Advice

As of March 18, nobody needs to take a Covid test when they return to the UK from a foreign holiday. The rule change will be welcomed by millions of Britons – and, indeed, millions more travellers from around the world – who have chosen not to get vaccinated. Under previous rules, unjabbed travellers needed

This time last year, I was enjoying a fresh start. I believed that 2021 would be the year that we would finally say goodbye to a period of time that totally floored the country. I was wrong – in more ways than one – and by the end of June, the bottom had fallen out of my world.  

London is definitely up there as a contender for most romantic city thanks to the strength and variety of its amorous abodes. In fact it’s often possible to get everything you need all under the one roof – ideal for a romantic weekend getaway. You want a room with wow factor, a dimly lit bar to

As you walk through the red velvet curtains at the door of Hotel Motto, you are greeted by a large mural. It depicts, in swishing reds and purples, an unusual scene: bellboys in various states of repose. There are bellboys smoking, bellboys posing, a bellboy with a cheetah, wearing a fez, on a lead. Hotel

News that properties in the lovely Cornish seaside village St Agnes have been graffitied – ‘Second homeowners give something back: rent or sell your empty houses to local people at a fair price’ and ‘No more investment properties’ – will come as no surprise to Cornish holiday homeowners; the local residents have long had a

Expert guide to Flaine Overview Hotels Restaurants Apres ski Snow reports Flaine’s resort village falls into two main sectors, Flaine Forum and Flaine Forêt. The former is based around a big traffic-free square, and both give easy access to the lifts to the slopes. Two funicular-type lifts running all day and all night link the

Choosing a holiday destination to suit every member of the family can be a tricky balancing act. Mum might fancy a vineyard tour, visiting the local markets, and a sandy beach on which to soak up the sun, while Dad may be more interested in hiring bicycles, a trip to a nearby castle, and finding

The Eiffel Tower has grown. Thanks to a new antenna, the Parisian landmark is now 330 metres tall – six more than it was last week.  Interestingly (kind of), this is actually the fifth time the pinnacle height of the Eiffel Tower has changed. When it was completed in 1889, the tip of its flagpole

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.

We all have an idea in our heads of the perfect Greek island holiday. For many it will essentially boil down to having lots of fun in an upbeat resort, with plenty of lively bars, tavernas, distractions and day trips. The country’s most popular holiday islands are all well set up for this.  But if

Which is the best hotel in the UK for families? The quickest way you can re-boot your family is with a British weekend break. After a short drive, you replace the quotidien routine with time outside, perhaps a spa visit, glorious food and a reminder of what matters most: uninterrupted time together. But what makes

P&O Ferries has cancelled services and made hundreds of staff redundant. It has said that sailings will not operate for the “next few days” as it makes changes and is advising passengers to use other ferry companies for their journeys. Customers were on Thursday facing serious disruption at every port from which it operates, and

With travel restrictions being ditched at a rate of knots, the world will soon – once again – be welcoming millions of sunseeking American folk. But how do their holiday habits differ from ours? Better hygiene and more complaints are the order of the day, as our expat experts explains.   Where they go You

After two years of being the poster child of Covid border closures, New Zealand will finally reopen to fully vaccinated holidaymakers from 60 nations, including the UK, from May 1.   Vaccinated Britons and children under 17 will be able to visit from the very specific time of 23:59 on the first day in May without

Expert guide to Obergurgl Overview Hotels Restaurants Après ski Snow reports Austria’s snow-sure family favourite Obergurgl is one of the highest ski villages in Europe, set at 1,930m at the end of the Ötztal valley near the city of Innsbruck. The height of its own slopes, plus a mid-mountain link to neighbouring Hochgurgl, which has

A number of countries have closed the door on unvaccinated Britons (a cohort in excess of 10 million people, according to some estimates), with Spain among the most recent to announce that only double-jabbed Britons would be welcomed. Previously, a negative test was sufficient.  However, with omicron proving to be a far milder version of

My personal commemoration of Jack Kerouac happens every time I pick up a rental car in the United States. I always feel anxious behind an unfamiliar steering wheel. It takes me a while to get comfortable with the idiosyncrasies of a new ignition, locate the cap of the petrol tank and figure out how to

Of western Europe’s 197,194,895 people, I am the least qualified to take a winter sports break. My disqualifications include chronic vertigo, a consequent unease amid mountains, a peasant’s aversion to snow and a sense of balance that can send me sprawling as I seek soap in the shower. Life-long distance from ski culture hasn’t helped.

Airside, landside, or a 10-minute train-ride away, hotels at Schiphol Airport can make a stopover or early start refreshing and stress-free, and can bring unexpected pleasure to your journey. Airside means compact rooms, super-convenience, and the buzz of one of the world’s best airports. Three hotels just minutes’ walk from the concours range from luxury

On my first holiday to France, I was so small that I had to be bathed in the washing-up bowl. In the photos, a speckly, eczema-ridden baby peeks over the plastic rim of the bowl, looking bemused. Mum’s dungarees and the battered grey tent in the background easily date the photo to the early 90s.