Before you think badly of my travel experience, note that I just recently finished studying and all my travels where on a really tight budget! One of my New Year’s resolutions is to travel more and further away, I’m really looking forward to that one coming true!!
Name: Belen Gumiel
Favourite destination: It used to be London but I live here now so I’m looking for a new one, any suggestions?
Favourite hotel (non client!) A tiny Hotel in the Pyrenees, unfortunately I don’t remember the name so not very useful. I stayed there with my parents and brothers during a ski trip. The staff was very friendly, the rooms big and quiet with fluffy mattresses for a good rest after a day at the slopes and I’ve never had such delicious breakfast in my life.
Most exciting/wonderful travel experience? I went to Tunisia with my class mates during our 3 year of University. We visited the Salt Desert, travel to the dunes in a dromedary, ate local delicacies and had time for a couple of days at the beach sipping strawberry daikiris. I came back with a suitcase full of necklaces, bangles and spices, sun burned and tired but really happy!
Worst ever travel experience? We took a trip by train from Bangor (North Wales), where I was doing my Erasmus year, to Edinburgh and Glasgow. At the moment it sounded like a good idea to buy the cheapest tickets and travel all night but I’ve never been as cold in my life as the 4 or 5 hours that we spent inside the waiting room – glass walls, freezing as Lapland in the winter – of the York Train Station. Piping hot chocolate for breakfast never tasted better!
What 5 things do you never travel without?
1. I used to have a very hard time trying to decide which book to take with me but I have a Kindle now so problem solved. Thanks Amazon for making our lives easier and our travel reading lighter and much more varied!<
2. Mobile phone charger
3. A small bag with essentials such as tweezers, facial cleanser and moisturizing cream
4. Call me crazy but a pair of high heels- unless, of course, I’m going to the jungle or something- you never know when you are going to have to dress up!
5. Both my passport and Spanish ID Card, just in case
What city should everyone visit? Top tips from that city? Madrid. It is an unusual European capital, lively and wonderful but certainly less serious than Paris or London. More than tips, some must-do’s in Madrid are:
- Make sure to visit some museums, the world-famous El Prado and Reina Sofia are very interesting but try to visit the Fashion Museum (Museo del Traje), it really is worth it.
- Try either Mercado de San Anton o Mercado de San Miguel (on the picture below) for lunch or dinner . You will find amazing food from seafood to jamon Serrano, in Mercado de San Anton you can even buy your fresh fish and have it made for you in the restaurant at the top! My advice? Go for the oysters at Mercado de San Miguel.
- Walk around Streets Serrano and Callejon de Jorge Juan, the best brands of the world have their shops there. Buy some Loewe if you are lucky enough and, if you can’t afford it, head for Uterque: quality and stylish shoes, bags, belts, jewellery and a limited clothing range. A little more expensive than Zara (both from the Inditex group) but still quite well priced, best thing is you’ll be very exclusive as they have no stores in the UK yet!
- Go to the Plaza Mayor, have a Bocata de calamares (Fried shrimp in bread, basically) and then a “siesta” in the sun at Retiro Park.
- Lastly, and this is a tip. DO take the tube everywhere. It’s cheap, clean, fast, gets you everywhere and is almost always on time!
Where are you travelling to this year? My first stop will be Berlin, I’ve been to Germany twice but never to the capital. I will love to go to NY but we’ll have to see about that and I NEED to visit Rome asap, it is a real sin that I’ve never been to Italy!
Where is your dream holiday destination? I want to go to Australia. I don’t really like the heat but it sounds like a lovely place so I will will be happy to “suffer”. And if you travel there you need to make the most of it so I’ll go to Indonesia and New Zealand. Also I hope to do a trip around the US sometime, visiting all the main cities and everything. A lot of saving to be done!!