As you may know, bmibaby works with a number of travel bloggers, dubbed ‘the bmibaby Travel Experts’. You can find a list of our Travel Experts here: http://bit.ly/9DZNK3.

Every month we put one of the bmibaby Travel Experts under the microscope and asking them to tell us all about their lives as a top travel blogger, what they enjoy most about their job and for some helpful travelling hints and tips.

The third travel expert to take to the hot seat is Andrea Wren. Andrea is also known online as the Travelling Wren, and blogs at http://www.travellingwren.com. You can also follow Andrea on her travels through her Twitter page.

Bio:

I’ve always had a passion for travel and my first major trip was a meticulously planned inter-rail journey over a couple of summer months in 1990. Upon becoming a freelance journalist several years ago though, I realised I could indulge in travel even further and actually get paid for it. While I write across the board on many topics in publications, from the Guardian to Spirit & Destiny to Wanderlust, my first ever travel commission was for Virgin Redhot magazine, a piece on how to see Amsterdam with children.

Why did you decide to blog about travel/travelling?

I started my blog Travelling Wren because there were so many things about travel that I wanted to share, it just made sense to have my own outlet for writing. As well, while a lot of stuff I write about can appeal to both women and men, I did want to reach out to other women who may be in a similar situation to me – with older children leaving for university or to travel themselves, and in a position to go and grab what the world can offer them! Many women want to, but don’t have the confidence, and I hope my blog can inspire them.

What has been one of your worst experiences during a trip?

This has to be when I got a horrible stomach bug when trekking with nomadic Berbers as they migrated into the High Atlas Mountains of Morocco. It began a day into the seven day hike, after the last toilet I had the luxury of using was several hours drive away, back in Marrakesh. Being with many strangers but having to interrupt the walking to dodge behind a barely concealing rock every half hour or so with terrible cramps is no picnic, I can tell you!

It didn’t help that were up around 4.30am each morning to begin between 4 to 6 hours trekking, and on the third morning I sobbed onto my sleeping bag as I rolled it up, wanting to go home. I’ve never been more grateful for the first shower I was able to take, a full 7 days after the trek began.

City with the most beautiful sights?

Well, there are so many of cities with beautiful sights this question is really hard to answer. But if I had to pick one, I’d have to say Rome. The Sistine Chapel is just one of my favourite places in the world – such an amazing and incredible work of art. But I love the Trevi Fountain, Piazza Navona, the Spanish Steps and just wandering around the old streets of Trastevere.

If you could give three tips to an inexperienced traveller who is planning a holiday, what would you tell them?

1. The point of travel for many people is about experiencing different things and the world would be a boring place if wherever you went it was just like home. So be open to differences and the wonder of new things, enjoy them rather than judge or shy away from them.

2. Learn as much you as you can before you go. Some people like to wing it, but I think you have more to gain by knowing about a place – even if it’s just being able to plan to go to a museum on its free opening day! But also, you’ll learn about local customs and be able to fit in better, and be aware of appropriate behaviour.

3. While you should be accepting of different cultures, I don’t believe anyone should be accepting of unethical or cruel practices, whatever country they’re in. Be a responsible and ethical traveller, and be aware before just saying ‘yes’ to something. For example, don’t just eat fois gras because you’re in France (which is banned from being produced in the UK) or dog because you’re in Guangzhou, one the the places in China it is most sold.

While travelling, have you met anyone out of the ordinary? Celebrity? Old ex, significant other? Buddha?

When I was in Hong Kong last year with my son, we were eating in The Chinese Restaurant of the Hyatt Regency Tsim Sha Tsui when one of our dining companions looked over at the next table and said to us “There’s Mr Bean!”. Glancing over, we did indeed see Rowan Atkinson sat eating there. It was my son who actually went over to speak to him, being a huge Blackadder fan, and got his autograph. It made my son’s day!