Welcome to our first Budget Travel Special! This is one that you, the listeners, have been asking for a lot - and I get it! Travel can feel expensive and overwhelming, but what if I told you that it really doesn’t have to be?

That’s why I knew I had to bring on the ultimate budget travel expert - someone who has made it her mission to help people travel smarter, stretch their money further, and still enjoy incredible experiences, Chelsea Dickenson, aka the Cheap Holiday Expert.

Chelsea has built a huge following all thanks to her easy-to-follow, no-nonsense travel hacks. You’ve probably seen her viral videos on how to snag the best hotel upgrades, fly for less, or even go on an amazing holiday for under £100. And if you’re a fan of This Morning, you’ll recognise her as their go-to expert for low-cost travel. She’s also the co-host of Passports Please, the travel podcast that helps you hack your holidays.

Now, I know budget travel is something so many of you are interested in, and you’ve sent in loads of brilliant questions on Instagram for this one. We’re covering everything, from whether five-star hotels are actually worth it to the best destinations where your money goes furthest, plus Chelsea’s ultimate flight-booking hacks that will save you time and money.

So, whether you’re planning your next getaway or just love hearing about the best travel tricks out there, this episode is packed with useful tips and plenty of fun stories too.

Destination Recap:

• Berlin, Germany
• Krakow, Poland
• Wroclaw, Poland
• Gdansk, Poland
• Budapest, Hungary
• Kozmo, Budapest, Hungary
• Vilnius, Lithuania
• Seville, Spain
• Turkey
• Nidum Casual Luxury, Innsbruck, Austria
• Vietnam
• Ha Long Bay, Vietnam
• Cat Ba Island, Vietnam
• Koh Lanta, Thailand
• Dubai
• Iceland
• Chill out hostel, Zagreb, Croatia
• South Korea
• Uzbekistan

Today's episode was produced by Alexandra Calder.

With thanks to Airbnb for their support of today's episode.

Thanks so much for listening today. If you want to be the first find out who is joining me on next week’s episode come and follow me on Instagram I’m @hollyrubenstein, and you’ll also find me on TikTok - I’d love to hear from you. And if you can't wait until then, remember there’s the first 13 seasons to catch up on, that's over 145 episodes to keep you busy there.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

My guest today is a true force of nature. From the moment she burst onto the scene as a child prodigy with that voice, she became one of the most famous classical singers in the world, performing for presidents, popes, and royalty. It is of course, Charlotte Church. Her early career was a whirlwind - global fame, relentless travel, and a life that few could truly understand. We talk about what that was really like behind the scenes, the highs and the inevitable challenges of growing up in the spotlight, and how travel became both an escape and a source of inspiration for her.

But Charlotte’s journey didn’t stop there. These days, she’s also the founder of The Dreaming, a magical retreat space in rural Wales dedicated to healing, creativity, and connection. Throughout the year, The Dreaming hosts a range of immersive retreats - some focused on families, others on music and self-discovery, including Charlotte’s own deeply personal Song of the Soul retreat. It even celebrates ancient traditions with gatherings around the folkloric calendar, from the Spring Equinox to Halloween.

Charlotte’s travel diaries take us from the neon-lit streets of Tokyo to the wild beauty of Dominica, the savannahs of Kenya, and, of course, the rolling green hills of Wales, her home. Her outlook on life is truly unique - spiritual, alternative, and deeply connected to nature and the world around her. So, this is a conversation you won’t want to miss. Let’s get started - here’s Charlotte.

Holly's Destination Recap:

• Homewood, Bath, England
• Calcot & Spa, Tetbury, England via PoB hotels

Charlotte's Destination Recap:

• Brazil
• Lake Geneva, Switzerland
• Los Angeles, California
• Tokyo, Japan
• The Dreaming, Elan Valley, Wales
• Kenya
• Elan Valley, Wales
• St David’s, Pembrokeshire, Wales
• Llanidloes, Wales
• Anglesey, Wales
• The Gower, Wales
• Merthyr Mawr, Wales
• Dominica
• Pittsburgh, USA
• Peru
• Japan
• Yellowstone National Park, USA
• Costa Rica

You can find out more about Charlotte's retreats at The Dreaming.co.uk

With thanks to Airbnb for their support of today's episode.

Thanks so much for listening today. If you want to be the first find out who is joining me on next week’s episode come and follow me on Instagram I’m @hollyrubenstein, and you’ll also find me on TikTok - I’d love to hear from you. And if you can't wait until then, remember there’s the first 13 seasons to catch up on, that's over 145 episodes to keep you busy there.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I can’t quite believe we’re here - Season 14! And what a way to kick things off because today’s guest is nothing short of musical royalty. Nile Rodgers is a man whose music has shaped generations. A Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee, he’s the genius behind some of the biggest songs in history, think Le Freak, Good Times, and We Are Family. As the co-founder of CHIC, he pioneered the sound of disco and funk, but his influence didn’t stop there. From producing Let’s Dance for David Bowie to Like a Virgin for Madonna, working with legends like Diana Ross, Duran Duran, and Daft Punk, Nile’s fingerprints are all over some of the most iconic records of all time. And that’s before we even get to Get Lucky, the global smash hit with Daft Punk and Pharrell that introduced his magic to a whole new generation.

Beyond his music, Nile’s life is an incredible story of resilience, of reinvention, and creativity. His journey from the streets of New York to the biggest stages in the world is filled with extraordinary moments which he shares with us today. And since we recorded, Nile has had even more reason to celebrate, because at the Grammys, Beyoncé officially made history by winning Country Album of the Year - Nile worked with Beyoncé on the record which we discuss on the episode today, and he’s long been an advocate for breaking boundaries in music, so I can only imagine how much joy that moment brought him.

We spoke in December at the stunning Royal Lancaster Hotel in London, in a beautiful suite overlooking the rooftops of the city. If you’re new to the podcast, this interview is not how my voice typically sounds, I was ill and could barely speak unfortunately, but that didn’t get in the way of what I look back on as a magical conversation.

Destination Recap:

• New York city, New York, USA
• Sao Paolo, Brazil
• Power Station Recording Studio, New York, USA
• Los Angeles, California, USA
• Japan
• Providenciales, Turks and Caicos
• Iceland
• Montana, USA
• Kazakhstan

Nile and CHIC will be touring across the UK and Europe this summer, bringing the good times (literally!) to a stage near you.

With thanks to Airbnb for their support of today's episode.

Thanks so much for listening today. If you want to be the first find out who is joining me on next week’s episode come and follow me on Instagram I’m @hollyrubenstein, and you’ll also find me on TikTok - I’d love to hear from you. And if you can't wait until then, remember there’s the first 13 seasons to catch up on, that's over 145 episodes to keep you busy there.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.