Travel More With Nat

Website

Travel More With Nat 40-something northern bird trying to out-travel perimenopause. Would rather buy cocktails than luggage.

Addicted to booking flights at 2am, spending weekends in Europe, and using annual leave for big adventures.
💻 Blog: https://www.travelmorewithnat.com

The tiny travel gadget that rescued my underseat backpack ✈️I’ve tried everything to save space in luggage: rolling, fol...
06/10/2026

The tiny travel gadget that rescued my underseat backpack ✈️
I’ve tried everything to save space in luggage: rolling, folding, packing cubes and even compression cubes. Honestly, I don’t think any worked brilliantly. The compression cubes were so difficult to zip that I nearly needed a lie-down. 😅

Then I bought a portable wireless vacuum pump and reusable vacuum packing bags online, and wow… game changer! The mini pump removes the air from your clothes, shrinking the pile far more than simply pushing down on your bag ever could. I packed a week of outfits for Tunisia into an underseat-sized backpack, with mix-and-match and reversible pieces doing some of the heavy lifting.

It works because removing trapped air reduces the clothes’ volume, leaving more room without adding weight. The rechargeable pump comes with you, so you can repack for the journey home too. The bags are reusable, handy for storing summer clothes, and still much cheaper than oversized baggage charges.

Perfect for fitting travel around work, weekends and limited cabin allowances—my 12-day Asia trip is next! 🌍

Did you already know about vacuum packing clothes for travel?

Picture the scene: we’d arrived in Valencia on a Sunday evening in summer, checked into our accommodation and headed out...
05/10/2026

Picture the scene: we’d arrived in Valencia on a Sunday evening in summer, checked into our accommodation and headed out for a well-earned cold b**r. We found a cute little takeaway with outdoor tables, drinks for less than €2 (absolute holiday behaviour 🍻), and settled in.

Then it started raining flowers.

Families at the bar next door were running around, laughing, shouting and throwing flower heads at each other… and now at us. What on earth was happening?! A quick Google revealed we’d stumbled across Valencia’s Battle of the Flowers (Batalla de Flors), the colourful closing event of the Gran Fira de València, held on the last Sunday of July. There were fireworks too 🎆

We missed most of the earlier celebrations, but the next day was still perfect: historic streets, the beach, paella, sangria and the spectacular City of Arts and Science. All within 24 hours, and far better than sitting at my desk on yet another Teams call.

Proof that travelling around work doesn’t always need loads of annual leave. Sometimes, it just needs a cheap flight, a spare weekend and a willingness to be attacked by flowers 😂

Where would you escape to for a 24-hour European adventure?

Sunday trip planning: how quickly can you start sightseeing? 🏁✈️Sunday is a good time to think about your next European ...
04/10/2026

Sunday trip planning: how quickly can you start sightseeing? 🏁✈️Sunday is a good time to think about your next European city break — especially if you’re squeezing it around work, annual leave and pretending Monday isn’t coming. 😅

When you only have a weekend, airport-to-city time really matters. After landing and clearing passport control, you could be sightseeing in approximately:

🏁 Bremen: 5 minutes
🏁 Geneva: 10 minutes
🏁 Copenhagen: 15 minutes
🏁 Tallinn: 15 minutes
🏁 Kraków: 20 minutes

That can make one weekend feel much bigger. Copenhagen is a quick train journey, so there’s more time for exploring — and less chance of sprinting through the airport like you’re in an unwanted episode of The Amazing Race.

I’ve also learned to check airport locations carefully. Oslo Torp is a long commute from Oslo, Rome’s airports aren’t especially close, and Milan has three airports with very different transfer times. Pisa is walkable, while Geneva is around a five-minute train ride. Kraków is easy too, once you find the airport station — thankfully, the signs are now much better! A Bolt can also work out similarly for two or more people, depending on traffic.

Photo idea: Kraków’s main square — one of the easiest city centres to reach from the airport. 🏛️

Would a short airport transfer influence where you book a weekend?

Story time: every travel group has one… ✈️It’s true: every travel group has its own little travel department 😂 I’m usual...
03/10/2026

Story time: every travel group has one… ✈️
It’s true: every travel group has its own little travel department 😂 I’m usually the planner, deal finder and occasional navigator (Google Maps and I have a complicated relationship). One friend is the photographer, carefully posing everyone for their best angle. Another is a Duracell bunny who joins every class and activity… which may explain why she’s slim and I’m not! We also have the chatterbox, the shopaholic and the friend who simply follows along, laughing at everything 🍹

Every September, we escape jobs, partners, kids, housework and real life for our annual girls’ trip. So far: London, Belfast, Milan and Tunisia. Different roles, same brilliant memories. 📸

Which travel bestie role are you?

Friday Wandering: Andorra’s Sundial Viewpoint ⛰️Clocking off for the weekend and dreaming of a European viewpoint that d...
02/10/2026

Friday Wandering: Andorra’s Sundial Viewpoint ⛰️

Clocking off for the weekend and dreaming of a European viewpoint that doesn’t involve a three-hour uphill battle? Same. My kind of adventure includes spectacular mountain scenery… and transport doing most of the hard work 😂

During an overnight stay in Andorra, we drove up to the Andorra sundial. After parking at the base, we took a cable car halfway up, followed by a ski lift, then enjoyed a short, easy walk to this magnificent sculpture. No heroic hiking boots or emergency snack ration required.

The views over the Pyrenees were beautiful on that August afternoon, with crisp mountain air, bright skies and endless layers of peaks below. I reckon it would look even more dramatic in autumn, or during the winter ski season when everything is dusted with snow ❄️

There’s a café near the cable car stop for a drink and a sit-down, plus a gift shop for that essential fridge magnet. It’s a brilliant option for fitting a memorable Andorra viewpoint into a short break around work and limited annual leave.

What are you doing this weekend?

The world’s weirdest railway is hiding beneath Slovenia 🚂Fancy swapping the usual city break for a train journey… underg...
01/10/2026

The world’s weirdest railway is hiding beneath Slovenia 🚂
Fancy swapping the usual city break for a train journey… underground? 👀

Tucked beneath Slovenia, Postojna Cave is home to what Slovenia’s tourism board describes as the world’s only double-track underground railway, and one of the oldest of its kind. It’s also one of the quirkiest travel experiences I’ve squeezed into a European trip around work.

The little red and yellow train takes you deep into the caves, past enormous stalagmites, stalactites and chambers that look like nature decided to show off. Apparently, these formations grow by around 1cm every 100 years, so some of the huge ones are genuinely mind-blowingly ancient. No pressure, but suddenly my houseplants feel very underachieving 🌱

Do check the train times before you go, though. We had enjoyed ourselves slightly too enthusiastically the night before (classic us), missed the 12pm train and ended up with a three-hour wait for the next one. That also meant cancelling our planned drive to Trieste.

Luckily, we wandered around the aquarium, saw the famous axolotls and grabbed lunch until it was our turn. And honestly? The wait was worth it. The views inside Postojna Cave were breathtaking, and travelling through the darkness on that tiny train felt wonderfully surreal.

It’s a brilliant option for a long weekend or a clever annual-leave escape when you want something a bit different from another European old town.

Have you visited Postojna Cave in Slovenia?

This or That: Poolside Relaxing or Sightseeing Adventures? ☀️🏛️When you’re fitting travel around work, annual leave and ...
30/09/2026

This or That: Poolside Relaxing or Sightseeing Adventures? ☀️🏛️
When you’re fitting travel around work, annual leave and the occasional Monday meeting that should have been an email, do you choose relaxing in the sun or getting out to explore? 😅

Are you happiest on a sun lounger with an all-inclusive cocktail permanently within reach? Or do you get twitchy after two hours and need to see the local sights, try something new and join a guided tour?

I’m honestly both. I don’t mind a pool day — I’m actually typing this from one in Tunisia, cocktail beside me — but I also get major FOMO if I visit somewhere and barely leave the hotel. It feels like travelling all that way to admire the lobby!

This week in Tunisia with the girls, we’ve had the best balance: aqua aerobics, archery, mini golf, massages, beach time and plenty of catching up. We’ve also explored Monastir and Sousse, including the Ribat and Medina, plus some very optimistic haggling.

I usually love a packed itinerary, then collapsing happily at home afterwards. But this trip has proved that travel can be slower, sociable and still full of memories. Perhaps I’m finally learning to pace myself! 🌴

Which are you choosing?

Smart Travel Tip: Shop Local for Better Souvenirs 🌍We all love a fridge magnet. Guilty 🙋‍♀️ But have you ever looked at ...
29/09/2026

Smart Travel Tip: Shop Local for Better Souvenirs 🌍
We all love a fridge magnet. Guilty 🙋‍♀️ But have you ever looked at your collection and wondered how many were actually made in the place you bought them… and how many could be ordered from Temu while still wearing your pyjamas?

When souvenir shopping, try choosing locally made or sustainably sourced products instead. It supports small businesses, helps local craftspeople earn a living and gives you something with a genuine connection to your trip. My favourite souvenirs include pottery from Tunisia and a handmade bead bracelet from the talented women at Utamaduni Craft Centre near Nairobi. They bring back far better memories than mass-produced tat ever could.

It’s also an easy travel activity to fit around work when you’re maximising a weekend or short European break. Your challenge: find three locally made products in your destination. In Slovenia, you could look for honey, local w**e and handmade ceramics 🍯🍷

What would you choose?

Did you already know this travel tip?

Imagine closing your laptop on Friday, ignoring your inbox until Monday and finding yourself in Vienna for the weekend. ...
28/09/2026

Imagine closing your laptop on Friday, ignoring your inbox until Monday and finding yourself in Vienna for the weekend. Much better than staring at the same office wall, right? 😄

While planning my own trip, I spotted Palais Daun-Kinsky on an Instagram reel and immediately had to investigate. It really is a hidden gem in Vienna that most tourists walk straight past because, from the outside, it doesn’t look like much.

Head inside, follow the red carpet up two short flights of stairs and suddenly… wow. The ceiling is covered in the most beautiful painted artwork, and it’s completely free to enter. No booking, no faff, just a quick visit and some very satisfying photos 📸

It’s in the Freyung district, right beside the pretty porticoes of Ferstel Passage. If you’re visiting Vienna around Easter, there’s also a lovely Easter market outside, making it an easy stop while fitting in plenty around your work schedule.

One for your next Vienna weekend break — thank me later 😉

What’s the best hidden gem you’ve found in Europe?

Sunday Travel Planning: Have You Heard of Lucca, Italy? 🇮🇹Planning your next escape between work deadlines, annual leave...
27/09/2026

Sunday Travel Planning: Have You Heard of Lucca, Italy? 🇮🇹Planning your next escape between work deadlines, annual leave maths and the eternal question of “Can I fit this into a long weekend?” ✈️

While staying in Tuscany, we had a hire car and decided to drive to Lucca – a beautiful Italian city I’d somehow never heard of before. It turned out to be the perfect relaxed-pace day trip. We climbed the church tower for colourful views over the rooftops, stopped for espresso and gelato (essential research, obviously), and wandered past sculptures and artwork by local artists lining the streets. 🎨🍦

One important warning: Lucca’s historic centre has a ZTL, meaning a restricted traffic zone. Ignore the signs and your holiday souvenir may be a very hefty fine. Ours took ages to arrive back in the UK via the hire car company, but arrive it did… along with an eye-watering admin fee. 😬

Expensive lesson, excellent day, and one I’ve remembered ever since. Even one weekend can become a proper little adventure when you choose somewhere unexpected.

What’s your next travel goal: Italy, a city break or somewhere completely new?

Address

Leeds

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Travel More With Nat posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share

Category