Northern lights on a budget, Traitor castle sleepovers and what the jeff are Ryanair up to now

This week I'm here to prove that you CAN see the northern lights for cheap - and I've got just the places to do it!

Your weekly travel roundup 👣

Did you miss me last week?

Instead of gracing your inboxes I was, ahem, gracing the slopes of Bulgaria with my very best skiing technique… and gracing the aprés scene too🍾

But not to worry, we’re now back to regular programming another week, another round-up of my top tips and inspiration to help you travel more for less.

This week we’re talking cheap trips to see the Northern Lights a once in a lifetime experience (or more if you’re lucky!) that doesn’t have to break the bank, despite what we tend to think about the Nordics being expensive.

Plus, we investigate rumoured compulsory seat-booking fees from Ryanair – something I tested out in real time as I checked myself and my brother in for our ski trip last week.

Here’s what’s coming up in today’s newsletter:

  • Where to see the Northern Lights on a budget ✨

  • Viral vacay: traitors-style castles 🏰

  • Ryanair fees: are they really forcing us to pay for a boarding pass?💺

  • My deal of the week: one of my FAVE bits of tech 💸

Northern Lights on a budget 🌌

I’ve had loads of people ask about whether it’s possible to do the Northern Lights on a budget recently, and the good news is – you can!

I was lucky enough to see them for the first time last year when I got the overnight train from Stockholm up to Swedish Lapland. It’s honestly one of the best trips I’ve ever taken, made even more so by the fact it did not break the bank!

I took this pic - are you impressed?!

5 cheapest places to see the Northern Lights

I’ve rounded up a bunch of destinations where you could spot the Northern Lights – and they’re cheaper than you may think.

This train is on my bucket list!

Hunt for northern lights by sleeper train

Why not make it a real adventure? Here’s everything you need to know about UK sleeper trains and how to book them for cheap.

Viral Vacay 📲

Where we track down the accommodation that’s gone viral, find out how much it actually costs and if needs be, suggest a cheaper alternative 🕵️‍♀️

What is it?
Ardross Castle in the Scottish Highlands, otherwise known as THE Traitors castle, from the cult TV show.

How viral?
4.4 million people tuned in last Thursday!

How much?
The only way to stay is to hire the whole place out for a wedding; which apparently costs £45,000 for two nights’ hire. Ouch.

Cheaper alternative?
Thornbury Castle in Gloucestershire is giving HUGE Traitor vibes with its rolltop bath tubs and four poster beds, for £197 a night.

Cheaper still?
Get close to the Scottish border at Langley Castle Hotel in Northumberland for just £145 a night.

Seen a place go viral that you want me to do this for? Reply with it to this email! 📧

What on earth are Ryanair up to now

Booking a Ryanair flight can sometimes feel a bit like a digital assault course, as there are so many chargeable extras to dodge. A few of you asked about a possible new fee and so I decided to test it out for myself.

Overall, I really don’t mind flying Ryanair. They’ve given my the ability to travel way beyond my means over the years!! Plus for so many, there really isn’t another option.

I just think you have to play the game and always be on high alert for their sneaky tactics!

Is there a new Ryanair boarding pass fee?

There were murmurs about this new fee back in Dec but when things died down, I hoped that it was just a one off. However, the chatter has started again so I tested it out on my recent flight to Bulgaria.

How to avoid this outrageous £55 Ryanair fee

Remember that news story about the old couple who were charged £55 to print their boarding pass? Well this is why! The good news is it’s easy enough to avoid - just make sure you do it.

My deal of the week

I’m doing something a little different this week and sharing a gadget that has made my recent hotel stays so much more enjoyable!

I don’t know about you, but I absolutely bloody love watching TV in my hotel bed. I think it’s because we don’t have a TV in our bedroom at home so it feels like a right treat.

However, so often I find that there’s either no channels to watch (I’m sorry but I’m not watching BBC World News when I’m on holiday 😂) or that the screen casting options don’t work. It’s so frustrating!

And so James had the clever idea to order this HDMI to USB C cable for us to take away with us.

How does it work?

You just plug the HDMI end into the TV and then you’re free to plug the USB C end into your phone or laptop. Then, you simply find the right HDMI channel on the TV and you’ve got a seamless screen sharing set up!

It is worth noting though that this won’t still work with those streaming sites who don’t let you screen share - I’m looking at you Disney - so don’t expect any miracles.

What’s so good about this cable la?

You can absolutely get this type of cable for cheaper off Amazon but I’ve been burnt way too many times by tech that’s not up to scratch. Anker is a really good well known brand and this feels really quality. It’s also 6ft long and so it often reaches the bed too!

Let us see in action pal

Well luckily for you, James took some photos of it on a recent trip. I am honestly howling at the solitaire photo. He thinks he’s funny doesn’t he (well I am laughing so goddamnit, he’s got me).

How much does it cost?

£18.99

We’ve used ours about six times already and I’m hoping it will last us many, many years to come!

Look mum, I’m on the telly!

Last week the Bristol Post featured my video from my day trip to Bristol a few months ago, when National Express challenged me to enjoy a budget day out.

I’ve also just had a piece go live in The i paper about how to avoid airline fees given the news that there will be no government crackdown on their ‘drip-pricing’ 😭

What’s got the team excited this week? 🥳

From bargains to travel news, here’s what we’ve been getting distracted with this week.

Anna and I realied we may have been working together too long when we both turned up in this look this week!!

Merowe: Tokyo’s groundbreaking teamLab Borderless digital museum reopens next month. In 2021 it broken the world record for being the most visited museum in the world, but when I was last in Tokyo I didn’t get to visit. Now I’m excited to have a second chance…

Anna: I’m excited about applying for my Indian visa this week! I was however humbled by the selfie you have to submit 😂😂

Chelsea: I’ve just confirmed a trip to Universal Orlando in March for their Mardi Gras celebrations and I am SO BEYOND EXCITED 🎉 Gonna need all your tips and I can’t wait to explore how to do the parks on a budget.

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 ⬇️

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Next week, I’ll be sharing more about how I got on skiing for the first time. Let’s just say it’s a miracle I didn’t break anything 😂

See you then!

Chelsea x

I’ll be sharing my cheap ski trip on Instagram all this week but here’s a sneak peek for you of me and my brother Christian in Borovets, Bulgaria.

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