Famous Flyer: Olympian Lisa Curry

MY BEST HOLIDAY was a few years ago when I spent about five weeks travelling around Europe on my own. I thought I'd end up being very creative and do some writing, but I ended up just sitting in cafes and watching the world go by. People watching really is an amazing sport. I'd sit on a pier in Italy watching 80-year olds in bikinis drinking wine and playing card games – as a solo traveller it was really nice. It was also a total contrast to the backpacking trip I took when I was 18. My friend and I were very naughty on that trip – I'm glad our mothers didn't know what we were doing.

THE BEST HOTEL I'VE STAYED IN don't get me wrong, I love five-star hotels – particularly when someone else is paying – but a hotel chain I really like in Europe is Citizen M. The rooms are small, but the hotels are really contemporary and have beautiful decor, plus they're usually near airports and major tourism attractions. They're also not very expensive.

I ALWAYS TAKE Vegemite. Eating around the world doesn't have to be expensive. You can grab a baguette, some cheese and ham and then – with said Vegemite – you have a picnic feast. I also always take hand wipes because some public toilets are absolutely disgusting.

THE INGREDIENTS FOR A PERFECT HOLIDAY INCLUDE a sense of humour, patience and a good pillow. Also, a good pair of walking shoes. Regardless of what you do, if you want to see anything you'll have to walk a bit. Staying fit and healthy is important for your holiday too.

THE BEST PIECE OF TRAVEL ADVICE is to do things you haven't done and put yourself into positions you haven't been in before.

MY WORST EXPERIENCE ON HOLIDAY ended up being a funny one. It was when I was backpacking around Europe and we went to check into a hostel, but it was full, so we had nowhere to stay. I remember we went to the police station asking if we could stay there and they ended up letting us stay in a shelter for wayward girls overnight. It wasn't nice at the time, but it was definitely a great story afterwards.

MY BIGGEST PACKING MISTAKE is taking too much and then buying too much while I'm away. Shopping is how I relax on holiday and I love to buy little things from all over the world, in all the places I've been to. I now usually pack up a box and send it home in the post. There's always a story behind what I bring back. For example, my brother lives in west Berlin, and before the wall came down he took us all through the east. I have a piece of wall from him. I know they sell tourist pieces of the wall – I'm not sure if they're real or not – but I know mine definitely is.

NEXT ON MY LIST I'm running two adventure retreats in Fiji and then I'm off to Toronto. My partner is an entertainer and he's doing two shows in the city. While there I'm going to visit Niagara Falls for the first time, which I'm really excited about. Also, I've always wanted to stay in an ice hotel, so perhaps a trip to Sweden or Norway in the European winter is on the cards.

See lisacurry.com.au