Winter in Berlin can easily fool the uninitiated – when the air gets crisp, and the Christmas lights twinkle seductively at every corner, it’s easy to get suckered into the winter wonderland mindset. However, come January when there is nothing to distract you from the cold sinking into your actual bones, the fact you haven’t seen the sun in 2 months, and 50 physical shades of grey become your daily reality (not in a fun way), it’s hard to stay in love with this sprawling concrete jungle. But as a veteran of the nippy season, I’ve got a few tips and tricks up my thick woollen sleeve to help you hold on through to sunnier, happier days.

Geist im Glas is a big name in the fledgeling Berlin brunch scene, to the point where its stellar reputation precedes even its name. By (weekend) day, you’ll find an outwardly-unassuming, cosy hideaway, and by night – an utterly transformative, lively bar oozing low key sex-appeal and that charming Berlin grit. This marriage culminates in the perfect backdrop for their weekend brunch sessions – serving up a cosy, indulgent, mouth-watering experience to the punters flocking through the doors.

With its fairytale-esque old town, friendly residents, and quirky mix of historical and modern neighbourhoods, the Estonian capital of Tallinn is worth your precious travel time. The city is vibrant – a perfect balance of old and new, bursting with history and a photo opportunity on every adorable corner. As such, locking in a quick, one day visit became a priority on a recent city break to Helsinki. If you’re looking for the best way to spend the day in Tallinn, here are my top tips to make the most of your time.

Sophie, 27: Berlin, Germany

In this series I sit down and have a chinwag with some of my fellow expats from all around the globe. We cover what makes them tick, and ask them to share any advice they may have on moving, living their best expat lives and their pro-tips on making it in their new home. Hopefully their collective experiences help give you an insight into how to kill at the expat game.

People who say Germans don’t do small talk are lying – there are a couple of topics (very few to be fair to stereotype), that will probably rouse your average German to passionate speech. One of these, and perhaps the most important, is the bemoaning of the Deutsche Bahn. Germans love to have a good whinge about the trains – for such an efficient, well-run country, the trains can be surprisingly expensive, run-down, delayed, and all round inefficient. However despite this, using the train network is usually the easiest, economical and quickest way of zipping round the country. To assist you on your journeying, I’ve compiled a list of handy hints and some ways to get around some of the most common train issues I’ve faced throughout multiple trips throughout the country.

Describing Berlin is nigh on impossible –at best (and least), it’s a crazy, hustling, bustling metropolis and melting pot of culture, history and all out wackiness. With approximately a third of its 3.5 million residents hailing from international waters, the social and cultural climate of the city is expansive and inclusive, complete contrary to the stereotype of the cold, snappy Berliner. In addition to this Berlin also considers itself to be a bilingual city, which makes it perfect for English speaking travellers. It is also still comparatively cheap compared to other Western European capitals (think: London, Paris, Rome), so you can get quite a few bangs for your hard earned bucks Euros.

As a result, not including Berlin as a stop in your European trip would be a huge shame – which is where this handy guide comes into play. If you only have 24 hours to play at being poor and sexy, here is your perfect list of the classic must-see (mostly free) items that you can easily get through in one day (repeatedly tried and tested).

Simon, 26: Wellington, New Zealand

In this series I sit down and have a chinwag with some of my fellow expats from all around the globe. We cover what makes them tick, and ask them to share any advice they may have on moving, living their best expat lives and their pro-tips on making it in their new home. Hopefully their collective experiences help give you an insight into how to kill at the expat game.

When it comes to well-known cities to chow down in, Helsinki is a bit of an underdog. However the Finnish capital is a treasure trove full of locally sourced bites, amazing eateries and accompanied by watering holes galore. Check out this round-up on what glorious food I managed to scarf down during my short time here.

Got any burning questions about life in Germany? Being part of an online expat community is the easiest way to quickly gain access to a huge database of advice from like-minded people in similar situations.

Helsinki has never featured too highly on my spectrum of must-see cities, but given the opportunity to dip my virgin toes into Nordic waters and spend a few delightfully summery nights pounding its pavements, I was pleasantly surprised by what I found. I’ve put together a city guide detailing my ‘best of’ this underrated city.