How to travel Europe on a budget

It's no secret that I love going on holiday. I often have people telling me I must be made of money, it's not normal to go on holiday more than once a year or that I should really save the money. But to be honest I don't ever spend that much money going away. Well if you forget last New Years Eve when I had my annual holiday friends come round and we got extremely drunk and thought it was a good idea to book ourselves into five star hotels for our two week Eastern European trip this August... I had a whale of a time but I'm still paying dearly for it now! We are so lucky to live in such a diverse and cultural rich continent so here are my top tips for seeing Europe on the cheap - yet without having to slum it.

Don't be fussy

I have such an urge to see every city and town in the world so I plan one holiday a year to tick something off my bucket list. Then for mini trips I simply book whatever is the cheapest flight. If you don't have a city in mind, I tend to go on Ryanair Farefinder. This way I've managed to bag trips to Cologne and Derry both for under £20 return! Simply select your nearest airport, click to go anywhere and set the budget to under £20 to see what comes up. You do have to be quite spontaneous but you can book quite far in advance too. I booked my trip to Derry in January last week! Be adventurous and go somewhere you never thought you would!

Go out of season

For our big holiday I have to go during school holidays as my best friend is a teacher. So selfish eh? But I try to go early spring or in the winter for my mini breaks. You'll find cheaper flights and accommodation as well as beating those pesky tourist crowds.

Rent an apartment

I am a huge fan of Air BnB, having used it numerous amounts of time. I just love staying in someone's house in a local neighbourhood and feeling like it's my city for a few days. The hosts have always been charming and so helpful. You can find some great deals and it really does help to keep accommodation costs to a minimum. Make sure you have a proper scroll through the apartments to ensure you get the best deal - don't just look at the first couple of pages. If you really want to save some cash, have a browse of the rooms in someone's house as they are even cheaper still.

Go midweek 

I know some people want to maximise their holiday and go Friday to Monday for a weekend break but this is often when flights are expensive. Obviously if you book far enough in advance they can be cheap but that involves serious organisation. At the minute I'm favouring a break from Wednesday till Saturday. That way you have the rest of the weekend to recover as there's nothing I hate more than going into work the day after a holiday. I need time to readjust to my surroundings! We always take a three night/four day city break. I like to have a couple of days hardcore sightseeing then a day just mooching around without any plans - that way you get a real feel for the city and see how the locals live. My favourite times in London have been spent aimlessly wandering around!

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Restaurant review: Snaps & Rye, Ladbrooke Grove, west London

Three months later and I'm still going on about my trip to Copenhagen so when Hannah suggested we try out the Danish restaurant Snaps & Rye, I was more than game. Based in Ladbrooke Grove, the restaurant specialises in brunch and lunch but does a set dinner tasting menu from Thursday to Sunday. Priced at £35, it included four courses and changes weekly with a choice of meat or fish. Nice and intimate, the restaurant is full of Scandic-chic interiors. Hairpin chairs, maps of Copenhagen and a sleek neutral colour scheme. The perfect place to whittle away a few hours enjoying good food and company.

This time we started with a bite-size treat of what I believe to be smoked haddock on a piece of rye bread. Not pictured because it was soon wolfed down! Rich and flavoursome, a great introduction to what was to come. The first course was deep fried egg on a bed of green beans and pickled mushrooms, topped with parmesan cheese shavings and a sprinkle of watercress. With a perfectly cooked yoke, the dish was simplicity at its best. It was so well put together and was a joy to eat.

Next up was smoked duck paired with artichoke, apple, red cabbage and rye. Delightfully fatty, the duck was tender and intensely flavoured. The crunchy red cabbage salad seemed to be the perfect accompaniment. For the main, I opted for the flash-fried smoked eel in cider, mustard, kartoffel and a ham crisp. The spicy mustard sauce was delicious and the eel was deliciously juicy. Such a great dish, one I would never have put together but one that I couldn't get enough of. Finally for dessert it was a divine rich, gooey chocolate brownie topped with yogurt and berry compote.

Snaps & Rye was one of the best places I've eaten at in months - I can't sing its praises enough. The food was incredible, the portions were generous and the staff were very friendly. I couldn't fault the food and it was such great value. I love the fact they change their menu weekly so I can't wait to go back and try some other dishes. The brunch menu is calling my name!

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Exploring London: Broadway Market, Hackney, east London

Surprisingly I'd never made it down to Broadway Market despite east London being the part of town I  most frequent when I'm not at work. Then it's west all the way! As a self-confessed foodie, it had been on my list for a very long time and I'd been desperate to pay it a visit. Sadly I didn't think it through and went for brunch beforehand so I couldn't fit in anything else. But I did buy my boyfriend some beef jerky as a present and he proclaimed it the best he'd ever had! So make a beeline for that stall if you're a fan!

It is a food paradise in the middle of the hustle and bustle of Hackney. Stalls upon stalls of fresh produce and street food every corner. You'll find popular London favourites such as Meringue Girls, Le Swine and Nonna's Gelato. There's also a huge variety of shops, delis, pubs and restaurants either side of the market so you definitely won't be going hungry. My list was growing longer the further I walked down - so many I want to visit!

If you've got a full belly like i did, there also endless vintage clothing at pretty decent prices to rummage through and stalls selling quirky little interior knick knacks. It's the type of place you can spend hours soaking up the atmosphere. Be warned, it does get extremely busy. We got there around lunchtime and it was heaving so go a little earlier to beat the crowds. I've heard it opens at 9am! I'll see you there...

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