After visiting Leeds, my great British road trip continues in the North York Moors National Park. Specifically, in a little village on a big beach. I’m spending 2 days in Robin Hood’s Bay, and I’m so excited to be here.

Following lovely stops in the Lake District, Yorkshire Dales, Chester, Wales, Wiltshire, London, the Cotswolds, Nottingham, and the Yorkshire Sculpture Triangle, my boyfriend and I conduct our camper van to the coast.

Robin Hood’s Bay is a jewel at the bottom of a hill on the sea. Tucked away out of sight from the main beaches, this little fishing village once served as a useful smuggling point for contraband from Europe. Legend also has it that Robin Hood encountered pirates here. He redistributed their booty to the village poor, giving the place its name.

Today Robin Hood’s Bay is a treasure trove of tiny streets and pretty cottages, all with the benefit of waterfront views. In fact, that’s the reason I’m here. I’ve seen so many photos of it on social media over the years that I had to come see for myself.

Now that I’m here I can attest to its beauty. Walking down the hill, I start to catch glimpses of the village. Narrow passages lead to colorful doors and moss-covered stones as stairways give way to cottages with orange tile roofs.

I weave in and out of the streets, walking up one slope and down another as I make my way deeper into the labyrinth. Every once in a while I come out on a terrace over the sea or find myself in front of a cozy pub.

One such pub makes a great stop for dinner by candle light, and my boyfriend and I have a seafood feast steps away from the water.

The next morning we wake up to a golden sunrise over the bay. It’s just the weather we’re hoping for, as we’ve planned to spend the second of our 2 days in Robin Hood’s Bay walking.

Lacing up our boots, we head out for a 10-mile hike through pastures, across moorland, and along beaches. We first walk from Robin Hood’s Bay to Ravenscar, a village along the coast. After eating lunch overlooking the water, we head along the sand and through the delightfully named Boggle Hole to get back to where we started.

The walk is the perfect way to get a feel for the local area and see views of Robin Hood’s Bay. By the time we return to the camper van we feel like we’ve seen a lot of the coast.

But not all of it. There’s still much seafront to cover before we head inland to reach our next destination. We’re off to Durham, so we hop in the camper van and hit the road. Stay tuned…

How about you? How would you spend 2 days in Robin Hood’s Bay?
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After 5 incredible weeks, my great British road trip is coming to a close. Sad as I am for it to be ending, I’m excited to have saved one of the best destinations for last. I’m spending a day out in Durham, and there’s a lot to see and do here.

Following great visits to the Lake District, Yorkshire Dales, Chester, Wales, Wiltshire, London, the Cotswolds, Nottingham, the Yorkshire Sculpture Triangle, and Robin Hood’s Bay, my boyfriend and I drive our camper van up to Durham.
Durham is best known for two things: its cathedral and its university. The former is one of my favorite views from the train that runs between London and Edinburgh, and the latter is one of the top academic institutions in the country. Add to that a castle, a river, and a lot of pretty streets, and Durham gets my heart fluttering.

We begin our day in the city with breakfast at Flat White Kitchen, the sister restaurant to the coffee shop I fell in love with on my last visit. Set over five floors in a 17th-century townhouse, it’s not only pleasing to the eyes, but also to the taste buds.

Fed and caffeinated, we head out to explore the city. Since it’s a sunny day we walk down to the water to meander along the River Wear.

It forms a horseshoe around the cathedral, and offers great views of both the church and the castle from its banks.

Later we head back up the hill to explore the area around the Market Place. The streets are as full of heritage buildings and hidden passageways as I remember them, and everywhere we walk there’s a tempting alley to duck down.

In the afternoon we cross the bridges to see more of the city and end up at a local pub to rest our legs after a long day.

As evening sets in, we make our way up Saddler Street and over to the castle and cathedral. They look beautiful in the light of the golden hour, and as we take in the views from Palace Green we’re happy to have saved one of the best places on our trip for last.

But our road trip isn’t finished quite yet. We hop back in the camper van to drive north to Scotland, passing through Northumberland on the way. Stay tuned for that and more…

How about you? What would you do with a day out in Durham?

I’ve got a total soft spot for Greece… from the stunning Greek Islands like; Santorini, Mykonos, Samos and Skiathos, to more hidden areas that are just as charming but that little bit lesser-known, Greece has it all!

Now, I’m no stranger to the fact that my love of Greek food has a lot to do with my bias for visiting Greece but there’s so much more to this incredible country than just its amazing food and gorgeous islands. That’s why we finally decided to hop over to the mainland, away from the islands and somewhere that was totally different.

Over the course of 7 days on the mainland, we decided to explore the more westerly fringes, flying in from Athens and making our way towards the West coast, which was incredible! With our little car, Yaya’s terrible map reading (he really is that bad) and a whole load of stops, we saw some stunning sites that you just have to see when you visit.

Take a look at our complete guide on what to see, do and eat whilst travelling around Mainland Greece.

Okay, so it’s you’ll either arrive by car, train, boat, plane, or NASA style rocket… the latter being the obvious choice! 🚀

Car hire: Depending on which way you choose, you might need to pick up a hire car from your place of entry. This can be done in most places like Airports and even train stations where they will wait for you with the car to arrive.

Flights: We flew in via London on Aegean Airlines straight to Athens, though you can always choose different airports and airlines in the region depending on what suits you best. If you’re flying from outside London or from a different country, you might find other carriers provide direct flights to Athens (or the west coast).

Trains: Once we arrived in Athens Airport, you can actually take the train west to some of the larger towns without any need to drive. This is a great option if you don’t want to drive long distances but, if you do drive, rent a car and explore some of the places outside of towns themselves. You won’t be disappointed.

What to eat?

As I’ve already rambled on about, Greece has some of my favourite food! It doesn’t matter when or where I visit in the country, I always seem to gorge on everything. #NoRegrets 🤣

If you’re wanting to try some of Greece’s most yummy dishes, make sure to read our post on the most delicious meals to have in Greece.

Arrive into Athens and either first thing in the morning (or the night before) and take the train to Kiato Train station which is about 1-1.5 hours west of Athens Airport. Train tickets are relatively cheap, especially if you’re visiting from places like the UK. Our tickets were about €11 or so.



Arrival at Kiato station and pick up your rental car. We got ours from Avance who picked us up from the station itself.

Drive over to the citadel of Nafpaktos, the drive itself will take around 1 hours. One of the biggest draws of Nafpaktos has to be its history, around 3 millennia of influence and culture that has been pretty turbulent, especially with its key position on the Corinthian Gulf.

Check-in to Apollon Library Suites which is situated within the town itself.

They have a gorgeous little courtyard for breakfast and each room is themed around different Greek folklore. 




Make sure to grab a lunch in the Marpessa Smart Luxury Hotel before heading across to the estate.



  Drive to Tourlida. During your journey, you will see the pelades, fishermen’s huts built on stilts over the water, and fish farms for eels, sea bream, sea bass and bafa (mullet).






 Head here an hour or so before sunset and grab a seat on the outside terrace. It’s the perfect place to watch the sunset and enjoy some authentic Greek cuisine that’s made with locally sourced ingredients. 
 Head for a rooftop breakfast above Marpessa Smart Luxury Hotel and fill up before a long day ahead.










 Grab breakfast before checking out of Costa Navarino



After exploring the castle, head over to the sleepy and beautiful little town of Gialova. Set on the coastal fringe, it’s a great spot for a bite to eat before you leave Greece. Stroll the waterfront and find a restaurant that takes your fancy – there are quite a few and all local haunts that are well worth enjoying.