HB Travel, Brighouse (2026)

07/09/2026

HELEN’S HIDDEN FINDS 🔎🇷🇴
BRAȘOV, ROMANIA

When people think of Romania, Bucharest is usually the first place that comes to mind.

But tucked away in Transylvania, surrounded by the Carpathian Mountains, is the beautiful city of Brașov. 💙

It has a completely different feel to the capital — colourful buildings, cobbled streets, mountain views and a lovely old-town atmosphere.

A few reasons it’s worth knowing about:

🏘️ Wander around Council Square and the historic Old Town
⛪ See the impressive Black Church
⛰️ Head up Mount Tâmpa for views over the city
🚶 Explore the narrow streets and medieval walls
🏰 Use Brașov as a base for nearby castles and Transylvania day trips
☕ And take your time over cafés, restaurants and local wine

It feels like one of those places that works really well as part of a bigger Romania trip — especially if you like somewhere with character rather than just ticking off the obvious city sights.

Helen 💙

🇹🇩

05/09/2026

FIRST TIME FLYING BUSINESS CLASS ✈️

On our recent trip to New York, I got to try Business Class for the very first time… and obviously I had to see whether it really was worth all the hype. 😂

From the lounge and extra space to the food, drinks and lie-flat seat, it was definitely a very different way to cross the Atlantic!

But the big question is…

Would I actually PAY for it myself? 👀

Watch to the end for my verdict. 😂

I’d love to know what you think too:

✈️ Have you flown Business Class before?
💷 Did you think it was worth the extra?
👀 Or is it something you’d love to try one day?

Helen 💙

05/09/2026

Have you visited any of these? 🏰

Helen 💙

04/09/2026

✨ FRIDAY HOLIDAY INSPIRATION 🚂 🇪🇸
A LUXURY RAIL JOURNEY THROUGH SPAIN

This one is very different from my usual Friday deals… and definitely one for the bucket list. 😍

Imagine travelling through Spain aboard one of Europe’s most luxurious trains, sleeping in your own elegant suite, enjoying dinner on board and waking up somewhere new each day.

🇪🇸 MADRID • SEVILLE • AL ÁNDALUS LUXURY TRAIN

A sample itinerary could include:

✈️ Return flights from Manchester
🏨 Time in Madrid before your rail journey
🚆 Rail travel through Spain
✨ 6 nights aboard the incredible Al Ándalus luxury train
🛏️ Deluxe Suite onboard
🍽️ Meals included whilst aboard the train
🥂 Elegant dining cars and lounges
🎶 Onboard entertainment
🏰 Guided excursions and visits along the route
🏨 Stay in Seville
⛪ Private Seville Cathedral & Alcázar walking tour
🍷 Private Madrid tapas & wine experience
🚕 Transfers included
🧳 23kg luggage

And this isn’t simply a train that gets you from A to B.

Al Ándalus is the experience itself.

Think beautifully restored carriages, proper sit-down dining, comfortable lounges and days spent exploring some of Spain’s most fascinating places before returning to the train each evening.

It would be incredible for a…

💍 Special anniversary
🎂 Milestone birthday
🥂 Retirement celebration
❤️ Honeymoon
✨ Or simply that once-in-a-lifetime trip you’ve always promised yourselves

And the lovely thing about an itinerary like this is that it doesn’t have to look exactly like this one.

The journey can be CUSTOMISED around your preferred dates, departure airport, hotel choices, length of stay and budget.

So rather than advertising one fixed price that may change with availability, I can have a personalised itinerary created specifically for you.

This is definitely not your average Friday holiday deal… 😂

But if someone told you there was a luxury train waiting to take you around Spain, would you be tempted? 🚂🇪🇸

Helen 💙

03/09/2026

✨ BEYOND THE BROCHURE 🇪🇸

TENERIFE – THERE’S SO MUCH MORE THAN THE RESORTS

When people think of Tenerife, they often picture sunshine, hotel pools and the busy resorts in the south.

But there is a completely different side to the island that is absolutely worth exploring. 💙

Away from the main resort areas you’ll find volcanic landscapes, mountain villages, dramatic coastlines and some of the most beautiful scenery in the Canaries.

🌋 TEIDE NATIONAL PARK
Home to Spain’s highest mountain and one of the island’s most incredible landscapes. Even the drive through the park feels completely different from the beach resorts.

🌿 ANAGA RURAL PARK
Green, wild and dramatic, with winding roads, deep valleys and some brilliant walking routes. It almost feels like another island entirely.

🏘️ LA LAGUNA
A colourful historic city with traditional Canarian architecture, cobbled streets and a much more local feel.

🌊 GARACHICO
Once one of Tenerife’s most important ports, this pretty town is known for its historic streets and natural volcanic rock pools.

⛰️ MASCA
A tiny mountain village tucked into spectacular scenery — one of those places where the journey there is almost as memorable as the destination.

🍷 VINEYARDS & LOCAL VILLAGES
Tenerife also has a long wine-making tradition, and heading inland gives you a chance to discover local food, vineyards and quieter villages away from the main tourist areas.

That’s what I love about destinations like Tenerife.

You can absolutely have the sunshine-and-pool holiday…

…but you can also hire a car, head inland and discover a completely different side of the island.

Would you explore beyond the resorts, or are you firmly team pool-and-sunbed? 😂👇

Helen 💙

🌋 ❤️

02/09/2026

✨ TRAVEL TIP WEDNESDAY ✈️🇺🇸

FLYING TO THE USA? DUBLIN CAN MAKE ARRIVAL SO MUCH EASIER…

One of the things that really surprised me on our New York trip was just how easy US Preclearance in Dublin was.

Instead of landing in America and then joining the immigration queues, we completed the US immigration and customs process before we even boarded our flight in Dublin.

And for us, it was unbelievably smooth.

We had no queues in Dublin at all, went through everything quickly, boarded our flight… and when we landed in New York?

We literally just walked straight out. 😍

No long immigration queue.
No standing around after a long flight.
No extra faff.

It made arriving in New York feel so much quicker and easier.

So if you’re ever looking at flights to the USA and Dublin comes up as an option, it’s definitely worth considering — especially if you like the idea of getting all the immigration formalities out of the way before you fly.

I honestly hadn’t realised quite how much difference it would make until we did it ourselves.

Would you consider flying via Dublin for this reason?

Helen 💙

✈️

01/09/2026

🇫🇷 DISNEYLAND PARIS FAMILY DEAL ✨🏰

After sharing Philippa’s Disneyland Paris review, I’ve had a few more people asking me about prices… so I thought I’d share a current family example. 💙

🇫🇷 DISNEYLAND PARIS
📅 13th–17th June 2027
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Based on 5 people
✈️ Flying from Leeds Bradford
🏡 4 nights in a 2-bedroom apartment
🎟️ 2 days of Disneyland Paris tickets
🚕 Private airport transfers included
💙 ONLY £566pp

YOUR HOLIDAY INCLUDES:

✈️ Return flights from Leeds Bradford to Paris Charles de Gaulle
🧳 10kg cabin bag each
🚕 Private transfer from CDG Airport to your apartment in Chessy
🏡 4 nights in a 2-bedroom apartment
🛏️ 1 double bed, 4 bunk beds + 1 sofa bed
🚿 2 bathrooms
🍽️ Self-catering
🎟️ Disneyland Paris 2-day park tickets for 14th & 15th June
🚕 Private return transfer to CDG Airport

TOTAL FAMILY PRICE: £2,830!
💙 £566 PER PERSON

I really like this option for a larger family because you’re not all squeezed into one hotel room, you’ve got proper sleeping space, two bathrooms and a kitchen — while still being close enough to enjoy Disneyland without the official Disney hotel price tag.

And with 2 full park days included, there’s still time either side to relax, explore or add something extra if you wanted to.

Message me if you’d like the full details, or if you want me to look at different dates, departure airports or family sizes.

Helen 💙

Price based on current availability and subject to change.

❤️

31/08/2026

🇺🇸 10 THINGS THAT SURPRISED ME ABOUT NEW YORK 🗽

We’ve just got back from New York and there were quite a few things that surprised me while we were there.

Some good, some slightly annoying 😂 and some I really wasn’t expecting at all…

1. THE REAL COST OF EATING OUT 💸
The menu price is definitely not the price you end up paying! Once sales tax and gratuity are added, meals can easily cost around 20–30% more than you first expect. That took some getting used to!

2. THE TINIEST SPACES BECOME “PARKS”
New York will take the smallest little patch of space, add a bench and a few plants… and suddenly it’s a park 😂 I actually loved how many little green spaces there were dotted around.

3. THE SUBWAY IS MUCH EASIER THAN YOU THINK 🚇
I expected it to be confusing, but once you get the hang of Uptown/Downtown and the different lines, it’s really straightforward.

4. EVERY AREA FEELS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT 🏙️
This surprised me a lot. Midtown, West Village, Chelsea, Hell’s Kitchen, Brooklyn, the Financial District… they all have a completely different feel.

5. THE FAMOUS SIGHTS KEEP APPEARING 👀
You’ll just be walking along and suddenly the Empire State Building, One World Trade or another landmark appears between the buildings. I loved that.

6. LITTLE ISLAND & CHELSEA MARKET
Two places we weren’t expecting to love quite as much as we did. Quirky, fun and really different from the classic New York sights.

7. THE HIGH LINE IS SO WORTH DOING 🌿
It gives you such a different perspective of the city and was one of my favourite walks of the trip.

8. THE 9/11 MUSEUM IS INCREDIBLY MOVING 🖤
Very emotional, but so well done and a really respectful tribute to those who lost their lives. I would absolutely recommend making time for it.

9. NEW YORK WAS MUCH CLEANER THAN WE EXPECTED ✨
I was genuinely surprised by how little rubbish we saw and how well looked after so many areas were.

10. NEW YORKERS WERE REALLY FRIENDLY ❤️
Possibly the biggest surprise of all! We had so many friendly little conversations and helpful interactions along the way.

New York definitely wasn’t quite what I expected… in a really good way.

If you’ve been, what surprised YOU the most?

Helen 💙

🇺🇸 ❤️

30/08/2026

🗽 NEW YORK CITY BREAK ✈️

If you’ve been following my New York adventures this week and thinking…

“I really want to go!” 😂

…this one might tempt you.

🇺🇸 4 NIGHTS IN NEW YORK
📅 6th–10th March 2027
✈️ Direct Virgin flights from Manchester
🏨 Motto by Hilton New York Times Square
🚕 Return airport transfers included
💙 ONLY £835pp

You’ll be staying right in the heart of Manhattan, just moments from Times Square — a brilliant base for exploring the city.

Think…

🗽 Statue of Liberty
🌳 Central Park
🌆 Empire State Building
🌉 Brooklyn Bridge
🎭 Broadway
🚕 Yellow cabs
🥯 Huge New York breakfasts
🍕 Proper New York pizza
🛍️ Fifth Avenue
✨ And that incredible New York atmosphere

YOUR HOLIDAY INCLUDES:

✈️ Return direct flights from Manchester with Virgin
🏨 4 nights at Motto by Hilton New York Times Square
🚕 Return airport transfers
👫 Based on 2 adults sharing

💙 ONLY £835 PER PERSON

There’s something about New York that just feels like one of those trips everyone should do at least once.

And after spending this week here myself, I can already understand why people keep coming back. 🗽💙

If New York has been sitting on your wish list, drop me a message and I can send you the details or look at alternative dates and departure airports.

Helen 💙

Price based on current availability and subject to change.
Local hotel fee of $138 per room payable locally.

30/08/2026

BEYOND THE BROCHURE 🗽
NEW YORK – BEYOND TIMES SQUARE

When most people think of New York, they probably think of Times Square first.

But over the last few days, what I’ve loved most is seeing just how many different sides there are to this city. 💙

We’ve walked past the Flatiron Building, through Madison Square Park and up to Top of the Rock, before wandering up Fifth Avenue and into Central Park for Tavern on the Green, Strawberry Fields and Belvedere Castle.

We’ve seen Manhattan from the water on a Hudson dinner cruise, taken the ferry over to Liberty Island and gone up to the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty, explored Battery Park, Wall Street and the Financial District, and visited One World and the 9/11 Museum.

Yesterday was another reminder that some of the best bits of New York are often the places in between the headline sights…

We walked down Bleecker Street to Chelsea Market for breakfast, had a wander around Little Island, then headed up along the High Line which gave such a different view of the city. From there we walked through Hell’s Kitchen, stopped for a drink in the West Village and finished the day with a fantastic steakhouse.

We even swapped the usual tourist spots for something a bit different with a speakeasy bar tour too. 🍸

And before heading home today, we’re finishing with Brooklyn Bridge and DUMBO.

What I’ve realised is that New York is so much more than ticking off the obvious sights.

Yes, see the famous places.
But also leave time to wander.
Explore different neighbourhoods.
Walk between places.
Stop for a drink.
Take in the views.
And let the city surprise you a little.

That’s always where the magic is. ✨

Have you been to New York? What part did you love most?

Helen 💙

HB Travel

07/09/2026

05/09/2026

05/09/2026

04/09/2026

03/09/2026

02/09/2026

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30/08/2026

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