What I learned while travelling.

I recently went on a trip to Europe, visiting Spain, Monaco and France with my photo-shy husband. The specific cities and towns we explored were Barcelona, Stiges, Monte Carlo and Nice. It was such a wonderful holiday that I wanted to document all the tips and tricks for the next time I travelled.

I have always wanted to visit Spain ever since I was 17. I remember creating my Instagram profile with the username "free spirit" in Spanish. There were always reasons not to travel, university, work and then Covid. When the opportunity arose to plan a trip, I was so excited that I told all my friends at work. One of the most helpful suggestions they gave to me was to look at Google Maps.

They said to look at the countries surrounding Spain and take advantage of how close the countries are in Europe. This broadened my horizons as I was so fixated on Spain, I hadn't considered visiting other countries. This tip maximised the adventure as I visited places I hadn't thought of before.

Another useful tip was using lists on Google Maps to mark places such as restaurants to eat at, landmarks to see, places to shop and galleries and museums I wanted to visit. It was a tremendous amount of fun before my trip to find all these places, see how close they were to where I was staying and compare all the Google reviews. It was surreal, actually, visiting the places that I had looked up online. Sometimes I couldn't believe that I was sitting at a restaurant that I had found online or visiting a gallery of a great artist whose work I had always been curious about.

Another useful online tool was booking tours and activities through Viator. I was sceptical at first that the bookings would be legitimate, and I was pleasantly surprised when it all worked out. Most notably, I booked a boat trip on our first day in Barcelona, and it was a magical experience doing a tour of the city's coastline. Booking a few things ahead made the days so much easier as we didn't have to scramble to get tickets or wait in long queues. I didn't book an activity for every day to leave room for exploring and even relaxing by the pool.

One thing I wish I had done sooner was to exchange money. I am not an economist, but I have noticed that the economy is always going up and down and with that, exchange rates. I wish I had exchanged money while I was saving for the trip to avoid the nasty exchange rate that I had right before I went travelling. I also had to exchange money multiple times during my trip and top up my travel money card, which was frustrating. The next time I travel, I will start saving money in the currency of the country I am visiting.

Another thing I will do is pack beach towels and reusable water bottles. It is important to stay hydrated, and I was constantly buying plastic water bottles as my husband and I prefer water over other drinks. Having a reusable water bottle with us will mean fewer trips to convenience stores for plastic water bottles.

It was so humid in Nice that all I wanted to do was jump into the ocean. It would have been nice to have beach towels and just go have a relaxing beach day.

One thing I noticed being in Nice was the terrain. It was so hilly and mountainous that we hadn't realised that a brisk walk might result in a climb up the mountain. This happened when we decided to walk to the Matisse Museum from Old Nice, which turned out to be a strenuous mountain climb. Google Maps can show you the terrain of a location, which would have helped to decide whether to walk or take a taxi.

For accommodation, I preferred staying in hotels rather than Airbnb's or serviced apartments. It was better value for money and the quality of the rooms surpassed the Airbnb's and serviced apartments. The quality of the rooms in the Airbnb's we stayed in was poor compared to the hotels and there wasn't much of a price difference. It was also easier to find taxis, get information about the city and enjoy the amenities.

All in all it was an amazing trip. I got a break from reality and my daily routine and actually found myself missing home. That is really what you want from a holiday, to be able to get a break from your monotonous routine, but come back missing it. For my next trip, I would really love to explore the Champagne region of France, visit Madrid and roam through Portugal.