this time and was basically Tokyo – Koyasan – Kyoto – Tokyo – London (our last trip was more intricate and you can personalise your itinerary as much as you like). Oomi recommended the Muji Hotel, the trip to Koyasan, booked all our bullet trains and transport, in Koyasan we had a private tour guide and stayed overnight in a Buddhist Temple run by Monks, in Tokyo we also did a sushi making course run by the most amazing Japanese women. It is totally possible to book Japan by yourself but for the extra trips (especially Koyasan, or the incredible island of Amami where we visited on our honeymoon, a lot of these hotels have no English websites), Oomi helped make it extra special (and saved us time whilst working full-time with two kids!). This is not a paid promotion but wanted to give a shout out, as I have recommended them to anyone we know going to Japan!

A few affordable restaurants recommended by Oomi Japan:

Ramen Jiro (famous ramen spot, queues start as early as 7am!)

Azabu Ramen

Tonkatsu Maruya – a typical office workers lunch spot

Yakitori Takumi – for yakitori, typical Japanese kebab style food, meat charcoaled on (often) bamboo skewers)

All under £200 a night

Don’t get me wrong, we all love Air BnB and self catered accommodation is undeniably suited to those with kids, but there is something quite luxurious about staying in a hotel. Having your bed made, bathroom tidied and not having to cook or wash up – sounds like a real holiday! Staying in London is never going to be super cheap, but for a minibreak or special trip, we think these are some stylish but still affordable* options.

So we at The Frugality have rounded up some of the most affordable hotel stays in London for you…

*Ahem, we know the term reasonable budget means something different to everyone, this post focuses on ‘comparatively affordable’ for a chic hotel stay compared to usual London prices. We decided to keep this to hotels rather than hostels etc which are much more of an affordable stay, albeit a different experience.

1. Bedford Corner Hotel

The arty Bedford Corner Hotel is a super central option – a stones throw from London’s best shops and art galleries. Whilst there isn’t a restaurant on site, there are plenty of breakfast options nearby. Standard single room for 1 adult from £119 per night and standard double room for up to 2 adults from £139 per night.

2. New Road Hotel

Over to East London now to the New Road Hotel – a stylish 79 bedroom former textile factory come boutique hotel in Whitechapel – just up the road from Shoreditch. Another really affordable option – ‘Pocket Rooms’ start from £99 on weekends and mid-weeks. Book via their website and get up to 25% discount if you sign up to the newsletter.

3. The Pilgrm

The Pilgrm in Paddington keeps things very simple – no baths, just showers and no room service or minibar. With a large focus on sustainability, housekeeping will only service your room when added to your booking. For fresh towels, additional toiletries or anything else you might need, you contact the team via WhatsApp (very high tech!) who will drop them off at your door. Bursting at the seams with unique art and a popular restaurant and bar. Bunk rooms for adults available, from £109. Small rooms from £124 and medium rooms from £129.

4. MAMA Shelter

194 rooms, restaurant, garden bar and even Japanese style karaoke rooms! MAMA Shelter is a great option for a night away with friends – a buzzy atmosphere in the centre of East London that boasts tempting menus and genius cocktails! Single rooms from £109 or £200 for a double (midweek prices).

5. The Hoxton, Shepherd’s Bush

With Notting Hill and Portabello Road just round the corner, The Hoxton Shepherd’s Bush is perfect for a West London stay. Another well known chain of hotels with so many style credentials, the Shepherd’s Bush venue boasts their lowest rates and all with a wraparound bar and fiery Thai-Americana diner, “Chet’s”. Their bunk rooms start from £120 and the snug rooms start from £174 per night. Sundays, Mondays & Thursdays are the best bet for lower rates.

6. HUB by Premier Inn

Premier Inn hotels are on everyones radar, right? But perhaps you haven’t heard about their “small rooms in big locations” branches – HUB by Premier Inn. Contemporary and compact rooms cleverly designed to give you everything you’d expect from a Premier Inn room in about half the space. From Kings Cross to Covent Garden, you can find one of these hotels in many of London’s hot spots. And at this price, it’s a great sightseeing getaway option. Prices from £91.50.

7. Sonder

Sonder apartments and rooms are dotted all over the city. Unlike your regular hotels or serviced apartments,  everything is done through the Sonder app on your phone – check in, request fresh towels, and get dinner recommendations at the click of a button.  And this high-tech system means they can reduce their operating costs and therefore the price of your stay! There are 17 properties in London, with prices starting from £139 a night (after 15% member discount applied plus no membership fee!)

8. The Culpeper Pub

Where better to stay when you’re visiting the sites of London? An old pub in the middle of the east end. But not any old pub – The Culpeper is Spitalfields local watering hole, with stylish rooms, fresh produce and even it’s own farm! All in the middle of the city. Something a little bit different and lots of fun. Prices start at £175 per night.

9. Z Hotel

For the theatre-goers, take a look at the Z Strand Hotel. 114 rooms right next door to one of London’s oldest theatres and minutes walk from Soho and the rest of the Theatre district. It’s not excatly a ‘design’ hotel but the locations are amazing. This is a great option for an overnight stay after a show, and at £155 per night (mid week price), it’s a good deal.

We only went to Clacton for a few days but it is one of those trips that will stay with us as a great memory.

I grew up with caravan holidays. My grandparents met at a holiday camp in the late 1940s/early 1950s, and my nan had a caravan in Southend-on-Sea in her retirement. I’ll never forget the penny machines on the arcade, Bailey’s Fry-Inn and then, when I got older, the Southend Cruise!

For the May bank holiday we booked a caravan trip for four of us in Clacton. The park was close to the sea and there were activities on site – it wasn’t glorious but it had everything we needed for a good time – outside heated pool, amusements, activities for the kids (although our kids were probably a bit young for a lot of the activities). It wasn’t glamorous by any means but the kids loved it and will probably remember it more than any fancy hotel we could have booked. 

HERE ARE 7 THINGS WE LEARNT:

Caravan sites must be at least 10 degrees colder and windier than anywhere else in the UK. 

I was not looking forward to swimming in the outside pool but I was so glad I went. Seeing my kids’ confidence grow in the water (which was pretty low post pandemic with no swimming) was the highlight of the trip for me.

You will take everything you own in the car because you can. But you will still forget tea towels, toilet rolls and washing up liquid.

Fairground pier rides are the quickest way in the world to lose £30.

DO take blackout blinds

Unfortunately we’d recently passed ours onto my mum! Those sheer curtains do not help with bedtimes. Apparently tin foil works if you’re stuck.

A caravan holiday with a newly potty trained toddler who has only just learnt to sleep in a bed this month is perhaps not the best timing.

Those beds are tiiiny. At one point we found both kids asleep under their beds having fallen out.

DO pack headphones.

You can hear everything through those walls so Chris and I generally just spent our nights sat eating crisps in silence.

If you’re looking for an affordable holiday with kids, then it really is worth investigating. I think we’ll either do a lesser thrills caravan next time (without entertainment) or upgrade to a lodge. We stayed at Parkdean (we paid ourselves) but have heard good things about Away resorts. 

Read more in my article in The Times here

HOW TO GET THERE

You can take a high speed train from London St Pancras all the way to Folkestone Central or Folkestone West in under an hour. Both stations are just a short walk from the harbour – city to beach in an hour isn’t bad going!

WHAT TO DO

SHOPPING

The Potting Shed “selling Tamagroute from Morrocco, Vintage Kantha Quilts from India, Aesop Skincare and beautiful Antiques. Then inside is a SpeakEasy (open Thurs-Sat nights), where you go through a secret entrance for the best cocktails”.

Sophie’s other must visit shopping spots are Bounce Vintage and Courting Lily for vintage clothes, Kitty McCall for homewares and Rennies seaside art gallery.

FOOD & DRINK

“The best food you’ll EVER HAVE from chef, Dave Hart. Even Grace Dent agrees….” is a pretty tempting tagline from Sophie when placing The Folkestone Wine Company at the top of her food and drink hitlist.
Other places to try are Steep Street for a coffee on the hop or Harbour Coffee Co for coffee and pastries by the sea;
plenty of lunch and dinner spots to try like The Bouverie Tap and Lucky Chip;
artisan beers to go (or drink in!) at The Beer Shop;
and a brand new coffee shop and yoga studio, YOKE, for a little something extra.

A short journey from London, a great selection of quirky and independent shops and art galleries to browse, plenty of fantastic food and drink spots and all within a stones throw from the beach. Sounds like the perfect weekend day trip to me!

In partnership with Visit England

What a wonderful treat Eastbourne is! As you might have noticed, we have slowly been making our way round the British southern coastline and this break was an unexpected gem. The weather helped, of course, and made brisk cliffside walks and independent window shopping that little more sweet.

HOW TO GET THERE

A train from London Victoria to Eastbourne takes approx 1 hour 29m and brings you to the heart of Eastbourne, right by the great coffee shops and a 10 minute walk away from the glorious seafront.

WHERE TO STAY

We stayed at ‘Port Hotel’, set on the beachfront it’s location was absolutely perfect and the staff were so accommodating, helping us with recommendations on our trip. They have great mid-week offers which make it more affordable and the rooms range from seaview studios to cabin rooms (which we stayed in, it was the perfect cosy room with everything you need, even a small coffee machine!) and if you can stretch, the breakfast is really worth it.

WHAT TO DO

The great thing about Eastbourne is that, whilst there is lots to do, you can easily do it in your own time. So I would start by wandering along the seafront, grab a gelato if the weather allows (Gelato Famoso is great), eat traditional fish and chips on the beach (we went to Dolphins but heard that Qualisea is also good) or walk along the Edwardian pier (playing air hockey at the arcade like we did is optional). You can even do the Eastbourne Seafront Walking Treasure Hunt (available for £4 via the VisitBritain shop) where you can discover history and amusing information about Eastbourne, taking you past famous landmarks as you find out about Rome and the Titanic’s connection to the seaside town.

Beachy Head and its iconic cliffs are a must-visit in Eastbourne if you can. You can take a bus or drive to Beachy Head Story for the free exhibition on the history of the area before walking alongside the cliffs and taking in the views of the famous red and white lighthouse (but keep your eyes peeled as we almost missed it!). The Beachy Head Inn is a great spot to watch the sunset on a clear day and there is also an 18 mile Coastal Culture Trail you can do (perhaps by bike!) along the English coastline from Eastbourne, via Bexhill, to Hastings and you can enjoy three different galleries along the way.

The Towner Gallery is a modern art gallery (the outside was painted by artist Lothar Gotz) housing free exhibitions, a cinema, cafe and is a great afternoon well spent, we loved finding out more about local artists Eric Ravilious, his friend Eric Bawden and saw work by Andy Warhol and Vanessa Bell (from May they will be showcasing a Barbara Hepworth exhibition). The Towner will also host this year’s Turner Prize 2023.

Take a walk through ‘Little Chelsea’, an area between South Street and Grove Road with lots of independent stores, coffee shops and eateries. We fell in love with Camilla’s Bookshop, bought some gifts from All Things Analogue and grabbed a coffee from Skylark.

Clockwise: Camilla’s Bookshop, Camilla’s Booskhop, Skylark, All Things Analogue

WHERE TO EAT

There are lots of small, independent restaurants offering affordable, unfancy yet delicious meals – we loved our meal in GrEat (we had the mousakka and halloumi kebabs) and The Belgian Cafe for mussels and frites. To The Rise bakery is perfect for homemade pastries and coffee and Nelson’s Coffee is a great brunch spot. For something a bit fancier, try Cru wine bar (the menus are seasonal and all food pairs the local wines) or the restaurant at Port Hotel. The Dew Drop Inn on South Street is a lovely pub full of character and right by Skylark, too.

Just editing this city guide makes me want to go back, I really hope this guide will be useful if you do go – we’ll definitely be back (with kids next time!).

This Frugal City Guide was in partnership with Visit England, all thoughts and images our own. You can find more affordable recommendations from Visit England here.

I didn’t plan on publishing this on Valentine’s Day, I promise. I have lived and worked in London for almost 20 years now, and one thing I have learnt is: eating out doesn’t have to be expensive.

Sure, you might have to forget the tablecloths and white gloved service, but I’ve never been a fan of that kind of thing anyway. What I can promise through my recommendations are a great, buzzy atmosphere, tasty food and a reasonable bill. It’s where I’d suggest going when friends are visiting and I want to impress them but not feel stuffy. 

I’d also add that most of these (especially the ones with bar seating) are ones you could easily visit and eat on your own – I have enjoyed many solo meals at most of these places over the years.

Side note: I don’t really drink with food so my affordability ratings are based on food only!

1. Mildreds, Soho

45 Lexington St, Carnaby, London W1F 9AN (mildreds.co.uk)

It doesn’t really matter if you’re vegetarian or not; everything I’ve eaten in Mildred’s is delicious.  Set in a townhouse down a narrow street in buzzing Soho (there are other locations now but I haven’t tried them), you feel as though you’re eating round a friend’s house. It’s not cheap cheap, but you can easily order a main and share a side, because the portions are decent. The downside? For small groups it’s mainly walk-ins, so get there early!

2. Kulu Kulu

76 Brewer St, London W1F 9TX (kulukulu.co.uk)

The no frills feeling of this conveyor belt sushi joint is what makes it so special. The help yourself (free) green tea, the communal wasabi pots and traditional wooden decor make this the most realistic sushi place we have ever been to outside of Japan. What I love about conveyor belt sushi is that you can have an almost uninterrupted chat with your friend, tucking in to eat straight away and keeping tabs on your spending with the colour-coded plates. I’d recommend ordering the prawn tempura and avocado handrolls from the staff (as then it’ll come warm), and I wouldn’t recommend taking an over excited four-year-old who loved it but didn’t quite understand the colour-coding system or our budget!

3. Seven Dials Market

35 Earlham St, London WC2H 9LD (sevendialsmarket.com)

Can’t decide on what you fancy eating? This place has everything, and you can even order different cuisines and eat at the same table. It’s far more casual; most places offer street food (such as Shuk, Tel Aviv Streetfood), but there are a few more ‘micro restaurant’ type venues such as Bong Bong’s (a Filipino kitchen) or Pick & Cheese (a conveyor belt cheese restaurant). It’s also a great shout for a ‘tourist’ day if you’re on the theatre trail or have been shopping at Seven Dials or Covent Garden – especially with the family – there’s something for everyone.

4. Koya

50 Frith St, London W1D 4SQ (koya.co.uk)

Another Japanese favourite, this is more of a purist ramen and noodle bar. There’s something about noodles that feels relaxed. I love that it’s just one delicious bowl rather than lots of small dishes (which can really add up). I have only visited the Soho branch, but there are a few different locations now which are worth checking out. I am a fan of the Zaru Udon (which I discovered in Japan –  cold udon noodles with cold sauce to dip) which also happens to be one of the cheapest items on the menu.

5. Chet’s

65 Shepherd’s Bush Grn, London W12 8QE (chetsrestaurant.co.uk)

Heading a *little* further afield, to Shepherd’s Bush, I ate here a few weeks ago and was so impressed with the food. It’s part of the newly opened Hoxton Shepherd’s Bush and it felt like eating out in Silverlake LA with its Thai Americana menu which doesn’t hold back on the spice. I had the Fried Chicken Khao Soi (£17) and I was too full for dessert.

7. Gökyüzü

26-28 Grand Parade, Green Lanes, Harringay Ladder, London N4 1LG (gokyuzurestaurant.co.uk)

I couldn’t not mention one of the (many) incredible Turkish restaurants near me. If you are in North London, Gökyüzü is fantastic (the Green Lanes one is my local) and there are lots of sharing platters which help with budget – although there is a LOT of meat on offer. Top tip: humous, pitta and tzatziki are free so no need to order extra.

6. Hiden

Unit 114 Lower, Stable St, London N1C 4DR (hidencurry.com)

This tiny place in Coal Drops Yard Kings Cross (with a recently opened branch in Camden) is about as authentic as it gets when it comes to Japanese curry  (sorry, do you notice a theme with my choices?!). It’s more of a lunch place as you have to eat outside (and generally from a cardboard container) but it only serves a few types of curry (chicken, beef or vegetable) and I love them for it. Be warned, the meat in the curry does not come in a katsu breadcrumb – still delicious but wouldn’t want you to be disappointed.

8. Morito

32 Exmouth Market, London EC1R 4QE (morito.co.uk)

I once went to Moro (next door) for a work leaving do and it was incredible. Morito is its more affordable little sister, offering tapas and mezze in a much more relaxed setting – all to be shared with ease. It has been a while since I’ve been to the Exmouth Market branch but they now have a Hackney branch which I have no doubt is just as popular.

Here’s something the city guides won’t tell you: eating well in Paris isn’t quite as easy as it looks. Sure, there’s a bakery churning out fresh baguettes on every street corner, and brasserie terraces spill out over every spare bit of pavement – but for every perfect croissant there’s a tourist trap, lacklustre café or grumpy waiter all too willing to disappoint. Parisians, of course, keep a mental list of their favourite, best-value spots in town, swerving the bad eggs with casual ease. Here’s how to follow in their footsteps.

Breakfast

Forget a quick run to Starbucks – in Paris, venti-sized takeaway coffees are emphatically not chic. If you want to do le petit déjeuner right, it pays to take your time: there’s no better way to start the day than with oven-warm pastries and a café au lait in bed.

You’ll save money too – Parisian hotel breakfasts often cost a pretty penny. An artfully dishevelled run to the local boulangerie is part of the experience. Look for a bakery with a queue: they move swiftly, and they’re always worth the wait. Insta-darling Du Pain et des Idées is now a classic, and with good reason: their salt-flaked, crisp-on-the-outside-buttery-inside croissants (€1.90) are second to none. Don’t miss the little bread rolls in the display case by the cashier; stuffed with lardons and raclette, say, or fig and goat cheese, they’re just the thing for mid-morning hunger pangs.

Mamiche is another firm favourite for its generous loaves, Swedish-style cinnamon buns and gooey babkas (around €2 a slice). Order online the previous day for delivery to your doorstep, or stock up on your way home: both Mamiche’s branches are less than a 15-minute walk from the Eurostar terminal at Gare du Nord.

Lunch

If there’s one cultural constant in Parisian life, it’s the importance of lunch. Going out for a proper break is still very much part of office life, and gobbling down a hasty Prêt sandwich at your desk is generally frowned upon.

This means eating out at lunchtime can be excellent value: the five-course tasting menu at ever-hip Michelin-starred Septime, for example, is just €65. Look for the “formule”, a two or three-course lunch from a limited menu. At €20, celebrated Bistrot Paul Bert’s menu déjeuner (beetroot and hazelnut salad and steak frites, for example) is an excellent bet. Fast, healthy Asian food has become a hugely popular lunchtime treat, too. Cheap and cheerful “bo bun” joints have cropped up all over Paris, dishing out herb-packed Vietnamese noodle salads topped with prawns or grilled pork.

In Belleville, casual Dong Huong is particularly good and serves northern specialties such as bun rieu, a crab noodle soup (€13.50 for a large portion). Half way between the Opera and the Louvre, rue Saint-Anne is lined with excellent ramen, udon and tempura restaurants. For a takeaway with a twist, try the Osakan street food at Happatei or the kimchi, dumplings and rice boxes at Ace, an old-school butcher’s turned hip Korean pit stop. In the heart of the Marais’s Jewish quarter, rue des Rosiers is another good shout for warm, plump pita breads stuffed with falafels and all the trimmings. Nearby Miznon is good for vegetarians and omnivores alike. Order its biggest hit – a whole spiced and roasted cauliflower – for just €8.

Dinner

If you’re staying in, rustle up something quick and tasty from a supermarket run. Stock up on cold cuts, blinis and other apéritifs at Franprix, Monop’ and City. The latter stocks Reflets de France, a brand of affordable terroir products – think duck magret, Normandy cider and everything you need for an impressive cheese board. The best produce comes from local markets: arm yourself with a smile and a few French basics (“un demi kilo s’il vous plait” comes in handy) for a seasonal feast. Marché Bastille, one of the city’s largest, runs on Thursdays and Sundays. Nearby Marché d’Aligre is a bit more chaotic, but has a covered section and only closes on Mondays. If you’re feeling lazy, a spit-roasted rotisserie chicken makes an easy dinner. Pick one up with roasted potatoes from the local butcher; ask for a poulet fermier for the tastiest chook.

If you’re heading out, the bouillon (a sort of casual, lively bistro with working-class origins) has gained in popularity over the last few years. Book online for a seat on Bouillon Pigalle’s attractive mezzanine and a taste of its towering profiterole (€4.80; main courses from €8.50). Brasserie Dubillot is equally family-friendly: come for the bright, Insta-worthy decor, stay for the excellent sausage and mash (€13). Finish your evening with something sweet: the Italian gelateria Grom on rue de Seine stays open past midnight at the weekend. Grab a scoop of the season’s most tempting flavours, then head down to the river for the city’s most romantic views.

I have just had the pleasure of returning from Rome, the eternal city (a short press trip courtesy of the Hoxton Hotel). After a few years of very limited travel I must admit it really sparked my creativity and added a spring to my step. The weather, obviously, helped.

I realised that the last city guide of Rome was back in 2017 but a lot of my recommendations from then still stood the test of time (we even followed some of @thefrugality‘s tips on this trip!) so thought I’d update it with a few new suggestions here.

WHERE TO STAY

Last time we stayed, we used Air BnB and stayed near the Vatican. It was nice but perhaps a little far away, plus I always find the 4pm check-in and 10am departure tough (especially when travelling with kids). 

This time, we were lucky enough to stay at the newly opened Hoxton Hotel (as part of a press stay). It was gorgeous, and a small (but perfectly formed) ‘shoebox’ room will set you back roughly £149 a night. Situated near Villa Borghese, it is a wonderfully relaxing spot (and those pillows – I slept like a log!), but if you have not visited Rome before it might not be your best option.

I see it more as a spot to visit with girlfriends where you are also likely to make use of the cocktail bar rather than let it go to waste. It’s a good 40 minute (scenic!) walk to the main attractions like the Trevi Fountain and the Forum, but it’s very easy to grab a taxi if that’s your preferred way of travel (it’s a little out of the metro station’s remit).

When researching, I found Rome’s hotels quite ‘fancy’, but there is a nice list of affordable boutique stays via The Telegraph here. I always think the Campo de’ Fiori or Trastevere areas would be great to stay – close to major sights and tons of good restaurants.

WHAT TO DO

The best way to do Rome is to compile your own list, as everyone’s Rome is different! I love ancient Rome but some might prefer scenes from movies (Trevi fountain from ‘La Dolce Vita’ or Bocca Della Verità from ‘Roman Holiday’). The most important thing to remember is not to attempt to do everything, especially on a short city break.

As I had seen the main attractions last time (I mention my favourite church and sights here), I was much more relaxed on this trip and enjoyed the city for its culture and food. As part of our trip, we did a vespa tour (gifted experience with no expectation to post) and I have to say, as nervous as I was, it was incredible! 

The drivers were wonderful, and talked us through the history, and then Annie (who runs the tours – Scooteroma) stopped at spots and gave us wonderful insights, as well as filming us on the bikes (she was VERY respectful of our Instagram shots!). They offer a few different tours and we stopped in places I’d never heard of, such as Testaccio food market, the local food market where Romans eat and source for restaurants. Riding round the Colosseum, I felt like I was having a real Roman experience which will stay with me forever.

I don’t usually recommend shopping on a city break but it is so hard to find splattered pottery for a reasonable price in the UK and my Instagram pics of bowls and plates got a lot of traction! We saw this stall at Campo de Fiori on our last visit but I regretted not buying anything. Small bowls ranged from 5-9 Euros and they wrapped them all very carefully (they made it home safe and sound and are now proudly on display in our cabinet!).

Trastevere is a beautiful, often described as a more ‘local’ part of Rome (apparently there’s a north/south divide to Rome similar to that of London) – but don’t let this fool you, as it can still be very touristy. It is beautiful and definitely not as busy as Monti or the main sights, so it’s a perfect place to meander and eat outside if you can.

WHERE TO EAT

Now we get to the real tips! Pizza and pasta were the only thing on my menu this trip and they didn’t disappoint. Pizza in Rome is traditionally very thin, so don’t expect fluffy sourdough! Cacio e pepe is the traditional pasta dish (and you can’t go wrong) but I would argue that the ‘gricia’ is my favourite Roman dish.

Casa Manco

Pizza by the slice (and weight!) with deliciously different flavours  – a great informal lunch spot. We visited one in the Testaccio food market but they also have a branch in Trastevere.

Rosciolo 

We didn’t visit this time but it still lingers as a favourite spot for us, there are a few and I would argue that the Salumeria behind Campo de Fiori is the most relaxed – try and book or go early and nab a spot at the bar and see everything carved in front of you.

Osteria da Fortunata 

Great prices, fantastic food and even better atmosphere, it can get a little touristy (like most great places that become ‘known’) but it still has a traditional feel. All the pasta is hand-made on site and I love how minimal the decor is.

A few other recommendations are Taverna Trilussa (delicious food and wonderful staff – a bit more formal so maybe not one with young kids) and Armando al Pantheon; book a table and don’t be put off by the table cloths – it’s traditional! But after your pasta you step out onto the Pantheon and reeeeeally feel like you’re in Rome.

At time of writing, Covid testing was not necessary to travel to Italy. However, you needed to fill out a Passenger Locator form, masks were mandatory inside any building (they could be removed to eat), an FFP2 mask was essential to fly to Italy (you could purchase at the airport) and our vaccination passport was asked at every venue/restaurant.