Jamie Inglis

I moved to this city in the deep, dark depths of the pandemic. My first flat was, obviously, awful. The landlord was dodgy (shock). It was full of mould. The shower was next to the kitchen and had no door. Still, though, I look back on those days fondly. One rare sunny afternoon we climbed out of my flatmate’s window to sit on the roof, drinking homemade Bloody Marys and blasting the Bad Boy Chiller Crew from a box speaker into the sticky, polluted air of Kingsland Road. We got quite a few glares from passers-by, but also a fair amount of smiles.  Whether you’re moving here for study, work, family, or another reason, your first months in London will be challenging, but you’ll probably look back on them with such fogged-up rose-tinted glasses it will hardly matter anyway. Use this time to meet as many new people as you can and to make mistakes. Be broke, go to M&M world (don’t actually), get lost on the tube. That said, there are some things I wish I’d known before coming here. Hindsight is a blessing, as they say. But we’re not gatekeepers, so we asked Time Out staff to share their top tricks and tips for anyone moving to the capital. Some of these folks have been born and bred here. Others are adopted Londoners, like you might well be one day. Listen up, take note, and good luck. 

Everyone’s travel bucket list will look a little different – that’s the beauty of travelling. You might dream of hiking treacherous mountains, or basking in sunshine, or sleeping overnight in little domes which feel like they’re on the edge of the world. But no matter your travelling vibe, the Northern Lights seem to find itself on pretty much everyone’s list. And the good news? You’ve got a good chance of seeing them from a bunch of different corners of the world, so you can try again and again and again. Our editors have chosen the world’s most perfect spots for aurora-spotting (and in true Time Out fashion, we’ve included where to eat and where to stay when you’re there too). Hint: we’ve been lucky enough to see them from these spots ourselves. From Norway to Scotland, here are the best places on earth to see the Northern Lights. Tried and tested. Good luck! RECOMMENDED:🏜️ The best national parks in the world🌤️ The best places to ‘coolcation’ in Europe🏖️ The most underrated travel destinations in the world⛰️ The best hikes in the world At Time Out, all of our travel guides are written by local writers who know their cities inside out. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines. This guide includes affiliate links, which have no influence on our editorial content. For more information, see our affiliate guidelines. 

Having been isolated from the rest of the world for much of the twentieth century, Albania was one of Europe’s most overlooked destinations for a long time. Now, thanks to its unique blend of natural beauty and historical charm – plus a burgeoning music festival scene – the Balkan country has become one of the fastest-growing countries for tourism, ranking fourth globally for the largest percentage increase of international arrivals in 2023. I spent a week exploring Albania’s colourful capital, sprawling coastline and national parks to find out why this Mediterranean gem has become a favourite among travellers. RECOMMENDED:The best places to visit in AlbaniaThe best Albanian beaches

Got a cousin who’s trying to make it big as a Twitch streamer? Can your brother-in-law not stop droning on about drones? From the latest Mario Bros. outing to the latest bluetooth speakers, you’ll find all sorts of nifty gadgets for the tech-obsessed geek in your life right here. Looking for more inspiration? Check out our seriously cool Christmas Gift Guide