Travel Muse Magazine
Stories, tips, & joy.
Category: U.K.
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Literary Travel Guide to England inspired by Julia Whelan’s “My Oxford Year”
A study abroad romance. That’s exactly what I needed. After watching the new film adaptation of My Oxford Year (2025) on Netflix, I knew I had to dive further into the world crafted by Julia Whelan so I picked up her novel (2018). I’ve never been to Oxford, England, (though I have been lucky enough…
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Literary Travel Guide to London Inspired by Elle Kennedy’s “Girl Abroad” Novel
Iconic double-decker red buses pass by, the tube rattles the underground, and charming accents float into your ears. London is a city that steals your heart, and if you aren’t careful, you won’t even want it back. From the very first page, I was hooked on Elle Kennedy’s 432 page novel Girl Abroad (2024), and…
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5 Spots in London If You Only Have One Day
by Jeny Rizo-Perez and Zainab Husein London is no ordinary city. It’s a place you could visit as a tourist every day and never really run out of unique things to do. But sometimes you find yourself with only one day in England’s capital city thanks to a layover. And if that’s all you’ve got,…
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Museum Cafés for Art Lovers: London to Lisbon, Paris to Ann Arbor
Warm, buttery air envelopes me as I open the door to the UMMA Café, a hint of cinnamon acting as the exclamation mark to the comforting welcome from the cold winter’s day. This coffeeshop inside the University of Michigan Museum of Art in Ann Arbor, Michigan is my favorite place to grab a coffee on…
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Finding Tom Riddle’s Grave in Edinburgh (& Other Real Graveyards That Have Inspired Popular Books)
Low clouds hang over the damp night. A mist clings to the trees, particles of moisture illuminated as the castle’s roaming spotlights break through the darkness. This was the setting as I wandered the Greyfriars Kirkyard cemetery in Edinburgh in December on the hunt for the real Tom Riddle’s grave. Yes, I’m talking about the…
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UK’s UNESCO Literary Cities
Books, bookish things, and literary places… with lots of reading to boot. These are the heart of what it takes to become designated as a City of Literature by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, better known as UNESCO. The unique places that earn UNESCO’s City of Lit label all recognize “past, present…
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Steal This Itinerary: Milan to London (or Amsterdam)
My first time in Milan was for my honeymoon. We had planned to take the train to Zermatt and around Switzerland, but then there were transportation strikes and had to drive instead to keep our pre-paid reservations. So we rented a car. I would not recommend this to anyone. It is a last resort. The…
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Revisiting London
Bill Bryson has a humorous outlook on life. Much like David Sedaris, I have enjoyed his work especially by audiobook, a friend telling you a good tale from their latest adventure. But when I saw Bryson’s Notes From A Small Island for a dollar at the thrift shop, I decided it was time to read…