What Matt Thought

Bicester Village – the UK’s strangest ‘top tourist attraction’

Bicester Village – the well known 1.2 mile long, open-air, luxury outlet shopping mall, lined with over 160 of the world’s top (and priciest) designer brands. It’s easy to see the appeal – Outlet shopping centres are great for bargain hunting, and Bicester Village is beautifully presented, with the wooden ‘barn-style’ shopfronts lining a spotlessly…

5 things I did this month to easily cut £90 of my monthly outgoings – getting ready for an expensive winter!

It’s starting to get chilly here in the UK… Winter is approaching – and the energy crisis looms. Household bills are set to soar even more than they already have.It’s getting a little scary actually isn’t it? I’ve been doing some research online on how to reduce the amount of money I am spending every…

10 tips for visiting London for the first time

If you’re visiting London for the first time, and want to get the most out of your visit with no surprises, I’ve got a few tips for you! Stay in central London if you can London is a big city, and sprawls out quite a long way.Beware when booking ‘London hotels’, as some of these…

Sky Garden vs The Shard – Which London viewing platform is better?

There are several attractions in London offering great views of the skyline, some more obscure than others. The two best ones, in my opinion at least, have got to be The Shard and the Sky Garden. But which one’s better? Let’s compare! The views Both on the East side of central London, the Sky Garden…

One World Observatory vs Top of the Rock – Which New York viewing platform is better?

The three major viewing decks in New York are One World Observatory at the World Trade Centre, the famous Top of the Rock, and of course the Empire State Building. Empire State vs Top of the Rock has been done to death, but what about Rock vs WTC? Let’s compare! The views So this is…

How to find CHEAP Eurostar tickets to Paris, London, Brussels and Amsterdam

I absolutely love Paris, and getting there by train really is the best way to do it.I’m always on the lookout for cheap Eurostar tickets from London to Paris, meaning I’ve picked up a few tricks to find the best deals over the years. Here are the best ways I’ve found to get cheap Eurostar…

Visiting New York | Day 4 – Central Park, Grand Central and New York Yankees Baseball

Disaster. The last full day in NYC was here. But we had another full agenda and were determined to make the most of it! Central Park We started the day early by taking a walk down the road from our hotel in to Central Park. Before visiting New York I had wondered if Central Park…

Visiting New York | Day 3 – NYC Shopping, the Flatiron and the Top of the Rock

So after a crazy busy day in Downtown Manhattan the day before, day 3 in New York had arrived, and we’re starting to get in to the swing of things now. After having some delicious pancakes and waffles for breakfast at a diner down the road from our hotel, it was time for a bit…

Visiting New York | Day 2 – Stardust Diner, 9/11 Memorial and Museum, One World Trade Centre, the Statue of Liberty and Brooklyn Bridge

So, after arriving in NYC, the first full day in New York was here – and wow did we pack some things in. It was a busy one! Breakfast at Ellen’s Stardust Diner Since we weren’t going to a Broadway show on this trip, we started the first full day in style at Ellen’s Stardust…

Visiting New York | Day 1 – Arrival, Times Square & 7th Avenue

Our long-awaited and rescheduled trip to New York had finally arrived, and since our flight was quite early in the morning, we decided to book a room at the Sofitel Heathrow Terminal 5 to avoid the early morning trip to the airport. Arriving in NYC We arrived in to JFK in the afternoon, which isn’t close to Manhattan. We…

7 things I wish I knew before going to New York

Finally, after many years of wanting to go, I have been to New York – and it didn’t disapoint.What an amazing city! Here are a few things I didn’t know or expect, which I learned along the way. Hopefully they help someone visiting NYC in the future! Unexpected hotel Resort fees / Facilities fees Be…

Park Central Hotel, 7th Avenue, New York | ★★★

After a lot of rescheduling due to Covid, our long-awaited trip to New York had finally arrived… The Park Central Hotel on 7th Avenue in Midtown Manhattan was our chosen place to stay. Here’s what I thought! Where is the Park Central Hotel? The best thing about this hotel is without a doubt the location.The…

Sofitel Hotel, Heathrow Terminal 5 | ★★★★★

Our long-awaited and rescheduled trip to New York had finally arrived, and since our flight was quite early in the morning, we decided to book a room at the Sofitel Heathrow Terminal 5 to avoid the early morning trip to the airport. The evening before our flight we set off for Heathrow, and parked in…

The view from The Shard, London – the UK’s tallest building

Occupying levels 68, 69 and 72 of the tallest building in the UK, the View from the Shard offers the best views of London and beyond with the floor to celling glass walls all the way around. After wanting to visit since it started being built back in 2009, I finally went last week! What…

5 Super nerdy (but interesting!) aviation facts – AvGeek Series

So we’ve all read those aviation facts a thousand times over haven’t we – the captain and first officer have different meals to avoid the risk of both becoming ill, our tastebuds change because of the low pressure resulting in everyone liking tomato juice all of a sudden, and we all turn in to raisins…

Croatia on a budget – A few days in Split

I thought I’d have a look back at one of my favourite places I’ve been lucky enough to visit – Split, Croatia. We loved Split so much the first time we visited, we went back a year later, and we still want to return again for more. I’ll share a few things we loved to…

8 Tips for visiting the Alton Towers Fireworks

October is here! It’s almost that time of year again where the theme parks close their gates for the winter. But first, it’s the Halloween and Fireworks season – in my opinion, the best time to visit a theme park! The Alton Towers Fireworks event is so much more than just a fireworks display –…

5 reasons why you should go to the Alton Towers Fireworks

My top 5 Thorpe Park Fright Nights scare mazes from the past 20 years

I look back at Thorpe Park Fright Nights over the years and pick my top 5 scare mazes from the past!

5 things you should know before visiting Bath – Recommendations from a local!

I was taking my lunch break in Bath the other day when it struck me that most of the people in the city at any given moment are actually visitors, wandering about and stumbling upon the sights as they stroll around! “I should write a blog post about visiting Bath”, I thought to myself.So I did!…

5 things to do when visiting Bath – Recommendations from a local!

Okay.. I don’t live in Bath, but I do work there, and I’m lucky enough to call it my nearest city! Bath has always been my go-to place for a wander around the shops or a nice day out locally, and recently I’ve been working in the centre. I was having my lunch break near…

The best views of the Forest of Dean – Symonds Yat Rock Viewpoint, cafe and forest trails

Last week we spent a few nights in a Forest Holidays log cabin in the Forest of Dean.While we were there I went for a run (which to be honest turned in to a stroll) up to the Symonds Yat Rock viewpoint, after reading about it online. The walk from Forest Holidays to Symonds Yat…

Staying in a log cabin in the Forest of Dean – Forest Holidays

Just in case you need reminding, the last year or so has been pretty awful. Although to be fair, personally we have had good health throughout. Still though, after all the lockdowns, postponed and cancelled trips, redundancies and general bleakness recently, we were very excited to finally be packing our bags for a trip that…

3 days in Budapest – The third stop on our 3 city European trip

Budapest – Wow. What a brilliant city! This was probably the biggest surprise on our 3 part European trip, and the one that left the biggest impression. Based on the few days we spent there, I would recommend Budapest to anyone. There is so much to do and see, the people are friendly and welcoming,…

3 days in Vienna – The second stop on our 3 city European trip

Vienna was the most anticipated of city on our 3 city European trip in Feb 2020, but was unfortunately by far the most disappointing. Looking back at our visit, I think the problem might have been down to 2 reasons – the time of year, and the weather while we were there. It was bitterly…

3 days in Prague – The first stop on our 3 city European trip

For a few years, Prague had been high on my list of must-visit cities, and when we got there it did not disappoint – I absolutely loved Prague! Prague was part 1 of our 3 city European trip in early 2020. We managed to get the trip done just before the pandemic really took hold!…

Remembering the bizarre Millennium Dome Experience, London 2000

Way back in the year 2000, when I was 8, our school took us on a trip to the Millennium Dome Exhibition in London to have a day out at the Millennium Experience. I’ve got some very odd memories of the place, so thought I’d share them on here as I think they’re quite amusing!…

London to Paris: 5 reasons why Eurostar is better than flying

First of all, I love flying. I’m not ashamed to admit that I am a bit of an anorak when it comes to aviation, and honestly I would quite happily take a flight to an airport somewhere and then just fly back home again and call it a good day out, especially if it’s on…

5 things to do in Mallorca that don’t involve going to the beach

As a regular visitor to Mallorca, I’m often asked about the island’s reputation for nightlife, hen/stag weekends and binge drinking tourism. While that is abundantly available in Magaluf and Palma Nova, those are just two small towns in a tiny corner of Mallorca. Outside of these towns you’ll find a beautiful island dotted with traditional…

How to get cheap / FREE Alton Towers and Thorpe Park tickets with Tesco Clubcard

Tickets for Alton Towers, Thorpe Park, Chessington World of Adventures, Legoland, Blackpool Pleasure Beach, Drayton Manor and Oakwood can be expensive. There are a few ways to get cheap theme park tickets, but using your Tesco Clubcard points to buy them is by far the cheapest way. Here’s how you can get your cheap Alton…

Vintage train from Sóller to Palma – Riding the Orange Express in Mallorca

The Sóller to Palma train ride on the Orange Express is a great day out, and offers one of the more different things to do in Mallorca. There are a few different train rides in Mallorca – this historic electric trains run between the little town of Sóller, through trees, mountains and tunnels, right down…

How to get cheap Thorpe Park & Alton Towers tickets in 2021

Full ‘gate’ price tickets at Thorpe Park are £50 for adults, and at Alton Towers it’s an eye-watering £53 on the day. It’s expensive! But there are plenty of ways to save.

20 Thorpe Park Hidden Secrets and Easter Eggs

Home to some of the UK’s most popular and arguably best coasters, Thorpe Park is one of the UK’s top theme parks. Despite its reputation for being Alton Towers’ little brother, Thorpe Park became a leisure attraction in 1979, a year earlier than Alton Towers which became a theme park in 1980. Thorpe Park may…

15 Alton Towers Hidden Secrets and Easter Eggs

Alton Towers has a lot of history, and with that comes a huge number of hidden secrets and easter eggs. Here are a few that you can try to spot on your next visit! The Smiler Hidden Secrets 1. World’s 1st As you go through the entrance to the Smiler’s queue, have a look up…

Climbing the St Dominus Bell Tower in Split, Croatia. The best views of Split

While we were in Split last Summer, I had the chance to climb up the Cathedral of Saint Dominus Bell Tower for a great view of Split! Climbing this bell tower gives you the best views of the city and bay, and is one of the best things to do in Split. With some very…

London Sky Garden, one of the best FREE things to do in London

The Sky Garden is one of the best kept secrets in London, and best of all it’s completely free. Located on the 35th floor of the “Walkie Talkie” building (or 20 Fenchurch Street to give it it’s actual name), the Sky Garden offers incredible 360 degree views from the floor-to-ceiling glass-walled public garden – “The…

A quick trip to Bourton on the Water – “Venice of the Cotswolds”

We decided to make the most of (what seems to be) the last few days of Summer by taking a trip to Bourton on the Water for a change of scenery and a wander in the sun. We only live about 40 minutes away, but I’d never been, so we thought why not go for…

I found a huge Covid-19 Aircraft Graveyard in the UK!

What happened to all the retired aircraft when COVID-19 hit? The other day we were driving past the Cotswold Airport in Kemble, and unexpectedly came face-to-face with a long line of retired planes! It looks like Kemble airfield is being used to store a lot of aircraft at the moment since they aren’t flying passengers…

Review – Clayton Hotel Cardiff | ★★★★

With our trip to Paris in September in tatters, we thought we’d take advantage of the cheap hotel rates available at the moment and book a night away. Brighton was our first choice, but with the weather looking a bit dodgy, we chose Cardiff for a bit of shopping and a change of scenery. We…

Review – Nespresso Essenza Mini | ★★★★★

This review is not sponsored or endorsed in any way. A couple of weeks ago, while we were wandering around Cribbs Causeway in Bristol, we decided to treat ourselves to a bit of an impulse buy.We bought ourselves a new Nespresso coffee machine!And woah, was it a bargain! We ended up buying one of the…

How to get cheap Thorpe Park & Alton Towers tickets in 2020

Full ‘gate’ price tickets at Thorpe Park are £55 for adults, and at Alton Towers it’s an eye-watering £58 on the day. It’s expensive! But there are plenty of ways to save.

5 reasons I loved visiting Prague

Prague has got to be one of my favorite cities I’ve visited so far for a lot of reasons, some of which I can’t really explain… It’s just a really cool place. Here are 5 reasons I loved it!

4 reasons why I found Vienna overrated

Before we start…. I don’t hate Vienna!I enjoyed visiting back in February this year, and I’m really glad I’ve been. The point of this post is that people had told me that Vienna is incredible. For weeks I’d heard from people how amazing and beautiful this city was – someone even told me it was…