MANCHESTER, ENGLAND

     I travelled to Manchester to celebrate the New Year with my boyfriend and friends. We chose to go there as we have not been up North before and it's one of the biggest cities in the UK, so we knew we would not be bored.

     Manchester is a beautiful city with many skyscrapers and modern architecture. It seriously feels like it is just a smaller version of London, it even has it's own China town!

     The city centre was full of beautiful Christmas decorations, it looked absolutely magical!

     If you are planning to visit Manchester on New Year's Eve, do not miss out on the midnight fireworks at Albert square. It's an amazing show lasting ten minutes, it's free and honestly I believe it is just as good as the London show.

     For the actual party we went to the Fifth Club situated on Princess Street. It has three floors, each playing different type of music so everyone should find something they like. Another benefit of this venue is the cheap drink prices. Jagerbomb was only £0.99, a bottle of Carlsberg or Fosters £1.50 and shot with mixer for £2.50!

     The places you want to visit are the Cathedral situated near the Victoria train station and the Art Museum near the Albert's square. Both places are very interesting and the entrance is free. Overall Manchester is an awesome city and I definitely would like to visit it again!

PARIS, FRANCE

     I went to Paris to celebrate my 16th birthday. Although it was the beginning of September, it was very warm and sunny, just the perfect weather for some sight-seeing!

     The tourist attraction you've got to visit when in Paris is obviously the Eiffel Tower. The view on Paris from the second floor is simply amazing! The white architecture looks magical, a real breath-taking view! Although the queue for the tickets is always very long, it is definitely worth the wait. And if you get hungry, I recommend buying fries from a chippy stand next door. Ticket prices for the Eiffel Tower entrance vary between €7,00 and €11,00.

     The Eiffel Tower looks just as nice at night, when it is all lit up with lights, so make sure to check it out, whilst out on an evening walk ;)

     In a convenient place, right opposite the Eiffel Tower you'll be able to find the Gardens of the Trocadero, which look absolutely stunning! 

     Another place you've got to see is the Arc de Triomphe de l'Etoile. The Triumphal Arch honours those who fought and died in the French Revolutionary. It's a really nice piece of architecture and a perfect spot for some photos.

     Whether you're making it a family trip or you're a bit of a kid yourself, you should go to the Disneyland Paris Resort and enjoy some rides. I would especially recommend the spaceship ride, which is a roller-coaster with a 360 degrees turn! Be patient though, when visiting Disneyland at peak time, be prepared to wait around 60-80 minutes in a queue for a ride that lasts about 3 mins! The resort is divided into two parks, and there is no way you will be able to go through all the attractions within one day. 

     When the sun goes down, Paris is still alive so don't be afraid to walk down the main streets and visit all the charming restaurants and cafe's. It is especially nice in summer, when you can drink a cocktail outside whilst enjoying the view on the Eiffel Tower.

     If you're short on money and you find Paris accommodations too expensive, try finding a hotel in towns surrounding central Paris. An example of such town is Val d'Europe, which has an easy access to central Paris, as well as is ridiculously close to the Disneyland Resort, so it might be worth looking into.

     Overall, Paris is a place you have to visit at least once in your lifetime! It is very romantic, the architecture is amazing and although it is a bit pricey, you won't regret it ;)

CHEDDAR,ENGLAND

AND WE'RE SINGING LOUDER THAN BOMBS CAN FALL!

     I went to Cheddar last weekend for a short camping trip with my uni friends. It is a large village situated in the south-west of England, just 9 miles away from the Welsh border. It was my first ever camping experience, so I didn't know what to expect, but I can honestly say Cheddar was a pleasant surprise.

     We stayed at the Petruth Paddocks camping site, which covers two large fields. It is the perfect place to stay if you DO NOT want to be isolated from the world during your stay. There are multiple drinking water stations, cubical toilets and showers, as well as a 'phone charging' point in reception. The staff is very friendly. A massive advantage of Petruth Paddocks is the allowance of on-site fires, which will keep you warm during cold nights.

     Be ready (I definitely wasn't) for heavy rain, and a leaked tent. Spend that extra time setting the tent up properly to avoid a wet surprise.

     Cheddar reservoir is a perfect place for an evening chill out by the water. It is only about 10 min walk from the village centre. It covers quite a large area, and the sunset view is beautiful.

     A must see when visiting Cheddar is the Cheddar Gorge. The entrance fee for an adult is £18.95, it covers 6 different attractions and is valid for ten years, so don't worry if you're tight on time, you can always come back! You first get a short bus tour around the limestone gorge in the Mendip Hills.

     You then go on to exploring the Cheddar Gorge caves, which were found by Richard Cox Gough in the late 19th century. It is an interesting place to see, full of facts and history. Before entering, ensure you grab an audio set (available in English, French and German), which deeply explains the history.

     Don't forget to get on top of the Lookout Tower. You will first need to climb 274 steps but it is all worth it, as you get a 360 degrees view on Cheddar.

     All the cheese lovers, this is the place where the cheddar cheese was invented! There is a a shop near the Cheddar Gorge where you can try all the different flavours of the cheese and of course purchase it for around £4. Overall I really liked Cheddar, it is a charming village and I wouldn't mind going there again.

MILAN, ITALY

IT'S A BEAUTIFUL WORLD!

     I went to Milan at the beginning of this month just for a weekend break with my friends. We stayed at Hilton Garden Inn Milan Malpensa, situated around the airport area. It provided a free shuttle bus to the airport, which came in quite handy, when trying to get to the centre of Milan, as there was a really good train connection from airport's terminal 1.

     Before entering a train in Milan, do not forget to make the ticket valid at a little machine beside a train track, otherwise you might find yourself getting fined. The centre of Milan is not that far away from the train station, it's a walking distance, you do not need to take the underground!

     A must see in the centre of Milan is obviously the famous Vittorio Emanuele II Shopping Centre with shops like Prada, Versace or Louis Vuitton at your doorstep. 

     Inside the gallery there is a picture of a bull on the floor (extremely easy to miss it, so watch out!). Apparently if you step on bulls balls and spin on it 3 times, it will bring you luck ;)

    Duomo di Milano, the Cathedral is situated opposite the shopping centre. It looks absolutely amazing, but be advised that if you want to enter the inside of the cathedral, you will need to be wearing clothes that cover your shoulders and knees. 

    Town Centre is full of weird people, constantly trying to talk to you, sell you selfie sticks or offering to take photos. Be careful not to lose your stuff.

     When in Milan, you need to try an authentic Italian pizza, it tastes delicious!

     You can also try out some Italian beers :)

     Overall Milan is a beautiful city that I would love to visit again, but next time I will go there when all the sales are on, for obvious reasons ;)