Advice

Think Galapagos and what springs to mind? The bountiful birdlife, the playful sea lions, Charles Darwin – who died 140 years ago today, the dulcet tones of David Attenborough, who’s likely brought this wondrous archipelago into your living rooms? At least one of those things, probably.  But there’s another side to Galapagos you might not

Remember those two-week holidays when you wished you could’ve stayed longer? When you dreamt of spending days on end getting lost in the streets of a new city, returning to a favourite café until you’re counted as one of the locals, or having more time for day trips further afield? It seems retired travellers are

It felt like winter would never end, but after months of chilly temperatures warmer weather has finally arrived. For those hoping to celebrate this weekend with a trip to the seaside – the first for six months, perhaps – here are a dozen of England’s least crowded stretches of sand.  Taken from Hidden Beaches by Daniel

With testing rules eased and face mask mandates finally removed, holidays were supposed to be returning to normal. But this Easter break, flight cancellations, airport queues and technical issues are threatening travel’s triumphant return. Elsewhere, there continues to be disruption at the docks and snaking queues for Eurostar trains as staff shortages and the ramp-up

Turkey’s sublimely beautiful southwest, nuzzled by the azure waters of both the Aegean and Mediterranean seas and home to towering mountains dotted with picturesque ancient ruins, affords a splendid setting for some of the most alluring yet great-value all-inclusive holidays to Turkey. Many have direct beach access, an array of pools, myriad watersports and other

Lured by sun-kissed landscapes, world-class cultural sites and lovely islands lapped by limpid turquoise seas, more than 30 million overseas tourists arrived in Greece in 2019 – roughly three times the country’s population.  Greeks, who are well aware of their country’s charms, firmly believe that there’s no better place in the world for a holiday.

Any given summer will see Cornwall’s population treble in size, with well over a million visitors flocking to the Duchy’s sandy beaches and pretty harbour towns for their holidays. Who can blame them? But the annual tourist migration means that competition for bed and board is perennially high from July to September, and prices during

Greek authorities have confirmed that domestic Covid passports will be scrapped and mask rules relaxed in time for the peak summer holiday season. Minister of Health Thanos Plevris said that the requirement to show a Covid pass to enter bars, restaurants and other public venues would be withdrawn on May 1. From June 1, mask rules

As happy as I am with my life in Germany, I would be lying if I said I hadn’t experienced the famous German arrogance. Indeed, in the decade or so I have spent here, my daily existence has been peppered with such encounters. To some extent, being rendered practically invisible in bars and restaurants, and

The luxe lifestyle is no stranger to New York. White-glove apartment buildings, Madison Avenue’s fancy boutiques, and 67 Michelin-starred restaurants promise great pleasure to residents and visitors with deep pockets. The city’s luxury hotels feature notable perks as well, from recommendations courtesy of Les Clefs d’Or concierge and indulgent spas calming the senses, to some

I once met an Italian who didn’t drink coffee. He made light of the fact, but you could see that he was tired of having to explain his disability every time some new acquaintance uttered the standard Italian greeting: “Prendiamo un caffè?” (“Fancy a coffee?”). His breezy but faintly passive-aggressive manner concealed, I suspect, deep

With Easter upon us, families great and small will be flocking to Cornwall, the Costa del Sol and the Caribbean. To ensure holiday success, heed the warnings of our widely travelled experts, who recall occasions when they did and didn’t get it right Do… ensure your car is roadworthy before entering a safari park As

Why would anyone take a baby on holiday? Before fatherhood, that babies should be left at home was an opinion I held steadfastly. Surely the relevant parties would have a better week if the sprog was offloaded onto Grandma? Parents can relax properly, Nanna can spend some quality time with her grandchild, and the little

The idea of holidaying in Germany is more likely to conjure up images of romantic hilltop castles and quaint villages with pretty timber-framed houses than sweeping, sandy beaches and rugged, handsome coastlines. But the country’s northern coastline, which extends some 1,400 miles along the Baltic and North Seas, offers precisely that – swathes of pristine

What is it about spas that make them so appealing? Perhaps it’s the idea of a velvety facial in the hands of an expert after a long week, or doing the crossword with your mum as you watch swimmers idly lapping the pool. It might be getting lost in a book to the sound of

Comfortable beds, hearty food, heartstopping views – this is the most that guests ever really ask for when checking into a Cornish hotel (or many favour self-catering accommodation options, of which there are plenty). But there are also some seriously top-grade stays to be found, too. A small, but prominent selection of luxury hotels in

Long a nation of Sancerre, Chablis and Côtes du Rhône, France is hopping into the world of beer with gusto and now has the highest number of breweries of any country in Europe. The growth has been explosive. In the 1980s there were fewer than 20 breweries in the country;  now there are around 2,300.

Spring has sprung and it’s tulips-from-Amsterdam time again. Millions of people visit the tulip fields annually – though with Covid, of course, it has been a while. Now the Netherlands has lifted restrictions (no test needed, just a vaccination certificate), we will all be flocking back. But this year, there is rather more to see.

You’ll have heard of the traditional gap year, the much-mocked “gap yah”, and all the associated talk of “finding yourself” in the countries you visit along the way. Perhaps you even took a gap year yourself, back in the day, intent on exploring the world before heading off to university, or diving into the workplace.

Granted, Guéthary – on the Basque Atlantic coast – is not a secret for everyone, not for French people, anyway. The brighter among them have been going there for ages. Just this year, the place was named by a perfectly reputable body as the finest of all villages to live in in France. It apparently