travel

Lockdown Travel – the armchair version

May 5, 2020 by Penny Leave a Comment

There’s no doubt about it – travel is, for now, off the agenda. Everyone is staying at home. International borders are closed. Aircraft are grounded. The travel industry as a whole will probably never look quite the same again. Something no one was really expecting to happen quite so fast.

Having been somewhat grounded to the UK already by the reality of being a parent, the current lockdown is even harder because I can’t even go to my go to places here in the UK. My local National Trust site is closed. The London Underground is for essential journeys only. We can’t even jump in the car to escape to the coast for a day. I totally understand and respect why, but at the same time it is frustrating for a family who like to be moving around a lot.

Instead I’m trying to get my travel kicks remotely via a screen instead.

At the weekend I saw the end of the second series of what has to be the most exciting travel programme I’ve ever seen – Race Around the World. Last year I wrote about how much I enjoyed the first series, but the second one has been even better. Not only did the winning team win by only 20 seconds (honestly!) but I think it was a longer series, and one which shows off a part of the world that I know very little about – South America. If you haven’t seen it yet then please do, it really is wonderful television. South America, especially the Southern part, is now firmly on my bucket list. It looks absolutely gorgeous and the terrain there isn’t really what I was expecting. I think most of my South American knowledge was about the more northern countries. That needs rectifying now.

The rest of my travel viewing has been closer to home focussing on the London Underground. I accidentally stumbled across the Hidden London Hangouts that the London Transport Museum is putting out weekly on their YouTube channel. The experts from the museum’s Hidden London series of talks and tours sharing their knowledge about the London Underground. What isn’t to love? It’s certainly satisfying my current Tube withdrawal symptoms. It’s also making me keener than ever to finish our Tube Stop Baby challenge when we can.

Continuing the theme, someone on Twitter recommended the Heart of the Angel documentary on BBC iPlayer. Recorded back in 1989 before Angel station was redeveloped it is a fascinating look at 48 hours in the station and some of the people who work there. In a way it is hard to believe how much has changed in just 30 years.

One thing I miss loads under lockdown is being able to either travel by train, or see a train anywhere. We don’t live near a railway line and have no essential journey that requires one. I’ve managed to scratch that railway itch a bit though by watching the first episode of Tim Dunn’s new series on Yesterday – The Architecture the Railways Built. Not only does episode 1 let you have a nosey around the closed Down Street Underground Station, but he also visits the gorgeous Central Station in Rotterdam that Bonn and I were lucky enough to see for ourselves a couple of years ago.

Television Travel Rotterdam Central Station

Travel might change forever after all this, but we’re still determined to get out there as much as we can (rules permitting etc) and hope to still be able to share our adventures on here with you. Until then they might have to stay confined to our back garden!

AD Using the Three App to make the most of my mobile whilst travelling

September 30, 2019 by Penny Leave a Comment

It’ll come as no surprise to readers of this travel blog that I travel a fair bit. Both around the UK and overseas. My husband Bonn travels for his day job, and rather than sit at home whilst he’s gone, Tube Stop Baby and I try to go with him wherever we can. I’m fortunate in that my job means that I only need an Internet connection to be able to work. I’ve been a Three customer for more years than I can remember and when I pack for any trip my phone (and charger) are right up the top of my packing list alongside my passport and wallet.

Penny sat using her phone in a restaurant in Copenhagen with Tube Stop Baby sat next to her in her pushchair smiling. Photo to accompany an article on the Three App.

My Phone. My Travel lifeline.

For me though, it’s not just having the ability to call my other kids whilst we’re away that means my phone is so necessary. I use it for a million and one purposes. Everything from maps to find my way around, geocaching apps when I’m being a tourist, translation apps to work out what a menu says, currency converters to find out how much things cost and also for catching up with news and my favourite TV programmes. It’s my business lifeline too. I’m self employed as a blogger and writer and I use my phone to keep all my social media accounts up to date, and also to connect via my laptop to enable me to write whilst on the move. I’m sat writing this post whilst in an Airbnb property in Copenhagen having spent the day exploring the city. It will be uploaded via my phone as the 4G data is actually better than the host’s wifi in terms of speed and reliability!

Penny working on her laptop whilst sat at a table in an Airbnb in Copenhagen. Photo to accompany an article on the Three App.

Go Roam

With my Three contract I have Go Roam, which means I can use my regular minutes and data in 71 different locations around the world. It’s one of the reasons why I am with them as a network provider. When you’re travelling you want peace of mind. I don’t want to suddenly discover that I’ve run out of data when I’ve got an important article to submit and can’t find any free wifi anywhere. Or even worse, be stuck in the middle of a strange city not sure which way I should head to find my way back to where I’m staying. For that peace of mind I use the Three App.

Using the Three App abroad

All I have to do is open the app from anywhere in one of their Go Roam locations, log in, and I can instantly see just how much of my data I have left for the billing month, as well as loads of historical usage data that statistic geeks like me love.

Picture of the Data Usage screen on the Three App.

There’s also a fantastic section on there covering everything you need to know about using your phone abroad. Not only does it list the Go Roam locations so you can check before you arrive somewhere new, but it also talks you through how to get international roaming to work on your handset.

Photo showing the section on the Three App on using your phone abroad.

That’s not all

That’s not all you can do on the Three App though. Through their live chat you can get help with any problems you might be having and also check whether you are eligible for an upgrade, and if so, what to. There’s also a handy feature on there where you can check how much it will cost to call a specific number. I can never remember what all the dialling codes mean when a company gives you a number to call them on. Via the Three App you can simply type a number in and it will tell you if it is included in your plan or not, and if not how much the call will cost you. So much better than being stung with an unexpected extra call charge!

When you’re exploring new places, especially with a young child, being prepared and having peace of mind is key. That’s exactly what the Three App gives me for staying connected whilst travelling.

Disclaimer: This post was commissioned by Three. All opinions in it are my own. I am an existing Three customer through choice and pay my own bills with them each month. I already used the Three App before being asked to write this article.

Flying with a baby – taking a seven month old to Copenhagen

June 24, 2019 by Penny Leave a Comment

Flying with a baby. It seems to be one of the subjects that attracts the most questions on parenting forums across the internet. What are you able to take with you? How do you carry your baby? How do you stop them screaming for the whole flight? I can’t promise to have all the answers, but what I can do is share our experiences with you.

When she was just seven months old we took Tube Stop Baby with us on a work trip to Copenhagen. This was the first time she had flown and we were intrigued to see what she would make of the whole experience. The flight time was about an hour and a half and we flew with Norwegian from London Gatwick Airport to Copenhagen, and back again five days later.

How much baggage can a baby carry?

The first thing I would advise is planning. Travel as light as you possibly can, but at the same time make sure you have everything you need. Each airline varies in terms of baggage allowance for an infant who is travelling on a parents lap. In our case she got no carry on allowance, but was allowed 5kg in the hold which could either be a separate bag, or added on to the weight allowed for our bag. We were also allowed to have an extra stroller and car seat in the hold. More on those in a minute though. Airlines are normally very clear about what you can take for a baby. Just ask them if you’re unclear.

Carrying milk and baby food on a flight

In our carry on luggage we made sure we had a few toys to keep her entertained, what we needed for nappy changes, a couple of muslins and the milk and food that we would need for the journey. Despite all the rules about liquids being carried on flights you are allowed to take milk and pureed food for babies. The wording suggests that it is as much as is required for the journey. We formula feed so I took water in three bottles and a powder dispenser to be able to make up three bottles worth. I also carried about four pouches of pureed food for her too.

When you go through security you will need to separate out all liquids before your bags are scanned, and the same is the case for baby milk and pureed food. I put all the pouches in a clear plastic bag so I could pull them out quickly, and also took out the three bottles. As expected when the tray went through the scanner it was diverted to be inspected. The official simply saw I was travelling with a baby and he took the three bottles and a couple of randomly chosen pouches of food away to be tested. This only took a couple of minutes and involved them putting the bottles and pouches in some fancy machine which was obviously testing to make sure they were what I’d said they were. The whole process only took about ten minutes longer than usual.

As we went through her pushchair was also checked over by an official and as her and her dad beeped when they went though the metal detector an official just checked her over whilst her dad went through the next stage of scanner. The whole process was quick and relatively simple and painless.

Pushchairs, strollers and baby carriers

For the outbound flight we were able to keep her pushchair with us until the gate. At that stage we had to collapse it and leave it with staff before we went down to board the plane. I took with us an Ergobaby carrier and simply put her in that once I got her out of the pushchair. This gave me my hands free for bags etc whilst getting on the plane.

I would very highly recommend taking a baby carrier of some type with you. When you land you normally don’t get your pushchair back until baggage reclaim, so if you have a sling or carrier then you can keep the baby in that as you go through passport control and get to baggage reclaim. Trying to hold a baby in your arms whilst getting off a plane and hanging on to your passport isn’t easy!

When we flew back from Copenhagen it was just me and the baby and unfortunately, despite flying with the same airline, the rules were suddenly different and we were told that our buggy had to immediately go to excess baggage and be checked in that way. Thank goodness I had the sling and a newly purchased comfortable rucksack on my bag with everything in as otherwise I would have really struggled going through the airport.

After security we were able to pick up a free mini-luggage trolly that had a child seat in it. Luckily TSB is 7 months old and could sit up in it. Otherwise I’d have had to carry her the whole time.

The other advantage of having the sling was that when she needed to take a quick power nap as we waited at the gate she could.

Infant belt

When travelling on your knee you get an extra infant belt for your baby. You feed your seat belt through this, and then close their belt with the usual aeroplane mechanism. If you’re in any doubt as to how it works ask a member of staff on the plane. It is also likely that they will provide you with an infant life-raft and instructions as to how and when it should be used.

Keeping baby comfortable during the flight

For most babies the white noise on the plane helps them sleep. The only time that TSB got upset (apart from when she tried to steal the Kit Kat from the lady in the next seat) was when the pressure made her ears hurt on take off and landing. The simple solution to this is to get your baby to take milk at those points in the flight. This could either be through breast feeding or from a bottle. Whichever it is the act of sucking and swallowing will help them balance the pressure as the plane gains or loses altitude.

Our experiences

The only part of our actual journey that was hard work was when I unexpectedly didn’t have the pushchair up to the game in Copenhagen on our return journey. Had there been two adults it wouldn’t have been as difficult, but on my own it was tough. Luckily lots of other passengers offered to help at various points, but it did really show me the value of a good sling and packing light and in an organised fashion.

I certainly don’t feel as daunted by the whole process anymore, but at the same time, if I can make sure I’m not travelling alone with her next time it will be far easier!

Disclaimer: All mine and TSB’s flights were paid for by us. All choices regarding airline was down to recommendations and flight times. All products mentioned were paid for by us. We received nothing for writing this post. This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through them I will receive something but it will cost you nothing more.

Tube Stop Baby: Upminster

April 3, 2019 by Penny Leave a Comment

Remember our plan to take a photograph of Tube Stop Baby with the roundel at each station we visited? Well, our trip to Upminster revealed a bit of a flaw in that plan. It turns out Upminster doesn’t have a roundel. Nor do Barking, Richmond and Wimbledon.

The “problem” is that these stations are all not owned or managed by TfL despite being served by London Underground, hence none of them have the classic TfL roundel signage at them! Yet another example of why I should do my research before we head out with our Oyster cards.

Not realising the lack of London Underground branding until we got there made Upminster seem like a bit of an anticlimax in our day’s travels. After the Art Deco feel at Upminster Bridge, Upminster just felt a bit anonymous if you know what I mean.

If you look carefully, there is one roundel to be found at Upminster though. One the side of the District Line signal box that you can see at eastern end of platform 5.

It’s not really positioned so that we could get a photo of Tube Stop Baby with it, so instead we made do with the roundel at the bus stop outside the station instead.

As well as being at the Eastern end of the District Line, Upminster is served by the c2c trains out of London’s Fenchurch Street (a station that has to be visited purely because it’s on the Monopoly board!) and also is the terminus for the Romford to Upminster part of the London Overground.

If you head up towards the ticket hall, there’s a nice old Lightbox indicator telling you which platform to go to next for an Underground train. There are a total of six platforms at Upminster, with three of them (platforms 3, 4 and 5) used by the District Line.

Despite not being a TfL station there is still a labyrinth to find. Number 76.

Tube Stop Baby Facts – Upminster

Date of visit: 29 January 2019

Underground Line(s) – District

Zone: 6

If you want to know more about our Tube Stop Baby Challenge then pop over here and have a read.

Tube Stop Baby: Upminster Bridge

April 2, 2019 by Penny Leave a Comment

One more stop out on the District Line from Hornchurch we came to Upminster Bridge. Yet another station where we only got to see the platforms and having done my reading up on the station afterwards I’m really kicking myself that I didn’t do my research beforehand.

Upminster Bridge station it seems is famous for what everyone walks over on their way in and out – a swastika pattern formed in the cream and brown floor tiles in the booking hall. Dated (as you’d expect!) before the Second World War, this was actually a popular decorative design when the Art Deco ticket office was built before its opening in 1934.

Despite not seeing the street level part of the station, which is incidentally is below the platforms which are up on an embankment with stairs between the two, the platforms themselves are with further discussion.

Continuing the Art Deco theme from the ticket hall, the platforms themselves have more than a slight mod towards the design of that era too. Especially with the seating on the platforms.

What I can’t yet get to the bottom of is whether these are original or not. Searching online I keep finding photos of the platforms at Upminster Bridge with different, more modern style, traditional TfL seats on them, but I can’t work out if these were taken away and replaced with the Art Deco style ones, or if they’re just at different ends of the platform and both are there. This really is why I ought to do so much more research before these trips so I can check all the facts out for myself whilst there! If you know any more about this though then please, please leave me a comment down below.

What I am sure about at Upminster Bridge though is the fact that there is a central island platform serving both East and Westbound on the District line, and then the c2c fast tracks run next to the Westbound District line track.

Tube Stop Baby Facts – Upminster Bridge

Date of visit: 29 January 2019

Underground Line(s) – District

Zone: 6

If you want to know more about our Tube Stop Baby Challenge then pop over here and have a read.

Race Across the World – Travel television at its best

March 26, 2019 by Penny Leave a Comment

I can pinpoint the moment that I was inspired to travel right down to watching one TV programme. It was the episode of Michael Palin’s Around the World in 80 Days (which was of course inspired by the book of the same title by Jules Verne) in which he visited Hong Kong. I can’t explain exactly what it was about that episode that got to me, but something did. From that moment I was determined to visit Hong Kong, see all the hustle and bustle for myself and in particular follow in Michael’s footsteps to the Happy Valley racecourse.

I’m delighted to say that years later I did just that. An old school friend lived in Hong Kong and when my ex-husband and I went out there we met up with her and I explained my possibly strange sounding desire to go to the races. As luck would have it, her and her boyfriend at the time where both members and so off we went to a night at the races. As I stood there in the stands, watching the horses race around and with the Hong Kong skyline behind it was one of those moments where I realised just how wonderful travel can be.

Since then I’ve watched plenty of travel programme on the television, and more recently travel vlogs on YouTube, but nothing has even spoken to me quite as much as Michael Palin did. Until now.

A couple of weeks ago, one of the trailers that you get on BBC iPlayer was for a new BBC 2 programme called Race Across the World. Intrigued, and with plenty of time on my hands sat on the sofa under a feeding baby, I found the first programme and was hooked. It’s rare that I watch live TV these days, but since discovering that we were still in the middle of the series, I’ve been making sure I’m tuned in on a Sunday evening. There’s only one episode left, which I’m gutted about, but I’m now so fired up to dust off my passport and make sure that Bonn and I show Tube Stop Baby the world.

So, what is this programme that I’m making such a song and dance about?

The main premise of Race Across the World, and what probably caught my attention the most, is that it’s about travelling by land and water, rather than by air. Five couples are in a race to travel from London to Singapore. Not flying anywhere, and not spending more than the cost of a single airfare between the two locations. That money has to cover all their travel, accommodation and food. Oh, and they’ve also had their smartphones taken off them!

The logic behind the programme is that Singapore is the furthest place that you can get to via land (ignoring the need to cross the English Channel from the UK to France!) The teams are given a number of checkpoints en-route, which determines a little bit which way they go, but otherwise how they travel is up to them. They can work during their travels to earn some extra money, and can accept any gifts from people they meet, but otherwise things are up to them.

What I’m loving about the programme is how it puts the focus on the journey part of travelling, rather than just the destination. To me, especially as a bit of a train fan, the getting somewhere is just as important as where you’re going. Someone once told me that you get to find out a huge amount about a country or city by using their public transport system. This is exactly the case in this programme. When you see some of the teams on long train journeys, chatting to the people travelling along side them you can see them learning so much more about the local people and their cultures than they would have ever got from just flying over in an aeroplane.

When it comes to the contestants, I have to admit that I don’t really care who wins the race. I just look forward to seeing how they all make their way to the final checkpoint in Singapore and what adventures they have on the way!

The final episode of Race Across The World is this Sunday (31 March 2019) at 9pm. You can currently catch up on all previous episodes on the BBC iPlayer.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links to products that I have previously bought with my own money.