January 9, 2013

OPINION

Made your New Year’s travel resolutions for 2013 yet?

Didn’t get away as much as you wanted to in 2012? Here are some ideas to travel more and smarter in 2013…

December 4, 2012

travel tips

Intoxicating Istanbul: insider guide from the 9flats team

Wanna know how to take fifteen excitable people to Istanbul, and keep them oohing, aaahing and eating for three days? Here’s how…

November 6, 2012

Opinion

What have fairytales got to do with Christmas?

Once upon a time in winter… the first snowflakes fell like feathers from the sky. The 9flats editorial team sat in their Berlin office and pondered to themselves: how come our German colleagues insist that fairytales are an inherent part of Christmas? And how did such different cultural influences find their way into this annual holiday?

Poster design: Rowan Stocks-Moore

October 23, 2012

TRAVEL TIPS

The Canaries: Spring… for eternity

Think the Canaries is too touristy? Not so! It’s surprisingly easy to find delicious, local food, bustling markets and unspoiled beaches. Especially when you go there with a local…

October 22, 2012

TRavel tips

Vintage. The view from London.

Find out the insider view on vintage in London, and where to hunt for clothes, parties and more. Guest post by LeCool London.

Photo: visualnews.com

October 9, 2012

OPINION

Retro, vintage… or just plain old?

Vintage is everywhere these days, from furniture, to clothes, to parties. But what does it actually mean? We investigate (and give you some insider ‘vintage travel’ tips)…

September 24, 2012

opinion

How many swallows make an Indian summer?

Indian summer is a term you hear a lot, but what does it actually mean, and where’s the best place in the world to enjoy it?

Photo: ientu, Flickr

July 16, 2012

Weird and wonderful

World exclusive… secret footage of the Veggielympics 2012

With all this Olympics talk, we felt like we should be getting involved too. But we missed out on the ticket lottery… what to do?

We decided to hold our very own, no expense spared, Veggielympics in the office kitchen. Have a look! (And find out some mad facts about Olympic sports you never knew before.)

July 13, 2012

TRAVEL TIPS

Lucia’s Lisbon: Insider’s guide to Europe’s coolest city (part 3)

And so, the end, beautiful friends. Here’s the last day of Lúcia’s secret Lisbon guide.

This week, she cools things down a bit, taking you out of town to walk, meditate and drink some nice wine…

July 6, 2012

TRAVEL TIPS

Lúcia’s Lisbon: Insider’s guide to Europe’s coolest city (part 2)

Here it is! Part 2 of Lúcia’s secret Lisbon tour, full of more insider tips for you to discover in this amazing city. This week, it’s time to dive into the melodramatic, musical world of Fado…

(photo: pedrosimoes7, Flickr)

June 28, 2012

TRAVEL TIPS

Lúcia’s Lisbon: Insider’s guide to Europe’s coolest city (part 1)

Amazing food, cool bars, sexy clubs… we can’t understand it, why has Lisbon been overlooked for so long? Here’s a very special insider’s guide to this box of Portuguese delights…

June 21, 2012

TRAVEL TIPS

Guide to Pride 2012: Top 5 cities to celebrate in style

It’s Pride time of year once again. We’ve found the best towns for you to paint red (purple, yellow, green and blue), as well as insider tips for clubs, bars and comfy, affordable places to stay…

(photo: Guillaume Paumier, Flickr)

June 15, 2012

TRAVEL TIPS

3 top film location holiday ideas

Ever wanted to see where your favourite films were filmed? We’ve found 3 cool movie locations in Paris (Amélie), Madrid (Talk to Her) and the Caribbean (guess), that also make great holiday locations…

(photo: Glen Edelson, Flickr)

June 8, 2012

TRAVEL TIPS

9 unmissable places to see live, local music

Some of the best travel memories I have are of hazy evenings swirling a cocktail in an intimate live music venue. But how do you know which unmarked doors to knock on, and which red, carpeted staircase to venture down?

You’re in luck. Four 9flats musician hosts have let you in on their smoky, moody, must-visit musical secrets…

(photo: ALIghthouse, Flickr)

May 23, 2012

TRAVEL TIPS

Sand and the city: 3 top urban beaches in Europe

Concrete too hot to sit on? Buses too stuffy to stand on? Shoes melting into the tarmac? Time to hit the city beach! We’ve had a look around, and have found lots of sand in some unexpected places…

May 8, 2012

accommodation

Go green in Lapland

Our hosts never fail to surprise and delight us. We sent a little email to Joachim in Lapland, Sweden to ask if we could feature his amazing environmentally friendly log cabin in our ‘eco-living’ newsletter. Not only did he say yes, he also told us more great things about his place.

April 20, 2012

travel tips

How is a vacation like watching TV?

Calling all couch potatoes. Paraphrasing Lord Eddard Stark,” Summer is coming.” If you were in agony over where to go and what to see this holiday season, why not take inspiration from the best shows on television right now. In order of travel-worthiness, here are our top 5! (We also have some tasty suggestions for where [...]

April 7, 2012

travel tips

How to get healthy by eating local

In the whirl of our busy lives, it’s not always easy to look properly at what we’re eating. To show more love to your stomach while you’re away, look to the area you’re staying in. And where better to find fresh and tasty ingredients than at the local farmer’s market?

March 21, 2012

travel tips

Naples in April: America’s Cup

April in Naples is a time of  fine spring weather, and lively streets not yet swamped by a sea of touristy humanity. Take advantage of these beautiful times to savour Neapolitan pizza, weather, and world-class sailing action.   America’s Cup begins April 7 http://youtu.be/HX7tFA6oBEIThe world’s most famous competitive sailing event comes to the southern tip of [...]

February 21, 2012

9flats on tour

We czeched out Prague

At 9flats, we’re just about to turn one-year-old. We thought this was a good excuse to celebrate: and what better way than with a weekend escape to the jewel of Central Europe? So, last Friday afternoon, in a minibus full of dreams, eager to discover this beautiful city, we headed off to Prague. When we [...]