Advice

We were wet, we were cold and my friend, Jane, and I had made the cardinal sin of arriving early at our Lake District youth hostel. We were not allowed in and had to huddle, with our soggy backpacks, under nearby trees until the permitted “admission time” and the bolt on the door was drawn

Last weekend the Department for Transport published an “Aviation Passenger Charter” which sets out “what you, as a passenger, need to know about your rights and responsibilities when flying.” It comes at what is surely the lowest point in history for the aviation industry, as tens and  thousands of flights have been cancelled and, for

Fitness is booming – and not just the physical kind. While more and more of us are returning to gyms, society’s pandemic experience has propelled mental health into the mainstream. Working out is no longer just about losing weight and getting a six-pack, it is also about nourishing both our mental and physical fitness. While an

Travellers are bracing for another summer of stress. But this year it’s not just Covid causing complications, but also staff shortages, flight cancellations and strike action threatening to ruin holidays. In such an uncertain climate, robust travel insurance is a must. Unfortunately, new research from Which? has found that around 40 per cent of policies

To travel abroad, or to stay close to home? That is the holiday dilemma the nation is currently grappling with – and in my household, it’s a very hot topic. Having been high with giddy excitement to be heading off on a post-Covid break recently, three pyjamaed, sleepy-eyed kids packed and passported, online check-in complete and

My first encounters with Norfolk’s Deep History Coast – as nobody was calling it back then – weren’t the most sophisticated. It was the early 1980s and I recall family outings of sandy sandwiches and buttoned-up cardigans, and my uncle stripping to his trunks, dashing into a chilly, churny sea and pulling a moony as

It took a lot to get me to leave Laugharne, even for a day, though I lived there for three years. The strange, special township felt like a hideaway, or a hermitage. It lies at the bottom of a steep hill on a road that doesn’t really go anywhere else, beside a flood-prone branch of

The joy of Majorca is that there is a huge selection of welcoming properties island-wide catering for family needs. A warm ambience with engaged staff can be expected and on-site child-friendly activities, sports and entertainment. All these hotels will offer kids’ clubs, safe play areas and supervised pools as well as cultural and adventure-led outings

Is there anywhere else in the UK where a skateboarding Jack Russell or an over-rouged octogenarian in tatty black Edwardian clothes would seem just a part of ordinary everyday life? In Brighton, the annual naked bike ride raises a cheer rather than a jeer, and nobody gives a fig when the bearded young man in

The Italian boot is fringed with nearly 5,000 miles of coastline – from the sandy beaches of the Adriatic Sea to the sinuous gulfs and dizzying cliffs of the Tyrrhenian. Add to that more than 400 islands, and you have a beach lover’s paradise. This portfolio of hotels includes historic monasteries and Belle Époque villas, exotic

When a spot of lovely, warm, sunny weather hits England, you know you need to make the most of every sun-drenched moment. Beaches always make for a fabulously British day out, but when you desire a sparkling pool, spotless loo (sans queues) and somewhere to quickly hop over to for a cup of tea, glass of wine or spot of lunch

Britain is home to some exemplary beaches. And with the sun finally shining, it’s time to start planning a day at the beach.  To help you pick the best stretch of sand to visit this summer, we asked our experts to recommend their favourite beaches around the country. Some of the nominations are deservedly popular

For more than 30 years I have, in my job as a hotel reviewer, led a double life. One minute I am basking in the utmost luxury as if I were born to it; the next I’m back home with a bump to Lidl and leftovers, parsimony and Primark. I am, let’s face it, when

Taxing child-free people as an incentive to boost Britain’s birthrate is reprehensible, not to mention absurd. But giving young families a tax break in the form of more affordable and less-overcrowded holidays – and discouraging those without children from travelling during the sacred school holidays – might go some way to softening the rising costs

With its rugged coastline, sandy beaches and clear sapphire waters, Majorca is one of the jewels of the Mediterranean. Away from the coastline’s sheltered coves and dreamy sunsets, you’ll find the agricultural heartland and the Tramuntana mountains – a Unesco World Heritage site blossoming with orange, lemon and almond trees.   The capital, Palma, boasts cultural

Within easy reach of both London and the Midlands, Suffolk is the smallest and gentlest of the East Anglian counties. Its biggest draw is perhaps its coast, which is home to two of Britain’s most alluring seaside resorts – Aldeburgh and Southwold – with the Minsmere RSPB Reserve and ancient settlement of Dunwich at the

Ski holidays to the United States are back to pre-pandemic status. Provide you are fully vaccinated, visits to the Rockies and the other mountain ranges have the green light for this winter. So what are ski holidays like across the pond? The skiing and snowboarding experience in the States is certainly very different from the norm

Holidaymakers face a summer of flight chaos, as easyJet and Ryanair plan strike action through July along with Lufthansa and SAS, over ongoing disputes concerning working conditions and pay.  British Airways has also announced possible strike action during the peak holiday period. Check-in staff and ground crew for the UK flag carrier last week voted

You really can’t overstate the case for visiting Cape Town. First, there’s the in-your-face beauty of a craggy mountain range that drops precipitously into a glittering sea, its flanks carpeted in greens and delicate florals. Then there’s the pristine white beaches lapped by – it must be said – a chilly Atlantic, their curves defined by

With more than five months to go until ski lifts around the world begin to whirl into motion, booking a trip to the snow would seem to be a low priority for British holidaymakers. But after three winters of disruption due to the global pandemic and surging demand, skiers and snowboarders are being reminded of the