Advice

Unless you’ve flown first class, or in a private jet, aircraft lavatories are windowless, cramped affairs that usually reek of cheap sanitiser. But they have come a long way – and rarely get the recognition they deserve. History does not record the first person to relieve themselves in an aircraft, but the first “conveniences” probably

It’s official: the much-maligned middle seat is the least popular place to sit on an aeroplane. According to a survey of frequent fliers by Virgin Australia, less than one per cent would intentionally select the position as their first preference.  As a result, passengers lumped with the centre spot on the airline’s flights – whether

We need to reframe the idea of an airport hotel being lacklustre, soulless (and, let’s face it, a tad Alan Partridge) to actually being a genius idea that makes travelling all the more bearable. Especially now with extended check-in times and unforgiving passport queues. So why not rock up the day before take-off, take a

Eliminate the stress of travelling just before a flight by staying in a hotel near Manchester airport. Chain hotels dominate the airport site itself but, if you choose wisely, you could start your holiday early and enjoy a swim or beauty treatment before take-off. Alternatively, there are charming boutique hideaways in leafy suburbs nearby, a

With winter well underway and the nights drawing in, this is the perfect time to hunker down for a massage, cosy up on a lounger, or sip warm herbal tea as you read your book and gaze out at misty, burnt-orange countryside. So for a slice of self-care, here’s our pick of the best spa

Linked to three neighbouring villages by a huge ski area, the second largest in Austria, Saalbach, located in Austria’s Salzburgerland province, has 270km of pistes to explore, along with a lively après scene and plenty of small-town charm. The succinctly named Skicircus Saalbach Hinterglemm Leogang Fieberbrunn ski area is more than large enough to keep even the

Expert guide to Zell am See-Kaprun Overview Hotels Restaurants Après ski Snow reports A lively Austrian town with growing appeal Zell am See-Kaprun is a very unusual ski resort – sandwiched between a big lake and the local ski mountain (the Schmittenhöhe) and as busy in summer as in winter. The town of Zell am

When they set off with their children to sail around the world, Renee and Keith Whitaker never dreamed they’d be making $150,000 a year documenting their travels for YouTube. Having grown disillusioned with life in the Texas suburbs, the couple and their four kids bought a boat in 2016 and their adventure began. Making money

We are all a little out of practice. One of the many things the pandemic took from us was our capacity to travel. Not just officially, as borders were barricaded and thousands of planes were grounded – but in the way our confinement to front lawns and back gardens ate into our ability to deal

When Oisin O’Leary first tried to sleep under the island’s jungle canopy, he had to learn to tune out the noises. ‘A small crab moving through dried leaves can sound like a big animal at night,’ he says, ‘and you’ve got to switch off those thoughts.’ The investment-fund manager from London had not been shipwrecked

It was the first time we had met and within minutes Geetanjali and I were donning bibs handed to us by an officious Indian waiter. “For clean-clothing reasons, most tourists need them,” he told us briskly, surveying our top-to-toe black outfits (then the dernier cri in noughties fashion) with some dubiousness.  We were sitting on

At a recent gathering of friends in one of those north London small plates restaurants that masquerades as a pub, a couple mentioned they were jetting off to Modena for the weekend.  They didn’t need to give any further details – the whole crowd knew exactly what this Italian break would entail. Obviously they were

Gosh, it really does seem to be getting colder and darker – in both the literal and the metaphorical sense. At this stage in the proceedings, I feel we all deserve a little weekend break, 48 hours in which to recuperate. And if you are looking for somewhere quintessentially and ­comfortingly English, a town stuffed

The pound has taken a beating in recent months, with much attention focused on its performance against the US dollar. Though it has recovered slightly, £1 currently buys $1.14 – down from $1.37 a year ago. A dose of winter warmth in Florida, or a ski holiday in Colorado, has become a far costlier proposition. 

Each of the UK’s national parks has its USPs. The Yorkshire Dales has quaint villages and rolling hills. The Lake District has its Romantic poets, craggy peaks, and the lakes. Cairngorm has its remoteness and raw beauty. Dartmoor is special because it’s the only place in England and Wales where wild camping is tolerated –

With a top lift on a snow-sure glacier at 3,250m and pistes that go all the way down to 1,250m, La Plagne is part of the giant Paradiski area, along with Les Arcs and Peisey-Vallandry. The three resorts together have 425km of runs best suited to lower intermediates and families, served by 129 lifts. Rather than having one resort base to stay in,

Deciding where to stay is important in La Plagne, since some of the 12 villages that make up the resort are not only miles apart but in different valleys. There’s also a choice to make between the low-lying traditional farming villages of Champagny, Montalbert, Montchavin les Coches, or the higher, purpose-built ski villages – Plagne Centre

The O2 Arena in Greenwich (formerly the doomed Millenium Dome) is an outstanding music venue with plenty of decent bar and restaurant options once you arrive to get you fed and watered before or after your gig. But, and there is a but, it’s a bit of a pain to get to especially if you’re

Accommodation is spread out between each of Les Arcs separate villages. Each has their own bars, shops and restaurants, plus gentle slopes for beginners and early intermediates. Well connected by pistes, they are also linked by free shuttle buses.   Apartments are the most common form of accommodation in most Les Arcs villages. They vary widely

Expert guide to Tignes Overview Hotels Restaurants Après ski Snow reports Because Tignes’ five villages are so spread-out, it’s important to be aware of accommodation location before booking. Val Claret and Tignes Le Lac, jointly known as Tignes 2100, make the most convenient bases. Although the satellites of Tignes Les Boisses (aka Tignes 1800) and