YHA Blog
YHA Manchester is situated just outside of the city centre and makes a great place to stay for a city break. Whether you want a base to check out all of Manchester’s attractions or somewhere within easy reach of walks, here are a few free and cheap ideas to try out...
As wonderful as escaping to the outdoors in England and Wales can be, sometimes the Great British weather becomes unpredictable and the rain, rain doesn’t want to go away and come back another day. But that doesn’t have to affect your fun. We’ve picked out a few...
The Lake District is a favourite holiday destination for many, and it’s not difficult to see why. With its breathtaking scenery, miles of spectacular walks, and gorgeous towns and villages to explore, there’s so much to do in this stunning national park in the...
Come and stay with us in one of our London hostels. The capital city has so much to offer and some of it’s for free. Here’s a collection of free things to do in London! Enjoy…Barbician Conservatory The Barbican centre may be famous for its brutalist style but on...
On a crisp winter’s day, there’s nothing quite like a Cornish coastal walk to snap your synapses into gear: wind stippling the waves, seabirds wheeling overhead and the immensity of the Atlantic stretching out to the horizon. The Gregorian calendar might be a...
For almost all of human existence, mountain environments have been seen as places to avoid. They were climbed only to drove livestock for trade, or to meet with people from the next village. And even then, the end-goal for those on foot was always the passes, the...
It’s 130 years since the arrival of one of the UK’s most famous landmarks. Tower Bridge was finished in 1894, after a building project that took eight years. The iconic river crossing is now a world-famous part of the London skyline — but how much do you know about...
The longest walk in England leads right the way around the country’s coastline. It’s called the King Charles III England Coast Path, and when it’s finished it will stretch for 2,700 miles. If you were hiking for 10 miles a day, it would take you almost nine months...
Looking for unforgettable, affordable experiences for the months ahead? Here are 24 ideas for hostel trips in 2024 — because after all, calendars are there to be filled. Happy travels!1. YHA Ambleside for wild swimming Lake Windermere, on the hostel’s wonderfully...
Emma Robinson was YHA’s Wales Development Manager until December 2023. She now runs Little Tree Studio and is Wales’ only Bob Ross certified instructor; specialising in teaching landscapes using the oil paint ‘wet on wet’ technique, made famous by Bob Ross and his...
The first stirrings of spring may be not far away, but the early months of the year are still a time of limited daylight. A reliable headtorch should be an essential inclusion in your backpack at any time of year, but never more so than over winter. Here we review...
It must have been a magnificent way to arrive in Keswick, the train from Penrith rushing down into the steep-sided wooded valley, then crossing the River Greta again and again, eight times in all, across elegantly curved bowstring bridges, designed so they didn't...
