A trip to Liverpool and Manchester by coach | Things to do

[AD] This is a paid partnership with National Express, however all opinions stated in this blog post are my own

Having only visited a couple of places in England, two of the places that were on my list when I came to stay for a few weeks in Leicestershire, were Liverpool and Manchester. As I don’t drive, I have been travelling for the last few years by public transport. I am really excited to have partnered up with National Express for this trip and share about my journey with their coaches to both cities.

The booking process was quick and easy and there were no booking fees. There are different fare options available to offer more flexibility. 

We took the coach from Coventry to Birmingham Bus Station which took about an hour and we had about half an hour to explore a bit of the centre. Then we took the coach from there to Liverpool which took about 2,5 hours.

The journey was smooth, and the coaches had charging points, free wifi, air con, and toilets on board as well as generous luggage allowance. They have put additional measures in place, in line with government covid guidelines so it definitely made us feel safe and more comfortable. 

When we arrived in Liverpool, we went straight to Mathew Street where the Beatles Museum is. The entry cost £15 per person (or £10 if you are a student). You can find more information about the museum, including prices and opening times on their website. 

We then walked down to the waterfront where we took the views and had a stroll around the little shops at Albert Dock. We had a local beer at Turncoat Bar’s patio while we enjoyed the sunshine and watched the paddle boarders go by.

I was going to take a photo of the famous Beatles statue, however there was a festival on so the street it was on was closed. However, later that day we headed to Mathew Street again and went to a few bars to listen to the live music and one of them, the SGT Peppers bar, had a Beatles statue where people were taking photos. We also went to the famous Cavern Pub and got to look at all the memorabilia of The Beatles as well as some others’ such as Michael Jackson and Ben E. King.

We had dinner at an all-you-can-eat Pan Asian buffet at Bon Pan in Clayton Square and it was amazing. There were plenty of vegan options and everything tasted great.

After dinner we headed towards our accommodation and stopped at an Irish pub called The Liffey Bar where they had live music. While we were there, a lovely man sat down next to us and told us about his job as a magician. He was kind enough to show us some magic tricks with his cards which was fun.

We stayed in the International Inn which was £50 a night for 2 people and it was about a 15-minute walk to the city centre. Usually you can find loads of cheap stays in Liverpool, however, as I mentioned earlier, because of the festival going on that weekend, the prices were a little higher than usual. 

In the morning we woke up quite early, around 6:30 so we were checked out and ready for the day by 7:30. We walked around the quiet streets of Liverpool, took some photos, grabbed a coffee (and a chai latte for me), and headed to the waterfront as we had another hour before we had to get the coach to Manchester. Early morning city walks are definitely my favourite. The air feels fresh, the streets are empty, and it just feels so relaxing. We were very lucky with the weather as the sun was shining and it was warm enough for just a t-shirt.

The journey to Manchester took about an hour. When we arrived, we spent a few hours at the shops in Arndale shopping centre. I particularly enjoyed looking around the food court in Harvey Nichols and the view from there was lovely. We also visited Central Perk from the “Friends” television show in Primark.

While we were walking around the city centre, looking at all the street murals, we came across the Manchester Food and Drink Festival. There are many different food and drink stalls including a few vegan ones. I treated myself to some vegan chocolate from Cocoa & Bloom and they were so pretty! I had the pina colada one, a dark chocolate and blueberry, and a millionaire’s shortbread and they tasted incredible. We also played a throwing game where we won a free beer from Sixes Cricket Club which was just down the street from the festival.

After exploring Manchester for a few more hours, we went to V Rev, a 100% vegan diner on Edge Street. I got the banoffee milkshake and then we got the jumbo hot dog topped with mac n cheese and bacon, the chicken burger, and baconnaise fries to share. The staff were friendly and the food was delicious. 

In the evening, we walked through China Town, and headed to the bus station where we got the coach back to Birmingham and then to Leicester.

We had an amazing weekend in Liverpool and Manchester and going with National Express made it the journey even more enjoyable and relaxing. Whether you don’t drive or you just want a car-free weekend, there are so many destinations that you can get to with the UK coach company. You can find out more about their services on their website.

Where would you like to visit in the UK? Let me know in the comments below.

-Marisa

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5 Instagrammable beaches in Crete to get to by bus

The past few years I have been travelling by public transport as I don’t drive and even though there are some places that you just can’t get to without a car (unless you hitchhike), I have managed to go to all the places that I have been wanting to visit during my travels in the US and Europe. And most of the times a week of bus travel worked out cheaper than a day renting a car.

In this post I’ll share with you 5 insta-worthy beaches on Crete that you can get to by bus. Obviously, there are so many more stunning beaches but these are some of my favourites. The starting point that I will be using is Rethymno as that is where I am based but you can still use this as a rough guide if you are staying somewhere else on the island.  You can find all the bus information, times and prices on the KTEL website HERE

Please keep in mind that in some locations the buses are limited to make sure to check the times for the last bus coming back.

1. Preveli - Palm Beach

Famous for its palm forest and tropical vibe, Preveli is on the south side of the island about 45 minutes by bus. To get to the beach, you have to walk down some steps so make sure you wear comfy shoes as it can be quite challenging in flip flops. The view on the way down is stunning and has great photo opportunities. Once you’re down at the beach you can take a stroll through the Palm Forest which is at the exit of Kourtaliotikos Gorge. You can also swim in the Grand River (Megalos Potamos) which flows through it and admire the small waterfalls that are dotted around. The river flows into the sea, making the water quite cool which is perfect for a swim after walking down the steps in the heat. There is a canteen there where you can get food and drinks and there are also bathrooms, however there are no sun beds or umbrellas.

To get there you can take the bus from Rethymno bus station which costs 5 euro and it leaves you at the top of the road. Then you follow the road to the start of the trail/steps which takes about 5 minutes walk and then down the steps for another 10 minutes. Please keep in mind that there is no shade on the way there so make sure you bring a hat and plenty of sun lotion.

2. Seitan Limania (Stefanou Beach)

One of my favourite beaches on the island, Seitan Limania is not for the faint hearted. It is a beautiful small and secluded beach surrounded by high cliffs. Getting there is quite challenging as you have to climb down a very steep rocky path down the side of the cliff so make sure you wear comfy trainers. There is no sand, just pebbles and there are a few cute mountain goats (kri kri) which are fun to watch climbing the side of the cliffs with ease. They are quite friendly so they like to sit next to people but make sure you don’t leave any food in your bag as they can try to get in and grab it. Please do not feed them as they need to forage for food themselves. There are no facilities or shops around so remember to bring plenty of water with you. 

To get there you can take the bus to Chania from Rethymno bus station which costs 6.80 euro one way and takes about an hour to get there. From there you can take the bus to Seitan Limania which costs 2.80 euro.

3. Elafonisi

Located on the southwesternmost tip of Crete, Elafonisi is famous for its pink sand and its turquoise water. It is broken in two parts by water and you can actually walk to the other side while holding all your stuff as the water is very shallow. You can imagine why it is so popular with thousands of tourists visiting daily. If you want to visit when there aren’t as many people there, you might want to go at the start of May or end of September. However, even in the middle of high season, it is still a breathtaking location and is worth visiting. There are umbrellas and life guards there as well as a few canteens, bathrooms and changing rooms.

There are 2 ways to get there without a car. You can either take the bus to Chania and then from there get the local bus to Elafonisi which costs around 20 euro or you can book an excursion with a travel company that will pick you up from your hotel and then take you back in the evening.

4. Balos and Gramvousa

Balos and Gramvousa are two separate beaches however I have put them together as if you are going to one, it is definitely worth visiting the other one. They are both located on the northwest side of the island past Chania city. 

Gramvousa is an island surrounded by crystal clear water and white sand and it’s known for its historical Venetian fortress at the top of a hill. There is also an old shipwreck near the beach which was abandoned many years ago. There are no facilities or umbrellas so it is recommended you take plenty of water and perhaps an umbrella to sit under.

Balos is a stunning lagoon with turquoise waters and white sand, with a stunning backdrop of the cliffs. The water is very shallow and is quite warm, however just past the rocks, the sea gets deeper which is perfect for snorkeling. There are a few canteens and umbrellas on the beach so you buy some water from there.

There are a few different ways to get there. You can either go on an excursion from Rethymno for the day or you can take the bus to Chania and then get an excursion from there. An excursion will take you to both Balos and Gramvousa and the price includes the boat trip to both.

Alternatively, you can take the bus to Chania and then another bus to Kissamos harbor where you can take the boat from. If you haven’t been to Chania yet, you can book an excursion from there and then stay in Chania overnight and the next morning explore the town.

5. Falasarna

Falasarna is also on the west coast of Crete, and has beautiful pinkish sand, similar to Elafonisi, from the millions crushed shells. It’s a lovely sandy beach with clear blue water and beautiful views of the surrounding rocky hills. There are sunbeds and a few canteens as well as lifeguards.

You can take the bus to Chania and then the bus to Falasarna which costs 7.60 euro one way.

Let me know in the comments below which beach you would like to visit when in Crete. Follow my adventures on Instagram: @marisa.vogiatzi for content about solo and budget travel, travelling by public transport, and about working remotely as a digital nomad.

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Everything you need to know about teaching English on Cambly

If you love talking with people and learning about new cultures, and are looking to get paid while doing that, then this is for you!

Note: If you decide to join Cambly by using my referral link, I will earn a small commission at no extra cost to you

Sign up and start tutoring on Cambly: https://www.cambly.com/invite/U6TXSFRV?st=082321&sc=4

Teaching English was never in my plans but when I graduated university with an International Tourism Management degree in the middle of a pandemic, where the tourism industry was completely shut down, I had to think about a plan B. I did research and I found many different online teaching companies with some great pay! Most of them required a TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) so I went ahead and signed up for a 120-hour course (affiliate link) which is the minimum hours that the jobs asked for. I started working with a couple different companies, teaching English to young children and at the beginning it was great - good money, enough hours. However, after a few weeks, I barely got any lessons and I was spending hours and hours every day trying to market myself to potential students and it just wasn’t worth it. After a few months, I came across Cambly. 

About

Cambly is a one-on-one tutoring platform that allows you to teach students from all over the world at any time of the day. You can choose to teach kids or adults or you can teach both. 

The lessons can be as long or as short as you like and you can use Cambly’s “Priority Hours” system where you sign up in advance to be active in certain time slots where you are more likely to receive calls from students. I did that a lot in the beginning until I gained a lot of regular students and then I just started opening my regular schedule for reservations instead. 

I usually teach about 12-15 hours a week as I also have another job but you teach as much or as little as you like. I only teach adults as I personally prefer it but if you are good with kids, you can earn a bit more by teaching on Cambly Kids. 

Why teach English online

Whether you are doing it full time or just a few hours per week, teaching online offers you a flexible schedule and if you are like me and don’t want to live in one place, you can travel long term and work from anywhere in the world. If you have another job, Cambly can be some extra spending money. I have been teaching on Cambly for more than 6 months now and I absolutely love it. 

Pay

Cambly doesn’t pay per hour but per minute. So you earn $0.17/min ($10.20/hour) which is about £7.50/hour teaching adults and $0.20/min ($12.00/hour) on Cambly Kids which is about £8.8/hour. You get paid via Paypal every Monday.

Pros

• Flexibility - because there are students from all over the world and therefore different time zones, it doesn’t matter what time you open your schedule, you will always have students wanting lessons.

• Meeting people - you get to meet people of all ages from all over the world and learn about their culture. I have met people from many different backgrounds, from a computer engineer living in Japan to a national football player in Turkey, it’s amazing how you get to talk to people you wouldn’t usually meet. 

• You don't need to market yourself - unlike many other companies, you don’t need to spend time promoting yourself in order to get students.

• No preparation needed- a lot of the lessons are just conversational English and therefore do not need any preparation beforehand. Luckily, for the lessons that are focused on grammar or business English, Cambly provides all the course material you need for them. There are also many slides about conversational topics in case you run out of ideas to talk about.
  

Cons

• Low pay - compared to other teaching companies, Cambly has one of the lowest pay in the industry. However, if you are living in a cheaper country or have another job as well, it isn’t too bad especially considering it’s not a stressful job. Most of the time, it feels like I’m just chatting with a friend and I’m getting paid for it.

• Classes are not guaranteed. In my experience when I open my schedule, I get fully booked, however Cambly is not obliged to guarantee you classes so each week may vary. This is why it’s always good to have multiple sources of income and to not only rely on Cambly.

Requirements and how to apply

Unlike other companies, Cambly doesn’t require experience or a teaching qualification. You just need to be a native speaker and have a laptop and a good internet connection.

The application process is very straightforward and only takes a few minutes. All you need to do is to fill out the application form provided and then upload a 2 minute intro video. 

In my video intro I mentioned:

-my job (marketing content creation)

-hobbies/interests/something to make me stand out (I love travelling and meeting new people)

-my university degree and TEFL qualification

-What I can help with, e.g. grammar, conversational, business English

-how my classes are, e.g. fun, encouraging, making the students feel comfortable

It took about 2 weeks for me to hear back from them after I sent in my application and video, however it may take longer depending on the demand and how many applications they have.

As I mentioned earlier, Cambly is a great way to meet people from all over the world and most of the time it doesn’t feel like work. I look forward to the lessons every day and I am very grateful for having the opportunity to meet so many amazing people through it. It is a very rewarding job and I could not recommend it enough.

If you sign up through my referral link, I will get a small commission at no extra cost for you. And if you decide to sign up for Cambly Kids, we will both get $10 each.

Sign up and start tutoring on Cambly: https://www.cambly.com/invite/U6TXSFRV?st=082321&sc=4

If you have any questions about tutoring on Cambly or just generally about teaching english online, please do not hesitate to message me on Instagram @marisa.vogiatzi or comment down below on this blog post.

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