Posts by : Izy Berry

Booking a trip can be exciting and liberating. But planning that trip and actually going on that trip can be full of stress. If you’re getting ready to go on a trip, or considering booking a holiday somewhere exotic, here are some tips to help you reduce the stress:

Keep it simple

Often when we’re travelling our days end up jam-packed and overcomplicated. That’s why it’s important that you decide what type of things are important to you and will make you feel like you’ve had a successful trip. Maybe you’d like to make sure you get to 10,000 steps each day. Or maybe you’d like to try some of the local food each day. Perhaps watching the sunrise (or sunset for us night owls) will make you happy.

Make a few guidelines around what you’d like to do and what doesn’t really interest you. Pack light, keep your schedule relatively free, and focus on enjoying yourself.

Journal

When you’re constantly taking photos and using Google it can feel like you’re connected to your phone. Keeping a journal can be a great way to mind map, take notes on the things you see, organise your thoughts, and scrapbook some of your memories.

Make it easy

You could try and figure out the public transport schedule when you arrive into a new city after a 14 hour flight. Or you could book a transfer and be driven straight to your hotel where you can freshen up, take a nap, and be ready to explore the city. Transfer companies like Blacklane are perfect for an Amsterdam airport transfer, New York airport transfer, or a transfer in more than 250 cities worldwide.

Schedule in work

Many of us are working while we’re on holiday. If this sounds like you, it’s a good idea to plan this in advance. Do as much as you can before you leave (I often work in the airport before I fly) and if you’re flying long haul, consider paying for wifi and getting stuck in so you don’t have as much to do on the road.

Figure out how much you’ll need to work each day. Will you be able to work at a cafe or does your hotel have great wifi? Do you think you can get a few hours of work in after dinner or would it be better to get up early and get it done before breakfast? Trying to balance travel and work can be a recipe for stress and anxiety, but planning it in will make it much easier for you to do both.

Planning to travel this bank holiday weekend? If you’re planning to bring cigarettes or vape kits into a different country, it’s best to know their regulations. Tourists have been fined and even imprisoned for vaping in countries like Thailand, which have strict laws against it, which is why it’s best to be in the know before you book a weekend away.

While many European countries regulate e-cigarettes, few have banned it. The laws have changed from the 17th of May 2017 though, and e-cigarettes have been officially classed as a tobacco-related product.

In Lithuania, vaping is banned, but smoking is ok. In Portugal and Croatia, you can’t vape in public places, but e-cigarettes can be used outdoors as long as you’re being respectful.

Some countries have placed restrictions around how much nicotine you can bring. In Finland and Belgium, you’ll need to check the restrictions before you fly. In Belgium, you can purchase e-cigarettes but can only purchase cartridges with 20mg of nicotine and 2 ml of liquid. In Finland it’s even stricter, and you’ll need to bring your cartridges with you since you can’t purchase them there. And the cartridges you do bring can only have less than 10mg in them.

In Ireland, regulations are a lot more relaxed, and you can buy e-cigarettes with no problem. You can also vape wherever you like, except public transport.

Each country has different laws surrounding the personal use and sale of e-cigarettes. They’re also continually being updated as new restrictions come into place. For this reason, it’s best to make sure you’re doing your research before you fly, if you’re hoping to avoid fines and enjoy your trip.

When it comes to smoking, some countries are more smoke-free than others. Throughout Europe, smoking is not prohibited, but cigarettes vary greatly in price. Generally, if you stick to places like Budapest, Prague, and other Eastern European cities, you’ll find that you get the most bang for your buck here (it’s also super cheap to party in these destinations).

As you can see, there are a variety of places in Europe which will be perfect for a bank holiday. And many of these have relaxed laws around both smoking and vaping. If you’re looking for a place to enjoy yourself over the weekend, and don’t want to worry about restrictions, it’s probably a good idea to stick to fun cities in Eastern Europe and avoid places like Belgium and Finland.

When you’re planning a trip, one of the most stressful parts can be looking for flights. By booking the best possible flight, you can save thousands of dollars. But when should you book that flight? Is it worth booking nine months in advance? Or should you wait for a last-minute deal?

According to online travel agent opodo.co.uk, the perfect time is approximately six weeks before you’d like to fly. Opodo checked return flights from the UK between November 2016 and 2017, analysing them based on price. When you book long-haul, short-haul, and domestic flights 42 days before departure, you can save 48% on the price of your ticket.

If you’ve got a short-haul flight that needs to be booked, it can be worth booking it in January, since this is the cheapest month to book. For many people, this is a great time to book a holiday away after while dealing with the post-holiday madness and winter-blues.

There’s even a day of the week that’s better for booking flights. If you’re travelling domestically, you should book on a Sunday for the cheapest rates. For short-haul, book on Wednesdays, while Tuesdays are a good time to book for the cheapest long-haul flights.

I consider myself somewhat of an expert when it comes to booking flights. I recently had to book a rather last-minute flight and found that it was better to try to find a flight between 10 and 14 days before departure than to just book one for the next week. The data proves this as well- if you book the second week before you’re due to travel, you’ll be able to get much cheaper tickets than if you were to book them the week before you’d like to fly.

It can be difficult to understand how flights work. For long-haul flights, airlines begin releasing flights up to ten months in advance. They release a certain number of flights for each booking class. As each class is sold, the price increases. However, you’ll often find that they’ll release seats at a lower price point around that six week mark to try to fill up the planes.

As you can see, it’s completely possible to do lots of travel this year- even if you tend to procrastinate or you have a busy schedule. Six weeks is just enough time to plan a fun trip, so why not see where you could go six weeks from today?

Leisure DB has acknowledged in its 2017 State of the UK Fitness Industry Report that the UK now has more than 9.7 million fitness members. This figure is an all-time high for the nation, though it must also be acknowledged that a University of Birmingham study has also found that obesity rates across the UK are now at the highest throughout the whole of Europe with over 20 per cent of our population are currently considered obese.

To find out more about how fit those living in the UK are, award-winning mountain bikes retailer Leisure Lakes Bikes has put together the following study. Read on and discover the fitness cultures and environments of the nation’s ten largest cities (compiled by data from CityManors), as well as each city’s obesity rates (research of which has been made available from online pharmacy allcures.com):

Bristol

The city’s standout stats:

Population — 399,633

Adult obesity rate — 21%

How many gyms can be found?

Within a 10-mile range from the city centre of Bristol, you will be able to locate three Pure Gym’s and one Bannatyne’s health club*. If the entire population was to sign up to one of these establishments, the average spread would be 99,908 people to each location.

How many sports clubs can be found?

In a space of 15 kilometres around Bristol, you can locate 22 cycling clubs. Five athletics clubs can also be located within a 10-mile range of the city, while six swimming clubs are available across the whole of Bristol.

Manchester

The city’s standout stats:

Population — 430,818

Adult obesity rate — 23%

How many gyms can be found?

Within a 10-mile range from the city centre of Manchester, you will be able to locate 11 Pure Gym’s and three Bannatyne’s health clubs *. If the entire population was to sign up to one of these establishments, the average spread would be 30,773 people to each location.

How many sports clubs can be found?

In a space of 15 kilometres around Manchester, you can locate 52 cycling clubs. Seven athletics clubs can also be located within a 10-mile range of the city, while nine swimming clubs are available across the whole of Manchester.

Edinburgh

The city’s standout stats:

Population — 448,850

Adult obesity rate — 22%

How many gyms can be found?

Within a 10-mile range from the city centre of Edinburgh, you will be able to locate six Pure Gym’s and two Bannatyne’s health clubs*. If the entire population was to sign up to one of these establishments, the average spread would be 56,107 people to each location.

How many sports clubs can be found?

In a space of 15 kilometres around Edinburgh, you can locate 16 cycling clubs. 14 athletics clubs can also be located within a 10-mile range of the city, while nine swimming clubs are available across the whole of Edinburgh.

Liverpool

The city’s standout stats:

Population — 467,995

Adult obesity rate — 26%

How many gyms can be found?

Within a 10-mile range from the city centre of Liverpool, you will be able to locate four Pure Gym’s but not a single Bannatyne’s health club*. If the entire population was to sign up to one of these establishments, the average spread would be 116,999 people to each location.

How many sports clubs can be found?

In a space of 15 kilometres around Liverpool, you can locate 15 cycling clubs. Six athletics clubs can also be located within a 10-mile range of the city, while four swimming clubs are available across the whole of Liverpool.

Bradford

The city’s standout stats:

Population — 483,422

Adult obesity rate — 28%

How many gyms can be found?

Within a 10-mile range from the city centre of Bradford, you will be able to locate two Pure Gym’s but not a single Bannatyne’s health club*. If the entire population was to sign up to one of these establishments, the average spread would be 241,711 people to each location.

How many sports clubs can be found?

In a space of 15 kilometres around Bradford, you can locate 42 cycling clubs. 17 athletics clubs can also be located within a 10-mile range of the city, while three swimming clubs are available across the whole of Bradford.

Sheffield

The city’s standout stats:

Population — 530,375

Adult obesity rate — 25%

How many gyms can be found?

Within a 10-mile range from the city centre of Sheffield, you will be able to locate three Pure Gym’s and one Bannatyne’s health club*. If the entire population was to sign up to one of these establishments, the average spread would be 132,594 people to each location.

How many sports clubs can be found?

In a space of 15 kilometres around Sheffield, you can locate 31 cycling clubs. 16 athletics clubs can also be located within a 10-mile range of the city, while two swimming clubs are available across the whole of Sheffield.

Glasgow

The city’s standout stats:

Population — 616,430

Adult obesity rate — 24%

How many gyms can be found?

Within a 10-mile range from the city centre of Glasgow, you will be able to locate nine Pure Gym’s and one Bannatyne’s health club*. If the entire population was to sign up to one of these establishments, the average spread would be 61,643 people to each location.

How many sports clubs can be found?

In a space of 15 kilometres around Glasgow, you can locate 37 cycling clubs. 28 athletics clubs can also be located within a 10-mile range of the city, while three swimming clubs are available across the whole of Glasgow.

Leeds

The city’s standout stats:

Population — 726,939

Adult obesity rate — 22%

How many gyms can be found?

Within a 10-mile range from the city centre of Leeds, you will be able to locate eight Pure Gym’s and one Bannatyne’s health club*. If the entire population was to sign up to one of these establishments, the average spread would be 80,771 people to each location.

How many sports clubs can be found?

In a space of 15 kilometres around Leeds, you can locate 33 cycling clubs. 28 athletics clubs can also be located within a 10-mile range of the city, while two swimming clubs are available across the whole of Leeds.

Birmingham

The city’s standout stats:

Population — 1,020,589

Adult obesity rate — 27%

How many gyms can be found?

Within a 10-mile range from the city centre of Birmingham, you will be able to locate nine Pure Gym’s and four Bannatyne’s health clubs*. If the entire population was to sign up to one of these establishments, the average spread would be 78,507 people to each location.

How many sports clubs can be found?

In a space of 15 kilometres around Birmingham, you can locate 32 cycling clubs. 15 athletics clubs can also be located within a 10-mile range of the city, while 12 swimming clubs are available across the whole of Birmingham.

London

The city’s standout stats:

Population — 7,074,265

Adult obesity rate — 20% (based on an average of the obesity rates for all London boroughs)

How many gyms can be found?

Within a 10-mile range from the city centre of London, you will be able to locate 41 Pure Gym’s and 9 Bannatyne’s health clubs*. If the entire population was to sign up to one of these establishments, the average spread would be 141,485 people to each location.

How many sports clubs can be found?

In a space of 15 kilometres around London, you can locate 117 cycling clubs. 107 athletics clubs can also be located within a 10-mile range of the city, while 17 swimming clubs are available across the whole of London.

*For this study, Pure Gym was selected as it is currently the UK’s leading operator in the private and public sectors alike in terms of the number of clubs and members, as per Leisure DB’s 2017 State of the UK Fitness Industry Report. Meanwhile, Bannatyne’s health clubs were selected due to them being the UK’s largest independently owned health club operator.

There’s nothing more exciting than setting off for the races. The excitement of winning at the track. The buzz. The booze. The chips and sausages. With Aintree’s Grand National Racing Festival just around the corner, it’s time to prepare! Book yourself in, pack your best clothes for Ladies Day and brim your purses and wallets for the racing extravaganza of the year. Anyone reading this who is totally new to the racing scene, read on to learn some more about the Grand National Festival.

When is the National on?

The racing festival runs over three days in April from Thursday 12th until Saturday 14th. The Gold Cup is the grand finale race on Saturday, ending the 21 race meeting.

Aintree Racecourse. Where is it?

The famous race kicked off way back in 1839, with Aintree Racecourse hosting it. Aintree is 6 miles outside of Liverpool in England. It is a pretty direct road route from John Lennon Airport in Liverpool or from Manchester either.

Betting on the Grand National

If you’re off to the races, surely you will make a little bet! There’s nothing more exciting than watching a race and cheering on your chosen horse, eying up the finishers, as they cross the line. Will it be a photo finish? Who’ll come around the outside on the second to last? The final furlong is where it all happens, with many wins coming in at the last few seconds right in front of the crowd. It’s spot exciting! Looking for where to bet on Grand National? It’s pretty straightforward to make a bet. You simply pick out a horse, check for the odds, lay down your money and state whether you think the horse will win or be placed in the top positions. This just means if your horse wins, you will be paid for your bet, depending on the amount of money you put down and the odds of the horse at the time, or when it wins. Alternatively, if your horse finishes in the top 3/4/5 places, the bookie may pay out for that place, usually at 1/4 of the odds the horse was at. This is a safer bet but will cost you a bit more in order to win back a larger amount. If the horse wins and is backed each-way then you will win back money for the win and also for the placing of being 1st, so your winnings will be more.

Impress With Your Dress

Fashion, fun and frantic betting are all dishes on the menu for any race meeting, especially the big festivals like Aintree and Cheltenham. Ladies Day always attracts the fashionistas, from the media, boutiques and enthusiasts alike. Whether it’s a quirky hat, fur scarf or an audacious colourful dress to get you standing out from the crowd, the fashion police will be on the lookout for the best dressed, offering theme the Style Award, with the lucky winner taking home the fabulous prize of a car.

Remember, don’t bet what you can’t afford to lose. Don’t drink beyond what you can handle. Bring a nice warm jacket as the track may be cold. So if you’re into your fashion and lover dressing up (I mean, what girl isn’t!?), then dress to impress at the Grand National this year. You might just end up driving home in a new car!

Do you ever over indulge? Or, cook too much food and let half of it go to waste? Well, it is extremely common and in the UK alone we waste up to 7 million tonnes of food and drink from our homes every year, that’s according to BPI Consumer Packaging who created a fabulous infographic.

Food waste has devastating impacts on the environment with companies producing more than is needed and wasting energy. Another issue is where the waste is stored; these areas can attract vermin and create unhygienic spaces.

There are some things you can do to reduce waste in your home, here’s a list of three top food saving tips.

Home Composting

Many councils provide food bins that are collected and the waste is then recycled in one of two ways.

• The first technique is referred to as in-vessel composting which creates soil conditioner from garden and food waste.
• The second technique is anaerobic digestion which creates biogas or digestate.

When at home you can try composting yourself, but remember there are two types of compost – hot and cold.

Hot composting is a quicker process with results in one to three months. For this you will need a bin and these ingredients: carbon, air, water and nitrogen. This is for more serious or experienced gardeners.

Cold composting will see results in a year but is a quicker process, to create this you simply collect garden, food and organic waste place in a pile or bin and wait for the materials to decompose.

If this isn’t for you then you could try to be a little savvy with your cooking and food shop, try these tips:

Cook Less

Many people cook way more than is needed, piling food onto a plate rather than eating little but often or in small portions. When making meals keep in mind who you are feeding, for example children generally eat less than adults, so prepare them a small portion. Children also change their mind like the wind, one day they like something and the next they don’t, so make sure they know what they are having before cooking something that they refuse to eat. Also, don’t cook for them cook with them, they are more likely to happily eat something they have created.

When it comes to occasions such as buffets and Christmas meals always remember who and how many you are cooking for. You don’t have to cook every potato in the pack you can save some for another occasion.

Freezing and labelling food is a useful way of ensuring that things are eaten before they are off whilst also maintaining their shelf life. Bread and meat are foods that can be frozen and consumed later.

Shop Savvy

First things first, make a list as this way you will know what you need. Try setting meals for each day of the week and include snacks in this so that you don’t go overboard. This could save you both time and money.

We are all guilty of over indulging on a food shop, mainly because we choose to go around lunchtime! However, be realistic, if a product has a short shelf life but comes in a pack of six, are you really going to eat all of them? Probably not, you may eat one or two, so look for a pack of two or choose something else.

Being more aware of what we eat can save both money and the environment so let’s take a bit more time to think before we make.

2018 is going to be a massive year for travel, and I’m super excited that I get the chance to explore so many amazing cities and countries. Here are just a few of the places I’ll be seeing this year, so let me know if you’ve been and give me your top tips for things to do and see!

Slovenia

Slovenia is located right next to Hungary, and I’m thinking we can do this as a road trip since it seems easy enough to rent a car.

This country is incredibly beautiful, with a mix of climates. The photos remind me a little of New Zealand, and Slovenia seems to be the place to go for hiking, skiing, horseback riding, canyoning, and caving. I want to see Ljubljana, the capital, which boasts a cute Old Town. I also really want to go to Lake Bled, which looks absolutely beautiful, and the Skocjan Caves which are a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Serbia

As you can see, I like to visit countries that are a little different than the average European hotspot. Serbia has been on my list for some time, and I’ve heard great things about this gritty yet boisterous country. Not to mention, it’s one of the more affordable destinations in Europe. I’ve heard great things about Belgrade, yet the country also seems relatively easy to travel around so we can see a few of the national parks or smaller towns within a short trip.

Croatia

I’m desperate to visit Croatia, with its sparkling water and incredible beaches. On this list? The Krka National Park which is just a hop, skip, and jump from Split. Lots of the trails go to waterfalls and natural pools for swimming. Zagreb also sounds like a great place to visit, with the historic Upper Town full of cobblestone streets.

Of course, I desperately want to get to Dubrovnik before it gets even more overrun by tourists, since I’ve heard that you often have to line up just to get into the Old Town now. I’ve also wanted to do one of the island-hopping cruises for some time, and you can pick up plenty of cheap holiday packages for Croatia which makes it a cost-effective choice.

Portugal

Heading east now, but Portugal is a must-visit for me this year. Not only do I have friends here, but I’ve wanted to check out Spain’s cooler cousin for some time. Porto is the second largest city here, and I’m entranced by pictures of the old, colorful buildings. Of course, no trip would be complete without a visit to Lisbon, which is jam-packed with cozy restaurants and narrow, cobblestone streets.

The Hershey name is forever associated with chocolate for millions of us and when you come to Harrisburg you will be a short drive from the leisure and theme park that was originally created for employees of the famous brand.

The gates were first opened back in 1906 and a lot has changed since those early days, with the current Hersheypark creating a reputation as an awesome theme park with loads of fun rides and attractions.

Here is a look at what awaits you when you visit the amazing Hersheypark.

Thrill-seekers well catered for here

Many people combine a trip to Harrisburg with a day or two at Hersheypark and for roller coaster fans it is a perfect venue with fourteen different coasters waiting to be ridden.

If you stay at somewhere like the Courtyard Harrisburg Hershey you will be within easy reach of the park and you can plan your day ahead by deciding which attractions and rides you most want to try.

If you want the tallest and fastest roller coaster at the park Skyrush is the one to be heading for. It climbs to 200 feet in the air before rushing downhill at an adrenaline-pumping 75mph, and the ride includes five zero-G airtime hills and four high-speed turns.

Other coasters to try at Hersheypark are Sidewinder, Lightning Racer, Fahrenheit, and the Great Bear, so there is bound to be one that matches your enthusiasm and tolerance for thrills and spills.

Plenty of chances to make a splash

Another major part of the Hersheypark experience is the 11-acre water park which is included in the admission price for you to enjoy.

There are new attractions like the Breakers Edge Water Coaster to try and established favourites like the Coastline Plunge range of rides and the East Coast Waterworks which everyone will exit from with a smile on their face and wet bathing suits.

You could easily spend a day at the park just enjoying what the water park has to offer.

Enjoy the show

Whatever the season, there are always shows and other forms of entertainment going on at the park.

The Aquatheater is a fun show that also manages to educate the audience about our friends from the sea, and there is comedy and magic shows going on during the springtime.

As you might expect, Halloween and Christmas are big events at Hersheypark, so check the website for a schedule of events when you know when you are coming so that you can plan your day.

Don’t forget the chocolate

Hersheypark was born out of the success of the chocolate business and you can’t really pay a visit to the park without checking out Hershey’s Chocolate World attraction.

You can even get the chance to experience chocolate making, see how technology has changed the manufacturing process and even get a free sample of one of the products.

Whatever you do with your time you will have an action-packed and fun-filled day or two when you visit Hersheypark while staying Harrisburg.