Everplaces - Save and share places you love

 Guest post by Anne Ditmeyer, graphic designer / blogger behind Prêt à Voyager

Recently I got a last minute invitation to go to Budapest for a few days with my friend Laurel. It was a last minute invitation, as we’d be hopping on a plane a 24-hours later. But that’s the best perk of being a freelance graphic designer / editor, I can set my own schedule and work from anywhere. Granted, more fun than work happened that trip, but I said yes, and a getaway with a good friend was just what I needed.

We didn’t really use the guidebook, but we did follow the wisdom of my friend who had recommended Printa Café, a coffee shop / boutique / letterpress studio and gallery she know I’d love. This tip set us on the exact track we wanted to be in.

I bought an incredible hand-printed map of the city made in their printshop, which with the help of a few additional tips from the shop worker got us to our next stop: a fantastic beer garden on a beautiful day. Szimpla is a “ruin bar” where you can sit in car parts, or in a bath-tub upstairs (where there are cheap eats).

For me, Everplaces (follow me!) is one of those places online I know I can go to find likeminded travelers to find that one place in a new city that’s going to help set me in the right direction and explore “my kind” of places. I actually don’t plan much when I travel, so I just like to have a few priorities and wing it from there. This style of travel actually inspired me to start a column on my blog called High Five, which documents my five favorite places.

I’m crazy about maps, so that’s one of my favorite features of using Everplaces, but I also love that I can share the link to my favorite places next time I have a friend going to Budapest.

You can find my full High Five: Budapest post here and browse through all the special places I'v found in Budapest and around the world on everplaces.com/pretavoyager

Photos by Anne Ditmeyer

A countryside break in Southwest England - The New Forest

  Guest post by Hannah Maxwell, travel passionista and writer

I love London, it’s exciting, vibrant, challenging and all consuming. However, to appreciate all its facets and personalities sometimes a weekend escape allows time to breathe and gain a new perspective on it all. Nothing is easier or better for this than the great British countryside.

The New Forest is like entering the days of Robin Hood, wild ponies roam the mass of forest and wide expanses of moors come complete with purple heather and yellow gorse. Its a complete escape that takes me from heels to wellies and ensures me returning to London with rosy cheeks and fresh air in my lungs.  It’s an easy area to get to either a couple of hours drive down the M3 or the train from Waterloo to Brockenhurst (1 hour 32 minutes) or the National Express coach from Victoria to Ringwood.

The new ‘country-set’ is a world away from the stuffy image of yesteryear. The Pig epitomises this casual country cool with deep overstuffed sofas in front of roaring fires and terraces with an outdoor oven for home baked flat bread in the summer months. I love the feeling of being in a wealthy friends country house…special food and surroundings but cosy and laid back enough to kick your shoes off and take a nap by the fire! They can arrange fly fishing days or spa treatments.

The nearby town of Lymington is perfect for a wander, there are various markets and I enjoy seeing the the sail boats bobbing on the water along the marina. If you’ve got good sea legs you could head out sailing yourself. I like being immersed in the local culture wherever I visit and local art reflects the life of an area. The Coastal Gallery shows the work of local artists and I defy you not to be swept away by the seascapes.

Lymington has a hidden gem - ’Graze’, where you could drop by for a drink and end up whiling away the rest of the day. Open from breakfast through the evening and specialising in small plates. There really is something for every taste on the menu- we delighted in the courgette fritters and lamb skewers and I found lots of options as a vegetarian. There is a friendly vibe and the candle light in the evenings reflects the warm glow of your countryside rosy cheeks. 

Explore the history of the area with a visit to Highcliffe Castle. Feel like a Lord or Lady walking around this mansion from the 1830’s. As well as the architecture and history to take in, there are a number of exhibitions and concerts. Ensure you indulge in some traditional tea and scones in the tea rooms and burn it off with a turn around the gardens.

Photo credit: coastal-gallery.co.uk

  Guest post by photography and travel enthusiast Mela Mörtenbäck



For weeks I cannot think of anything but my upcoming road trip along the shores of Spain and Portugal. Starting in Malaga, the trip will moreover take me from Cádiz via Seville to Lisbon with some stopovers every now and then.

Although I already know some parts of Andalusia and the Algarve, there is so much more to discover and two weeks might not be enough to visit all the places I would like to. So I started to create a collection of must-see’s on Everplaces that I’d like to share with you.

Europa Point - Gibraltar

The Europa Point is the southernmost place of Gibraltar with a lovely lighthouse. On a clear day, it’s possible to take a glimpse of North Africa and the shores of Morocco. Save place

Blue Juzcar - Andalusia

Usually, most villages in Southern Spain are painted bright white. But there is one exception at the moment: Juzcar. As the small village is chosen to host the premier of the new Smurf film, it’s currently painted entirely blue and a real attraction for all smurf fans. Save place

Eléctrico 28 – Lisbon

Number 28 is rumored to be the most legendary one of the famous trams in Lisbon. The historic yellow tram follows the perfect route for sightseeing, passing numerous sights you’ll find in travel guides. Save place

Elevador de Santa Justa – Lisbon

It’s one of the major tourist attractions of Lisbon: the Elevador de Santa Justa. It’s a classic steel-frame elevator running up 30 metres, where you’ll find a café with sometimes playing live music. Save place

Palacio da Pena – Sintra

The Pena National Palace is a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site and one of the so-called Seven Wonders of Portugal. It stands on the top of a hill above the town of Sintra. On sunny and clear days, it can be seen from Lisbon. Save place

Cascais – Portugal

The traditional small fishing port Cascais offers historic buildings mixed with a cosmopolitan atmosphere – but all without losing its local spirit. It’s worth walking around the pathways as the bay is probably the main attraction. Save place

There is actually no end in sight discovering new places that seem to be worth visiting alongside the shores of Spain and Portugal. I’m sure I will add loads of unique and special places to my Everplaces collection during my journey, so follow my road trip by browsing my Spain and Portugal collection on everplaces.com/mela.

By guest blogger Mela Mörtenbäck, passionate traveler and hobby photographer from Tyrol, Austria. Mela loves to combine traveling and photography by exploring new cities.

Photo credits: planetware.com, ellenzee.tumblr.com, dailymail.co.uk, laser-line.de, wikipedia.com