Your must read travel round up 🏙️
Hiya 👋
I’m currently sitting on the tarmac at Stansted Airport where I’ve been for the last 75 minutes following an announcement that the plane was facing ‘technical difficulties’. Yep, you guessed it, we’re flying with Ryanair.
Now, these things do happen to all airlines and obviously I’d prefer the plane to get the full sign-off before we launch into the sky, but this happens to be a trip where I’m trying to prove to James that you don’t have to spend a fortune to have a great trip 😆
Even funnier (for me at least!) is that I refused to pay for seats and so we are at opposite ends on the plane. Oh, and I said James couldn’t get a Pret at the airport because we’re on a strict budget…
Yeah, scroll to the final picture to see how he looks when we reuinte off the plane. Perhaps that will give us an idea about whether he’s likely to forgive me in this century or not!!
Delayed flights aside, here’s what’s coming up in this week’s newsletter:
Can you get a refund if you cancel your package holiday? ⛔
Do you need travel insurance for a package holiday? 🛟
Amsterdam hotels for every budget 🏨
Top tips for booking a cheap holiday 💸
How to book a cheap All Inclusive 🏖️
An AMAZING family holiday deal to Mallorca 🏖️
Can you get a refund if you cancel a package holiday?
Whether it gets cancelled, or you just don’t want to go there anymore - here’s your rights for every situation.
Do you need travel insurance for a package holiday?
Spoiler - you do!! But here’s all the reasons why. I bet there’s some here that you didn’t think of!
My top hotel picks in… 🥁
This is new for the newsletter, but I’m picking one popular tourist destination and then choosing my favourite budget, mid-range and luxury hotel options.
And first up, it’s Amsterdam!
This city is so great for a weekend trip - you’ve got the picturesque canals, quaint tall houses, amazing food and cool creative vibe. I also love how walkable it is!
Budget
CityHub Amsterdam
from £62 per night
You may only get a small pod to sleep in, but the rest of the hotel is LUSH! This one’s in Oud-West so it’s just a 20-min tram ride from the top attractions.
Cheapest date: Sun 6 Dec
Cheapest weekend: Sat 5 & Sun 6 Dec
Mid-range
Met Hotel Amsterdam
from £123 per night
A great option for busy periods since it’s not in the city centre, but on the train line between the airport and the main station.
Cheapest date: Sun 26 Jul
Cheapest weekend: Sat 25 & Sun 26 Jul
Luxe
The Craftsmen
from £223 per night
You’re paying not only for location (this one’s central!) but also for a very cool decor and a delicious included breakfast.
Cheapest date: Sun 8 Nov
Cheapest weekend: Sat 14 & Sun 15 Nov
Want more? You can check out even more of my recommendations for Amsterdam below!
And let me know in today’s poll what destination you’d like me to cover next!
30 tips for booking a cheap holiday
Want a quick fire summary of all my favourite tips for saving money? This is it!
How to book a cheap All Inclusive
I’m spilling all my secrets on how how to find an affordable All Inclusive stay for your next trip.
Visit holidayexpert.com for more travel hacks
Deals of the week 💸
Spring sunshine holiday
I’ve found an EPIC deal for a trip to sunny Mallorca in May.
2 adults and 2 children can stay for 5 nights at the 4 star Zafiro Bahia from just £219pp!
That’s an incredible price for a springtime trip to this family-friendly island.
15% off Interrail passes
Fancy a train trip across Europe? Save 15% off Global Interrail Passes.
For: Travel between now and Feb 2027
Ends: Book by 31 Mar 2026
Get £5 off a train ticket
I spotted a discount code in the Metro this week - you can get £5 off your rail ticket when you book with TicketyBoo on their app with the code Metro5.
Snugl travel pillow
You can bag 18% off a Snugl travel pillow right now on Amazon.
This one is Luxury James’ favourite - if that isn’t high praise I don’t know what is!
Eurostar one-way from £39
Bag £39 tickets one way between London and Lille, Brussels, Paris and Amsterdam. Terms apply.
For: Travel between 1 Apr - 26 Aug 2026.
Ends: Subject to availability.
What the team’s been loving this week! 🤳
When we’ve not been working really hard - ahem - here’s some of the things that we’ve been enjoying over on socials.
Anna: Me and the girls in 30 years…
James: When you only have time for one meal but want Italian AND English…
Jack: Get me to this function right now!
Chelsea: This reel makes me feel very seen…
Katie: @samaspeaks_ is doing a cool series where she experiences different countries without leaving London.
(P.S. We actually compete every week on who gets those most clicks on these - Chelsea won last week!)
More from Holiday Expert 📣
Watch me on Robbie Knox’s YouTube
I joined my mate Robbie on his latest adventure - to the highest pub in the UK! And we may or may not have got snowed in whilst up there… 👀
Passports Please! podcast
This week, I’m getting a little riled up about some unorthodox tipping practices that have been happening in the UK!!! 🙈
I wonder if you’ve come across these too as I fear they’re on the rise…
Mollie’s Hotel in Manchester
We visited Manchester last weekend and stayed the night in the newly opened Mollie’s Manchester which is in the building where I got my first proer job out of Uni!!
Not only did it bring back many memories, but it was a bloody great value stay as well.
And that’s a wrap!
That’s all for this week – thanks if you made it this far and why not let me know you did so by answering the poll below ⬇️
If you have a mate or family member who loves to travel and could do with a helping hand from us here at Holiday Expert, just hit the button below and share the link!
Speak to you soon!
Chelsea x
This email contains affiliate links which means we may earn a small percentage of any sales made. This won’t cost you more money, but it does help support us so cheers!
