NEW POST โก๏ธ 9 Easy Day Trips from Avignon, France! ๐ซ๐ท
Rather than switch hotels every night when we were in Provence, we decided to base in Avignon and day trip from there. And I think it was the right call!
Check out my favourite day trip options:
In case no one has told you: It's okay to not be productive during this time. It's okay to not start a new hobby, do a home workout video, try a new recipe or write a book. It's okay to sit on the couch, feel your feelings and binge some Netflix. Whatever gets you through!
Been mostly offline the last couple of days exploring Fiordland and sailing on Milford and Doubtful Sound.
So many photos to share but hereโs one of my favourites from this morning waking up on the fiord.
Let's bring back this
#travel
game!
Spell your name using places you HAVEN'T been to yet, but would love to go.
Mine:
Romania
Istanbul
Antarctica
New Zealand
Albania
Your turn!
Travel tip: Go on a free walking tour on day 1 in a new city!
Not only is this a cheap way to explore, but it helps you get your bearings and get suggestions for what to do during the rest of your time in the city.
A little blogging win: This summer I was at 10-12K monthly page views. Just checked yesterday and I'm now at almost 20K!
I know those are tiny numbers to some but I'm excited!
Now can someone who understands this stuff tell me how to find out where the increase came from?๐
Solo travel tip: Start small!
If you're nervous to travel solo, start small. You don't have to do 2 weeks solo in a foreign country. Start by going to dinner by yourself in your hometown or a staycation. Build up your confidence & fall in love with solo travel!
I know numbers aren't everything and that this is small potatoes to some, but I'm really freaking excited about 10K ๐๐
Thank you to all of you for making Twitter my favourite social media channel (by far!) and such a fun place to share and engage!
1 week from today weโll be boarding our flight for NEW ZEALAND! I am so excited!๐ฅณ๐๐คฉ
While everything is booked, Iโd love any last minute tips or suggestions you have!
Friendly reminder to please support your fellow content creators, especially if you're enjoying their content for free!
It costs $0 to like a tweet, reply or retweet. If your friends are sharing their own content or working with a brand, those small actions can go a long way!
50K! ๐ฅณThank you so much!
A huge thank you to anyone who has ever read, shared or supported my blog. This is a huge milestone I honestly didn't think I'd ever hit, so thank you for getting me there.
I've applied to MV & just waiting on the timezone change - hope it's quick!
MEDIAVINE BOOST - HELP ME OUT?
When I started my blog in 2012 (mostly to let my parents know I was alive while solo in Europe) I never dreamed I'd be 2K away from MV.
If you have a moment to click around & help me hit 50K, I'd really appreciate it!
Ljubljana is definitely one of the coolest capital cities I have ever been to. I loved the charming old town, dragon statues, history of literature, waterway and fun cafe culture. Have you been?
Nine years ago today this guy asked if I wanted to be official. I said yes.
Then I texted him the next day to ask what exactly he meant by that ๐
But clearly, it was my best decision. Happy Anniversary
@ColinJM9
!
What are your favourite โsecondโ cities in Europe?
So not the big iconic cities but somewhere a bit smaller. Itโs still a decent sized city but itโs cheaper and less popular.
For example, Brno might be a second city to Prague in the Czech Rep.
Here's my take: There's no one right way to travel.
Fast or slow, cruise or homestay, budget or luxury - as long as you're not hurting anyone/thing, all good!
There's no objectively "better" way to travel. Just find what works for you and let others find what works for them.
In case you werenโt sure how much I love travel planning:
I spent all day putting together a slideshow about our trip to New Zealand and then presented it to my husband ๐
My current travel craving (that's a thing, right?) is to spend a month slow-travelling around a country or region.
Instead of racing around Europe or Asia or wherever, I'd love to spend a month taking trains around France or road tripping through Turkey!
I had high hopes for the Grand Canyon.
And when we finally got to visit last fall, it absolutely delivered! Hard not to be impressed seeing this place in person!
I find the travel community on Twitter is very supportive, but you get what you put in.
If you take the time to engage, ask qs, share, etc. you'll get so much from this community!
But if you just drop a link & run, you won't!
So freaking cool to see a profile about me in an actual print magazine! Thank you for the feature
@lowseasontravel
and for sending a copy my way
@ASingleStepBlog
!
Super excited to share my first piece for
@Tripadvisor
. Absolutely a pinch me moment seeing my name in print on such a well known travel site!
Check it out:
Travel Tip: Plan for rest
If your itinerary is go-go-go, you will burnout and not enjoy yourself. Even if you love to travel fast, plan some time for rest. Whether that's a day off from sightseeing or just an afternoon to catch up on Netflix, your trip will be better for it!
Wow do I love following travel people on Twitter!
The first five tweets on my homepage feature photos of Copenhagen, Bermuda, Egypt and Costa Rica.
Feeling all the wanderlust! Happy travels, friends!
When I visited Florence in 2019, I only had time for gelato and a quick look at the cathedral. I know I need to go back and experience Florence properly! What's on your Florence to-do list?
MEDIAVINE BOOST - HELP ME OUT?
When I started my blog in 2012 (mostly to let my parents know I was alive while solo in Europe) I never dreamed I'd be 2K away from MV.
If you have a moment to click around & help me hit 50K, I'd really appreciate it!
Just booked my first trip in a very long time and it's a big one: OUR HONEYMOON!
Couldn't pass up a good flight deal from Vancouver to Montreal in Oct so planning on Quebec City and maybe a Nova Scotia road trip or fall foliage in New England.
Recs? Tips? Blog posts?
When we were in Budapest we saw the beautiful parliament building lit up at night by boat cruise and the next day on foot.
Next time? We have to take the tour and actually go inside!
Today, Colin and I celebrate our 5th anniversary. If you had told me five years ago that we would have lived in Prague with our dog for almost a year, I don't think I would have believed it. The best five years and can't wait for the next fifty!
One of the coolest things I did this year was see the glowworm caves in New Zealand. Gliding through the water on a boat in the pitch black as the cave lit up around us was a completely out of this world experience!
Have you ever seen glowworms?
Any other travel bloggers out there who don't really have a niche?
I know niching down would be helpful for growth but I mostly started my blog to share stories/tips from my travels. And my travels happen to be across quite a few niches.
Just me?
Twitter is reciprocal. You get what you put in.
Yes, promote your stuff but also engage with other people's stuff.
No one wants to be in community with a sales robot who responds to everything with a link.
S is for
#Seville
! I absolutely fell in love with Seville, Spain when we visited in February. The weather was perfect, there were no crowds, the sights were phenomenal and the food was great. What's your favourite destination that starts with an S?
#alphabetadventures
One thing I've learned as a travel blogger on social media is that you can't just post your links and run.
You need to spend time interacting with people & building community. Not only does that help your blog, but it actually makes hanging out on social media way more fun!
Travel is a huge part of my life. But I feel like I've made peace with maybe not going anywhere for the rest of the year. Anyone else? I think it's because we've just moved back to Vancouver so this still feels new and exciting to me. Ask me again in a couple of months!
I was listening to a nomad podcast and they played a game I'd love to play here on
#TravelTwitter
.
Name a place you'd love to live for:
a) 1 week
b) 1 month
c) 1 year
d) 10 years
I'll put mine in the comments!
Travel bookends! What was your first trip of 2023 and what was/will be your last?
For me, it was the UK in January and Arizona in October.
What are your travel bookends for 2023? ๐๐
Despite not being a huge Lord of the Rings fan, I had an amazing time exploring Hobbiton in New Zealand. It felt like a magical place and not just a film set.
Have you been? Or would you want to go?
My partner and I have made the tough decision to leave Prague and head back to Canada. Lots of feelings on this, but right now just stressing to pack up our whole home before our flight tomorrow! Stay safe all!
Tip: If you're heading to the Colosseum in Rome, book your tickets through the official site in advance and opt for the underground and tier 3 tour! The views from the top are amazing!
For those who travel carry-on only, are you Team Backpack or Suitcase?
I'm currently on Team Backpack. I love being hands free and easily able to take stairs. But, my back hurts! It might be time to try a suitcase...
Just went through security & passport control in AMS:
Didn't have to take out my laptop or liquids
Didn't have to empty my 500ml water bottle
Didn't have to take off my shoes
And just put my passport in a scanner and then walked through!
When are we getting this in Canada?
Happy Birthday to my adventurous mom! True to form, she's celebrating her birthday in another country pet-sitting. I'm so glad I get my adventurous streak from her!
@weischoice
I love this! My husband and I want to do a week of takeout meals sometime in 2024. It sounds incredibly indulgent to not have to cook/meal prep for a week and just order takeout every night.
So proud of my adventurous mama!
Today she takes off for 8 weeks in Portugal and Spain with three of her girlfriends. They planned and organized everything and are living life to the fullest at 50+!
Easy travel tip: Keep a travel journal!
If you're a blogger, this is a great way to remember all the details of a trip for future posts. And even if you're not a blogger, it's nice to capture your memories in the moment.
Do you keep a journal while you travel?
Happy
#TravelTuesday
to the
#traveltribe
! Everyone wants to know where you're going when the lockdowns lift but I want to know where was the last place you travelled to before the lockdowns began?
For me, it was Slovenia! Pretty awesome place to be my last trip for a while!
Starting my long trek back home today - wish me luck!
๐ Train from Bath to London
๐ Train from London to Amsterdam
๐จ Stay overnight in Amsterdam
โ๏ธ Fly to Calgary
โ๏ธ Fly to Vancouver
๐ Home!
But at least the flights were only $165 Cdn round trip! ๐
Before going to Seville, Plaza de Espana was the only thing I knew I wanted to see. And it did not disappoint! This plaza had so much to explore and was just as beautiful as the Instagram photos promised! Have you been?
If you've been to Cinque Terre, which of the villages did you like best? Or which do you most want to visit if you haven't been?
(And yes I know there are 5, but Twitter only lets you add 4 photos!)
Let's play a game! You're getting an all-expenses paid month-long trip but here's the catch: You have to stay in the same city for the entire month. No day trips, no weekends away. Where are you going?
One of the coolest places I have ever visited: Cape Town, Simon's Town and Cape of Good Hope in South Africa. I visited in 2013 and can't wait to go back! Have you been to Cape Town?
After 3 magical weeks weโre leaving New Zealand today and heading back home.
This trip has been top of my bucket list for a long time and it completely lived up to, and surpassed, the hype.
Canโt wait to plan a trip back soon!
Kia ora Aotearoa!
One of my travel pet peeves is when people say they've "done" a city.
To me, it just sounds like you're checking a city off a list. While I don't think you have to love or revisit every place, you can never really be "done" a city, no matter how much you did there.
There's something so magical about seeing a place in person after years of seeing it in magazines, on social media and as desktop backgrounds. Horseshoe Bend did not disappoint!
Reminder for content creators: You can't just post your content, run away & assume others will click/comment.
Especially on
#TravelTwitter
, the whole point of the platform is to engage with others. You don't get from this community if you don't give.
Travel bloggers, do you write your posts while you're in a destination or wait until you get home?
I usually take notes while travelling and then write when I get home. But sometimes it feels like the inspiration leaves before I get to writing!