Advice

There’s no other city in the world that boasts quite such an impressive main drag as Venice and its Grand Canal. You’ll travel down it in your vaporetto or water taxi, you’ll observe the bustling boats from magnificent bridges. But there’s nothing quite like having a front-row seat at the Grand Canal spectacle from your

We had spent the morning trying to track down an elusive herd of elephants in the scalding African heat, and I was now savouring an al fresco lunch under the shade of a leafy tree. All was calm, soporific even, as each of our gathered group recounted their most recent wildlife encounters – when suddenly

Founded in 1837, the Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Company, as it was then called, was the first to offer cruises as we know them when passengers joined Royal Mail ships sailing to ports in the Mediterranean and the Iberian peninsula. The legendary SS Canberra, in service from 1961 to 1997, featured in the bond

New Orleans’s reputation as a party town, thanks largely to the annual celebration of Mardi Gras, looms large. Bourbon Street, plastic beads and bawdy revellers sum up many people’s image of the city. As anyone who has been here knows, though, this is only a tiny part of life here. Its historical influences are celebrated

All hotels have been independently reviewed and selected. We will earn a commission if you book via the links below, but this never affects our rating. Our expert writers are usually hosted on a complimentary basis in order to gain the first-hand experience necessary for their review. From flamingo-pink sands lapped by balmy turquoise waters

Forget the old saw ‘children should be seen but not heard’ – here in Greece love of little ones is a given, and most staff in the country’s (extremely) family-friendly hotels will effortlessly go that extra mile to make sure that you and your brood have an enjoyable holiday. The best hotels have clubs catering

It would be difficult to tire of the Mediterranean view, considering the rugged beauty of the surrounding cliffs and coastline. Outdoors, there is a garden filled with succulent plants, an original snail-shaped swimming pool, terraces for lunching on, and a second pool – this time an infinity version with vistas of boats pulling in and

Amsterdam is a city that celebrates individuality, encourages quirkiness and delights in difference. It has a long history of riches and rebelliousness. The glory-days of the 17th century, the über-cosy 1800s, the counter-culture explosion of the 1960s – they’ve all left tidelines along Amsterdam’s canals: opulent gables, Rembrandt and Van Gogh, barrel-lined cafés, gardens of

Amsterdam delivers the goods when it comes to memorable experiences and attractions. With canals weaving through the city, gabled buildings providing glimpses of a bygone past, and myriad museums portraying the importance of Amsterdam’s role in history, it is a city full of extraordinary things to do. From sitting in a swing high above the

The fourth and final series of superlative drama Succession hits screens this week. The Sky Atlantic satire follows the exploits of the dizzyingly wealthy and highly dysfunctional Roy family, who are jostling for control of their father’s media empire – and as well as plot twists, it provides plenty of travel inspiration.  While much of

Some things are non-negotiable – first-timers really shouldn’t leave Copenhagen without at least once strolling along the waterfront at Nyhavn or succumbing to the twinkly charms of Tivoli amusement park. But there are plenty of other experiences to keep you happily busy too, from picnicking on board a little boat as you float through the city’s

Paris in the springtime is usually considered a lovely little jaunt. However, in recent days concerns have been raised about the escalation of strikes and protests in response to France’s proposed pension reforms.  On a coordinated day of action on March 23, hundreds of thousands took to the streets of the French capital, leading to

Manchester’s music scene is thriving and there’s a diverse range of venues in the city, from intimate rooms at the back of historic pubs to huge concert halls. The Manchester Arena, near Victoria railway station in the city centre, is the UK’s biggest indoor arena and hosts some of the world’s top performers as well

No point looking out for the pennies on your next weekend break in Manchester, because the pounds will be disappearing before your eyes. Next month the city will become the first in the UK to impose a tourist tax on visitors. From April 1, overnight guests in city centre hotels will be charged £1 per

You can have an extremely pleasant time in Bath wandering the streets, admiring the peerless Georgian architecture and reliving history through the words of Jane Austen. For culture, pick from the dozen or so museums – if you do just one of the best things in Bath, make it the Roman Baths. For exercise, venture

The challenge when visiting Rome is deciding what not to do: there are so many churches, archaeological sites, piazzas and paintings to see that a lifetime is hardly enough. Don’t try to cram too much in; Rome moves at a slower pace than many northern Italian cities, and to enjoy it you should take time out

Forget gratuities, cocktails and pampering spa treatments, one of the easiest ways to rack up a huge bill on a cruise holiday is to splash out on excursions. It’s easy to be tempted, especially with the impressive array of tours on offer, but the cost (often running into three figures) can be a proverbial sting

All hotels have been independently reviewed and selected. We will earn a commission if you book via the links below, but this never affects our rating. Our expert writers are usually hosted on a complimentary basis in order to gain the first-hand experience necessary for their review. Rome wows with its blockbuster ancient ruins and

Cavallo, France In the treacherous waters between Corsica and Sardinia, little Cavalló has beaches of otherworldly beauty – opalescent bays with pale fine sand between gigantic granite boulders, sculpted as though by Henry Moore – and an intriguing past. First it drew Romans, who cut columns from its granite to build their Eternal City; then,

All hotels have been independently reviewed and selected. We will earn a commission if you book via the links below, but this never affects our rating. Our expert writers are usually hosted on a complimentary basis in order to gain the first-hand experience necessary for their review. Catalonia’s colourful capital combines everything that is most