PACK THE SUITCASES

4 days in Moscow, Russia: a complete city guide and itinerary

20th July 2019 8 Comments

This mammoth 4 days in Moscow itinerary (and city guide in general) must be the first time I’ve ever started writing up a blog post the second I get home.

Having spent an incredible 2 weeks in Russia and absolutely LOVING it, I’m now ready to convince everyone I know that they have to go there, especially to Moscow. I’m typing really quickly because I want to get the words out and start sharing my recommendations on what I think must be my new favourite destination. That’s high praise, BTW.

Read on for my personal recommendations on what to do, see and eat in the incredible Russian capital.

DESTINATIONS

7 of the best day trips from Edinburgh, Scotland by public transport

1st June 2019 7 Comments

North Berwick: a pretty seaside town in Scotland | PACK THE SUITCASES

Here are some of the best and easiest day trips from Edinburgh using public transport only – no hiring cars and sitting in traffic involved! Edinburgh is one of my all-time cities and there is SO much to do there from eating/drinking, to history and culture, to exploring specific parts of town like Dean Village/Stockbridge or the beautiful hidden gems like Circus Lane. But it’s also a perfect city base for getting out and about on day trips to see even more of Scotland.

For this post, I’ve teamed up with some travel blogging friends to bring you a quick selection of day trips from Edinburgh that we’ve all tried and tested. This list isn’t in any order or anything, and it’s by no means exhaustive. But it’s a good place to start if you’re looking into what you can easily get to via public transport from Edinburgh. I’ve tried to include a decent variety of city, coast, mountains, towns and sights.

Get the kettle on (it would be rude not to also have a shortbread to get into the Scottish mood) and get planning…

DESTINATIONS

Things to do in Rockport, MA: a day trip from Boston

25th May 2019 10 Comments

Things to do in Rockport, MA | PACK THE SUITCASES

The picture-perfect town of Rockport is on Cape Ann, a headland/promontory at the top of Massachusetts Bay. I didn’t really know what to expect from it but it was just beautiful – a total gem. There are loads of colourful wooden buildings, independent shops, fresh seafood and magnificent sea views from sandy beaches.

Don’t let the name ‘Rockport’ put you off if you’re a UK visitor. Those horrendous shoes of the same name that were really popular with people being hard in the 90s were 100% nowhere to be seen.

So here are some things to do in Rockport, as well as what to eat and how to get there from Boston on the train…

DESTINATIONS

5 days in Boston, MA, USA: things to see, do and eat

18th May 2019 16 Comments

5 days in Boston itinerary, MA, USA | PACK THE SUITCASES

It’s taken me forever to write up this 5 days in Boston itinerary because there’s so much to include. I should add that I definitely mean Boston, MA, USA – not the local one here in the UK. I think you’d struggle to spend 5 days there…

Here’s what I got up to over 5 days in Boston – a bit of an itinerary, featuring everything I did/saw/ate each day (with emphasis on the eating, as usual). I hope it’ll be handy as a general travel guide for anyone else’s first time there or for anyone planning up to 5 days in Boston and feeling overwhelmed by everything there is to do…

DESTINATIONS

Tokyo itinerary: 3 days in Japan’s capital

4th May 2019 9 Comments

Tokyo itinerary 3 days - Japan | PACK THE SUITCASES

Here’s a quick Tokyo itinerary for 3 days. To be honest, I’d recommend more than 3 days in Tokyo if you really want to explore Japan’s buzzing, bustling capital. But if you’re on a time limit, there’s plenty you can cram in. I’ve been visiting friends in Tokyo for several years now and feel like I know the city quite well – until I go back the next time and Tokyo’s madness takes over. Every time, I find more new things going on that I’d never discovered before.

I’ve discovered that you can’t ever get to grips with Tokyo and won’t scratch the surface in 3 days, 5 days or even 2 weeks. It’s a city to be loved but never fully understood and I’m fine with that. So I’ve written this 3-day itinerary, which doesn’t cover even a fraction of what there is to do but has a decent balance of exploring, culture, fun and food. It goes off the beaten track a bit but still includes plenty of the big hits.

So settle down with a glass of sake and get planning your 3-day Tokyo itinerary…

DESTINATIONS

A guide to Manchester, UK: things to do, see and eat

27th April 2019 24 Comments

Manchester: places to visit, eat/drink at and see | PACK THE SUITCASES

If you’re planning a weekend away or if you’re local and looking for new places to visit in Manchester, this might be handy for you.

After years of research (read: eating and drinking too much), I’ve put together a bit of a city guide featuring all my local haunts that I regularly tell my friends to go to. It seemed daft to have so many travel posts about more far-flung destinations and absolutely nothing about Manchester, the city I know best. So here it is…