Austria is one of my husbands favourite places to visit and I've fallen in love with the beautiful country too. We last visited in 2016 and spent two weeks in the Zell am See area but we did have a few day trips in the surrounding areas including Innsbruck. It was beautiful in the Summer during our last trip but a few hours wasn't nearly enough time to fully explore what the city had to offer. You can read all about my brief summer 2016 visit here for an idea of what to do if you're passing through this city in the Alps.
I was excited to return to the city in winter to explore it dusted with snow and to wander around the Christmas markets sampling some Austrian treats.

The city was the perfect spot to spend five nights, enough to see and do to keep us busy in the day and have time to relax at the apartment in the evening. It was by far the most relaxing city break I've ever been on - the city isn't too busy and you don't feel the need to cram in loads of visits to museums and attractions. I returned home feeling relaxed and revitalised after what has been a very busy few months at work. (the reason for my absence from the world of blogging) 

We were lucky enough to find a spacious apartment with a balcony overlooking Innsbruck. The views were stunning and it was just a short bus ride from the city centre. The apartment was equipped with everything we needed for our short break and was perfect for a couple or small family.

Our first stop, once we arrived in Innsbruck, was to head to the Touristinformation Innsbruck where you can buy the Innsbruck Card, which offers free entry to most of the city's key attractions as well as unlimited public transport. Martyn and I picked up a 72-hour card for € 59. This was super handy to help us get around by bus as our apartment was part way up the steep Nordkette mountain.

Besides being an ideal spot for winter sports Innsbruck is known for both its Imperial and modern architecture. The Nordkette funicular, with stylish stations designed by Iraqi-British architect Zaha Hadid, climbs up to 2,256m from the city centre for skiing in winter and hiking or mountaineering in warmer months. If you're less adventurous you can head up the mountain for some great views and to admire the glacier like funicular stations like we did. 

My Pet Story with Petplan - How A Dog Changed My Life

There are many reasons why dogs are known as man's best friend. The moment you welcome a fur baby into your life your world is turned upside down and you grow and change as a person. Even if you don't have a dog yourself I bet some of you are delighted when you meet a dog when you're out walking or when watching a cute dog video online. 

Petplan want to hear your Pet Stories too, so whether it is a recovery from illness or just their day to day mischief share your story on Petplan’s Facebook or Instagram using #PethoodStories


This post is in conjunction with Petplan but all thoughts are my own.

Without wanting to scare anyone sandals are not an ideal choice of footwear for a flight. In the unlikely event of an emergency, it’s best to have a good set of sturdy shoes that will protect your feet. For my trip to Innsbruck I'll be wearing my walking boots on the plane as they will take up a lot of valuable space in my hand luggage only flight. With only a small amount of space for city breaks I like to be comfortable enough for sitting on a place for several hours but also pulled-together enough so that when we deplane I'm ready to hit the ground running and start exploring. 

I loved our first week in North Wales but we mainly visited the bigger seaside towns and more populated areas. For our second week, we left Colwyn Bay and headed down to the Llyn Peninsula to explore the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty which is relatively unspoilt with a laid-back feel.

Wales has more Blue Flag beaches per mile than anywhere else in the UK and our favourite that we encountered on our trip was the one at Barmouth. Barmouth lies between a mountain range and the sea on the mouth of the river Mawddach. We loved visiting this town so much that we returned for a second time. 

There's plenty to explore with a pretty harbour, the spectacular Barmouth Bridge and the old town. The very impressive bridge is a Grade II listed single-track wooden railway viaduct across the River Mawddach. It is the longest timber viaduct in Wales and one of the oldest still in regular use in Britain. We spent our days there walking Coco along the beach and scoffing fish and chips from the Mermaid Fish Bar which I highly recommend. 

I've mentioned previously that both myself and my husband work in the railway industry. (You can read all my train related posts here) It was pretty inevitable that we would visit some of the heritage railways in operation in the north because there are so many to choose from. 

The original railway closed in 1936 but has been completely rebuilt and restored by volunteers. Originally the railway carried thousands of tons of slate but tourists have now replaced this precious cargo. The railway starts in Caernarfon but we joined it in Porthmadog Harbour Station where the Welsh Highland Railway and the Ffestiniog Railway depart from. 

The Welsh Highland Railway is a great way to see the awe-inspiring scenery of the Snowdonia National Park. You can relax in one of the first class Pullman carriages or sit in one of the open ones like we did so Coco could pop his head out and feel the wind in his fur. 

Beddgelert is a charming little town surrounded by mountains and is a base for many walking around Snowdonia.  The town was beautifully festooned in flowers and is a great spot to stop off along the railway for a picnic. Beddgelert (Meaning the grave of Gelert) is known for the sad tale of Prince Llewelyn ap Iorwerth and his faithful dog. You can read more about Gelert here. 

If you want a heritage railway experience you won't get better than these. At 25 miles in length, the Welsh Highland Railway is the longest heritage railway in the UK and the 200 year old Ffestiniog Railway is the oldest operational narrow-gauge railway in the world. 

The main reasons we wanted to visit Llanberis was for the views and to take a trip on the Snowdon Mountain railway. However, dogs are not permitted to travel on this railway (boo hoo!) so we took some time to wander around and get fish and chips (again). Definitely a destination I would love to visit again as many of the local points of interest and attractions were closed by the time we arrived. 

We really didn't think we would be lucky enough to see the South Stack lighthouse. Once we had reached Holyhead the whole island seemed to be covered in a thick, grey fog. We parked up near the South Stack Cliffs RSPB Centre and thought we would have a look around there but as we descended the steps to the lighthouse the fog lifted and we were treated to clear views of the lighthouse and coast. 

For a sheltered view on a rainy day, head to Twr Ellin which is equipped with binoculars, telescopes and a screen with a live feed from cameras out on the cliffs. The perfect place to spot some of the guillemots, puffins and razorbills the area is known for!

The last stop on our Anglesey tour was Bryn Celli Ddu. It's a Neolithic chambered tomb excavated in the 20s and was constructed to pay respect to the dead. 

The monument is believed to have first been a ‘henge’ or enclosure and was later made into a tomb or chamber. Human bones both burnt and unburnt have been found here along with a decorated stone. Amazingly the tomb is aligned to coincide with the rising sun on the longest day of the year. At dawn on the midsummer solstice, rays light from the rising sun light up the chamber. 

We had the most wonderful time in North Wales and even though we spent two weeks exploring the area there is so much we didn't have time to see and do. I know we will both definitely be returning here in the future. Criccieth, Abersoch and Pwllheli are all on the 'to visit' list for our next trip to North Wales. 

We are missing exploring the UK in the caravan so we are looking to book a weekend break in September for our first anniversary in Shrewsbury before we pack everything away for the winter. Even if you aren’t celebrating an anniversary or planning a family camping trip, I encourage you to find a cheap singles holiday to Wales because if this trip has taught me anything it’s that the world is just there to be explored! North Wales is a destination not be missed. 

We also have trip to Innsbruck booked for later in the year and the big Disney trip to Florida early next year, Lots to look forward too and plenty of travel posts!

I've lived, worked and studied in South Wales all my life and to my shame, I had never been to North Wales until my recent trip. It took 30 years of my life to get north of Machynlleth and boy was I silly to leave it that long.

Martyn, Coco and I had two weeks in our little caravan to take in as much of North Wales as possible and this special trip really showed me the splendour and beauty of my home country. #ProudWelshGirl

We based ourselves on the north coast for week one and on the Llyn Peninsula for week two to be able to take in as many of the sights as we could. Our home for week one was the Bron-Y-Wendon Touring Park just outside Colwyn Bay. This site was very well appointed with fully serviced pitches (electric hook up, fresh water and grey water disposal) and spotlessly clean shower facilities. We had fantastic sea views from our pitch and the campsite was very calm with only a few children around during the school holidays. The only negative was some noise from the A55 which ran close to the site. 

We were able to cram lots in to our first week and still have plenty of down time to relax in the caravan. We were not blessed with ideal weather, it was either roasting hot or misty and raining so all the pretty dresses and going out tops I packed weren't much use and I spent most of the time in leggings and a rain coat - who says caravanning isn't glamorous, ey?

There are lots of destinations I didn't take photos of or that we only stopped off at briefly but I've tried to share the edited highlights below (I don't think you all need to see 400 photos, most of which are of my dog).

Llandudno is a classic Victorian seaside town and is popular with visitors from nearby cities like Liverpool and Manchester. It is home to Wales’s longest pier, offers superb views and all the ice cream, dinky doughnuts and candy floss you can dream of.

Once we walked along the pier and enjoyed a Punch and Judy show we headed up the Great Orme which rises 207 meters above the sea. The Orme is home to some interesting flora and fauna and the largest prehistoric copper mine in the world. The main reason that Martyn and I wanted to visit is because we are transport geeks and wanted to travel on the only cable hauled tramway in the UK.

The Great Orme Tramway in Llandudno opened over a century ago in 1902. It's open everyday from late March to October with a adult return ticket currently priced at £8.10. At the halfway station you can learn all about the Tramway's history, before heading to the summit. The views at the top of the Orme were simply stunning and are not to be missed if you are in the area. 

Conwy was such a charming walled town with an impressive castle. If the weather is good and you are travelling by train I recommend walking over or to Deganwy railway station for spectacular views of the castle and the surrounding area.
 
There are plenty of lovely shops where you can pick up some lovely Welsh produce and I highly recommend a pit stop at Parisella's of Conwy for some award winning ice cream (the salted caramel and raspberry ripple are divine) and Popty Conwy bakery for some affordable lunch options and a nutella stuffed doughnut of dreams pictured below.  

Betws-y-Coed is known as the gateway to Snowdonia and has more outdoor shops catering to walkers than I've ever seen in a tiny town before and plenty of trails heading to waterfalls and forests making it the perfect spot for adventurous travellers. 

Martyn and I headed to the town to see the lovely scenery but also because it has a lovely railway station and links to the Conwy Valley Railway line which I've wanted to explore for a long time. From our departure at Betws-y-Coed to our arrival at Llandudno we were treated views of the castle at Conwy and dramatic landscapes. The 27 mile long Conwy Valley line offers one of the most beautiful rail experiences in Britain, well worth a visit.

The station building and street was home to some great cafes and restaurants. We stopped off at Hangin' Pizzeria as we were ravenous after a day of exploring and to escape the heatwave going on outside. They have a great selection of pizzas with vegan and gluten free options too. A percentage of proceeds go to animal conservation charities so you get to eat pizza and do a good deed. I opted for a garlic butter, goats cheese and caramelised onion pizza which was thin and crispy which is just how I like it and it was enormous. Great spot for lunch!

Bangor was a surprise stop on our trip but I'm so glad we made time to briefly pass through. We had hoped to visit Bodnant Gardens but they do not allow dogs in so we had to think on our feet and visited Garth pier. The pier in Bangor is Grade-II listed and equally as lovely as the more famous pier in Llandudno. It is very charming and not filled with shops and stalls selling tat. It's perfect for promenading along like the Victorians did and taking in the views of the Menai Straights and Suspension Bridge.

The Menai Suspension Bridge was opened in 1826 and is a marvel of engineering. Thomas Telford's' creation helped to link Anglesy to the mainland as previously the only way to travel between the two was to walk at low tide of get a ferry boat.

There isn't a lot to see at Llanfair PG station but I had to make a quick pit stop at the station with the longest name - Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch. In English it means 'Saint Mary's Church in the hollow of white hazel near a rapid whirlpool and the Church of Saint Tysilio near the red cave. The name is spelt out phonetically underneath so you can try pronouncing it when you visit. 

You can read all of my posts about Wales here. 


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