Advice

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

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

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

With travel restrictions being ditched at a rate of knots, the world will soon – once again – be welcoming millions of sunseeking French folk. But how do their holiday habits differ from ours? Less booze, more pretentiousness and better clothes are the order of the day, as our expat experts explains.   Where they

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.

Of the many bewildering subcategories of winter sports enthusiast, the easiest to discern are the two types of downhill skier. In a crowded gondola, a long time ago, do you remember propping your skis up on your boot to make them appear longer? If yes, you are likely getting on in years and were once

Rome has been around for almost three thousand years and yet carries all that weight of history with a dolce vita lightness of heart. It’s a city that combines the intimacy and human scale of a village with the cultural draws of a historic, art-laden European metropolis. Classical ruins and early Christian places of worship

“Autumn” has arrived in Cape Town, but forget the wind and drizzle of home, this feels more like Summer 2.0. The days are warm but not too hot, the nights are cool but not too cold. After two years of local lockdowns and international red listing, the city of wine and waves is back with

The Queen is set to move to Windsor Castle permanently, having been based there for the last two years.  Like countless others, the monarch is leaving the capital for greener pastures. While Buckingham Palace will remain the central headquarters of the monarchy, it is expected that she will carry out her engagements from the Castle.