Rocketing into my top three favourite places in the world as soon as I stepped onto Dutch soil, Amsterdam is an incredible city to explore and chill out in. Here are 5 things you will love about Amsterdam:

// It’s so easy to get around – Trains from the airport run regularly… like every 15 minutes or so! Once you arrive at Amsterdam Centraal you can either hop on a free ferry across the river IJ or get yourself a ticket for the trams that pick up right outside the station. If you’ve got tonnes of time or fancy a walk, have a wander along the beautiful streets and canals, or hire yourself a bike and you’re good to go. The city is built for cyclists first and foremost!

// They brunch like kings – The Dutch folk sure do know how to brunch and there are bags of places to choose from for your mid morning leisurely dining. The only problem you might find is that there can be a wait for tables, but places like Bakers and Roasters text you when your table is ready so you can go for a wander until then!

// Craft beer is celebrated – There are a whole bunch of bars and pubs that serve up the most vast range of craft and rare beers that I have ever seen. Our favourites were Proeflokaal Arendsnest and Cafe Gollem. It’s not all about the Heineken!

// You’re close to nature – Amsterdam reminded me so much of New York, including having their very own Central Park – the Vondelpark. Definitely set yourself at least an afternoon to explore Vondelpark with it’s picturesque lakes and views of the city from inside the park. We even saw parrots. Parrots.

// The street art is incredible – Make sure you schedule in some time to head to Amsterdam NOORD – there’s a free ferry running from outside Amsterdam Centraal station to NDSM Werf where you’ll find the most incredible street art, wall murals and graffiti art. Make sure you take a trip to Art City set in an abandoned ship yard.

What are your favourite things about Amsterdam? What do you look for in a city?
Loves x xx

In this day and age of building businesses, working multiple jobs, cut backs and overtime, sometimes you just can’t spare a full weekend break so last month Doncaster Sheffield airport sent me out and challenged me to spend 24 hours in Paris. 24 hours?! How much can you possibly pack into a day trip to Paris for busy Yorkshire folk? More than you’d think, actually. Even looking back I can’t believe we did all of this and still got a full night’s sleep under the Parisian stars!

From Doncaster Sheffield Airport to Paris Charles De Gaulle, prices start from £29.99 per person, one way, which is cheaper than most train tickets to London from up North. We were treated to a stay in the premium lounge, which is not something I would have ever considered before trying. When we arrived at the lounge we were treated to a freshly cooked bacon sandwich and a lovely fresh coffee. There were piles of pastries, biscuits, juices and a even a full bar (although 6am was a little too early, even for me). When it was ready to board our flight, the gentleman looking after us pointed us in the right direction of the gate and as we got back onto the airport floor we all agreed that we had practically forgotten we were even in an airport. If you’re a nervous flyer, the premium lounge is a great option for keeping calm prior to flying as it’s almost just like chilling out in someone’s living room.

When we arrived we headed straight to the river Seine to get the first view of incredible Parisian architecture and a peek at the Notre Dame. Every street has at least one amazing flower shop bursting with fresh florals!

Lunch is Paris is such a treat with their huge selection of crepes, both savoury and sweet. I had an amazing four cheese crepe at a little cafe called Evangelista on a quiet street behind the Musee D’orsay with layers of fluffy cloud-like pancake, crumbly goats cheese and blue cheeses. We also ordered fries for the table and oh my God, they don’t call them French Fries for nothing. So tasty without extra salt or any condiments and I’m a huge condiment advocate usually!

After lunch we popped into the Musee D’Orsay for a good peruse of some Degas, Monet and Van Gogh. I always find it incredible to be in the same space as some original artwork from legendary artists I studied at college. We even got an incredible view across Paris from the top floor. After the museum, Daisy and I went for a walk along the river to take some photos. It’s a gorgeous part of Paris, with the Tuileries gardens just across the river.

We saw a whole heap of the city in just two hours with a guided tour from Fat Tire Paris. Now I’m not usually into guided tours and as bad as it is to admit – I find history really boring. However our tour guide, Victor, was so full of personality and jokes for each incredible landmark that he took us to see that it was really fun to learn about the city. He threw in some silly questions to get everyone involved and told us about the ‘party king’ of France with a bit of acting thrown in. Oh and you got to zip around the streets of Paris on your very own segway… that might have added to the fun a little!

When we found out we were doing a segway tour we were all really anxious. Really anxious. Literally within 5 minutes of practising we were all zooming up and down the courtyard eager to set off around the city. The faster you travel, the smoother the ride is over little bumps and cracks in the road and even rolling over pavements is barely noticeable. It’s so easy to slow down and turning corners is so much fun, by the time the tour was over we were all desperate to do another segway tour in the next city we visited.

After we built up our appetites on the segways we wandered back along past the sparkling Eiffel Tower (which lights up after nightfall and sparkles every hour) and enjoyed a dinner at La Terrasse, serving everything from Steak Tartar to a traditional Croque Monsieur, which I opted for with another taste of those amazing fries. When in Paris…

If you’re staying overnight try a luxury night at the 123 Sebastopol in the Republique area. With their cool themed rooms (mine had traffic light lights and an amazing film strip headboard) and exceptional service it is well worth splashing out for one special night. If you’ve got some time to kill they even have a fully functional cinema in the basement for your own private viewing. In the morning we enjoyed a lavish breakfast of traditional French pastries and got our final fill of Parisian cheese and coffee before heading back to the airport.

Don’t forget to pick up your stash of macarons from the beautiful Laduree in the terminal to enjoy back home in Yorkshire with a good cup of tea. The flight time was just over an hour and we were back home after an amazing whirlwind day. Sure I could have slept for a week after all that excitement, but I was refreshed and inspired ready to get stuck back into work!

A day trip to Paris would be an amazing alternative to a spa day with your best friend or to celebrate a special anniversary and it would make such a great idea for a hen do that it almost makes me want to get married. So my only question now is… where else can I pop to from Doncaster Sheffield airport for a super quick refreshing break? Amsterdam? ;) Loves x xx