Taking the train across Switzerland is an efficient, relaxing and fun thing to do. We have spent a fair amount of time cross-crossing the country by rail on our two big Swiss trips. That being said, you are not going to take the Glacier Express for efficiency. With an average speed of 24 miles an hour, this iconic panoramic train is all about the views! Join us for our trip from St Moritz to Zermatt in this Glacier Express first class review.
This post may contain sponsored content or affiliate links that help support the blog. All opinions are our own.
A Little About Us (Well, Me)
On our first trip to Switzerland, we were travelling with Interrail passes. We had certain logistics we had to comply with, and certain places that we had to be by certain times. Well, despite tying myself in knots, i could not figure out how to include the Glacier Express. We left with that box unticked and it irked me no end. From then on, I was planning a new trip to Switzerland and happily, could make it a reality in September 2024.
A Little About the Glacier Express
Without question, the most famous train ride in Switzerland is the Glacier Express and this is in no way a commuter train. Of course, other trains run on the same tracks, and if you are just trying to get from A to B, those are the ones you need to catch. The Glacier Express is all about the experience, the views, and the bucket list of moments! That is why it travels along at an average speed of 24 mph/38 KM/H.
The line was finished in 1930 to connect the popular ski resorts of Zermatt and St Moritz. This helped promote them as summer resorts too. The train was unable to run in winter due to the snowfall which hampered its journey. The tracks pass over 291 bridges and through 91 tunnels. This now includes the Furka tunnel which allows the train to run year round (but does take passengers away from the Rhone Glacier after which the train was named). The whole thing is a very impressive piece of Swiss engineering.
The Swiss Travel Pass on the Glacier Express
The Swiss Travel Pass is a one ticket covers all optoin for travelling through Switzerland. You can take trains, boats, buses and trams all for a fixed price. Amazingly, if you hold a Swiss Travel Pass, as we did, the ticket cost of taking the Glacier Express is covered. This saves up to CHF 159/272 on your ticket price depending on your class of travel and the distance travelled. This is an amazing saving when you include the rest of the benefits of the Swiss Travel Pass.
However, reservations are mandatory so there is a little more to pay to ride. You need to ensure you are making a reservation in the class of travel that matches your Swiss Travel Pass. As ours was first class, that is where we sat. Reservations are opened 93 days in advance so set an alarm and don’t miss those window spots. To travel the full route (St Moritz to Zermatt) it costs:
First Class – CHF 49
Second Class – CHF 44
You can pay for Excellence Class no matter which pass you hold. The highend carraige has most gorgeous leather seats and a gorgeous attatched bar car. This costs CHF 470 and includes a five course meal with wine pairings…which sounds divine.
Our Glacier Express First Class Review
Boarding at St Moritz
We arrived at the station in St Moritz a little too early, turning up at around 07:55. We had decided to be lazy and catch the bus from the hostel so we didn’t have to lug our backpacks around the lake. As the bus only went every 30 minutes, we wanted to ensure we weren’t late.
The train turned up at about 08:15 and we ran around taking photos until it was time to take our seats.
Boarding first class was just like hopping on any other train, but further along the platform, Excellence Class (the top tier) got a little welcome stand, a podium with a member of Glacier Express staff and even a short red carpet. As ever, the train pulled away promptly at 08:51.
If you would rather watch our YouTube video all about our experience, you can check it out here:
The Carriages
The first class carriages were clean and bright, with lovely large windows and wooden accents warming up the dark grey fabrics. We loved the engravings in here or the famous Matterhorn mountain peak. Of course, the coolest thing about the carriages are the panoramic windows. There are large picture windows that extend up to the roof, and then additional windows, that are tinted to reduce crazy sunlight, that look through to the sky.
The Seats
The seating configuration in first class is a table of four on one side of the aisle, and a table for two on the other. If you want to make sure that at least one of you has a window, book as soon as the reservations are released. The couple across from us both had the aisle seat and they didn’t look too happy about it. (In second class, there is a table of four on each side…but we aren’t here to review that).
Our set of two had a table which folded out allowing us to get in and out easily and have our table set properly for dinner. In the centre was a plastic section with four dividers, the perfect place to put glasses so they didn’t slip. This is a very clever design addition that I’m surprised we haven’t seen on more trains. There was also a bottle/cup holder each, which came in useful for our cola bottles and a handy place to hook my headphones.
More about those later….
Determined to drink in the views and not just waste our time, as we were on a normal train, we didn’t watch videos or bring any entertainment. There was a brochure about the route and history of the Glacier Express to leaf through and a mains plug if we did want to charge your devices. Don’t forget, that Switzerland has its own plugs so you will need either a Swiss-specific adapter or a European plug which is very, very, very thin.
The other provided entertainment, or should that be infotainment, was the inbuilt audio system. Everyone was given a pair of headphones on their tables and these plugged into the dock on the side of your chair. Every so often, a set of chimes would play which indicated that it wass time to put the headphones in. Then, everyone was treated to some information about what bwe were seeing outside, or about the train itself. There were also a couple of music channels, one of which played modern German music and the other played very traditional oompah-style songs. I quite enjoyed listening to these as they gave it such a jolly vibe.
The Glacier Panorama Carriage
Next door to our first class carriage was the Glacier Panorama carriage. It had a very small souvenir shop and a couple of coffee machines. I don’t think we saw it officially open really, but we made use of it for three reasons. The first was as somewhere to wander to. Eight hours of sitting can give you rather restless legs. The second was to look through and sign the guest book. Finally, when we were about to pass over the Landwasser Viaduct, the very kind staff offered to open the big window in there so that we could get a nice shot of it. You can see the video we took further into this blog post.
Our Food and Drink
Hot Drinks
Our ticket included a meal and soft drinks throughout the day. We’ve began by ordering a couple of hot drinks. I opted for a cappuccino, which was pretty decent and Mr Fluskey chose a hot chocolate. He doesn’t really like hot drinks, but he does have a sweet tooth, so this was perfect. The hot chocolate was a famous Swiss brand, and came as a glass of hot milk and a sachet. We mixed it in and then happily sat and sipped.
10:15 – The table was set but they warned us that food wasn’t due for a while yet. Considering it was lunch, I didn’t mind at all but there is something about having your table set that sets the hunger niggles going. We had the Menu of the Day which costs CHF 49 (£43/$56) per person. This sounds very expensive but food is expensive everywhere in Switzerland so this is only a tiny bit more than you would pay anywhere else.
First Course
11:45 – A small bread basket was placed on the table and I was about to pounce on it but realised that no butter was provided. I thought I would wait for that to arrive before tackling the slices. Then shortly afterwards, our salads appeared. These were simple dressed salads with a wedge of hard-boiled egg and a vinegarette. It was tasty but not super exciting
Main Course
12:35 – After half an hour’s break, the staff suddenly appeared bearing large dishes of food. They came and served it at the table, silver service style which was a real treat. Mr Fluskey had chicken with root vegetables and Spaetzle. Spaetzle is a German dish which sits somewhere between pasta and dumplings. It is a delightful, salty, carblicious, filling side dish. The whole dish was well-seasoned and the chicken was delightfully tender. It looked simple but hit the spot beautifully.
,I am not a mushroom fan and had seen a few videos/blogs which mentioned their main course was mushroom chicken so I requested a dish without it. Instead, I was offered the vegetarian option. This was a tomato dahl (an Indian lentil dish) with rice and a poppadom. The dish was considerably cheaper to make than the main so I think I would have felt a little more short-changed if I was actually a veggie. Mind you, it was a large portion of dahl and rice…only a quarter of a poppadom though which I thought was a bit off. There was a strong tomato taste which was good but it lacked spices. I don’t mean chilli, but just the base level spices that didn’t really come through.
Dessert
13:10 – There was a long break between the main and dessert, so much so that I almost forgot it was coming. It was nice to spread out the service (it is a long train ride) but I think it would have been nice to know what to expect. The chocolate cake that arrived was moist and fantastic. It had a lot of fresh chocolate cream on which was cooling and addictive, I could have used a big bowl full.
Oh, and we never did get any butter. Maybe I should have asked?
Aperol Time
When you are travelling in first class, you can still bring your own food and drink. You don’t need to feel like the menu is the only option. We decided, to bring a couple of cheap and cheerful bottles of Aperol Spritz along with us that we picked up in Italy, sneaky afternoon apertivo. despite knowing we were allowed to do this, we still felt a bit awkward, fully expecting people to give us money stairs, but the staff didn’t mind one bit. 
The Views
Across the Valleys
Sliding through the landscape on a train is so relaxing and on this route, it is never boring. The villages below us and green hills above never got boring as it was all so very picturesque. For the first two hours of the ride, the clouds clung to the valley sides, giving an eerie quality to the pine forests. Then the sun burned through much of it and the colours began to pop. Every time we twisted around the edge of a hill, the red flash of the train caught my eye and had me grabbing for the camera. Later in the trip we dove to a valley floor with white stone either side and a milky turquoise river snaking beside us. This is the Rhine gorge and is known as the Swiss Grand Canyon. It was such an interesting contrast and looked so pretty in the sun.
The Landwasser Viaduct
There are lots of viaducts and tunnels on the Glacier Express route but the combination of the two at Landwasser Viaduct is the most stunning. The train emerges out of the dark and away from a dramatic rock face before immediately curving away. The 65m high viaduct stand high above the edge of a valley giving amazing views down, as well as being pretty striking itself.
Filming/Photographing the Landwasser Viaduct – If you are travelling from St Moritz to Zermatt you need to be on the left side of the train looking backwards. Travelling the other way? Be on the right looking forward. For the best, unobstructed views, ask the staff. We hung out of the window in the Glacier Panorama car but there might be another good spot near you. If you have a 360 camera, don’t forget to use it…like we did.
The Oberalp Pass
Up at 2033m, this is highest point of the line. I cannot stress how much I loved traversing the Oberalp Pass. It was clear and crisp right over the lake, with stunning reflections of the snow in the dark water. Apparently, the first snow of the year was just a couple of days before (on the 14th or 15th September) so we were so, so lucky. The train slowed down beautifully as we passed the lake so everyone could get the best shots, which was really lovely.
Up to Zermatt
The Schöllenen Gorge was another beautiful and dramatic vista which I wasn’t ready for. Sadly, we couldn’t ask them to reverse so i could get a better photo. From here the train meandered through Andermatt and Brig before heading up towards its final destination.
Everyone was craning their necks to try and spot the Matterhorn as we appraoched Zermatt. The train entered an opensided tunnel and I prepared to try again once we came out…but we came into the station so that wasn’t too successful.
Arriving in Zermatt
We grabbed our luggage and disembarked, slight shell-shocked that we had already arrived. Somehow ithe time had gone so quickly! We exited the station, ready to find our hotel and spotted the Matterhorn for the first time. I felt like such a fan girl, ecited to see her favourite celeb. Thats probably a weird reaction for a big piece of rock but what can I say…it’s famous!
Peaky Riders
We walked fro about 15 minutes to reach our accommodation for two nights. Peaky Riders is a self-check in hotel on the edge of the village. We checked in on a large tablet and set up our room keys which was very exciting. Our Matterhorn Snug room was up on the fifth floor (one higher that the lift goes). We loved our little room. The bathroom was decked out in marble with a decent shower and cool rock sink. It came with some nice toiletries too.
The room had a nice big bed with storage room underneath, a small wardrobe, and big TV. There was a nice skylight above the bed which made it all feel so much lighter and larger, especially when combined with the glass doors outside. From the balcony, we could see the Matterhorn so we decided to toast the end of the day out here with a glass of wine, carried from Italy. Oh, and the tockens in the picture? That was for two free coffees from the machine downstairs so that was my breakfast sorted for our two night stay.
Final Thoughts on Our Glacier Express First Class Review
I adored our trip on the Glacier Express. The views were beautiful and the atmosphere was relaxed but fancy. I hope you will get the chance to travel on this legendary train ride and if you are in first class, you are going to have a marvellous time!
I would LOVE to take thr Glacier Express once more. This time though, in the winter to see everything covered in snow. It must be so magical. Maybe we will splash out on the Excellence Class experience (those cream leather seats are calling to me). Maybe you’ll get a full second class review? Who knows!
The Swiss Travel Pass is an amazing way to see Switzerland using public transport. It is the ultimate pass over and above the other pass options on offer. However, it doesn’t come cheap. So is the Swiss Travel Pass worth it? Here are 7 reasons to choose the Swiss Travel Pass.
This post may contain sponsored content or affiliate links that help support the blog. All opinions are our own.
What is the Swiss Travel Pass?
The Swiss Travel Pass is the ultimate addition to any Swiss adventure. It allows the holder to travel on buses, boats, trams and trains throughout Switzerland. You can opt for first or second class (obviously, we are first class kids these days). There are two variations of The Swiss Travel Pass:
The Swiss Travel Pass – The Swiss Travel Pass can be used on consecutive days (3, 4, 6, 8 or 15). Be sure you have big journeys planned on these days, or a big discount on a trip up a mountain planned to ensure it is good value every day.
The Swiss Travel Pass Flex – The Flex pass can be used for the same number of days (3, 4, 6, 8 or 15) but at any time within one month. It costs more but means you can split the expensive journeys up and relax between them.
7 Reasons to Choose the Swiss Travel Pass
1 – The Swiss Travel Pass Provides Plenty of Flexibility
The best-laid plans of mice, men and tourists often go awry…that’s the poem, right?
Happily, not being tied for certain trains means you have a bit more leeway. If you miss a train, no dramas, you can hop on the next one. In fact, in St Gallen, we left so much contingency time to walk to the station that we were on time for the one before…so we got that. No faffing changing tickets or having to bag a train conductor to accept a different train time, we just hopped on and flashed our pass when the tickets were checked.
Of course, there are trains you will want or need to reserve but day to day, you have so much more flexibility.
2 – The Swiss Travel Pass Doesn’t Just Cover Trains
The Swiss Travel Pass doesn’t just get you passage on the trains of the country. These will probably be the primary way you travel around Switzerland, and it’s the main way to make The Swiss Travel Pass worth it, but you can use other forms of transport too.
Trams, some funiculars and boats too are all included! It’s such fun discovering new ways of getting around. For example, when we visited Aare Gorge from Interlaken, we caught a train and bus from Interlaken. However, on the way back, we travelled on the boat that crossed Lake Brienz from Brienz to Iseltwald, had a little look around and then caught a different bus back to Interlaken. It was much more exciting and being on the water, in the sun just makes it feel so much more like an adventure.
3 – The Swiss Travel Pass Includes Amazing Scenic Trains
Some of Switzerland’s most iconic trains are included on the Swiss Travel Pass. The country is crisscrossed with the most beautiful train journeys, carving through picturesque valleys, skirting glittering lakes and climbing over mountain passes. The most renowned routes have panoramic trains which extend the views up to the mountain peaks. All you need to travel on these, you only need a Swiss Travel Pass. You can pay for a reservation for some but you don’t have to. (If you are travelling in high summer and want a window, you might want to).
When it comes to the two biggest hitters, the Bernina Express and the Glacier Express, you just need to pay the reservation fee in your fare class. Travelling on these two trains alone will cover the cost of A three day pass so it is absolutely worth it if this is part of your Swiss trip.
Check out our reviews for the Bernina Express and Glacier Express trains here.
4 – The Swiss Travel Pass Also Includes Museums
If you love museum hopping, and discovering those small and charming museums that every town seems to have, then you are going to be thrilled with your Swiss Travel Pass. It includes free or discounted entry to around 500 museums, galleries and historic buildings. To find a full list, check out the Swiss Museum Pass website here. Some of our favourites were:
St Gallen’s Museumstrasse has three big museums that are all included so you can spend most of a day popping in and out, soaking up culture along the way. You can also access the absolutely beautiful Abbey Library which is worth travelling to St Gallen for.
Lucerne has some weird and wonderful museums (especially the Glacier Garden and nearby Bourbaki Panorama) which are included. However, the Swiss Museum of Transport or Verkehrshaus der Schweiz is not. You will get 50% off with the pass though.
In Montreux, Chateau Chillon is included. This medieval castle right on Lake Geneva is so imposing and interesting.
Sadly, we missed the Matterhorn Museum in Zermatt but we have heard great things!
Zurich has a fair few museums included. The Swiss National Museum in Zurich is interactive and you can lose half a day there for sure. A couple of other notable museums included are the FIFA Football Museum, the Swiss Finance Museum (more interesting than it sounds).
Finally, head to Gruyere where you can visit both the Maison du Gruyere (the cheese museum) and the castle in the medieval town. It is the perfect cheesy day trip!
Just remember, it has to be a travel day to use the pass so if you are excited to visit a certain museum, ensure you are travelling early or late that day to allow plenty of time.
5 – The Swiss Travel Pass Grants Access to Discounted Mountain Excursions
One of the most popular things to do in Switzerland is hop on a cable car or railway and go up. Viewpoints, mountain visitor centres and fun activities galore are on offer at the top of several famous mountains. These are not cheap excursions though. Happily, the Swiss Travel Pass gets you up to 50% off at many of Switzerland’s funiculars, cable cars and mountain railways.
If you are planning to visit Jungfraujoch from Interlaken Ost for example, travelling up by cable car and train, and coming back via the older trains, you are going to save CHF 76. It goes from 223.80 to 147.80. That’s not insignificant!
To reach Pilatus, near Lucerne, you can get to the funicular station for free. Then, to head up on the cogwheel railway and back down on the cable car, you are going to save CHF 39 (78 to 39).
Harder Kulm in Interlaken comes down 50% from CHF 38 to CHF 19.
You can see that travelling into or out of the area on the same day as making one of these large savings, really bumps up the value of the pass.
6 – The Swiss Travel Pass is Good for Budgeting
Switzerland is an expensive country so anything you can do to help you plan your financials is a good idea. You are quickly going to find yourself spending more than planned unless you really sit and make a budget. Paying for the pass is a big layout initially but once you have paid for your Swiss Travel Pass, it is settled. It doesn’t have to cost you an extra penny for transport around Switzerland unless you are planning to pay for reservations.
7 – The Swiss Travel Pass Gives You Spontaneity
The possibility of taking fun day trips and side quests is greatly increased when you feel like you want to make the most of your Swiss Travel Pass.
Found a great deal on Too Good to Go that is about to end a tram ride away? Had a sudden craving to capture a photo at a famous viewpoint before the sunset or visit a museum before the last entry? No dramas! The Swiss Travel Pass has it covered and doesn’t cost you a penny more. If it starts raining, your feet are freezing or you are just really tired, you can board a nice warm, dry bus or tram at the last minute without stressing about the added cost. Now, I know that many hotels and hostels give you a pass to use local transport when you check in but getting to your accommodation in the first place can be a chore, and it doesn’t cover as many options as the Swiss Travel Pass does.
We were in Montreux and found out that the Gruyere annual cheese festival coincided with our visit. Well, this gave us the chance to try both the Belle Epoque (the 1930s style train) on the way up and the GoldenPass Panoramic train on the way back and it didn’t cost us anything. We may not have done the trip if we had to pay for each of those trains individually and just stayed put in Montreux. Similarly, we found a fun wine tasting around the lake from Montreux and could just hop on the train to get there.
Final Thoughts on Why to Choose the Swiss Travel Pass
So is the Swiss Travel Pass worth it? Definitely! If you can afford it, you should absolutely be picking up a Swiss Travel Pass. It is going to make your trip to Switzerland so much more enjoyable and if you use it well, you can get great value from it too. Next time we are in the country, I will be clutching mine, ready to see more of stunning Switzerland!
We have had the pleasure of arriving into Switzerland by train and by plane. Both were perfectly nice, but taking the Bernina Express from Italy to St Moritz was an experience! If you are planning to take the same journey then read on for our full Bernina Express First Class review.
This post may contain sponsored content or affiliate links that help support the blog. All opinions are our own.
The Bernina Express
The Bernina Express travels from Tirano in Italy, on a steady 7% gradient up to the Swiss Alps. We caught the train up to St Moritz which takes around 2.5 hours but you can travel to Chur which will take around 4. (Thats “Cor” like door rather than “Chur” like her). This route was electrified in the 1920s and have been carrying happy travellers ever since.
If you would rather watch our YouTube video about the experience, it is below (or you can do both).
A Milan Stopover
The night before our Bernina adventure, we flew into Milan. This was a late night flight so we did a quick self check in to our hostel and got a decent seven hours kip.
It was just a 15 minute walk in the morning to catch our Trenord train from Milano Centrale up into the valley that lies between Italy, Switzerland Austria.
Route: Milano Centrale – Tirano
Train No: 2818
Train Time: 09:20 (actually 09:24) – 12:05
Even this train ride was lovely. Sure it passed some grey factories and uninspired suburbs, but then we left north Milan and hit the lakes. I don’t know why it hadn’t occurred to me sooner, but the train line runs up past Lake Lecco and Lake Como. The train was quite busy but nearly everyone bundled off at Varenna Esino, trying to trundle their wheeled suitcases across the tracks.
TOP TIP: For the best views of the water, sit on the left side of the train, as you are facing forward.
An Unexpected Stop
We pulled into Tresenda, the second to last stop before Tirano, everyone disembarked. We weren’t paying an awful lot of attention to be honest, until the train guard came down and gave us a quizzical look. This is where the train terminated, not Tirano. She gave a heavy sigh, enquiring as to where we purchased our tickets. When we said The Trainline, she gave a knowing nod and informed us that this has been a common problem. The train hadn’t been going all the way to Tirano for a while.
We dashed along the platform, following the last couple of stragglers as they turned the corner and made their way to a small waiting bus. I was in slight panic mode. Google told us that this bus was going all around the houses and would give us just a minute or two between its arrival and the Bernina Express departing. Thankfully, Google had no idea that this was in fact a rail replacement bus and it got us there, in just over 10 minutes.
Tirano Station
We made it to the station with time to run to the nearest supermarket. Switzerland has much higher food prices in Italy so we wanted to stock up on food and snacks for the next few days. We picked up crisps, biscuits, prosciutto, a couple of Aperol Spritz bottles, some Prosecco cans (or so we thought), a red pepper, smoked cheese, bread, and breakfast bars. Stocked up and feeling full of adrenaline, we hot-foot it back to the station with another ten minutes to spare. Less wound-up passengers thronged the square outside and I envied their relaxed demeanour, many having just emerged from the nearby restaurants full and happy.
Route: Bernina Express, Tirano – St Moritz
Train No: 974
Train Time: 13:17 – 15:45
After all the drama, we arrived back at Tirano station before our train arrived into the platform. Everyone bundled onboard as soon as the train doors opened. Luggage stowed, seats located and excitement high, the train pulled away.
At first glance, the seats look a little like normal train seats, rather than the fancy ones you may be expecting. I think it is the dark grey that makes them feel a tiny bit commuterish. They are very comfortable, however, so don’t let the colour put you off. In second class, there are two sets of four seats so you will be sat next to or opposite people you don’t know if you are in a couple. In first class, you will find sets of two opposite tables of four. If you both want a window seat then book early.
Mind you, everyone still has a good view as the Bernina Express has the most glorious panoramic windows. They stretch up and over the carriage in one large pane of glass, rather than the separate roof windows you will find on many other routes. These give an incredible view and we loved them.
On the small tables, everyone had a map (actually, it was printed ON the tables) and a small leaflet about the journey. I wish we had looked at this sooner as we found a link to an audioguide and we didn’t see it until it was almost time to get off. I love an audio commentary so this was silly of us.
The Food and Drink
Each table is provided with a menu of snacks, and drinks available to purchase. The prices were a little steep for Italy but rather good for Switzerland so I guess you just have to even it out mentally.
However, you are allowed to bring your food and so most people were having picnics. After our rather rushed food shop, we accidentally picked up the sparkling red wine rather than the Prosecco we were aiming for, but we still poured the cans into our plastic champagne flutes and toasted the journey whilst munching on peanut crisps, bread cheese and ham.
After our stop, everyone was presented with a small tin, made up to look like the Bernina Express’ iconic red trains. A quick flip over and I saw the Lindt logo. The tin contained Swiss chocolate hearts and they fueled us through the rest of our Swiss adventure (one a day for dessert). We also had a small carton of iced tea. It seemed to be camomile, alpines herbs and mint. It tasted just like my step-mum’s ice tea and I loved it!
The Viaduct
The Brusio Spiral Viaduct was my highlight. As a girl that spend many an hour creating similar structures with a wooden Brio set, it was astonishing. Built in 1908, the 110m long viaduct takes the train round 360 degrees and raises it up a whopping 70m! Originally, a spiral tunnel was planned but I am so glad that they went with the open structure. It is strangely alluring and the curve suits the meandering valley.
The Views
The full journey covers 144 kilometres (around 90 miles), goes through 55 tunnels and across 191 bridges. The Bernina Pass is a UNESCO World Hertiage Site so you know its going to be gorgeous. We passed through villages, and soared above them on viaducts. Bright blue lakes, green meadows and dark pine trees slipped by as we gazed through the windows.
THREE TOP TIPS:
They do say that from Tirano the best views are on the right, and from Switzerland they are are on the left. However, you can’t see the direction of travel when you are booking so this is a bit tricky to sort out ahead of time. Maybe pop across if you find some free seats on your favourite side. We were on the left and I can confirm that we spent a fair amount of time gazing through the other side. Either way, try to nab seats towards the centre of carriage as this will give you the broadest view.
The excellent curved panorama windows in first class dont open, obviously, but head backwards and at the end of the train you will find a little vestibule. Here you can open the windows and catch unobstructed view as well as seeing backwards along the tracks.
On the older trains, you miss out on the panoramic windows but the smaller windows do open halfway. If you are doing a return journey then travel one way on the older trains and capture all your photos. Then you can relax and just enjoy the views on the newer one on the way back.
Alp Grüm
Just before we head up into the Bernina Pass, there was a stop called Alp Grüm. Here, everyone could get out and take in the views whilst stretching our legs. It was a bit cold and windy so it was a bit of a struggle to stay out for the full fifteen minutes without a coat (I really should have popped back on b oard and grabbed it but I was over-excited). To the south we could see a gorgeous valley and the beautiful glaciers beyond.
St Moritz
Knowing that we were now up in the mountains, we bundled up enthusiastically before disembarking. Everybody else seemed to dive off the train and were long gone by the time we stepped onto the platform. I revealed to unenthusiastic Mr Fluskey that we were half an hour’s walk from the hostel on the other side of the lake. However, he reminded me that the Swiss travel pass doesn’t just cover trains, but buses too! There was a bus that would take us right to the front door of the hostel and so we gratefully hopped on.
After checking in, I thought it would be nice to take a walk around the lake and see what Saint Moritz had to offer. It was a beautiful walk if a little grey. When we reached town, we took several escalators up to the main area above the lake, but it was, like a ghost town. We were quite tired from our day of travel so we decided to bail that same bus once again back to the hostel.
We made some dinner and watched Celebrity Race Across the World as we munched our way through it. Budget travel mode was activated. Leftover Wagamama noodles, one packet of cheap ramen, overpriced hummus from the co-op in St Moritz and a single red pepper from Italy made up our first backpacker dinner. Ah Switzerland, you humble us all.
The Swiss Travel Pass
The Swiss Travel Pass is the ultimate travel companion in Switzerland. It allows you hop on and off buses, trains, boats and trams throughout the country. There are two main kinds of passes, The Swiss Travel Pass and the Swiss Travel Pass Flex. The Swiss Travel Pass means using it on consecutive days (3, 4, 6, 8 or 15). The Flex pass allows you the same number of days but at any time within one month. The flex costs a little more but means you can relax along your journey.
The Swiss Travel Pass covers the length of the Bernina Express, despite the fact it starts or ends in Italy. You just need to book a reservation for your selected class. When we travelled (September 2024) this was around 28 CHF in first class and 26 CHF in second class. This is totally worth it!
Final Thoughts on Our Bernina Express First Class Review
The thing about Swiss trains is that they are just too beautiful. Despite having done it once, I want to do it again. The September travel date allowed us to see the change of summer into autumn but now we need to see it all covered in snow! Whenever you go, you are going to have a wonderful day. Enjoy travelling through the most gorgeous places, relaxing, and letting the train driver do all the hard work. Cheers!
If you love the Disney Parks in Florida but have decided to branch out and venture across the pond, you are likely to experience a little Disney culture shock. There is still a castle, still the Fab Five and still queues for the toilets, but there are also plenty of differences between Disneyland Paris and Walt Disney World. Here are a few that we think you need to know about.
This post may contain sponsored content or affiliate links that help support the blog. All opinions are our own.
1. The Attractions
Looking at a map of Disneyland Paris, or a list of the rides, you are going to find some that are pleasingly familiar. However, don’t be fooled, some of these are very different from their US counterparts. So here are all the attractions that are most worthy of mention:
Ones You Think You Know
Peter Pan’s Flight – This is going to sound mad, but Peter Pan’s flight is actually faster in Paris.
Hyperspace Mountain vs Space Mountain– From the Star Wars overlay to the launch at the beginning, this is unlike the toboggan ride you might be used to.
Phantom Manor vs Haunted Mansion– There are many familiar aspects of this haunted house, but the Western theme gives it a new twist.
Sleeping Beauty’s Castle – Quite a bit larger than the US Park castles, you will also notice that it is painted in brighter colours to contrast the commonly grey sky. Don’t miss out on the sleeping beauty story upstairs, and the scary dragon downstairs.
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril – This is a bone-rattling kit rollercoaster, with one small loop and several head-jangling terns.
Slinky Dog Zigzag Spin – If you know Slinky Dog Dash, this one is a total disappointment. It is a gentle, wiggly worm ride, that just goes around on a slightly waved round track. Let me put it this way, it is great if you are three years old.
Ones You Don’t
Crush’s Coaster – Part dark ride, part family coaster, this nod to a Pixar favourite is great fun. It starts off with some storytelling all about Levi and his friends joining the EAC, and then has a zippy, but not so well themed gravity section to finish it off.
Pays des Contes de Fées (Storybook boats) – This is a slow boat ride through several fairytales. It used to include some lesser known properties, but it has just undergone a refresh and now you will spy Frozen and other new IPs.
Alice’s Curious Labyrinth – Not so much a ride, but an attraction. It is a great example of something Disneyland Paris does very well. You can run riot through a maze full of Alice in Wonderland characters, ending up at a brilliantly colourful castle.
Avengers Assemble Flight Force – Well, I say you won’t know it, but if you are familiar with Rock and Rollercoaster featuring Aerosmith, then it is going to feel very familiar. This is the same track and launch but with a re-theme.
Spiderman WEB Adventure – Think Toy Story midway mania but you use your hands to shoot webs instead of an external, handheld device. It is ridiculously fun, and ridiculously addictive. 
RC Racer – This might not look scary, but this slightly hard-core version of a pirate ship pack a surprising punch you are going to lose your tummy more than once.
Toy Story Parachute Drop – If Tower of Terror is too extreme for you, this drop ride might be more your speed. Plus, it has lovely views across the parks.
2. Cast Members
American customer service is known throughout the world. Big smiles, lots of compliments and sprinkles of pixie dust at every term make the Disney cast members in the USA justifiably famous.
Now, I not saying that the cast members at Disneyland Paris are worse at all. France just has a different idea of what good customer service looks like. Everyone does their job, does it well, does it with a smile, and goes above and beyond where their role allows. It may seem a little unenthusiastic, but it is in no way disingenuous. If someone is creating Disney magic for you, or complimenting your DisneyBound, they mean every word.
Yes, being in France means that French is pretty prevalent. You will find it on the signs, in the shows and throughout the attractions. However, it is by no means the only language spoken. In fact, UK guests make up the second largest group of visitors. Everything that is not in French, and that’s about 50% of everything, is in English.
Plus, as English is the language of tourism, you will find Disneygoers from across Europe who use it as their second language. Don’t panic, you will get through.
Of course, a cheery, “Bonjour/Bonsoir”, and a grateful, “Merci”, are very much appreciated.
4. Photo Pass
If you pay for photos expecting an album full of delightful family photos in front of the castle and other photogenic spots around the park, you are going to be disappointed. Photographers are few and far between at Disneyland Paris, and most of the photos you will be able to get come from character interactions and from the rides. Even with characters, you can usually ask the cast members to take some photo or video on your own devices. If you do want a few official photos, it is probably best a la carte.
5. The Food
It Takes Longer
Eating out in Europe is usually a relaxed affair. In the USA, you may be used to a bill appearing as you are halfway through your main dish. In Paris, you need to attract someone’s attention and request the bill. They don’t tend to assume you are finished, and would rather like you to order some more wine or coffee to bump up their profits. Remember, it is not okay to click or whistle at the waiters in France as is common in some of the world. Instead, try to make eye contact and give them a little wave, or the universal hand gesture for signing a cheque.
It Isn’t So Important
Disney snacks are a very big deal in the USA. Innovative and delicious dishes that you can indulge in or share on social media are the basis for many a WDW trip. In France, however, a nation of foodies, Disney is not the peak of culinary excellence. A lot less funding goes towards the food in the parks and you wilkl find that the snacks in particular are not up to the standards of WDW. The sit-down spots are very good but you will probably find classier cuisine in Paris itself.
Mobile Ordering
Disneyland in California has mobile ordering for absolutely everything. Walt Disney world has it for most quick service spots and it works well. Disneyland Paris has mobile ordering for some quick service food places but it isn’t that good. Be prepared to queue.
Tipping
Finally, the big difference when the bill comes is the tips or service charge that are expected. In the USA you are given options ranging from 18 – 25%. If buying a drink at a bar, tips star at $1 a drink. However, in France, picking up quick service or buying a drink from a bar without table service doesn’t require a tip. In a sit-down restaurant, a 15% service charge is included in the menu price you see so you do not need to tip further. This is already above the standard 10% that you would add elsewhere in Europe.
I have heard tell of people staking out their spots for the fireworks up to three hours in advance in Walt Disney World. This is entirely unnecessary at Disneyland Paris The most hardcore of fans will grab a spot an hour and half before but most people start to gather about 45 minutes before. Alternatively, you could pay for a good viewing place which starts at around €19, but you have already paid enough!
Similarly, there is an announcement that is sounded about 10 minutes before any parade. At this point you can still find a semi-decent place to see it from. Ideally, about 15 minutes before could get you a front row seat.
7. Strollers/Buggies
In European cities. cobbled streets, steep hills and public transport make dragging toddlers around in buggies/pushchairs/strollers, rather hard work. Kids in Europe walk a lot. Of course there is still a decent amount of buggies being pushed and parked around the parks, but there seem to be far fewer thanin the USA. I bet every one of those parents regrets it when their little one gets super tired and refuses to walk any more! It is possible to hire a pushchair from Town Hall so if you are travelling to Paris from elsewhere, you don’t need to bring your own.
8. Premier Access
Forget the old Fast Passes, or the recently defunct Genie Plus, we don’t even have Lightning Lane Multipss, in Paris, it is Premier Access. The first option for guests is to pay for an all-day express pass called Disney Premier Access Ultimate which starts from €90 per day. This gives fast-track entrance to the each of included rides once over the course of the day. Alternatively, you can just skip the queue of one ride at a time with Disney Premier Access One. This is bought for an individual attraction and can only be used once. These start at €5.
9. Alcoholic Drinks
There is a very casual attitude to drinking at Disneyland Paris leading to one of the grown up differences between Disneyland Paris and Walt Disney World. Most of the castle parks around the world were dry until very recently, but Paris was granted an alcohol license just one year after it opened. A glass of wine or beer at lunch was too ingrained in the French culture (and seven glasses is about right for the UK guests). Carrying a drink around, and even into the queues is permitted. Somehow, we were even allowed to bring a plastic glass of Champagne onto Autopia, which led to some wildly irresponsible drinking and driving (DUI). You are not allowed to bring your own alocholl into DLP but once yu are in, have at it!
EPCOT, the happy exception, is full of boozy treats
10. Smoking
There are smoking areas within the parks and you may see a lot more people smoking than you are used to. These are sometimes tucked away but they can be right in front of bathrooms, which isn’t so nice. You will also find that a few people ignore the rules and smoke when they are waiting for the parades or fireworks. (Vapers are especially naughty for this and they like to puff strawberry mist in the queues).
11. Parisian Weather
Florida may have year-round warm temperatures with a crazy hurricane season full of heavy storm showers, and California can get nice and warm in summer but Paris has four distinct seasons.
Summer can be boiling and air conditioning isn’t too common so pack a fan. You will also want plenty of sun cream as some of the longest queues, including Crush’s Coaster and Autopia are outside.
Autumn has some nice crisp, blue sky days but an equal number is pure grey. Be sure to bring many layers and gear for rain. Remember that in Paris, rain doesn’t tend to storm hard and then disappear. it is quite normal for a whole day of drizzle which you may not think is rain. Trust us when we say, the steady application of misty rain will leave you drenched if you don’t take it seriously. I’m British…I know rain!
Winter is cold, often with temperatures just above freezing. Dashing about, it isn’t too bad but when you are stood still queueing or waiting for parades/fireworks, you are going to be chilly. It is a good idea to pack lots of layers and some hand warmer pads or similar.
Spring is the least predictable. It can be rather warm and lovely, or slip back into winter. You wil find nice flowers blooming, blossom in Paris and the first little flare sof summer warmth. It is probably the nicest season to visit weather-wise.
Look at that beautiful August sky….hmmm.
12. Walking Between Parks
If you are a Disneylander then this won’t be all that shocking to you, but coming from Florida, it is a surprise how close the park entrances are. Exiting Disneyland Park, it will take you less than five minutes to reach the gates of Walt Disney Studios by foot. It makes park hopping a total breeze. We were watching a parade by the castle hub when we got a last minute table at Bistrot Chez Remy in the other park. We managed to make it in 15 minutes for the table. This is one of my favourite differences between Disneyland Paris and Walt Disney World as it makes a one day trip, perfectly manageble.
13. The Price
The ticket prices for Disney parks around the world creep ever upwards but the most extreme price hikes seem to be in Florida. The best direct comparison of ticket prices I can find is a 4 day pass (this includes both parks in Paris as standard but only one park per day in Orlando). These prices are correct as of 15th September 2024.
Orlando: $700 (£535)
Paris: €245 – €341 (£207 – £288)
Now just for fun, let’s look at some of the other parks and how much it would cost to visit them for four days.
Disneyland and Disney California Adventure (one park per day): $445 (£341)
Hong Kong (2×2 day tickets): HK$2163 (£211)
Shanghai (2×2 day tickets): ¥1660 – ¥3196 (£179 – £344)
Tokyo & Tokyo DisneySea (4×1 day tickets, one park per day): ¥33,600 – ¥36,900 (£178 – £212)
Of course, these prices will fluctuate due to currency changes but it is just an illustration of WDW’s spenny tickets.
…and why we should go to Tokyo for our next Disney adventure!
14. The Technology
My Disney Experience is the app used by everyone in Walt Disney World. It is quite reliable and to have a good day, you really can’t be without it. The Disneyland Paris app has a lot less functionality. It will allow you to book dining reservations, mobile order food from a few outlets and check the menus of others, and pay for extras like Premier Access and spots for parades and fireworks. Thats kind of it. You won’t spend the whole day glued to your phone as you do with booking Lightning Lanes etc in Walt Disney World.
Oh, and MagicBands don’t exist in Disneyland Paris at all so it is totally pointless bringing them,
15. Paris is Right There
The last of the differences between Disneyland Paris and Walt Disney World is the location (that’s obvious I know but hang on). You can reach Orlando from WDW, and Anaheim from Disneyland…that is nice enough but from DLP, you can visit Paris.
Paris is a gorgeous city, perfect for a wandering walk and studded with world famous landmarks. How can you be so close and miss out on a visit to Notre Dame, or a visit to the Eiffel Tower?
Final Thoughts on the Differences Between Disneyland Paris and Walt Disney World
Travelling between the world’s Disney parks can create a little bit of uncanny valley effect. However, enjoying the differences between Disneyland Paris and Walt Disney World is part of the fun. Find every bit of novelty because novelty enhances delight.
Riga is an incredible blend of interesting history, impressive architecture, fun places to party and plenty of activities to suit everyone. It is the perfect place for a city break, but how do you see the best of the city if you only have 3 days in Riga? This is your perfect long weekend in Riga itinerary.
If, like me, you live in a small flat, or just don’t have a lot of storage room in your regular size abode, you are going to want to discover Rollink. They produce all kinds of collapsible and easy store luggage. When an advert for their 360° Flex Spinner popped up on my social media, I knew we had to get our hands on them. So does the ease of storage live up to the hype and are they sturdy enough to use for travel? Read on for my full Rollink 360° Flex Spinner suitcase review.
This post may contain sponsored content or affiliate links that help support the blog. All opinions are our own.
The Concept
There are three main varieties of easy storage options offered by Rollink. One is a two-wheel folder, similar to the 360 Flex. It has the same folding design with a hard shell on the front and back. The other is the Aura which is also a two-wheeler, but it has an additional helpful pocket on the front. However, I have become accustomed to the four-wheel life so it had to be a spinner. We chose two Flex 360° Spinner suitcases, from the four sizes on offer:
Carry-On Spinner – Dimensions: 22’’ x 14’’ x 9’’ , 6 lbs & 40L packing volume
Our suitcases arrived in two cardboard boxes, which weren’t too exciting. However, underneath their dusty exterior was another neat cardboard box displaying Rollink. It was quite fun to open these pass-the-parcels. One layer deeper and our new suitcases were both contained their own zipped fabric covers. I was thrilled as these will keep them dust-free as they live atop our wardrobe.
The Exterior
The front and back panels are just like a regular hard suitcase, made of polycarbonate with a dimpled, diamond design. It is a simple pattern but gives it a touch of class.
Rollink offers some very cute colours. Originally, we were looking at Yellow Iris, a nice light lemon yellow for out carry on. However, everyone else seems to have had the same idea and it was out of stock. We opted for the Atlantic Blue (navy) for the carry on, subtle but still a hint of colour. Then we picked Rose Smoke (pink) for check in, as it seemed like it would be easier to spot on a luggage reclaim belt. They both look great but I wonder how long the pink will survive if it gets thrown around by baggage handlers. I guess we can’t be fussy if we are choosing to check a bag.
When constructed, the sides seem a touch flimsy but they are made of a waterproof fabric that I think should be hardcore enough to last. They seem confident enough in the set up, as they offer a five year warranty. Technically, we have yet to test them as check in luggage but being packed full of birthday presents, they held up well. We have since sent the carry on from London to Paris with a baggage company and it remains to see if it is still intact! (Updates on 25th September)
The Interior
Both suitcases have the same interior. They are lined with what feels like pretty hard-wearing grey fabric, sporting the Rollink logo. The lids have two elasticated pockets for bits and bobs, with a zipped mesh pouch above. This has been handy for separating small bits and bobs, while the stretchy pockets were perfect for bottles of wine given to us…I am not sure they were specifically designed for them, it is just a happy coincidence.
On the other side, you’ll find what makes these cases special. There are four flaps, which you lift up and secure at their base with the velcro attached. These create the expanded sides when it in use and fold slat when it is ready to be stored. I am interested to see how long the velcro will last if it is used a lot. I suppose that with our preference for travelling with hand luggage, compared to the medium size case, we will have a good comparison.
The Fiddly Bits
The adjustable aluminium handle is nice and sturdy with a comfortable hand feel. There is one tiny sharp bit of plastic on the handle but it isn’t whre you grip.
Along with a decent zip, there is a TSA approved lock. This means you can lock the bag and check it in to the USA without fear of them busting open your bag. (They have a skeleton key that means they can look in your luggage without damaging the lock or zip).
Each suitcase comes with a strap to wrap around it and keep it secure when collapsed. There is a velcro pocket on the side which I believe is to store the strap when not in use…but I could be very wrong in that assumption.
The wheels on both of our cases glide beautifully. We had fun testing them out on both our street’s terrible patchwork of paving and the super smooth stone of the train station.
The final touch, which I love, is the finger grip on the bottom of the larger case. Anything that makes carrying things easier is a winner in my book.
Final Thoughts
As with all good ideas, I am left wondering why they weren’t invented earlier. Was it that the technology wasn’t there? Perhaps the world just hadn’t conceived the idea? Was it that people used to be able to afford big houses and storing suitcases wasn’t a problem? Whatever the reason, I’m so glad Rollink has come up with it now. I wonder what we will fill the extra space we have created with these now!?
They say, “Third time lucky”, “Third time’s the charm”, “Comedy comes in threes”. It seems like if you want something to work, you need to do it three times. Well, I think Camp Wildfire is the exception because every single time we have been, and that’s three years running, it has been the MOST fun! Was our third year even more superb than the others? Read on for our full Camp Wildfire review 2024.
This post may contain sponsored content or affiliate links that help support the blog. All opinions are our own.
What is Camp Wildfire?
Camp Wildfire could be described as a festival, a summer camp for adults, and the most wholesome place to be on a late summer weekend. During the day, campers choose from over 100 activities. To book these, they use credits, different number of which come with different tickets. Some things cost as little as 5 credits, and some go up to 40. In the downtime, you can try some other fun things like the climbing wall and air drop which are both included in the ticket.
Then, every evening kicks off with the Patrol Games, a fun battle of party games fought between the four different teams at camp (more on this later). Finally, there are hours of bands, DJS, comedians. and talks to entertain until bedtime (again, these are all included).
This year, was a little different from our previous years in three ways.
We brought a campervan instead of using the pre-pitched tent service from years one and two.
Another friend of ours came along too. She shall henceforth be known as Naomi.
During activity enrolment, we didn’t get everything we hoped for, with many activities being filled from the priority enrolment release. This led us to try a few more random things.
Camp Wildfire Review 2024
DAY ONE
Getting to Camp Wildfire
Three years and three different experiences. Our first year, we took the train and shuttle. The second year, we wanted a little more autonomy (and a little more bedding) so we drove. This year, we were lucky enough to have a campervan to use.
We picked up our van at 11:30 and then picked up Naomi from a nearby petrol station. The drive was only an hour and a half, around the M25 and then into the Kent countryside near Sevenoaks. Making a pitstop, we grabbed a few foody bits, including some fridge things (a new novelty). In hindsight, I should have ordered ahead and not dragged our 24 (8×3) cocktail cans all the way to Feltham on the bus tube and bus.
As we got closer to the site, we started winding down some narrow roads. Slight panic settled in when we saw a sign that the road would narrow to a width that we wouldn’t scrape through! Luckily, a turning allowed us to go a longer way but not end up wedged just 3 miles away.
The Campervan
We arrived were directed into the Live-In Vehicles field. Hopping out, we took stock of what we were doing and figured our way through hooking up the electricity and setting up our beds for the weekend. The campervan was huge, able to sleep five, and so we had plenty of room to flap about and get changed. Yellow clothing acquired and Csnp Wildfire shirt on, it was time to dash.
The only thing that we didn’t like about being in the Live-In pitch was the alcohol policy. We diligently made sure we only had our eight cans of cocktail each. As the field is outside of security, we were not allowed to bring any booze in with us on re-entry. I understand why, we could have had a vehicle absolutely stuffed with vodka…but we are are goody two shoes and brought nothing extra so it was annoying not to have our customary Patrol Game cocktail cans with us.
The Patrol Initiations
Much like Hogwarts houses, there are four groups you can join at Camp Wildfire. Before you attend, you choose whether you are a Squirrel, Hawk, Badger or Fox. We are Squirrels, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed!
Around Base Camp, the leaders of the four Patrols stood atop picnic benches and whipped their followers into a frenzy. Through the loud hailers, they taught everyone how Patrol points work, how to chant like a squirrel and why we are undoubtedly, the best Patrol. Knowing the basics, I dashed off to a nearby stand giving out free samples of zero-waste cocktails. This was both a nice addition to the festivities and gives a little glimpse into the sustainability Camp Wildfire strives for. Dashing back to share my spoils, I caught all the new squirrels being anointed including our very own Naomi.
All too quickly it was time to get together with everyone else and begin the parade through the forest. Each Patrol was led by a brilliant live band (samba, funky big band…you know). Everyone was directed into the Games Arena in Centre Camp ready for an introduction to the weekend and the first round of Patrol Games.
Patrol Games 1
I remain far too scared to participate in the Patrol Games, clutching a drink and screaming encouragement from the sidelines. I once heard something that said, “There are Hip Hip people, and Hooray people” I am a diehard Hoorayer, cheering for the more courageous folks with utter gusto. Luckily, plenty of Hip-Hip-pers got straight into the swing of it and we had some brilliant new games along with old favourites.
Game one! Two players stand apart from each other, each holding a rope. There is a pile of hula hoops over player one. A runner has to grab a hoop and run it along the rope and over player two.
The next game was nice and simple, in theory only. Two people throw a water balloon backwards and forwards. Each time, they must take a step apart until the throw becomes pretty precarious We won this game which was an excellent start to proceedings.
The one that always stops my heart came next. Four players lie in a cross with their feet up in the air, supporting a tub of water. That is hard enough right!? Well, now they have to take their socks whilst not dropping the water..! I can barely watch but we won so I shouldn’t have been so worried.
The final game was the classic pegs-on-the-face-race. One person runs back and forth to a bag of pegs. At the other end of the arena, someone waits while their face is pegged. On our previous visits to Camp Wildfire the Patrol Leaders played this one and the Squirrels smashed it, but sadly, we came last on this attempt. If you are a Squirrel and thinking of coming in 2025, its time to get your pegging practice in. (Oh Matron).
Dinner
Halloumi Round One
One chalkboard seemed to catch everyone’s attention. The Soul Project proclaimed to have the best halloumi fries in the country. Having eaten an artery panicking amount in my time, I thought I’d be the judge of that. They were topped with a collection of Lebanese tasty things; zaatar yogurt, sumac, pomegranate molasses, fresh mint and pomegranate seeds. I thought to myself, “They have just ripped off that place in Camden!” and yeah, they were pretty similar…in that they were super delicious.
Moroccan Chicken
To go with our halloumi, we got a chicken wrap from Harissa and Lemon. It was another taste bomb with delicious preserved lemon and turmeric chicken, lettuce, tomato, harissa and mint yogurt. It was a single person portion and I was sad to give Mr Fluskey the other half, but as we was clutching the halloumi fries, it had to be done.
Evening Activities
Full of yummy fare and excitement, we went in search of entertainment.
We popped into the main tent, the Discotheque, where the big music acts perform. There was a brilliant guy called Simon Panrucker in the last five minutes of his set. He was asking the crowd to help contribute to his music and then improvising really funny lyrics. I wish we had been there earlier to see more!
Cockney Bingo
Naomi found “Cockney Bingo” on the schedule and we knew it was going to be right up our street. We dashed through the forest and arrived about half way through. A kind camper donated their bingo card to us as they left and we caught up quickly with the rules. The delightful host chatted away, dropping in Cockney rhyming slang which we had to join in with and would fill up the card. We got a couple of lines, “Oi Oi Saveloy” but never got a full gaff “Knees Up Mother Brown”. I need to find this next year, or at a fringe festival in the meantime!
We did a little dancing and chatting but soon the busy week running up the festival caught up with us all and we decided to retire to bed.
DAY TWO
Wakey Wakey
We decided to take things a teeny bit easier and have our first activities at 10:00 this year, instead of 09:00. I was still awake in plenty of time to have done the earlier slot but Mr Fluskey needed to catch up on some sleep. Having our own bathroom for brushing teeth and showering meant we didn’t have to stand in queues so we wouldn’t have had to get up so early anyway but either way, Mr Fluskey got to sleep right up until 09:15.
I got a bit lost on my way to archaeology and panicked that I was going to be extremely late. Happily, I wasn’t the last person to arrive so my shame could be set aside for the session.
Archaeology
It isn’t often that as a grown up, you get to dig around in a sandpit on the hunt for goodies. I suppose if I was into gardening, I would get a little more soil time but the house plants don’t give much of that. We had a short talk from our activity leader, Amelio who explained how to discover something, dig with the trowel and brush the objects until we could remove them. I knew it involved a bit of brushing but then nothing here was ancient so we were probably far too rough. People ended up digging through sand with their hands. It is probably because he had mentioned a deer skull which was very well hidden and up to then, undiscovered in the dig site. We also had four red rib bones with a little V on to find. I found one but didn’t see the V…maybe archeology isn’t for the visually impaired ones amongst us. After the 80 minutes had elapsed, nobody had uncovered the deer skull.
Flying Trapeze – Mr Fluskey
“I’ve done flying trapeze before and I enjoyed it so much that I couldn’t convince myself to change this for trying a new activity, despite it being more costly in credits. I mixed it in with new experiences through the weekend anyway.
When we arrived we were all full of nervous energy. We had some quick instructions on the ground, then observed the instructors swinging effortlessly and with style. After a warm up, I had my harness strapped tightly around my waist. Our group was a mix of people of different ages and certainly we weren’t all svelte athletic types. Some had done trapeze or other gymnastic activities before, but plenty hadn’t. As we watched each person we were all supporting them with whoops, cheers and applause at any sign of nerves or celebrating the successes.
As I climbed the ladder, I tried to go up as quickly as possible as it was a little wobbly and probably the scariest bit. On the platform at the top, I made small talk about the weather whilst chalking my hands and being clipped onto the ropes trying to distract from the nerves. I followed their instructions and before I knew it, I was hanging from the bar, soaring through the air. I was throwing my legs over it and hanging upside down like a natural. At least that’s how I felt. The video footage shows I’m a little less poised than I thought, but it was great fun. The dismount I didn’t do very well, but the harness and the net meant it didn’t matter. It’s such a great feeling and everyone seemed to be buzzing coming down eagerly awaiting another go.”
Sign Language
This was one of only two repeat activities this year. The session began with learning some Camp Wildfire appropriate vocab (tent, campfire, cow(?) and stargazing. They explained theconcept of placement in British Sign Language. It allow the speaker to refer to a previously placed person or thing rather than having to re-spell or describe it.
Then it was time to learn the weekend’s choir performance song. It was Taylor swift “Shake it Off”. My glorious friends did an immense surprise dance for us at our reception to this track so it has become an anthem for the wedding ever since. With BSL choir, you don’t sign the exact words in the lyrics but more the ideas behind the lines. This has left us with some awesome new dance moves to the familiar song. Mind you, with the amount I forgot by the time the performance rolled around on Sunday, I won’t have a single move left by next week.
Skateboarding
I switched onto skateboarding three days before we went to Camp Wildfire using the handy-dandy enrolment system. It was a sour of the moment idea and so I didn’t have time to get properly nervous about it. However, as we picked up pads and helmets the butterflies started.
The class started out with some kick flips and other stationary tricks on the grass. All was going to plan, I was a little rubbish but enthusiastic none the less. Then I faceplanted. It wasn’t too bad, I laughed it off and then got back to attemptingthe trick of the moment, I’m not sure I mastered any of these but it was definitely ten for effort.
Everyone took to the platform and began to skate for real. It was a very smooth surface which meant gliding was easy but it felt like the board could escape at any moment.
And it ran away from me several times (I fell off quite a bit).
Most of my accidents were only minor with a surprising attempt at doing the splits when me foot rolled away with the board. However, I did have one pretty thumpy fall where I was very glad to be wearing a helmet. This one shook me a little and I sat in the corner for a bit to regain my composure. Of course confidence was beyond me at this stage but the incredibly kind Gus guided me off the beginners ramp several times, even saving me when I once again plummeted to the floor. They couldn’t have been nicer or more encouraging and I really put the safety equipment through its paces. I would give this another go for sure in a private lesson but I’m not sure my ego would take another public face plant.
Pioneering – Mr Fluskey
“For pioneering we got stuck in straight away learning knots (or remembering them from Scouts) starting simple with the reef knot, moving onto the clove hitch. Finally we tackled the complicated sounding, but surprisingly easy, “Round turn and two half hitches”. The session was punctuated by interesting facts and humour, always linking back to the most essential point about ropes, wood and knots; that Tom Hanks survived in Cast Away with these basic materials. We split the group in half and built 2 adjustable pyramid catapults, ready for the battle to begin. The teams shot tennis balls into a bucket, and then at each other’s catapults! We built an even bigger catapult with stronger rope, more tripod lashing and then fired more balls at each other in an energetic finale.”
Nerf Battles – Mr Fluskey
“Nerf is a high energy and low pain shooting activity. Little foam bullets are flying everywhere whilst you pretend you’re Bruce Willis, what could be more fun? We had a quick safety brief then I grabbed my gun of choice from the pile, collecting up as many bullets as I could load and stuff into my pockets. There was a selection of small pocket guns, handguns, old style western guns, one that looked like a machine gun and even a semi automatic rifle with a magazine. I went for the big gun, but it wasn’t loading so I switched to two hand guns, preparing myself to look like I was in an action film.
We had a couple of minutes to familiarise ourselves with the guns, so I went around the field shooting everyone once. I wanted to be fair and to build a healthy rivalry! Then we split into teams and played last man standing. I was out pretty quickly, taking a bullet to the back. The second round was capture the flag where you are out when shot. Finally we played capture the flag with a re-spawn back at the base so you could come back in when shot. Running around a field shouting tactics and switching between attack and defence was a physical challenge so we all took turns defending the flag. I left a sweaty, but exhilarated mess.”
Laser Clay – Mr Fluskey
“At laser clay pigeon shooting, we were given a serious introduction to the guns. The instructor explained that although they were laser shotguns, they look, feel and weigh the same as a real gun. They asked that we treat them like real guns, and follow correct habits in case we were to take up the sport in the future.
Laser clays are a lot better for the environment, easier to set up, run and score than clay shooting. With a quick intro to how to hold the gun, where to look and how to “reload” them, 10 of us were standing by markers aiming into the sky. For each clay you get 2 shots to hit it. In the first round anyone could shoot and score. For the second round the first to hit it gets the highest score and then 2nd and 3rd get a lower score. I preferred the first round where I could take longer to catch it in my sight and follow it to shoot.”
Bread Baking
I have wanted to try bushcraft bread baking every year but a very dry year, followed by very poor credit management meant this is the first time I actually managed it.
We all began at a table covered in flour. A small plastic bowl with some white flour was given to each of us and then we could add in dry flavourings and mix it all up with some water. I went for Madras Curry Powder, giving the mixture a distinctly 1970s aroma. The instructors Med and Laura told us to be extra cautious and not add in too much water as people had repeatedly ended up with gluey bowls of slop. Being the good girls and boys we are, it took us an awfully long time to get the mixture wet enough to come together in a ball. From here, we rolled the dough into sausages and wrapped them, snakelike around some sticks, sanitised in the flames of the fire. Then we cooked our snakes over the glowing embers. As they rose, they slowly separated from the stick and eventually, could be pulled away leaving the perfect hot dog receptacle.
Well, I didn’t have a hot dog but thoroughly enjoyed sharing my efforts with Nay and Mr Fluskey, dunking it into a big pot of hummus.
This was a lovely activity with that nice edge of survival skills in the forest but with something tasty to take away. I’m not sure Madras Curry Powder is the way to go in the future, apparently someone bought cheese with them and made a tasty cheese twist, but it’s really cool to know just how easily I can produce something edible.
Patrol Games 2
This series of events had me screaming. These games were hilarious,
The first game was enough leave me needing smelling salts. Just the tip involves player one popping a long stick between their legs, with a toilet roll on the end. They had to walk down to the other end of the arena without touching the stick with their hands. There, their patrol buddy waited with another stick and then they had to pass the loo roll between sticks. It was so, so funny.
Another new and divine addition to the games was the bad breakdancing competition. I wonder if it was inspired by the 2024 Olympics? Four amazing performers took to the arena floor and danced their socks off, trying to be as weird and wonky as possible. Bellylaughs and suit! True, the squirrels won this game which indicates my dancing style truly belongs in the squirrel camp.
There was a brilliant Rock, Paper, Scissors tournament where the players had to hop between carpet squares. When they met an opponent they had to do a quick round and whoever won could advance, hopping for the gods! It was fast, furious and something I fully intend to play next time we have a picnic in the park.
Finally, the great limbo. Anyone and everyone could take part until only the very bendiest remained. Honestly, I was so invested in the individuals taking part that i have no idea which patrol took the title!?
Dinner
Mac n Cheese?
Round one of dinner was a little pot of Mac and cheese from the appropriately named “Mac and Cheese”. After some debate, we decided to go for the special, the brie and cranberry. It came with two deepfriend pieces of brie on top…or it was meant to. Our breaded cubes seemed to be empty. Maybe they melted and drained out into the pot…? Who knows! Either way, the macaroni cheese below was yummy. The portion would have been perfect for one but an hour after sharing, we were still hungry.
(I was too hungry to remember pictures. Sorry!)
Chicken n Chips
The big “FRIED CHICKEN” sign was calling to me so we wandered over to take a peek. The stall had fried chicken or gyoza. I love dumplings but knew I was hungrier than that. Instead we opted for the mixed box which had chicken, halloumi (round 2) and Japanese curry flavour fries. We topped the lot with hot honey and it was all delicious.
Evening Activities
Ben Aitken
When I saw Ben Aitken’s name on the schedule I couldn’t quite place it but I knew it was someone familiar. I did a quick phone search and realised that I own several of his books on Audible. Dear Bill Bryson was a fantastic homage, The Gran Tour filled me with delight and the Marmalade Diaries was a treat!
Ben talked about his newest book, Here Comes the Fun, in which Camp Wildfire itself is discussed. He read an excerpt which of course everyone thoroughly enjoyed and I vowed to buy the book when I found phone signal. Turns out, I already have it and so I started listening to it the day I got home from camp. It was so lovely to see him in person and see my audible come life!
Michaela Strachan
They say that Millennials are obsessed with nostalgia, and honestly, they are totally right. I defy anyone who watched The Really Wild Show in the 1990s to be ambivalent about seeing Michaela Strachan talk about adorable creatures live. Naomi very kindly saved my front row seat as I ran around getting some extra dinner which meant an excellent view for the talk.
Michaela talked through her entire career which includes decades on the TV and lots of conservation work. She was beautiful and charming, everything we all hope she would be. There were funny stories of animal encounters, some great clips of shows we never got to see and even some poetry from her very own book.
Timmy Mallett last year, Michaela is tracking this year, if we don’t get Dick and Dom in Da Bungalow (tent) or Ant and Dec next year, I think there will be a riot.
Rhythm of the 90s
More nostalgia? Yes, please! of the 90s was a live band that used 90s dance tracks samples to create their covers of the songs. They played some absolute bangers and although Naomi and I only caught the last five songs or so, we still got a very respectable amount of dancing in. More dancing at The Clubhouse ended the night, and we made our way back to the van at 01:30 or so.
DAY THREE
Bollywood Dance
Getting up in the morning to do something fun and energetic is a great way to start your Sunday at Camp Wildfire. Challenging your body and brain to learn and perform a dance routine really gets everything firing! In 2023, I did 09:00 burlesque(!) but this year, Naomi and I got our Bollywood on.
Our instructor Aanchal Gupta looked a lot more fresh faced than we did and quickly got everyone learning some Indian dance basics before starting the choreography.
The dance had three sections, some classic Bollywood, a section based on classical dance and a bit of Bhangra to end with. It was reasonably challenging with a couple of moves that flummoxed me entirely. Swapping my hands between the pretty bird-shaped and the pretty flower shape (alternating the hands each time) left me bemused and in hysterics every time. I’d say, we got a good 75% of the routine but never the same 75% each time we performed it. It was a fantastic class and I am going to see if BollyRed is anywhere near us in London!
Snack Time
The plan was to eat healthy things we brought with us but the call of the naughty treats was too strong so we had these instead…
Slackline – Mr Fluskey
“I didn’t have high hopes of achieving much by doing slackline. Sure, I have average balance, but put me up on a 2” wide strap strung between 2 trees, with a bit of wobble and suddenly that’s a whole new level. It doesn’t matter that it’s only 2 feet off the ground, it may as well have been over the Grand Canyon, it’s surprisingly scary.
I arrived a minute or so after the group had started and people were already up on the different length lines being supported on one side by their partners. There were an odd number of people so the instructor helped me up and I leaned quite heavily on his shoulder as I delicately walked across the line. It wobbled quite a lot at times, but 30 seconds later I’d just crossed a slackline with no real lesson or intro. He kept giving real simple but effective advice, which I tried hard to follow.
“You can’t really teach it” – Fair play.
“When you feel like you’re coming off, don’t fall, just step off” – I did “step off”, and didn’t fall over once.
“When you’re up on the line, don’t forget to breathe” – I had and it was affecting my balance.
“Don’t overthink it, just stand up onto the line” – Following this I just kept getting up.
Over the session, I tried 3 different lines and I was able to get up and walk 2 or 3 steps before losing my balance which I was incredibly impressed at. I also got up and stood on one foot for a few seconds. Finally, I walked across the longer line forwards and backwards! With this and trapeze under my belt I can clearly run away to join the circus!”
Kickboxing
Mr Fluskey, Naomi and I all took kickboxing together. We did a very quick warm up and then everyone partnered up and grabbed some pads or gloves. I chose to work with Mr Fluskey as I think it is a healthy way to get out some married frustration. Ok, I am kidding but we were standing next to each other, so it was an easy choice.
The class was taught the basics of punching and how to administer a good kickboxing kick. I was feeling slightly nervous that we might have to spa against one another but luckily, we just ran practice drills. Mr Fluskey is left handed and my brain took a little while to reconfigure when we took turns holding the pads and boxing. We both nearly punched each other face a little but managed not to create any black eyes.
Space Science
This was my second repeat activity as I loved it so much in 2024. Originally I hadn’t signed up for it, trying to resist the urge to do something familiar, but I had a change of heart of the Sunday and chucked my hat in at the last minute. I am so glad I did.
Here are some more bonkers things I learnt thanks to the engaging expert Paul:
The light from the sun takes an average of eight minutes to reach us, but from when it is formed in the sun’s core, that could be up to 130,000 years.
Most shooting stars are space rubbish only about the size of a grain of sun.
Asteroids fly around the universe packed with the ingredients for life and that may have been what started us all off here on earth.
To end the session we got to hold some tiny bits of Mars, Mercury and the moon, as well as real asteroids. One was slightly older than the sun…the sun!!!
Honestly, Space Science is like attending a Christmas Lecture or great a talk at the Science Museum. It is gutting that it ends after an hour. I hung on until it was gone 17:00 even though my next activity was due to start then. How can you leave when your mind is being blown over and over again. I had to run to my next appointment!
African Harmony Choir
Our final credited activity of the weekend saw the three of us back together for a relaxing singing workshop. (OK, so it became relaxing after I managed to catch my breath). We had a nice chilled a Capella session, singing songs from Kenya. Arriving late, I didn’t get to dive into the right voice type so joined Naomi in the alto section. It was a fun new challenge resisting the urge to join the higher voices, which we both struggled with. It was nice to be back in a choir and especially to step into the centre of the circle and listen to the five harmonies. Some people were brought to tears, letting the music fill them up.
The next day we met a guy who had been in the session and he expressed how much he loved it. I’m inclined to agree.
The Patrol Games Finals
I was hyper. Red Bull and singing joy filled my tank and I was ready to cheer my socks off (I don’t mean whilst playing the water tub game to be clear). I made sure my patrol points were dropped into the jar in good time, ready for the final count.
We began with a super performance from a Fox called Amy, who wowed the place with a stellar hoops routine.
Then, the annual Camp Wildfire lip sync competition rocked the arena. The Hawks put on a full Friends fan show along to the Rembrandts which was a darn good time. It had water pistols for the fountain and even part of “the routine”. IYKYK.
The Foxes got every Gen Z and Tik Tok fan dancing in sync to H.O.T.T.O.G.O. (Chapel Roan for the win). Then our Squirrel lip sync queen did a wonderful rendition of Sk8er Boi which I’ve never rocked harder to. Finally, the Badgers did an incredible medley of all Patrol songs, featuring secret plants in each Patrol. It was so very brilliant!
Let The Games Begin
After tempting the entire arena with another flash of the Patrol Cup, the final scores were announced. Turns out, we may not have done too well at the Patrol Games this year, but we must have done some pretty good work elsewhere as our score brought us into second place. The Hawks, with the winning score, went straight to the finals and then it was down to the three remaining patrols to battle it out for the other spot.
The semi final was one of the multipart relays Connor is so good at creating. A frantic race of spinning screws, apple bobbing for tights and tossing hula hoops led to dramatic draw. The Squirrels and Foxes had a nail biting (and impressively improvised) tiebreaker which Amy (the hula-hooper) won. Our dreams of victory were dashed but it was time to cheer for the remaining players.
For the final, another devilish race was concocted. A locked box had to be opened by solving a balance beam puzzle and filling a tube with water which spat out a key. From here they had to use a catapult to hit a target, releasing a deluge on gunge on the opposing Patrol Leader’s head. It sounds complicated but it all makes perfect sense when you are there…so make sure you are next year!
THE FOXES WON in a splash of blue slime. It was a beautiful victory.
Dinner
Loaded Fries
I think we left dinner a little late and we were both too hungry to make a decision. We ended to returning to Harissa and Lemon. They were running out of food as it was very nearly the end of the festival but the halloumi and sujuk loaded fries were just what we needed. This time I topped it with harissa mayo to give it some kick.
Pizza Toastie
To go with this, we decided on Toasties and Coffee’s pizza toastie. I was genuinely excited for this but they used burger cheese (fake cheese slices things) for the inside and it made it pretty gross. I was expecting mozzarella, and not having that was fine but how can you sell toasties and not even have actual cheese? My half was abandoned to Mr Fluskey. Oh how I wish we had gone back to the actual pizza. It wasreally very good last time we tried it.
Evening Activities
The Talent Show
Last year’s talent show was great fun but a little slapdash. This year, the second Camp Wildfire Talent Show, was set to be a slicker show. We had some wonderful singers, a handstand master, some iprovisation, a Welsh rocker and then Naomi took to the stage (field). Now, Naomi is an actual professional opera singer and let me tell you, nobody was prepared. Every time she did the tiniest bit of operatic singing throughout the weekend I told her to keep a lid on it so it would be a surprise. That sounds mean but I just wanted to feel the full force of the stunned reaction.
These photos are next level terrible but the lighting was dreadful and we were far away sooooooo, here we are.
She took the waiting campers through a brief explanation of the plot of Turandot and then proceeded to blow the roof off the place with her rendition of Nessan Dorma. There was a standing ovation, people wept openly and for the rest of the night enthralled new fans stopped Naomi to sprinkle her with fairy-dusted praise. It was so lush to be her proud buddy!
Astronomy
After two years of failing to make it to astronomy, Naomi finally got my bottom down to Adventure Canyon to see some stars. There had been a nice, clear sky when the Patrol Games began but by now, the clouds were well and truly present. We hung around awkwardly, making some queue friends but not entirely hopeful the cover would clear. After about 10 minutes, one of the two telescopes was packed away and everyone was drifting away, just as a little gap appeared in the sky. With serious haste, we all got a quick glimpse of Saturn through the remaining telescope and thought it a job well done.
Amy Gledhill
Having failed to catch any comedy in The Auditorium, throughout the weekend, we dashed back to get our giggle on. Luckily, Amy Gledhill was very funny and we got a belly laugh or three during her very raunchy set. I hope to scope out some of her stuff online.
Patrol Leaders Party
We wandered round to The Clubhouse for the last big party of the weekend. It was all college rock when we arrived, which isn’t entirely our vibe, but I decided to dance whatever it was on and the mood soon evolved into a more poppy playlist. They even played Hakuna Matata which made this geek very happy. Again we bowed out at about 01:25 which is fairly early I suppose but with such action packed days, I don’t how anyone manages much more!
Time for bed…
DAY FOUR
A Drizzly Goodbye
Doors began to slam at around 8:00 as a few vehicles made for an early exit. The site had to be cleared by 12:00 so most people left at around 10/11, with a few stragglers who managed a lovely lie in. We pulled out at around 11:00, ready to have a nice visit to nearby Hever Castle but not at all ready to leave the Camp Wildfire bubble.
I know that technically you get three full days but it goes SO quickly with all the activities, games and entertainment. Time seemed to be rushing ahead of us the whole time! I think we suffer too much FOMO to just turn up and relax so it is entirely our own fault. Maybe an extra day with little to nothing to do there would be good so we can relax and rest our sore bodies. (Don’t get me wrong, every muscle ache is entirely worth it and just means I should do more exercise than one kickboxing lesson a year).
Final Thoughts for This Camp Wildfire Review 2024
So was it third time lucky? Honestly, it was third time still blooming brilliant. I have adored our experience every time and every time there has been something different enough to keep it fresh. From upgrading our accommodation to bringing a buddy along, we had exciting new things to freshen up our down time. Then of course, trying new activities and learning new things in old favourites made it just as fantastic during the days. I think I am gushing now….
Next year, 2025 is the tenth anniversary spectacular and we are SO excited to see what Camp Wildfire has in store. Maybe they will multiply everyone’s final score by ten just to make them sound extra super duper. We hope we will see you there (“Weekend Two, Weekend Two, Weekend Two”).
Disneyland Paris is one of Europe’s premier theme parks but it can have a reputation for being a little “kiddy”. When you are competing with Europe Park, Efftling and Alton Towers with huge coasters and thrills galore, the rides can seem a bit tame and the theming something from our childhoods. However, I can categorically state that no matter how old you are, you are going to have a blast. So if you’re all grown up, taking a child-free trip with your friends or significant other, here are some top Disneyland Paris tips for adults.
This post may contain sponsored content or affiliate links that help support the blog. All opinions are our own.
“I do not make films primarily for children. I make them for the child in all of us, whether we be six or sixty.” – Walt Disney on why he would wholeheartedly approve of Disney adults!
1. Don’t Miss the Arcades
Whether you need to get down in a hurry, or you need somewhere to relax for a while, the arcades that run parallel to Main Street in Disneyland Park are a good bet. For some reason, these two stretches of covered walkway, that run behind the shops, are ignored by most people. Maybe they think they are for shop deliveries? You’ll find cute pavement cafes, some history of America(?) and the parks in here, and just a spot which seems distinctly more chilled. This also means you can dash through if you are in a rush, or hide from the rain if needs be.
The Liberty Arcade is all about the link between the USA and France, including the Statue of Liberty. Pop behind this sign for a random diorama of its opening day in NYC.
The Discovery Arcade has display cabinets that celebrate the history of some important inventions and a set toilets.
2. Enjoy an Adult Beverage
Although things are changing over in WDW, they still have a long way to go when it comes to alcohol. DLP was the first “castle park” to introduce alcohol way back in 1993. (I think WDW has only just started serving in the last year). Throughout US parks, cocktails are available in selected spots (and all around the world in EPCOT) but on the whole they are sugary, sweet and brightly coloured. Usually they are tasty but you never quite feel sophisticated with one. Basically, they are made to be an event, part of the important snack culture in the US parks.
In Disneyland Paris however, you can grab a glass of wine or bottle of beer in most eating spots. That includes both table and counter service locations. It is deemed to be part of the French experience. The sad part of this drinks experience is that most of the bars within the parks serve the same thing, rather than the drastically different menus in the US parks. This means a bar crawl isn’t as exciting and you aren’t going anywhere specific for your favourite beverage.
There is one main exception to this, however. Main Street has a cart that serves Champagne and ordering a glass here feels fun and decadent. The bubbly comes in a plastic glass with a logo and that is for you to keep. Its a nice souvenir. Look for the cart outside Gibson Girl in the afternoon and evening.
The hotels and Disney village are another matter…but we will talk about that later.
3. Hit All of the DIsneyland Paris Rides for Adults
OK, so technically none of these rides are only for adults.
RC Racer – This really might not look all that but you will really lose your tummy, especially if you sit in one of the back rows.
Star Wars Hyperspace Mountain – Although I miss the original Jules Verne themeing, this is pretty cool and has the best launch at the beginning. This goes upside down and can be a little head bumpy so take your ears and hats off. Sit at the front for the best experience.
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril – This is an OG Paris ride but was bought as one of those build-a-rollercoaster kits so I am sure I have ridden the exact same ride in two other parks in the world. It is a bone-jangler and you will be whipped about a bit as it zips around at 35mph.
Avengers Assemble: Flight Force – Rock and Rollercoaster has had quite the facelift at DLP. It races up to 57mph with a decent launch at the beginning. Again this one can be bit of a head rattler.
The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror – Although this is beside Avenger’s Campus, it has been spared the Guardians of Galaxy retheme seen elsewhere and is still based on the ’50s Twilight Zone., It is a multi-drop ride and is a bit too hardcore for me (but even the Toy Soldiers Parachute Drop is a little too droppy for me).
Crush’s Coaster – Crush traverses the tracks at speeds of up to 40mph but the spinning ride vehicle can increase the G-force and make it feel crazy.
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad – This is more intense than the same ride elsewhere in the world. The final section of the ride zooms up to 100mph in the final tunnel. Sit at the back for the wildest experience.
4. Give Everyone a Break
Yourselves
Long park days are tiring, and not just for little ones. You are going to be walking tens of thousands of steps and being up from dawn to dusk. Remember to take breaks and relax. If you start to get irritable with each other, it is time to stop and watch a show or grab a bite to eat with a seat. In fact, queueing for shows like Mickey and the Magician is the perfect excuse to have a snack whilst sitting on the floor and relaxing…and then you get to sit down even more as you watch the show.
Other People
Everyone is trying to have an amazing day despite the crowds and the planning. The weather may be maddening hot, or depressingly rainy and tempers may be fraying. Forgive crying children, pushy parents and stressed out families. They are all just trying to have a magical time after shelling out lots of money on this trip, in the same way you are. As Lucy from my favourite podcast The Disneyland Paris Show says, “Be The Magic”.
5. Skipping the Queues
Premier Access
This is the Disneyland Paris’ paid queue skipping pass. There are two versions of this.
You can either buy the pass for the day, Disney Premier Access Ultimate, and it will give you fast track entrance to the included rides once over the course of the day. Alternatively, you can opt to go a la carte with Disney Premier Access One. This is bought for an individual attraction and can only be used once.
Visiting Disneyland Paris as an adult means you are dealing with your own budget and yours alone. You could splash out on something like this and here are no additional dependents that you have to pay for at the same time. This is good for you but it does make me a little sad for large families that can’t afford to pay for them all.
Single Rider
The single rider queue for the larger rides is used to fill up the ride vehicles when they hold an odd number of guests. The queue is usually much shorter than the regular queue as it usually means splutting up from others in your party for the ride. Obviously, families with children are far less likely to want to do this and so you can take advantage and enjoy the shorter line.
6. Go Beneath the Castle’s Facade
Disneyland Paris has the most beautiful castle of any of the Disney parks. Kiddos will find it pretty enough but it takes a proper grown up to appreciate all the details you can find here. Let us share some of our favourite secrets:
Look up at the top of the castle. The 16 towers reaching for the sky are all inspired by real chateaus in France. The cutest detail here though, is the golden turret covered in bumps. Look closer and you will see that these are actually golden snails, escaping their spot on an escargot plate.
The landscaping is unusual. Look at the trees and their unnatural shape. This is taken right from the artistry of Eyvind Earle who created the original Sleeping Beauty aesthetic.
Inside the castle you will find two shops. As you pass through, the one on the right is the Christmas shop. On the left is the crystal shop where you can buy some wildly expensive crystal models, pretty jewellery and even your own crystal wand.
Go up the stairs on your right and you will find the most incredible stained glass. British artist Paul Chapman was coaxed out of retirement by the idea of telling a fairytale through the medium of coloured glass. A true artisan, he had previously worked on windows in St Paul.s Cathedral and Notre Dame, and was officially appointed by the British crown. Clearly, the result is beautiful. Up here you will also find gorgeous tapestries, sleeping guards and even the cursed spinning wheel.
Descend into the cavern under the castle (round to the left as you face the front of the castle). Down here you will find the gnarled dragon, slumbering gently. This is Merlin’s dragon but you will find plenty of people who are sure it is Maleficent.
7. Give Disneybounding a Go
As adults, you are beholden to a few dress code rules:
No costumes.
No floor length dresses.
No offensive slogans.
A top, bottoms and shoes must be worn at all times.
When it comes to DisneyBounding, it is point number one that concerns us. You are not allowed to go to DIsneyland Paris in fancy dress (or in a costume). That is where DisneyBounding comes in. You CAN go to the park in clothes that suggest a character’s garb. You can wear the colours of a character with a few fun accessories, giving the impression of your favourite princess or villain. This is a growing phneominom and it is a nice bit of magic for the adults to enjoy. It is fun both to Bound, and to see if you can work out other peoples’. Here are a few examples of my DisneyBounds:
There are some excellent places to get photos in Disneyland Paris, perfect for bragging on social media.
Sleeping Beauty’s Castle – It is THE castle and its square trees and pink and blue hues are just stunning.
Fantasia Gardens – Before you enter the park, you will walk through Fantasia Gardens. Don’t ignore the gorgeous landscaping. It was influenced by Versailles’ formal gardens and includes a gorgeous floral clock of Mickey.
Main Street Square – The bandstand in the centre frames the castle perfectly.
Toy Story Land – Giant toys and characters from the film bring this land to life.
Alice’s Curious Labyrinth – This attraction is unique to Paris and is worth exploring. It is full of characters from the film and a cool Cheshire cat hedge. At the end you will find the very cool castle of the Queen of Hearts which is cool in itself and is a great spot to take a selfie with the main castle.
Walt Disney’s Studios Park Gates – Based on a pair of classic Hollywood studio gates, these never have a crowd and are pretty iconic.
The Partner Statue at Hollywood Boulevard – Mickey and Walt holding hands…need i say more.
Bistro Chez Rémy – Giant plates, champagne corks and more make you feel lie you have shrunk to the size of a rat. It is very Instagrammable.
Pink Porch – Opposite the Coca-Cola van on Main Street, this pretty pink house might not scream Disney but its one for the IYKYK crowd.
9. Relax in a Bar
Outside of the parks, it is time to look for some of those speciality cocktails akin to those across the pond. I know we have mentioned alcoholic drinks but this is about the atmosphere and the more unique drinks. These are a few of the best places to grab a bevvi9e of an evening.
Fleur de Lys Bar, The Disneyland Hotel – Mentally prepare your wallet for this option, as it is the most expensive. You’ll see a lot of champagne on this menu which is expected for their high end bar, but the champagne-based cocktails are an eye-wateringly high price (€28 a pop) and some are very strange. This is worth a visit for a quieter experience and for a little poke around the hotel, but it isn’t that fun and the normal cocktails can be found elsewhere for much cheaper.
The Bleeker Lounge, Art of Marvel Hotel – Open in the afternoon and evening, Bleeker Lounge has a really cool Manhattan loft vibe and some very fun cocktails.
Skyline Bar, Art of Marvel Hotel – In the same hotel, with “views” of the New York, Skyline Bar serves classic cocktails including Manhattans and Martinis. It gives the impression of a classy high rise bar in the city. Pay attention and you might spot a Marvel character jetting across the sky.
Redwood Bar and Lounge, Sequoia Lodge – This bar is so cozy. It has an American lodge theme with lots of wood and an exposed stone fireplace with a roaring fire.
Captain’s Quarters, Newport Bay Hotel – A small nautical themed bar. You can order a couple of drinks and they will be served at your table with some nuts and olives. The only downside to this bar is the lighting which is quite bright so isn’t that relaxing.
Billy Bobs Country Western Saloon, Disney Village – This is a Western themed bar/restaurant with live entertainment including circus acts, live music and more. They have a dance floor on Friday and Saturday nights.
Sports Bar, Disney Village – If you want to watch sports, this is a great spot as it has some big screens. It is also good if you are on a budget, because despite the fact it serves many of the same drinks as other Disney Village bars, they are cheapest here.
Skip the Royal Pub, it has next to no English pub charm.
Of course, nobody is saying you have to have a hard drink to go to a bar. You could enjoy a fun mocktail or a glass of your favourite soda product. It is just nice to have a space with less kiddos and a seat to rest upon.
10. Forget You Are an Adult for a Bit
If you can lose your grown up inhibitions for just a moment, you are going to have a magical time. Wave at your favourite characters in the parade, giggle your way around the carousel and watch the fireworks open-mouthed and put your cynicism aside. I promise you, nobody will judge you for having the most fun. One Imagineer, interviewed on “The Imagineering Story” mentions seeing a very fancy French couple waltzing to the Main Street Electrical Parade music. Too cute!
Plus, there are some of Disney’s old rides here that remain in their original form so it will scratch that Millennial Disney Adult itch. You KNOW you want to sing along with the dolls on Small World really!
11.) Don’t Skip the Fireworks
The fireworks show is a must see. It has nostalgia, sentimentality and big, pretty bursts of fire. The best thing? It isn’t after your bedtime! If you are ride crazy, the run up to fireworks time will let you hit some of the larger rides with a shorter queue, which is nice. However, the fireworks shows are great and worth giving up a few last minute rides for, especially if you are only here for a day.
12.) Dip into Paris
Disneyland Paris is just one hour away from the centre of the city by RER train. This means you can spend the morning with Mickey and climb the Eiffel Tower at lunch. There are even dedicated travel companies that run towards from Disneyland Paris to both Paris and Versailles Palace. of course, if you have visited the city before then you can make this a theme park only trip but if you have never seen the city of lights and love, then make sure you have a little time to explore.
Final Thoughts on Our Top Disneyland Paris Tips for Adults
As a child, I never visited a Disney park which is probably why I can confirm Disneyland Paris is great fun for adults. I don’t have those nostalgic memories of trips in times gone by. The theming, the fun to be found and feeling of letting Disney do the hard work all make it a wonderful trip. See you in the parks!
Visiting the happiest place on earth is a treat but have you considered that preparing for the trip can be fun too? Planning your outfits for the Disney Parks can be a great way to get excited. This is especially true if you are going to take some DisneyBounds. What is DisneyBounding? I am glad you asked. Let me tell you all about DisneyBounding: the what, how and why it is my new obsession.
This post may contain sponsored content or affiliate links that help support the blog. All opinions are our own.
Disney’s Dress Code
There are a few rules that, as adults ((people over 14 in this case), you need to follow at Disney Parks across the world.
You cannot wear costumes or proper cosplay of any Disney characters.
They don’t allow floor length dresses/gowns.
You cannot wear any clothing with offensive slogans.
Clothing (top and bottoms) and shows must be worn at all times.
With this in mind, especially the first rule, a quiet phenomenon has erupted; DisneyBounding.
What is DisneyBounding?
Dressing up as your favourite character is such fun,. especially when they spot you from their parade float. However, as adults, we are not allowed. Instead, you can put together an outfit that gives enough hints of who you are without breaking the rules. This is DisneyBounding. Then, when you hit the park, you can try to spot other Bounds and work them out, while people are sussing out yours. It is a very cool way to feel involved and to recreate some Disney magic.
Why Adults Can’t Dress as Disney Characters?
Keeping adults out of costumes ensures little ones don’t get confused between random people and the hired (and highly trained) character actors. It would be a little shocking to see Belle all boozed-up, Snow White drop an S-Bomb or Tiana throwing up after too many rides on Test Track. Even if you are on best behaviour, the cast members spend a long time learning the voices, mannerisms and flourishes of their role. Its no joke and diluting that would really spoil the magic.
How do you DisneyBound?
So, instead of a full out costume, we are aiming to echo the outfit of a certain character with colours, themes of their story and famous things from their films or TV show. Things to consider are:
Main Outfit
Think about the character you want to emulate. Most people go just for the colours while some try to aim for the silhouette too. I am a colour girl as it is the easiest thing to reproduce. I love a dress or top and skirt combo so i aim for that but trousers, shorts and tights are all handy ways to break up a fit into different colour blocks. For some inspiration, just check out the DisneyBounding on Instagram!
Accessories
Pins, hats, earrings, Mickey/Minnie ears, necklaces, hair bands and other small additions give some more fun clues. Adding a little badge easily brings in those story notes or hints of the actual person. What jewellery or hair accessories do they have? Do they carry anything specific? Its all those little touches that will level up your Bound.
Bag
You could bring a bag that goes with the theme. Hardcore Disney shoppers may have a Loungefly bag that matches but at £60-100 a pop, that is so far beyond my budget. Instead, I opt for a cheap and cheerful bag that goes with the accessories (a shell for Ariel, mouse for Cinderlla, apple for Snow White, Cow Print for Jessie).
Alternatively (and I have to give 37 Disney Street credit for this one) I tae a clear bag which I can use every day. The idea is to print a scene or something from each film and pop it in the front clear panel. One bag, a million outfits!
Hair
Of course I am not suggesting wigs or hair dye but I would say that styling your hair as your chosen person is fun. Bear in mind that things may get bumped during rides so make sure you hair is still comfortable and not full of pins. Try a side plait for Rapunzel or Elsa, a top bun for Tinkerbell or Cinderella, a bubble ponytail for Jasmine, side buns for Princess Leia and a fake bob for Snow White. Mind you, if you are aiming for a horribly early rope drop, this might be an effort too far.
A quick note on partner Bounds: Trying to get Mr Fluskey into a DisneyBound can be tricky but giving him a themed t-shirt that matches my outfit seems to work well. If you have a partner or friend that wants to join in with your outfit, discuss options and then decide whether you are putting it together or if you trust them to do it.
Why is it Called DisneyBounding?
The term DisneyBounding goes back to 2011 and blogger Leslie Kay who had a Tumblr blog called DisneyBound. It was the clothes she was wearing when she was “Bound” for Disney. She began sharing her outfits and inspiration and started a movement.
There is still a DisneyBound website sharing ideas so check it out for some more inspiration.
Some of Our Past DisneyBounding Outfits
Snow White & Grumpy DisneyBound
Me:
A red bow hairband – Matches Snow White’s.
Blue top with puffy sleeves – To represent her top.
Yellow skirt – To emulate the yellow bottom of the gown.
An exceedingly cute red, wicker apple bag – Her apple scene is iconic!
Mr Fluskey:
A top covered in Grumpy – I’m saying nothing.
Cinderella DisneyBound
This day in Disneyland Paris was freezing so I also wore cardigan for most of the day but in the sun, it was almost manageable. This outfit had:
A pale blue dress (from the Pretty Dress Company which I LOVE) – Cinderlla’s ball gown.
Black choker – Her jewellery for the ball.
In a warmer park I would have worn my clear, glittery jelly shoes but it was about 9°C in this picture and didn’t get much warmer – Glass slippers.
Ariel & Flounder DisneyBound
Me:
A red hairband – Ariel’s red hair.
A purple top – Her shell bra.
The dark shiny green skirt – The mermaid tail.
Red crab earrings – Little Sebastians.
A little, glittery shell bag- General underwater things.
Mr Fluskey:
A yellow and blue striped t-shirt – Flounder.
Minnie DisneyBound
So this was kind of based on the Mickey and Minnie love story. I wanted to wear yellow shoes and my proper Minnie ears but we actually lost some of our luggage on the way to Walt Disney World. Luckily, I had all these bits with me and cobbled them together.
Red dress with white polka dots – Minnie’s iconic dress.
A Minnie hair clip – Her colours and ears.
The cutest tights with Mickey and Minnie kissing – These just made me squeal when I found them.
A Mickey backpack.
Mr Fluskey:
Our lost luggage meant he had to buy a Mickey Mouse t-shirt at Zara.
Dory and Nemo DisneyBound
Me:
Blue top – Her main blue body
Yellow skirt – Her cute yellow tail
Black belt – Her black back
Starfish necklace – The Pixar starfish that melted our hearts
Mr Fluskey
An orange and white striped top
Belle DisneyBound
Yellow dress with a slightly frilly skirt – Belle’s ballgown
Red Rose Hair clip – The rose is so important!
Chip bag – More Beauty and the Beast hints
Mr Fluskey:
A cool handmade shirt with Beauty and the Beast stained glass design
Rapunzel and Pascal
Me:
Purple dress – With a fun corset front
Hair flowers – Planned to do a plait but decided this was cuter
Sundrop earrings – A Rapunzel must have
Mr Fluskey:
Green shorts
Green top
Pascal pin – You probably can’t see it from here
Tinkerbell and Peter Pan DisneyBound
Me:
Green dress – Her iconic outfit
Hair doughnut – You’ve got to have that blonde bun.
Wing hair clips – These will go on the back of my hair to be her little fairy wings.
Mr Fluskey:
Green shorts
Green top
Green cap with red feather – Close to the Pan hat as I think we are allowed
Spiderman and Deadpool
Me:
Blue top – The main part of his suit
Red skirt with straps – A weird combo outside of Disney
Spiderman earrings – Just in case you didn’t get it
Spiderman ears – The bow meant Mr Fluskey wasn’t feeling them
Spider in a web necklace – An old Halloween purchase
Mr Fluskey:
Deadpool t-shirt
…that’s it.
Some of Our Future DisneyBound Outfits
I actually have most of these outfits ready to go for our next trip to a Disney Park…whenever that may be.
Pooh & Piglet DisneyBound
Me:
A pink playsuit – Piglet’s pink belly
Piglet ears
Blue balloon pin -My favourite piglet moment is him with the birthday balloon
Mr Fluskey:
Yellow shorts – Pooh’s shorts
Red t-shirt – Pooh’s yellow fur
Three Bounds With the Same Hot Pink Bow Belt
Marie from Aristocats – A white dress with the pink belt and cat ears
Fairy Godmother from Cinderella – A blue dress with the belt and a wand
Charlotte la Boueff from Princess and the Frog – A pink dress with the pink belt, a big blonde bun, a tiara and a frog pin.
Some Future Bounds
Ursula DisneyBound
Black skirt
Purple top
Shell necklace
The Floating House from Up
Multicolour polkadot dress – For the balloons. (This would work for Inside Out too!)
House Ears – Stashed in a box and ready to go
A clouds cardigan or coat
Final Thoughts on DisneyBounding
DisneyBounding brings back some of that childlike magic at the Disney Parks. The thrill of the characters recognising themselves in your Bound is honestly really exciting. Creating the outfit, matching the outfit and then showing it off is so rewarding. Plus, spotting other Bounders in the parks, and have them work out yours is another layer of fun for the day.
Who would you DisneyBound as? We would LOVE to see your pictures!
If you love to travel, and want to do it more, it is important to save some pennies. Us too! There are a few things that we do as a matter of habit for every trip to make it a little cheaper and spread the travel budget further. Here are our best budget travel tips so you can travel more!
This post may contain sponsored content or affiliate links that help support the blog. All opinions are our own.
1. Be Flexible With Your Flights
If you are really trying to save money, you cannot fly to New York from Heathrow on a Friday or Sunday. However, a Tuesday from Gatwick might work. It’s all about comparing a multitude of options and picking the cheapest, not the most convenient one. Staying flexible with your travel dates and times is vital. Start with your flights and build the trip from there. You could also consider different airports. In London, Heathrow has really high passenger taxes so flying from Stansted, Luton or Gatwick can save a fair whack. (Remember to account for the cost of reaching each airport in your calculations).
Don’t get swept up by cheap offers on the first page of budget airline websites. You need to consider the extra fees that will be added as you go through the booking process. Baggage fees, the cost of booking a seat (per person) and airport check in can really bump up the final price.
If you are going to popular holiday destinations, check out package deals. This might sound counter intuitive but sometimes this brings the cost of the flight way down. It provides charter flights that you cannot book otherwise. Whether you actually stay at the hotel you have booked or not is up to you. I once found a flight to Goa for £290 by checking out last minute packages. It was cheaper to book this with the cheapest hotel option and then stay elsewhere than to just book flights.
2. Try a Different Destination
Try the “Anywhere” feature on flight booking apps to discover destinations you have never heard of or never wouldn’t have thought about. There are plenty of cute cities and beach resorts you might not be familiar with that make brilliant trips. Let the price of the flights guide your destination ideas.
Remember: Although you are starting with a flight aggregation website, book directly with the airline. Booking direct may cost a little extra but it will save you so much if there is any disruption.
3. Pack Light
Baggage fees are costly and you will save lots if you can pack into hand luggage. For most big carriers that is going to be 8-10kg 55x40x25 or so. With packing cubes and bringing mini version of things, you can easily get a week’s worth of things into your hand luggage. This is harder when you are looking at short haul, budget airlines as they tend to have much smaller allowances. However, with practice (and a short trip) it can be done. You will save £££ by avoiding the check in baggage or the “bigger” hand luggage fees.
3 days on Wizz Air took a few attempts but I got there in the end
Plus, not having a heavy bag to drag into town means you can afford to take public transport and…
3. Travel Local
Public transport is often much, much cheaper than taxis and private transfers. Do your research before you travel and it is highly likely there will be a train, bus or tram that will whisk you to your destination. In London, Paris and New York, it is often faster to jump on the Tube, Metro or Subway as well as being cheaper. It can be daunting but google is pretty good at knowing how to travel around places these days, and you can always ask your hotel for advice too.
Of course this isn’t always the case. Some places like Lisbon have very cheap taxis and if there is a group of you, it can work out better value to hop in a cab.
4. Eat Local
If you are going to eat out in a popular city, there are a couple of things to put into practise to save some money. Eating outside of major tourist areas can save you at least third on the cost of your meal. Avoid anywhere with touts outside the restaurant and menus in multiple languages. These two things can be an indicator of somewhere less than authentic.
Street food is an excellent way to try local dishes for not too much money. In Greece, for example, a cheap and cheerful gyro or souvlaki is a flavourful meal on the go. Some places like Korea, Taiwan and Thailand have some of the most fantastic night markets and street stalls full of delicious edible treats.
You could also shop at the supermarket for a picnic or ingredients to cook yourself. This is the cheapest way to eat when you travel for sure but it is dependant on having somewhere to cook or store your food.
Finally, check out foody apps. Too Good Too Go in many European cities helps, restaurants and supermarkets sell surprise bags really cheaply. We have had full meals for £6 in Switzerland which is entirely unheard. Other great apps like The Fork and Time Out have good food deals with 20-50% off selected restaurants.
5. Book Local
Booking tours when you reach your destination can be much cheaper than using a tour operator before you get there. There is usually less of a slice of commission to pay when booking locally, or if you research the provider you can even visit them directly in which case, there’s none. You can even try and haggle a little, especially if there’s more than one of you.
6. Look at Alternative Accommodation
Hotels are not your only option (but they are a good place to start). You can also look at hostels, many of which have great facilities and private rooms, as well as dorms. Many hostels offer great value tours, laundry and other budget-friendly local offers. They are also an ideal to meet travel buddies, something that isn’t so common in hotels.
You could also consider other options:
Airbnb – Controversial but if used correctly, it can still be a responsible and great value way to travel. Opt to use rooms within people’s houses and spend time with the host.
VRBO – A good option for booking whole properties. This is only good value if there is a decent sized group paying together.
Local B&B websites – Bed and breakfasts are often not on big booking websites but on more local ones. The nice things about b&bs or guesthouses is that you can book direct with no fees and can sometimes ask for a cheeky discount.
Couch Surfing – The site now costs a little subscription fee but sleeping on people’s sofas, in their spare rooms or on their floor for free is going to cover that for sure! It is another great way to meet locals.
7. Avoid the “Airport Tax”
There’s nothing you can do about Air Passenger Duty, that’s not the tax I mean. Everything at the airport is expensive so bring snacks with you. Just remember, can’t take anything that isn’t a liquid gel or cream through security so sandwiches, crisps etc are fine but hummus or yogurt are no nos. Make sure you pack a reusable water bottle. You can fill it up once you are through security and save big when compared to buying bottled water on the go.
Some airports are bringing in drop off fees, so you might want to skip the lift and come with public transport instead. If you can, give airport parking a miss as it can be extortionate! While you travel, your car is just clicking up the fees.
8. Check Entry Deals
Many big cities have free entry to their museums on certain days of the month. In London, many of them are always free. You can also search for 241 deals or multi-entry deals. Buying a city card or multi-admission ticket can save you lots but only if you are sure you want to visit everywhere on the ticket.
9. Don’t Pay for WIFI
If you need data, compare eSIM deals as these are often much cheaper than using your home provider. I’ve used Airalo, Yesim and Sparks on my travels and they have all been grand. (Airalo has usually come out cheapest for me, and they have a great app but shop around). These exist at a digital Sim in your phone, so there’s no fiddling about with physical Sim cards.
You could pick up a local SIM card, especially if you are spending an extended time in a place. These can be great value but it always takes a bit of time to sort and you need to keep your normal sim safe if you don’t have a dual sim phone.
Take advantage a free Wi-Fi in cafés, your accommodation, and even some city centres. The only thing to remember about this however, is that public Wi-Fi isn’t that secure and you could leave yourself open to malicious attack on your device. Having a good VPN will help prevent this. 
10. Bring a Water Bottle
Most of Europe and the USA has drinkable tap water so save a bundle and bring a refillable bottle. You can use it on your flight by filling it up when you get through security. If you are out and about sightseeing, some European cities have public drinking fountains on the streets. Italy is particularly good for this. It is better for your wallet, and for the environment over buying bottle after plastic bottle of water.
I could suggest avoiding alcohol altogether, as this can really burn a hole in your wallet, but you’re on holiday! Look for happy hour deals to save a lot, drink house wine (usually pretty great in much of Europe) or buy a few bottles of something from the supermarket and enjoy at your hotel/at a picnic.In Scandinavia, you are going to need to make use of the duty free at the airport. The steep price of alcoho;l is mostly tax, so the prices without it aren’t too bad at all.
One last thing to try is to only take cash out if you are going to a nearby bar. As the alcohol sets in, buying more drinks can seem like a great idea, until you have no budget left for the rest of the trip. Bringing cash means you have a finite amount of money to spend and won’t drain your account.
12. Use Your Points
This is especially true if you are lucky enough to have an American credit card. The points you can accrue there far outstrip those in the rest of the world. There are brilliant deals to be had by converting card points for hotel rooms or combing them with a little more for cheap flights. Check out excellent sites like Head For Points or The Points Guy for amazing advice on hoe to make the most of your points.
UK readers, you may find you have enough Tesco Clubcard, Nectar, Virgin Red or AMEX points to book something for free or with a significant discount. (Eurostar on Nectar for example).
As the world gets increasingly more reliant on payment cards you need to ensure you have at least one card that is good for travel. This means no fees for both payments and cash withdrawals worldwide. If not, it may only be a couple of pounds per transaction but these really do add up quickly!
Don’t forget, you should always pay in local currency if you are given the choice. Don’t be tempted into paying in your home currency, they can use whichever exchange rate they fancy. Your bank/card provider will always be better.
14. Try Off Season or Shoulder Season
High season means more people and a higher cost. This is especially true during school and public holidays when prices truly skyrocket. If you are not bound by travelling during the holidays, travel in the more unusual times of year.
For Europe, you should have some nice weather and lower prices in spring and autumn. Avoid Easter when people have school holidays and many people travel to celebrate the festival.
In the USA, skip any public holidays (labor day, veterans day). The annual leave allowance is small so everyone makes use of their long weekends.
In South and South-East, you could battle the heat and visit in March before it starts raining. Even more hardcore visitors brave the monsoon rains themselves but this can make travel difficult.
Most popular cities around the world will have at least one free walking tour. These are a “pay what you think or can afford” deal. Technically this means they are not free but if you would have tipped a tour guide anyway then you have saved some money. They are definitely a great way to orientate yourself in a new city too, which allows you to decide on your itinerary going forward.
16. Find Free Activities
As well as free tours, there are always things happening in big cities that don’t cost anything. Use Time Out or similar local websites to look for free events or festivals taking place. Facebook groups are another great place for local activities. We have accidently stumbled across many a street party or festival which we were unaware of when we booked the trip. There are also free fitness classes, special openings and more to be discovered. HeadOut had paid activities but offers deep last minute discounts.
Learning group dances at a free beer festival in Ukraine
17. Share the Burden
Travelling solo can be an expensive business. Try and find a travel buddy so you can half the price of rooms, taxis and more. Of course, you can sleep in a dorm where you only pay for one bed but it is much nicer to be in a quiet room with people you know. If you are alone, you can always ask fellow travellers if they fancy splitting costs. For example, if you are travelling on a flight, train or bus and know there is an expensive ride at the end, make fast friends. We have travelled with randoms into Bangkok by taxi before and it saved us all a bundle.
18. Give Haggling a Go
Negotiating on [rice is common in many countries around the world. Give it a quick Goog, and if this is the case, try it out. Keep things lighthearted and have a number you are happy to pay in mind. You can haggle for taxis if there are no fixed prices or meters. Of course you can haggle for items you purchasing. You can even haggle for accommodation if you are a walk up. A few tricks to try:
The laugh with a shaking head – This gives a sense of “I am enjoying this but couldn’t possible pay that much“
The comparison – “Oh, I saw this at a spot elsewhere and it was great quality for a little less.
The multibuy – Will they do a deal if you are buying more than one of something, or are booking something as a group? This guarantees them more income.
The walk away – If they chase you, you are on to a winner!
If you are planning to hire a car on your travels, it is much cheaper to buy your car hire excess cover separately. There are plenty of websites that do this and it will only set you back a few pounds. Not only will this be cheaper than buying it from the rental agency, but they are much less likely to take a HUGE deposit from you and holding your precious travel funds. (Oh, and in general, the sooner you book the car hire itself, the cheaper it tends to be).
20. Learn the Exchange Rate
One of the biggest mistakes is not getting handle on what you are actually spending. Of course, we are not expecting you to be able to time everything by 4.56 in a split second. Instead, round it up or down to the nearest easily workable number. Times it by 5 instead, and you will soon get used to the feel of the calculations. If you round it up to your advantage, you will end the day feeling a little richer than you thought.
21. Remember Your EHIC
If you are travelling within the EU, and have an European Health Insurance Card (replaced in the UK by the Global Health Insurance Card) then make sure it is with you. It entitles the holder to healthcare throughout the European Union. It means you will not be out of pocket on the day. Do remember that it will not cover snow rescue, flying home or private healthcare so you will still need travel insurance.
22. Skip the Plane
Short haul, budget airline tickets may look seriously tempting, but the prices can often stack up quickly. Once you have added on the costs of getting and from airports, adding on luggage fees and sitting next to your friend/loved one, then it could be more expensive than you thought.
Instead, compare the price of trains and coaches like Megabus and Flixbus. These tend to go from city centre to city centre and include luggage. They can even be quicker than taking a flight so you aren’t even paying in time. If you can catch an overnight bus or a night train, you will also save on the cost of accommodation. I think the days of reclining seat night buses are over for us but we still adore a night train with a sleeping berth!
23. Buy Your Toiletries at Home
You will find that in much of the world, your bog standard toiletries are a lot more expensive than those at home. Deodorant costs a small fortune in India and in much of Asia, conditioner is rare so it is priced accordingly. Sun cream can be very pricy around the world and can sometimes contain whitening cream so bring it along with you. (If you are going hand luggage only, pick these things up in duty free en route).
On exception to the above is insect repellent in areas like South-East Asia., You will find nice smelling mozzie guard in 7/11 for a bargain!
If you are lucky enough to hold a student ID then you can save money to loads of attractions around the world. This is especially true in the EU where it can even grant you free access if you are under 25 to famous museums like the Louvre in paris.
It is also worth binging proof of disability if you have it. This is another way you could save money on entry fees. In Italy, museums are often free and elsewhere, you can sometime bring a carer in for free and split the cost.
Finally, being over 60 or “a senior” can give you access to discounts for attractions.
There is nothing worse than being close to your travel date and realising you need a visa or your passport is running out. You are then left scrabbling to pay for fast track services which are expensive and the whole thing can be really stressful. As soon as you are booked, check your government’s website to see the entry requirements for where you will be visiting. This gives you plenty of time to sort things out, without it costing you more than it needs to.
26. Buy Travel Gear in Cheap Shops
With the popularity of travel increasing year on year, it is no wonder budget shops are getting in on the action. From suitcases down to packing cubes and plug adaptor, you can find decent quality things in Walmart and Target in the USA or Primark and Poundland in the UK. This will save you a small fortune when compared to trekking shops or at the airport. (We have had suitcases and packing cubes from Primark that are still going strong)
27. Compare Travel Medication Prices
Getting travel jabs and anti-malarials are unavoidable for some destinations. There are plenty of private pharmacies that offer these services. Don’t take the first offer though. Shop around and you could save a fair amount, especially if you are travelling for a long time. If you have state healthcare, don’t forget to ask them what they can do first. Even within the NHS there are different injections that your GP could offer.
Don’t forget to cancel or pause any subscriptions you won’t be using whilst you are away. There is nothing sadder than knowing there is a Hello Fresh box languishing on your doorstep which will never ben eaten. (Yes, I have had to donate mine to neighbour before). If you aren’t going to use, cut it. You should also turn off as many plugs as you can (not the fridge and freezer). There is no point paying for power you aren’t using.
29. Don’t Succumb to Politeness
If you don’t want a printed photo at a tourist attraction that you were told to pose for, if you are just browsing in a shop and if you don’t want the “lucky talisman” handed to you then do not pay for them! If you were not intending to spend money then don’t. People may apply some pressure or ladle on the guilt but it is your money and you can choose what to do with it.
30. Set a Budget and Stick to It
This is probably the most boring but sensible budget travel tip. Setting a daily budget really helps you keep on track. Overspend on a train ticket or night out today? You can take note of that an make concessions on the days after. It allows you to go for longer and make sure your funds last the whole trip. Over a five month trip, we documented everything we spent to the penny and managed to eke our money out to the last minute.
Final Thoughts on Our Best Budget Travel Tips
They say, “Save the pennies and the pounds will take care of themselves”. I say” Save the pennies so you can go on that cool speedboat trip in Italy”. Using these money-saving tips, you can enjoy your money having once in a lifetime travel moments, and travel more!
Have we missed any budget travel tips that you use to make your money last? We would love to hear them!
Over the last fifteen years of travelling together, a few travel experiences have cemented themselves as must dos. One of these is the chance to try out a train in each new country we visit. From rickety night trains in Myanmar to super smooth intercity European trains or the great, silver snakes that slowly wind across North America, they all have something to offer. We know that you will fall in love with train travel too, so here are 12 reasons to fall in love with train travel.
Peru
This post may contain sponsored content or affiliate links that help support the blog. All opinions are our own.
1.) The Comfort Level
If you have ever been stuck in a middle seat, on a 4-hour flight, with little to no legroom, this is for you! On a train, seat pitch is usually much greater than in your average economy seat. Even at five foot, I have been in plane seats where my knees are close to the seat in front of me, but never on a train. Groups can often find a spot to sit all together which is much more sociable to chat easily.
You can also stand up and stretch, go for a wander or pop to the loo whenever you fancy. (Although it is still wise to avoid using the loo when in stations on older trains or when the ticket inspector is coming around). With no pesky seatbelt signs or laws, you are free to roam.
2.) You Can Picnic
Sure, you can have a few bits on a plane but what you can fit in your hand luggage and can squeeze on those tiny trays is limited. On a train, you can find a table and spread out a little. If booking tickets in advance you can even request a table which gives you better chance of nabbing one. You also don’t have to worry about the quantity of liquids meaning you can have plenty of water/wine and yummy sauces/dips.
The other advantage is that the only designated driver is the one hired by the train company. You are free to have an alcoholic beverage, as long as public drinking is allowed in the country you’re travelling in. In the UK for example, it is perfectly normal for people to share a six pack on the way home from work on a Friday night, or for people to have a drink or two on the way to a fun event.
3.) Station Locations
The convenience of travelling from city centre to city centre cannot be understated. This is especially true for those airports that don’t have public transport connections…(why do they still exist)? A short walk or bus/metro ride to your hotel after a train journey is so much nicer than the long journey from the airport. This could mean that a break between journeys that would otherwise involve sitting in the airport can instead be used for some quick sightseeing. Many European train stations have lockers that you can pay to use, meaning you can run around hands-free.
Now, this isn’t true all over the globe. The USA in particular will leave it’s Amtrak passengers miles from town sometimes. Just do your research ahead of time so you aren’t stuck.
4.) No Luggage Restrictions…to a Point
Most trains don’t have luggage restrictions. Some long-distance sleeper trains encourage checking your big bags for the journey but this is the exception rather than the rule. Really, on most train journeys the only restriction is your ability to get it to the train, hoist it up and get it off again. There are normally luggage storage areas for larger bags. Just remember to sit where you can see your luggage or to secure it with a cable lock or similar, just in case any opportunistic folks decide to take your suitcase off at the next station.
The other nice things about train travel is that liquid restrictions don’t really exist. Feel free to pack your big bottle of shampoo or a bottle of bubbly home from Italy.
Of course, we will always be light packers
The only outlier is the Eurostar which does have certain rules that are more like those you might find on a aeroplane when it comes to luggage.
Some things you might need to check about are:
Pets
Bicycles
Instruments
Sports Equipment
Alcohol
Prohibited Items
5.) You Can Take in the View
Travelling at 30,000 feet does produce some amazing views across the clouds, beautiful sunsets and some cool views of mountain tops. However, being at ground level, moving rather slower, there is so much more to see.
Some trains have routes so gorgeous that they are a tourist attractions in their own right. There is a reason you may have heard of the Glacier Express and that train that runs through the island of Sri Lanka between Kandy to Badulla (Ella).
Better for the world than driving, or flying, taking the train is one of the greenest modes of transport around. Let’s take London to Paris as a quick example (and probably the most extreme). Taking a flight is around 68.54kg of CO2 pp + another 58.56kg of “secondary effect from high level non-CO2 emissions”. Taking the Eurostar is only 2.88kg of CO2 total. Driving it (if you could) would be 82.08kg for a single person in a car. You can see that taking the train makes a huge difference.
Arriving at the station fifteen minutes before your train departs with no security lines is a breeze. Compare that to arranging a rental car or the general faff involved in airport travel and you will see how hassle-free a journey by train is. The most hassle you’ll receive is having your ticket checked at some point along the route.
Slovenia
The clack of the rails, the gentle vibration of the windows and the scenery slipping by all make train travel incredibly relaxing. You are not in control and so you don’t have to make any effort to watch for traffic or road signs. Instead you can sleep, watch a film, read a book or just enjoy the view.
Look at that chill
8.) Flexibility
You can easily book a train that allows you to travel at any time on a certain date. Some open returns here in the UK allow you take the return leg any time within a month. It gives you so much choice.
Some countries have travel passes (Germany and Switzerland for example) with which you can travel anywhere and at any time within say, a month. Interrail/Eurail even have multi-country passes that allow travel on an any given day in periods all the way up to three months. Flight passes like these are rare and changing regular flights can be time-consuming and expensive.
Catching a long distance train can be such an adventure. This is especially true if you are travelling in a country you don’t live in. Working out the timetables, buying your tickets and getting to the right platform at the right time can sometimes be a challenge, but it is so rewarding. Then there are overnight trains. Having a bed for the night, falling asleep in one location and waking up in another is always exciting. You can even take it to extremes, and travel for up to 7 nights on the same train.
10.) Buckets of Nostalgia
Whether you have fond memories of your train journeys as a child, or for a time gone by when steam trains criss-crossed the countryside full of Agatha Christie murder mysteries, there is a huge amount of nostalgia for train travel. Of course steam locomotives, and restored vintage carriages are the epitome of classic train travel, but even some modern trains can spark sense of romanticism.
Train tickets can be extremely cheap when booked in advance. If you know where you want to go and when, there are some seriously low prices to be snapped up. in much of the world train tickets are based on distance, hit a certain level, and the prices do not increase at all. This is vastly different from airline prices which, after a certain point, will only ever go up. 
Then, once again, consider night trains. Not only is the price of your journey sorted but it covers your accommodation too. You have saved a hotel fee and gain some time back on your trip as well. 
Bangkok to Chiang Mai, Thailand
Finally, if you are delayed, claiming your money back is so much easier! Many train companies have delay repay schemes. In the UK, you put in the time of your train, when it arrived, (they check it to make sure you’re not making things up) and then a refund is issued. They have set amounts of refund depending on how late your train works. Many European countries have similar schemes and they all pay out with a much shorter delay, and in a much more timely manner, than most airlines.
12.) Getting Social
Now, I am not saying you have to start talking to every carriage-mate you have. In fact, as a Londoner, this gives me the horrors. However, sometimes you can make some fast train friends. People who are off to big events are so ready to chat with like-minded people (especially if they have a drink or two with them). Delays are another moment people tend to come together. The collective eye rolls, leading to sad sighs are a beautiful bonding moment.
Our night train buddies in Thailand
Final Thoughts
I know the name of this blog is Flying Fluskey but I think I love trains just as much as I love flying. I will continue to find any excuse to travel across the world by rail. I hope this inspires you to fall in love with train travel too.
Did You Know? I work for an airline, so I see airport drama every day. These are the things that really mess people up and lead to many a missed flight. Don’t fall victim to one of these silly things that can be solved so easily. Follow these simple steps to ensure you never miss a flight again.
This post may contain sponsored content or affiliate links that help support the blog. All opinions are our own.
1. Book Directly
Your first tip to ensure you never miss a flight again is book directly. When you are searching for flight prices online, flight aggregators may seem to have the best options but it can come at a cost later down the line. Websites like GoToGate and Kiwi sometimes put together itineraries with connection times that are too short, and combine different airlines that have no agreements with each other. This means you aren’t actually in transit. You will have to clear passport control, pick up your bags and possibly change terminals before checking in again for the next leg of your journey. With these separate tickets (which might look linked on your itinerary), if your first flight is late, the airlines have no responsibility to get you rebooked. In the case of disruption, it can be SO hard to get an online travel agent on the phone. The airline usually can’t help as they cannot see the original fare and then you’re stuck. If you book directly, it is the airline’s responsibility to get you where you are going.
2. Use “Manage My Booking”
Don’t stand in a queue just for a request. So much can be done ahead of time online, allowing you to zoom past the check in queues.
If you have a special meal request, for example, hop on the website of your airline and go to “Manage My Booking”. As long as you do this more than 48 hours before your flight, you can put the request in. If it doesn’t work, give the airline a call.
For access requirements, you should be able to add this in when you book. Some airlines have a separate department and it is good to contact them to ensure all the notes are in the booking before you travel. British Airways in particular, only allows you add special service requests after booking, over the phone. This is a little annoying but gives those who need it free seat reservations and early boarding.
Excess baggage? This can often be prearranged online so you can use the bag drop quickly like everyone else. It is sometimes cheaper to book this online in advance too, so it is definitely a win win to get on it as early as possible.
3. Check your Documents
Once you are booked, it is time to check that your passport and documents are in order. This doesn’t just mean that it looks in date. Some countries have minimum time left requirements (you must have six months left when you enter the country), some have blank page requirements (you must have two passport pages with no stamps on) and some don’t accept the small extension allowed on the British passport (that extra few months if you renew early).
Then you need to check visa requirements. Travelling to most countries requires either a visa (paper or online) or a visa waiver. The USA has the ESTA and both the EU and UK will have similar schemes too.
When you are ready to check in, have your passport, your visa and the full address of where you are staying when you get there all to hand. Keep it all with you on the plane just in case you are presented with a landing card mid-flight.
4. Check the Airport Info
Double check the airport you are flying from so you never miss a flight again. This probably sounds obvious but many big cities have several airports and you would be surprised how many people go to JFK when they are flying form La Guardia in New York, or head for London Heathrow when they are actually meant to be at London Stansted. Then, make sure you know the terminal you are going from. Not all airports have their terminals right next to each other, so getting dropped off in the wrong place can cost you lots of time and possibly money.
5. Contingency Time
I know that there are people who love to stroll into an airport, through security and right to the gate as boarding is imminent. Sure there are days when it all goes perfectly to plan and it is smooth as silk, but next time you might get a hessian sack of a day! It is SO risky! You never know what might happen along the way. So leave plenty of time and arrive at the airport 3 hours before international flights or 2 hours for domestic and never miss a flight again. The way I see it, it is better to be through security and a little bored than stressed out getting to airport or paying for a new flight.
6. Don’t Over Pack
Overpacking is almost always a bad idea. As we all know, I am a hand luggage only kind of girl. Arriving at the airport with an abundance of luggage is going to extend your time at check in. (Well, dropping any kind of luggage off takes time so maybe try to travel carry on only).
If you don’t want to pay for your excess luggage and you have packed over and above the weight limit, you will have to waste some time trying to repack. Juggling items, stuffing your arms through yet another jacket you’ll have to wear and shoving things into your hand luggage bag is time-consuming and can be a little embarrassing. If you are happy to pay, you may waste time queueing to pay at a different counter. Do your research to check the airline’s luggage restrictions and stay well under if you want to never miss a flight again.
7. Prepare For Security
Laptops, liquids and clothing are all things you can prepare in advance. Knowing the rules and planning ahead allows you to sail through with no dramas.
Liquids – Although changes are coming, most of the world still adheres to the liquids restrictions that have been in place for several years. Each passenger is entitled to carry liquids no larger than 100ml (3.4fl oz), in containers no larger that 100ml. You can bring a maximum of one litre and they all need to fit in one re-sealable clear plastic bag 20cm x 20cm. You are allowed to leave these in your bag in much of the world, but the UK wants them out separately.
Electricals -Laptops, kindles and tablets need to be taken out and scanned separately in much of world. Some places also want power banks out too. Some are really extreme and want absolutely everything electrical out (cameras, speakers, hair dryers and straighteners). Keep an eye out for signs as you enter security.
Clothing – Are you planning to wear anything with extra metal bits? Skip it! Do you have a jacket or hoody that needs to be removed for the scanner? Whip it off. Avoid anything that needs lacing, unbuttoning or is in any way fiddly. Finally, consider wearing undies without underwires.
Shoes – All of the above, goes for shoes too. Wear footwear that you can slip on and off easily. It will be easier for you and less annoying for those around you.
If all else fails, make sure you have travel insurance. It can help cover the costs of new flights, alternative transport, accommodation and more. Of course, weather and an “Act of God” are not covered by anyone, the airlines or insurance but most other things are good.
Final Thoughts on These Tips to Ensure You Never Miss a Flight Again
Look, we know that some things are out of your control. Trains break down, there are accidents on the roads and weather is completely out of our hands. That aside, following our advice will give you the best shot at making sure you never miss a flight again.
Rosie xx
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