Travel Industry news

• ‘Deep in the woods, 10 minutes from my car’: the platform helping wild camping beginners find a pitch

  18-05-2024 12:00 via theguardian.com
  
  A website that connects campers with landowners across the UK is opening up green spaces to anyone who fancies an off-grid night or twoThe dawn chorus is loud in the woods as I unzip my tent to peer out at the new day and a sea of bluebells. I make tea and drink it slowly, enjoying the peace. It’s a perfect start to the morning after my first solo wild camp.I had found my slice of the wild via CampWild, a platform that connects campers with UK landowners willing to let people stay. Set up
  
  Read more

• Tell us about a trip to a European lake or mountain region – you could win a holiday voucher

  17-06-2024 17:54 via theguardian.com
  
  Share a favourite summer holiday memory from the lakes or mountains of Europe – the best tip wins £200 towards a Coolstays breakAs summers in the Mediterranean get hotter, more of us are turning to Europe’s beautiful lakes and mountains for a cooler alternative. Whether it’s soaking up the glamour of the Italian lakes, hiking through flower-filled meadows in the Austrian Tyrol or hurtling down a black run on a mountain bike in the French Alps, we’d love to hear abou
  
  Read more

• ‘A world in itself’: how I fell for the peculiar magic of Lundy

  17-06-2024 08:00 via theguardian.com
  
  Most people visit on a day trip, but stay longer to fully immerse yourself in the wild solitude of this rugged isle off the Devon coastThe last time we came to Lundy was by ferry from Ilfracombe. The journey took two hours and once we rounded Hartland Point the Atlantic waves rolled in and about 50% of the passengers started vomiting.This time the MS Oldenburg is in for annual maintenance, so me and a group of six friends are whisked to the island in a small helicopter from the north-western tip
  
  Read more

• 10 of the best places to celebrate the summer solstice in the UK and Ireland

  16-06-2024 12:00 via theguardian.com
  
  From Glastonbury to Holy Island, we select atmospheric destinations to mark the longest day of the yearCelebrated in folklore and ancient traditions since the dawn of time, the summer solstice on 20 June is when the sun is at its highest, making it the longest day of the year. Midsummer refers to the days around the solstice period. Continue reading...
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Take a kayak to your cabin: 10 of the best riverside stays in Europe

  16-06-2024 08:00 via theguardian.com
  
  The life aquatic can be enjoyed to the full at these serene villas, farmhouses and treehouses by the waterGut Üselitz, a 16th-century manor house on a river-like inlet on Rügen island off the Baltic coast, now houses seven modern, minimalist holiday apartments. The house is on an isolated island within Rügen, surrounded by water. The apartments, which sleep two to six, can be rented separately, or the whole house can be hired, including the main kitchen, dining room, lounge and li
  
  Read more

• ‘This is the Amazon of Europe’: a wildlife trip on Romania’s Danube delta

  15-06-2024 12:00 via theguardian.com
  
  A cruise on the extraordinarily biodiverse watery wilderness offers a father and son close encounters with eagles, pelicans and glossy ibisThe synthetic-sounding call of a lone bird rises notably above a riot of birdsong. On the horizon, a purplish sunset is reflected in the vast waters of Europe’s largest wetland. “It’s like another world,” says Charlie Ottley, a British documentary maker who has presented two Netflix documentary series on Romania. “It’s
  
  Read more

• The alternative Machu Picchu: a hike to find the ‘real’ lost world of the Incas

  15-06-2024 08:00 via theguardian.com
  
  At the start of a 3,000-mile journey down the Amazon, our writer witnesses the benefits of community tourism projects on a less crowded option to the Inca Trail‘It’s very simple,” Bruce says. “If travellers go far, on long-haul journeys, they should go for longer.” I’m sitting in a Peruvian mountain village with Bruce Poon Tip, founder of G Adventures, a Canadian travel company with a mission. Below us on a narrow rocky terrace, a group of brightly d
  
  Read more

• ‘We drifted downriver and camped where we liked’: readers’ favourite lake and river breaks in Europe

  14-06-2024 08:00 via theguardian.com
  
  Go with the flow on these tranquil river and lake trips from Sweden to RomaniaIn the hills above Riva del Garda in Trentino is Lago di Tenno, a beautiful blue-green mountain lake. It’s small enough to walk around in under an hour, enclosed on all sides with lovely mountain views, but it’s the swimming that will bring you back again and again. The clear waters may be a tad chilly at first toe-dangle, but goosebumps are soon forgotten as you swim across the small gap to the grassy isla
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• White beaches, dolphins, seahorses: I sailed away from Britain, but now I love its coasts more than ever

  13-06-2024 08:00 via theguardian.com
  
  Sometimes you need to leave to really see the place you came from. Years after sailing solo to Greece, every time I return I’m astounded by what I find I’m staring at a seahorse. At the little spines on its head. A spiky crown. Like a unicorn under water. Such sightings are always precious, but this one feels unique because I’ve convinced myself that he’s giving birth. I watch them daily, these bony little fish, tails curling twigs, fanning delicately, performing their su
  
  Read more

• Fancy a pre-match pint? If you’re in Frankfurt for the footie, you’ll be on cider rather than beer

  12-06-2024 08:00 via theguardian.com
  
  Boozy, tongue-popping Apfelwein is the toast of the host city. Here’s where to sample it with your frankfurtersI am sitting in Atschel, a cosy, if crowded Apfelweinwirtschaft (apple wine tavern) in Sachsenhausen, south of the River Main from Frankfurt’s central Römerberg plaza. Germany’s financial capital is one of the host cities for Euro 2024, and such taverns, and their leafy gardens, will be heaving during the competition.England play Denmark here on 20 June, while Ger
  
  Read more

• ‘It’s very wild. I’ve seen wolves’: a hike through the forests and ghost villages of secret Galicia

  11-06-2024 08:00 via theguardian.com
  
  Trains from Britain to Spain put me a taxi ride away from Ribeira Sacra – an unspoiled region of river gorges, chestnut groves and rich historyModes of transport always dictate the shape of the human landscape. When travel took to the rails in the 19th century, vast palaces of railway stations were built all over Europe. And now, on a train journey to Spain, I am passing through some of the best examples: in Paris, Barcelona and Madrid. In the latter, I have time to leave my bags at Chamar
  
  Read more

• Tell us about your favourite European campsite – you could win a holiday voucher

  10-06-2024 17:35 via theguardian.com
  
  Share details of a camping holiday in Europe – the best tip wins £200 towards a Coolstays breakIt could be a back-to-basics wild campsite in the mountains or an all-singing, all-dancing holiday park near the beach. Perhaps you love your favourite site because of its choice of pools and waterslides, or maybe it’s the tranquil location or friendliness that keeps you going back there. Whatever the reason, we’d love to hear about your best camping experiences in Europe &ndash
  
  Read more

• Sharks, murder and a neolithic ‘spaceship’: the mysteries of Ireland’s new national parks

  10-06-2024 08:00 via theguardian.com
  
  The ecological jewel of Kerry Marine national park and the archaeological splendour of Brú na Bóinne in the east are the latest additions to the country’s portfolio of protected areasIreland’s National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) has had a busy time in recent months, adding another two sites to its portfolio of six national parks since last September. First, it announced the state purchase of 223 hectares (551 acres) of land on the Dowth Hall estate in County Meat
  
  Read more

• 10 of the best places to visit in South Somerset

  09-06-2024 08:00 via theguardian.com
  
  With rolling hills, golden villages, listed gardens and historic homes, the south of the county offers some of England’s most glorious sightsThe delightful manor house, dating back to the 1300s, was owned for generations by the Lyte family. The garden was cultivated by Elizabeth I’s botanist, Henry Lyte, but the house fell into disrepair and the garden was ploughed up. In 1909, after a century and a half of neglect, a new family took over. They restored the interior (removing a cider
  
  Read more

• The South Downs bolthole that offers a ‘complete escape from the world’

  08-06-2024 09:00 via theguardian.com
  
  The Seven Sisters chalk cliffs are one of the most famous beauty spots on England’s south coast. A trio of newly-renovated cottages is giving guests a chance to immerse themselves in this iconic landscapeFrom the pebble beach at Cuckmere Haven, it’s a steep climb up a well-trodden track to get up on to the cliffs but the reward is one of the most exhilarating views the British coast has to offer – the dazzling white chalk faces of the Seven Sisters stretching into the dist
  
  Read more

• Beyond the Lake District: five of the UK’s less-visited national parks

  08-06-2024 08:00 via theguardian.com
  
  From wild goats to ancient towers and fairytale lakes, our quieter parks hide a wealth of treasures. Here are some highlights in the less-famous fiveAsk most people to name a British national park and they’ll probably plump for the Lake District or the Peak District. But there are 15 parks in the UK, most of which receive far fewer visitors than those famous names. Here, we explore some of the best. Continue reading...
  
  Read more

• Mountain highs: biking and bivvying in Slovenia

  07-06-2024 10:59 via theguardian.com
  
  Bikepacking – travelling light, camping wild and offroad climbs – is an adventurous and fully immersive way of exploring the Julian Alps“I slept rough for eight days and climbed the height of Everest on a bike,” might not be everyone’s ideal holiday. But for anyone with a sense of adventure and a passing relationship with a bike, the West Loop of Slovenia’s pristine blue Julian Alps takes some beating.This 260-mile (418km) circuit, plotted out by cycling guru
  
  Read more

• Readers’ favourite UK national parks: ‘Rain, sun or snow, there’s beauty everywhere’

  07-06-2024 08:00 via theguardian.com
  
  From the Cairngorms to the South Downs, the Pembrokeshire coast to the Norfolk Broads, our tipsters share their memorable discoveriesWe love to visit the northern Lake District. You can enjoy the buzz of friendly Keswick, full of great cafes, independent shops, lovely parks and fantastic views in every direction. Travel on the open-topped bus from Keswick to Seatoller and take in the beauty of Derwentwater and Borrowdale, passing through the “loveliest square mile in Lakeland” accord
  
  Read more

• An alternative guide to Sheffield: a crucible for left-field culture and regeneration

  06-06-2024 08:00 via theguardian.com
  
  With a £470m redevelopment of the city centre, a feted documentary festival and a vibrant foodie scene, the former steel-making hub is showing its true mettle“There’s a lot of confidence in Sheffield these days,” says James O’Hara, one of the city’s leading cultural promoters. “It feels like we’re on the cusp of a new era.”It’s a refrain you hear a lot in Sheffield today. Sprawled across five valleys in the foothills of the Peak Distric
  
  Read more

• My mission? A two-day voyage along the Norfolk coast to deliver potatoes for a chip shop

  05-06-2024 08:00 via theguardian.com
  
  One man is trying to revive zero-carbon cargo routes by sailing produce along England’s eastern seaboard – and taking paying passengers along for the thrilling rideThe water glitters, rippled by a rising wind, and Victorious glides silently on three huge, maroon sails. We’re the only boat in sight, surrounded by grey sea and vast sky. Every direction offers a subtly different picture: patches of blue and fluffy clouds, billowing blue-black clouds, occasional rays of sunshine be
  
  Read more

• Art in the Arctic: exploring Bodø, Norway, European capital of culture for 2024

  04-06-2024 08:00 via theguardian.com
  
  The Norwegian town, just inside the Arctic Circle, makes a picturesque (and unusual) setting for a programme of exhibitions, gigs and outdoor activities – and the sun doesn’t set all summer‘You make more noise when you buy curtains!” California blues singer England Brooks, a Bodø resident for 20 years, gently berates her audience for their typically Norwegian diffidence when asked to join in on a song. They laugh, and at the next attempt sing atiny louder.This is t
  
  Read more

• Tell us about your favourite wilderness experiences in Scotland – you could win a holiday voucher

  03-06-2024 16:54 via theguardian.com
  
  Share details of where you go to get off the beaten track in Scotland – the best tip wins £200 towards a Coolstays breakScotland is home to some of the most beautiful and untamed landscapes in the UK. Whether it’s wild camping (which, unlike other parts of the UK, is legal), Munro bagging, canoeing the lochs and rivers, hiking in the Highlands or staying in the most perfectly situated bothy, we’d love to hear about your favourite wilderness adventures and locations.If you
  
  Read more

• Franz Kafka’s Prague: a centenary tour of the writer’s home city

  03-06-2024 08:00 via theguardian.com
  
  A hundred years after his death, the author’s presence is as strong as ever in the Czech capital – from his childhood homes and the literary cafes he frequented to the remarkable buildings immortalised in his workIt’s a boiling summer’s day in Prague and I’m staring into the austere face of Franz Kafka. Not the real Kafka, of course – he died exactly a century ago, which is why I’m here – but a cast-iron plaque on the wall of his birthplace. The ho
  
  Read more

• 10 of the UK’s best outdoor yoga and activity retreats

  02-06-2024 12:00 via theguardian.com
  
  Meditation, foraging, surfing, swimming, yoga and more – find your own space at one of these wonderfully restorative destinationsImmerse yourself in the lush hills, heather-capped mountains and river valleys of the Bannau Brycheiniog national park (formerly known as the Brecon Beacons) with a three-night retreat that combines nature’s restorative powers with yoga. Located on a historic country estate, accommodation is in comfortable converted farm buildings – including the old
  
  Read more

• Night-time is an intoxicating new land: how learning to love the dark eased my grief

  02-06-2024 08:00 via theguardian.com
  
  From magical moonlit swims to midnight hikes and listening to owls, I have embraced my insomnia and discovered the joy of ‘night journeys’As I slip out of my clothes, my stomach pinches with fear. The beach – Pevensey Bay in East Sussex – is inky black and eerily empty. The sound of slurping seawater seems noisier than usual, the air smells brinier than it does during the day, and the night breeze feels cool and sharp.My previous efforts at night swimming have been unsucc
  
  Read more

• 10 of the best gardens in Europe you’ve probably never heard of

  01-06-2024 12:00 via theguardian.com
  
  From Amsterdam to Athens, these beautiful unsung spaces exhibit a riot of colour, elegant design, history and tranquility Any list of European gardens must begin with Italy, even though their immaculate form, symmetry and reliance on non-flowering evergreen structure might jar with the modern yearning for pollinator-friendly naturalism. The Italian garden reached a peak during the Renaissance and has barely changed since. Its fundamental principles remain elegance, charm and decadent relaxation.
  
  Read more

• Why I love Europe’s hidden gardens

  01-06-2024 08:00 via theguardian.com
  
  When I toured Spain’s world-famous estates and palaces, it was a small semi-concealed garden I stumbled upon that made the biggest impression – and inspired me to discover other urban oases across EuropeLast spring, my wife and I embarked on an extended family holiday through Spain, taking our two young children on a month-long road trip around a country we didn’t know well but quickly came to love, for its ancient walled cities and diverse landscapes, its full-bodied wine and
  
  Read more

• ‘Pillars, pergolas, palms and pines’: readers’ favourite gardens in Europe

  31-05-2024 08:00 via theguardian.com
  
  Our tipsters’ horticultural finds from Hanover’s formal terraces to the world’s oldest university botanical garden in PaduaVarenna is the perfect Italian village, from its hilltop castle to the shore of Lake Como. Easily accessible by train or ferry, it is host to a spectacular botanic garden. The meandering Passeggiata degli Innamorati – the Lovers’ Footpath – brings you in 20 minutes from the ferry to Villa Monastero (entry €10, open March-November). Wi
  
  Read more

• Rail route of the month: from Genoa to Ventimiglia, Italy – a line of cinematic brilliance

  30-05-2024 08:00 via theguardian.com
  
  Along the coast through Liguria to the French border, our slow travel expert finds the tunnels as bracing as the coastal viewsNature has its way of derailing travel plans. A landslide in August 2023 in the French Alps blocked the main railway just west of the Mont Cenis tunnel. This route is used by all trains from Italy to Lyon and Paris. The sleek French TGVs and the even sleeker Italian Frecciarossa trains competing on the lucrative link from Milan to the French capital were stopped in their
  
  Read more

• An alternative guide to the Lakes: how to escape Cumbria’s twee side

  29-05-2024 08:00 via theguardian.com
  
  Avoid the tourist hotspots of the Lake District and you’ll discover a more authentic side to the area with artists, microbreweries and community pubsYou’d be forgiven, as a visitor to the Lake District, for imagining that the governing attractions are daffodils, Grasmere gingerbread, Herdy (the bleating fell-side variety and the brand), mountain watercolours and lake steamers. So fixed have these associations become with the region that it’s now the victim of its own twee, comm
  
  Read more

Follow @Travel_Newsl on Twitter!