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What we do know - the contest will be hosted in Austria What we don’t know - what city will host and on what date The Eurovision crowd is fast, loyal, and persistent—especially the ones who know the game and play it early. TL;DR Eurovision is expensive in terms of flight and hotel costs if booked last minute, so I’m taking a gamble* to get best pricing on flights and hotels and have placed my chips on the current favourite - Vienna on the 16th May 2026. Wish me luck! *The Gamble works out to only be £35/person to lock in the cheaper prices. Yes, I may be a little bit Eurovision-obsessed. But if you're reading this, you probably understand. Rolling the Dice, Eurovision Style Let me paint the picture: The Eurovision 2026 contest is confirmed to be held in Austria—but as of my booking frenzy, the host city hasn’t been announced yet. Could it be Vienna again? Or maybe Innsbruck at the other end of the country? Your guess is as good as mine. But waiting to find out wasn’t an option. As any seasoned fan knows, once the announcement drops, prices skyrocket, availability vanishes, and your best-laid plans become a logistical nightmare. So I did what any mildly obsessed (and moderately sensible) Eurovision fan might do: I booked everything early. Hotel Hopes and Hospitality Roulette As the 2025 contest results were coming through, and it became obvious that Austria were going to win, I was busy researching both possible host cities, dates and hotels available. By the end of the winning song, I had booked a room for 2 at the Mecure Wien Westbahnhof on the Accor app for 3 nights (Thursday 14th May to Sunday 17th May) for just over €400 Euros, importantly with the option to cancel.  As of July 2025, there is no longer availability at the Mecure, and the prices for hotels that are available are eye watering.  The Flight Gamble Having done a quick search via Google Flights - the direct flights that would suit started @ £220 each with BA, but wouldn’t have the refund flexibility that I would ideally want. I then looked at booking direct with BA using AVIOS points. These worked out @ 14.5k Avios & £35 - the equivalent of £151 each, if you value an Avios point at 0.8p. These flights can be cancelled, and I would receive the AVIOS points back and only lose the £35.  I might get to meet Graham again on the flight back Parking the What-Ifs Living just far enough from the airport to make public transport a pain, I also locked in car parking. It is fairly simple and prices won’t be impacted by Eurovision - but booking early and flexible is always important. I used a discount code (via moneysavingexpert.com ) to reduce the price from £50 to £40, and also bagged another 5% off with credit card cashback.  The Ticket And now, we wait. Ticket sales are still a few nerve-jangling months away, and there’s no guarantee I’ll get one. The moment they go live is a heart-pounding, browser-refreshing frenzy. Will the seating gods smile upon me? Why It's All Worth It People outside the Eurovision bubble might think I’m mad. “You booked what  before even knowing where  it is?” they ask, eyebrows raised. But those of us in the fandom know that half the joy is in the anticipation, the dedication, the buzz. It’s a leap of faith powered by glitter, flags, and decades of music-fueled joy. Whether I’m waving my flag in the arena or belting out the songs from a café in Vienna, I know this trip will be unforgettable. After all, Eurovision isn’t just an event—it’s a journey. And mine has already begun.

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Let me start with a little analogy that might just help explain why I’ve decided to jump into this travel blog thing. A few years ago, I found myself more than ready to retire. The company needed to deliver some changes before I could exit, and my role continued to gradually reduce - similar to kicking your heels whilst waiting for a Park Run  to get under way. When I exited at 55, I was off on my next adventure: retirement. I went off at a bit of a sprint, burning up the pent up energy travelling extensively for 18 months - full throttle, diving into travel at an unsustainable pace. I quickly realised it was an unsustainable pace and recognised the need to transition and focused on what really mattered to me — enjoying the journey. I started paying attention to my breathing, adjusting my pace, and taking in the sights a bit more. That’s where I find myself today: in balance, enjoying travel at a pace that feels right for me, while also managing the rest of life’s commitments. I’ve made room in my day to take on some more interests and try something new. I don’t have a bottomless pit of money to fund my travels, but I’ve always had time. So, I’m used to researching, carefully picking destinations, timing trips just right, and finding deals wherever I can. I’ve learned to stack those deals and make every trip count without breaking the bank. I’ve received a lot of encouragement from family and friends to share the travel hacks and tips I’ve gathered over the years. That’s why I’m starting this blog: to document my journey, share what I’ve learned (the wins and  the mistakes), and hopefully help others find their own travel groove. I’ll share my strategies as part of real life plannin g for my trips over the next 12 months, hoping they can help you plan your own trips—whether that’s your dream vacation or just a weekend getaway. The road to figuring this all out isn’t quick, and I know there’s plenty of learning ahead. But I’m committed to this blog for at least a year to see where it takes me. Who knows? Thanks for joining me on this journey—let’s see where it goes!

https://amzn.to/46JYhb2 After one too many run-ins with the sun (you’d think I’d have learned by now), and with a fair bit of travel on the horizon - I’m planning lots of posts on the planning and results, I decided it was finally time to swap out baseball caps for something a bit more practical. Over the years, I’ve noticed that the gardeners who spend serious time outdoors — all appear to wear the same style of hat: wide-brimmed, floppy, and built for function over fashion. Makes sense to me. A quick Amazon search later, and I landed on a reasonably priced hat, with good reviews and just what I was after: proper coverage, a decent brim, and even SPF protection (which, I’ll admit, I didn’t realise was a thing  for hats, but makes perfect sense). I don’t know how large my head is - but it’s certainly larger than average. I tend to tread carefully with online shopping - as very little fits my noggin, but Amazon’s quick delivery and easy returns made it a low-risk and efficient choice. When it arrived, I was pleasantly surprised — solid construction, folds down nicely for packing, and more importantly, it fits. My wife gave it a nod, and even my daughter admitted it was a practical upgrade. So, meet Ted. Ted the Hat. He’ll be joining me on this year’s travels — beach walks, city exploring, and everything in between. I’ll give him a proper run-in over the next few weeks and come back with a full review. https://amzn.to/46JYhb2