My Top Three Travel Secrets - and a game of tag

I’ve been tagged. Not once but twice! Both Liz from Travelogged and Barbara from Holeinthedonut were kind enough to nominate me in this travel blogger’s game of tag, where I have to let you into my top three travel secrets and then nominate a few more willing victims to continue the game. The idea started at Tripbase.com to build up a whole range of great tips from blogger throughout the blogsphere.

But firstly I’d better start with a caveat, which is that no-where in the world is really secret (especially not if you live there) and for every tip I give for getting more from your travels, someone will say “But I’ve known that for years”. Anyhow, here goes with some things I’ve enjoyed and would like to pass on to you.

Tip 1 - Use a social networking sites to meet the locals.

For over a year I’ve been a member of Hospitality Club, a network of travellers who enjoy meeting other travellers and can offer free accommodation or advice. There are other well known sites like Couchsurfing that offer a similar service. It’s no secret really that using these websites is a great way to find free accommodation when you’re travelling on a budget. But the thing I believe is less well known is that you can join Hospitality Club, even if you don’t plan to use it to find accommodation but just as a means of meeting the locals.

I’m happy to have people to stay for a couple of days in my spare room, but to be honest, I’d rather find a nice hotel or pension to stay in comfort. But what I love is to be able to e-mail someone and say - “Hey I’ll be in your city next weekend, can we meet up for drinks or dinner”. That’s how I met up with Sergio and Marco on our recent weekend in Lisbon - we’d visited the Castelo of São Jorge and then went for tea at their appartment nearby and talked about the things they love to do in Lisbon, how the city is changing and even got a tour of a little flat above theirs that we could rent if we wanted to come again.

And as well as using Hospitality Club to meet the locals, when you’ve hosted a few people, you’ll have a long list of invites from friends you’ve made, who can’t wait to show you their city. I now have to find ways to visit Cologne, Malaga and Cagliari next year, and that’s just from the folks I’ve met in the last couple of months.

Tip 2 - Stay in a Monastery, Convent or Religious Guest House

In many places of interest in Europe and further afield, you’ll find convents and monasteries that provide excellent accommodation at budget prices. This is not a secret among those with religious affiliations who are visiting as part of a pilgrimage, but others may not realise they can stay in accommodation that is so central, well priced and often in beautiful. historic buildings.

Two examples of this are the Residenza Madri Pie where I stayed in Rome, which is a stone’s throw from St Peter’s Square, and professionally run, with excellent facilities such as a lovely garden and parking. You can find other religious accommodation in Rome and other Italian cities listed on the Santa Susanna website here.

Another was the Monastery of St Anthony of Qozhaya where I stayed for a night in June, while touring Lebanon with a friend. The Monastery is one of the places of interest in the UNESCO World Heritage Quadisha Valley, a rocky gorge with rock hewn churches, and grottos. This is a most beautiful place to stay and one that wasn’t featured in my guidebook, but you can easily contact the monastery directly to book into their guest house.

Of course, as a Catholic I feel at home staying in this kind of accommodation, and if you’re looking for a party time on that backpacking round the world trip, then this won’t be for you, but otherwise if you want simple, homely and moderately priced accommodation then give it a try. I’ve just ordered the Good Night, God Bless book that I saw reviewed on HoleintheDonut, with details of this kind of accommodation throughout Europe where I hope to find a few more hidden gems like these.

Tip 3 - A couple of less known museums in London

For places to visit in London, I’d hesitate to suggest that these are secret, but they are things I really enjoyed and are missed by most travellers if they’re only visiting London for a few days. If you have more time, or regularly get to London, then do seek them out, as they’ll give you a real insight into London life and English society and culture.

The Geffrye Museum in East London

The Geffrye Museum is set in an old Almshouse in East London, and you’ll find room sets, each filled with the domestic interior of English homes through the ages, giving a glimpse into the society of the time. There’s a wonderful cafe in a modern glass annex and at the back there are a series of gardens with the style and plants of different eras. And it’s all free, although there’s a small charge for the audioguide.

The Denis Severs House in Shoreditch

At the Denis Severs House in Shoreditch, you can step into a townhouse, owned by an 18th century family of prosperous silk weavers. Everything is just as they might have left it - you’re in a stage set for a costume drama, where the characters have just left the room. You’ll breathe the air, take in the smells and sounds of life at the time as you tour the house in silence and by candle-light. The house is open only at certain times and days, but worth planning a visit if you can - check their website for details.

So there’s my Top three travel secrets, do share yours in the comments. I’m now passing the challenge to some other bloggers, who I hope will be able to add to the list. They are;

Rosalind at Farsighted Flygirl
Monna at Monna McD
Abi at Cheap Weekend Breaks

P.S. For another moneysaving travel tip, although not so secret, do check out my post on discounts and money-saving vouchers at Vouchercodes and you could win a $50 Amazon Voucher.

5 Family-Friendly Hotels in Rome

My guest-post today is from Amie O’Shaughnessy of Ciao Bambino, who shares her tips for finding family-friendly accommodation in Rome.

The accomodation challenge for families in Rome

The biggest challenge in finding a family-friendly hotel is Rome is figuring out which properties accommodate 3 or more people in a single configuration given that rooms in the historic center are small. In addition, families with young children who want separate sleeping areas need to find hotels with connecting rooms or multi-room suites.

Apartments are available, but excellent options seem to be particularly difficult to find in Rome—I have yet to identify a reliable, high-quality rental agency with many apartments in desirable locations for families.

That said, if you want at least limited services and no minimum-stay requirements, a hotel is the best choice anyway. We’ve uncovered a number of reliable hotels with configurations that work well for families at “reasonable” price points. Reasonable is in quotation marks because Rome is like London and accommodations are very expensive, especially when you need to book the larger room categories.

An important factor is location. Rome is massive. Although public transportation is plentiful, this can be a hassle with kids and part of the joy of visiting Rome is walking. You don’t want to spend all your time getting from place-to-place underground or stuck in traffic on a crowded bus.

5 reliable hotels for families in Rome

Hotel Ponte Sisto

Located between Piazza Navona and Trastevere, Hotel Ponte Sisto is located in the heart of historic Rome. A typical Italian 4 star, the hotel is clean, well-appointed, and comfortable (not stylish). The atmosphere and service is warm and friendly. Family Suites work well for groups of 4 and 5 people. A few rooms have a private terrace—it’s worth asking if one is available. Note, some units face a busy road and families with noise sensitivity should request quiet rooms accordingly. Rooms for 2-3 people start at 200€ per night.

Internazionale Domus

There are few tourist attractions more coveted in Rome than the Piazza di Spagna (Spanish Steps). Internazionale Domus is literally in the piazza and a few of the units have terrific views of the steps and all the action. One thing I like about this property for families is that they offer apartment-style units with kitchenette facilities and separate sleeping areas—ideal with young children! Families need to consider that this is not a traditional hotel and amenities are limited (no lobby, room service, 24-hour front desk staff, onsite restaurant). The trade-off is the fantastic location and space for the money. Rooms for 2-3 people start at 205€ per night.

Residence Barberini

Residence Barberini is a typical European apart-hotel. The décor is very modern and units are sparsely furnished. Apartments have kitchenette facilities and a few can accommodate families of 4 and 5 people in one-bedroom units with sofa beds. Although the immediate area around the hotel is quite commercial and not as appealing as other neighborhoods—the trade-off is easy access to public transportation and tourist attractions. Families need to consider that onsite amenities are limited (small lobby, no onsite restaurant) and that the owner is an avid art collector—there are nude photographs in public areas and hallways. Rooms for 2-3 people start at 230€ per night.

Albergo Santa Chiara

One of our community members recommended Albergo Santa Chiara as an excellent option for families. The location is fantastic behind the Pantheon and the surrounding area is wonderful for walking and exploring. Guest rooms are clean and comfortable. Note, there are a limited number of room options with larger capacity and cribs need to be requested at the time of booking. Rooms for 2-3 people start at 310€ per night.

Raphael Hotel

The Raphael Hotel is located on a quiet street adjacent to one of my favorite places to loiter with kids in Rome—Piazza Navona, where there is an enormous car-free space for kids to run around. Like Albergo Santa Chiara , the surrounding area is wonderful for walking and exploring. The ivy-covered hotel has a lovely rooftop terrace with views of Rome’s landmarks. Unfortunately, there are only a handful of suites that can accommodate families here and these rooms are more expensive. If you have a flexible budget, this is a Ciao Bambino favorite! Rooms for 2-3 people start at 280€ per night.

Family-friendly hotels with swimming-pools

Many families want to find a hotel with a swimming pool during the hot summer months. I haven’t had personal experience with these hotels, but clients over the years have recommended two properties as good options: 1) Aldrovandi Palace located in a residential area near the Borghese Gardens and 2) Rome Cavalieri Hilton located near the Vatican. Note, I’m not crazy about the location of either hotel for overall sightseeing and both options are high-end accommodations and quite expensive.

My thanks for this guest post to Amie O’Shaughnessy is the Editor of Ciao Bambino, a family travel blog and guide to the best accommodations for families.

P.S. Do check out my current giveaway - just leave a comment to enter the draw for this gorgeous 100% Fairtrade Cotton, designer shopper bag from Greenwich in London

More Rome articles to enjoy
 The market at Campo de’Fiori
The turtle fountain in Rome
 Street entertainment in Piazza Navona in Rome

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A tour of the best beaches in Sardinia

My guest post today is from Paolo at the online Sardinia specialist, CharmingSardinia.com. Paolo shares with us his favourite beaches around the stunning Sardinian coastline.

At around 24,000 square kilometres, Sardinia is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. The coast of this Italian island is 1,849 km long, and the pearly white beaches often appear on lists of the world’s best beaches.

A little bit of history
Sardinia is known for it’s prehistoric stone dwellings , or Nuraghi, which were added to the UNESCO heritage list in 1997, showing Sardinia to be one of the most ancient lands in Europe. These centuries-old tombs can only be found on the Italian island, and nowhere else in the world.

As a result,  Sardinia has become a favorite island to visit for archeologists and historians from all over the world, until the Ishmaelite Prince Karim Aga Khan (amongst others) visited the north side island or Costa Smeralda in the early sixties. He noticed the beauty of the Sardinian beaches, and his investment in the ’Emerald Coast’ was one of the reasons for the growing the popularity of Sardinia, as a travel destination.

Prince Aga Khan was right
Numerous bays, cliffs, isles and a clear blue sea surround the island. Whether you visit Capo Testa in the north, or Capo Teulada in the south, amazing beaches are guaranteed. There are stunning diving spots, for example Asinara Island, Capo Caccia, and the archipelago (and national park) of La Maddalena are breath-taking. Let me share with you some of my favourite beaches around Sardinia;

This amazing beach is located in the North East of Sardinia, near Porto Cervo. A few golf courses and a beautiful harbor in a bay are nearby, as well as the amazing islands of Isole di li Nibani, which are part of the ‘Parco Nazionale dell’ Arcipelago di La Maddalena’.

Isla Mortoria is a small island (also part of National Park la Maddalena) in the North East of Sardinia, and can only be reached by boat. This ensures empty, but beautiful beaches and a clear blue sea, which is a perfect place to go scuba diving.

On the east side of the country, about 10km from Dorgali, is a small town called Cala Gonone. The route from Dorgali to seaside town is beautiful, but the beaches and nature in Cala Gonone (the territory is included in the Gennargentu National Park) is maybe even more appealing.

In the very North of Sardinia, near Olbia, is a town and comune located on an island with the same name; La Maddalena. More photos of this beautiful, but sometimes very touristic, piece of Sardinia can be found here.

Whether you’re planning on hiking or biking along the Sardinian coast line, hope to go diving to see the amazing under water world, or simply want to relax on the beach - there are 1,850 kilometres of Sardinian beauty waiting for you.

Want to read more about Sardinia? CharmingSardinia.com recently released three Sardinia Travel guides, which contain over 50 pages of information about the island.

Travel Guide Cagliari - Villasimius - Costa Rei - Oristano
Travel Guide Olbia - Costa Smeralda - Badesi
Travel Guide Cagliari - Pula - Chia

Take a look at my photos of Sardinia on Flickr

More Sardinia articles to enjoy

Sea caves and a boat trip in Sardinia
Swimming in rock pools near Gola di Gorrupa in Sardinia
A prehistoric village with a sea view in Sardinia

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