Travel Industry news

• Share a tip on a favourite church or cathedral in Europe

  10-11-2025 16:23
  Tell us about your favourite European church or cathedral, including those in the UK. The best tip wins £200 towards a Coolstays breakFrom ornately frescoed churches in Florence, to rock-hewn chapels in Greece, stained-glass filled sanctuaries in France or tiny seaside shrines in Cornwall, Europe has a stunning variety of churches and cathedrals. Whether it was a small rural chapel or a grandiose city cathedral, we want to hear about favourite discoveries from your UK and European travels.
  
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• ‘One of the most breathtaking cathedrals in the world’: readers’ favourite churches in Europe

  05-12-2025 08:00
  Wonderful art, amazing design and beautiful locations have drawn our tipsters to chapels, churches and cathedrals from Norway to Bulgaria• Tell us about a great charity challenge you’ve taken part in – the best tip wins a £200 holiday voucherThe Tromsøysund parish church, commonly called the Arctic Cathedral, in Tromsø is a modernist delight. The simple, elegant exterior that reflects the surrounding scenery and evokes traditional Sami dwellings is matched by
  
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• We tested Europe’s luxurious new ‘business-class’ sleeper bus between Amsterdam and Zurich

  04-12-2025 08:00
  A new overnight bus service in the Netherlands, Belgium and Switzerland offers comfort and sustainabilityI feel my travel-scrunched spine start to straighten as I stretch out on the plump mattress, a quilted blanket wrapped around me and a pillow beneath my head. As bedtime routines go, however, this one involves a novel step – placing my lower legs in a mesh bag and clipping it into seatbelt-style buckles on either side; the bed will be travelling at around 50mph for the next 12 hours and
  
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• We found the authentic Liguria: an off-season road trip through north-west Italy’s brilliant villages and cuisine

  03-12-2025 08:00
  By avoiding the famous hotspots and travelling in December, we enjoy culinary delights and historic charms without the summer crowdsThe copper pot is filled with a custard so golden it looks like liquid sunshine. Our waiter carefully ladles the sugary, egg-yolk elixir, zabaglione, into two bowls for dunking warm pansarole doughnuts. Our conversation stops, a silent competition to nab the last one. We are literally living la dolce vita.This dessert is a tradition in Apricale, a fairytale-like vil
  
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• 10 of the best pop-up ice rinks in the UK

  02-12-2025 08:00
  From city rooftops to seafront winter wonderlands, these are some of the best places to slide into ChristmasLeicester Square in the West End of London has its first ice rink, encircling the statue of Shakespeare that has stood on the spot since 1874. Unusually for a London pop-up rink, there are tickets available every day for walk-up visitors, with skating sessions starting every 15 minutes from 10am to 10pm. A bar serves hot chocolate, mulled wine and mulled cider, and Christmas market stalls
  
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• Share a tip on taking part in an organised challenge in the UK or overseas

  01-12-2025 14:17
  From charity treks to open water swims and urban trail runs, tell us about a trip based around a physical challenge – the best tip wins £200 towards a Coolstays breakForget the sun lounger, more of us than ever before are signing up for trips which involve completing a tough physical challenge, whether it’s to raise money for charity or just to put ourselves to the test. From taking part in the UK’s Three Peak Challenge, a sponsored open-water swim or charity trek, to com
  
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• ‘It’s like striding across the top of the world’: the Pennines’ new Roof of England walk

  01-12-2025 08:00
  The route showcases the North Pennines’ unsung landscapes. We road test a 50-mile section that takes in golden forests, high moors and pretty villagesUp on Langley Common the wind is rising. The tussocks under my boots cover the Maiden Way, perhaps the highest Roman road in Britain, but the sense of being close to the sky – today a simmering grey – remains as palpable as it would have been 2,000 years ago. Looking north, a rainbow arcs across the horizon, the full rea
  
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• ‘I was hooked’: the rise of the intrepid female solo traveller

  30-11-2025 16:00
  Women of all ages, especially older ones, are actively choosing to travel alone. What’s behind the trend?UK travel companies have reported an increase in bookings for solo travellers, primarily older women, often leaving partners behind to “explore on their own terms”.Last month, the tour operator Jules Verne said solo travellers accounted for 46% of bookings for its trips departing next year, up from 40% in 2023. Just under 70% of its current solo bookings are made by women. C
  
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• Winter warmer in the woods: a sizzling sauna and cool, cosy cabin deep in a Sussex forest

  30-11-2025 08:00
  Architect-built cabins and a sauna blend seamlessly into the High Weald landscape and make the most of its magnificent viewsI sat stock-still on a bench fashioned from a fallen silver birch, scanning the woods for a sudden movement or a flash of blue. Deer and kingfisher visit this secluded copse and its stream, and I hoped to spot at least one of them. There was a rustle in the undergrowth, but it was only a more familiar winter visitor: a cheery robin.It was a chilly day for wildlife-watching,
  
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• Pete’s Eats, north Wales’ famous climbers’ cafe, reopens its doors

  29-11-2025 08:00
  This Eryri refuge for hillwalkers and climbers has been reborn, breathing new life into the once-struggling mountain village of LlanberisPete’s Eats, the famous climbers’ cafe in the heart of Eryri (Snowdonia), reopened this summer after almost three years of being shuttered. The newly minted version is a swish affair, with a copper-topped bar, distressed wood panels, local craft beers, tacos and a handsome crew of young locals in branded T-shirts. A lot of money has clearly been spe
  
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• ‘We awoke to find the Peak District under a blanket of snow’: readers’ favourite rural winter UK breaks

  28-11-2025 08:00
  From an ancient castle in Easter Ross to a cosy cabin on Lough Erne, our tipsters share their favourite country boltholes for an active winter escape
  • Tell us about a UK winter walk – the best tip wins a £200 holiday voucherAfter a beautiful wintry walk along the Roaches in Staffordshire (having been fuelled with Staffordshire oatcakes), we stayed at the historic YHA Hartington Hall youth hostel, a period drama setting for a cosy bunk. We woke up to find the Peak District under
  
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• Authentic Algarve: exploring Portugal beyond the beach

  27-11-2025 08:00
  A series of walking festivals and cultural programmes aim to lure visitors to the Algarve’s woodland interiors and pretty villages to help boost tourism year round‘I never mind doing the same walk over and over again,” said our guide, Joana Almeida, crouching beside a cluster of flowers. “Each time, there are new things – these weren’t here yesterday.” Standing on stems at least two centimetres tall and starring the dirt with white petals, the fact these
  
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• Tell us about a great winter walk in the UK

  26-11-2025 16:32
  Share a tip on your favourite route at this time of year – the best entry wins £200 towards a Coolstays breakThe crunch of frost underfoot, lungfuls of crisp fresh air, landscapes sparkling in shafts of sunlight; a good winter walk is one of life’s simple pleasures. We want to hear about where you love to walk at this time of year in the UK. Perhaps it’s a bracing coastal path, a meandering woodland hike or a riverside trail. If there’s a lovely pub or cafe on the r
  
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• Empty beaches guaranteed: a wintry weekend break in north Devon

  26-11-2025 07:00
  With stunning beaches, cosy cafes and a lot fewer people, the unspoilt surfing village of Croyde has just as much to offer out of seasonIt’s been a while since I’ve struggled into damp neoprene of a morning. It’s the second day of a wintry weekend in Croyde, north-west Devon; I’m stiff from an hour in the sea the previous afternoon, and the upper part of the super-thick wetsuit won’t budge past my elbows. Together, my husband, Mark, and I jiggle and pull and yank it
  
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• ‘Alicante cuisine epitomises the Mediterranean’: a gastronomic journey in south-east Spain

  25-11-2025 08:00
  The Alicante region is renowned for its rice and seafood dishes. Less well known is that its restaurant scene has a wealth of talented female chefs, a rarity in SpainI’m on a quest in buzzy, beachy Alicante on the Costa Blanca to investigate the rice dishes the Valencian province is famed for, as well as explore the vast palm grove of nearby Elche. I start with a pilgrimage to a restaurant featured in my book on tapas, Andaluz, a mere 25 years ago. Mesón de Labradores in the pedestr
  
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• Share a tip on your favourite outdoor winter activities in the UK

  24-11-2025 14:36
  From stargazing to swimming, we’d love to hear how you beat the winter blues by getting out into nature – the best tip wins £200 towards a Coolstays breakWith the days getting shorter (and colder), it’s tempting to go into hibernation mode. But winter can feel like a special time of year if you get out and embrace it. We’d love to hear about your favourite UK-based outdoor winter activity, whether it’s cold-water swimming, stargazing, birdwatching or simply wr
  
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• 20 of the UK’s best town and country hotels – chosen by the Good Hotel Guide

  24-11-2025 08:00
  From stylish townhouses to characterful country piles, this selection of inns, B&Bs and hotels offer delicious food and a touch of luxury for £150 a night or lessDrakes, BrightonKeep an eye out for deals at this glamorous Regency seafront hotel (a November 30% discount won’t be a one-off). A sea-view balcony room, of course, will cost a bit, but even the snuggest, city-facing bedrooms have air conditioning, a king-size bed, wet room, bathtub and Green & Spring toiletries. For
  
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• I’m hiking in the Dolomites, Italy’s magical mountains – if only I could see them!

  23-11-2025 08:00
  Poor weather couldn’t spoil my high-altitude walking trip amid these stunning peaks, especially with delicious, hearty Tyrolean cuisine to keep me goingWhen you come to the Dolomites for winter walking, it’s with the intention of having spellbinding snow-streaked peaks that are unlike anything else in the Alps as your constant companion. But with impenetrable cloud and heavy rain forecast, it was hard not to feel deflated.Then again, this was Italy, where it’s easy to make
  
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• ‘So unchanged it is almost otherworldly’: the oasis town of Skoura, Morocco

  22-11-2025 08:00
  For the explorer and author, the desert outpost, irrigated by water from the Atlas mountains, is the perfect place to decompressThe first thing I notice when I walk into the oasis is the temperature drop. Then, I hear the birdsong and the rustling of the palm trees. The harsh sun dims and there’s water and the smell of damp earth. It’s easy to understand why desert travellers yearned to reach these havens and why they have become synonymous with peace. I’m an explorer who&rsquo
  
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• ‘It’s like stepping into a Renaissance masterpiece’: readers’ favourite unsung places in Italy

  21-11-2025 08:00
  The country has so many cultural and historical treasures that relatively few are known to tourists. Our tipsters share their discoveries, from ancient hill towns to a mini Venice• Tell us about your favourite travel discoveries of the year – the best tip wins a £200 holiday voucherApproaching the town of Brisighella in Emilia-Romagna, it feels as though you are rapidly incorporating yourself in the backdrop of a Renaissance masterpiece, with dramatic rocky hills with singular t
  
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• All wrapped up: the 10 best British towns and cities for Christmas shopping with a local flavour

  20-11-2025 08:00
  Where better to source what you need for the season than the places with a reputation for making it? From fizz and food to fine art, here’s our festive shopping guideStock up on festive fizz with a trip to the heart of Kent’s flourishing wine region. Start the tastings at Simpsons’ wine estate, 10 minutes’ drive from Canterbury, then head to Domaine Evremond, Taittinger’s UK vineyard, where its first release, Classic Cuvée Edition I, is available at the Cella
  
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• Exploring the home town of the artist Joseph Wright of Derby

  19-11-2025 08:00
  With a new exhibition of his work at the National Gallery in London, a visit to the artist’s home town reveals the landscapes and industry that inspired himThe river rushes white around each of the large, flattish rocks as I tread tentatively over the stepping stones that Dovedale is famous for. This limestone valley on the border between Derbyshire and Staffordshire is a popular spot for day trips and hiking. Thankfully, it’s quiet on this brisk November morning, and I’m able
  
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• Wetlands and wildlife in the Netherlands: slowing down and connecting with nature in Friesland

  18-11-2025 08:00
  The cosy cabins, bike rides and serenity of De Alde Feanen national park make it the perfect place to switch off and unwind in winterIf there are times when the sights, smells and sounds of a new destination are best downed in a single, heady, flaming sambuca of a weekend, there are others when a more slow-drip pace is called for. Such is the case with De Alde Feanen, in Friesland. One of the most peaceful national parks in the Netherlands, this 4,000-hectare wetland slows down naturally after t
  
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• Share a tip on a favourite European travel discovery of 2025

  17-11-2025 16:18
  Tell us about your favourite discovery this year in Europe, including the UK – the best tip wins £200 towards a Coolstays breakAs another year nears its end, it’s worth taking stock of the new places we’ve discovered in 2025. Perhaps it was a quiet seaside resort, an exceptional gallery or museum, an unforgettable restaurant, a wonderful hiking route or vibrant nightlife in a small town. We’d love to hear about your finds in Europe and the UK – the more unusua
  
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• Why Herefordshire was the perfect stand-in for Shakespeare’s Stratford in the new film of Hamnet

  17-11-2025 08:00
  Crooked buildings, welcoming inns, ancient woodlands … it’s easy to see why the location scouts chose this idyllic corner of EnglandThe door creaks as I push it back and move forward into the gloom. The ceiling is vaulted and dark, but light falls in shafts of gold from the upper windows, revealing ancient stone carvings and tombs. It’s the right atmosphere for a ghost-hunt. I take a few steps and the door clicks, making me jump. Must be the wind.Exploring old English churches
  
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• 10 places to stay in the UK and Europe where you can travel back in time

  16-11-2025 08:00
  From a Tudor manor in Wales to a swinging 60s hotel in Prague, these hotels and guesthouses are steeped in history Continue reading...
  
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• History comes alive at a new hotel-museum in the ancient Italian city of Matera

  15-11-2025 08:00
  The past lives again at an unusual immersive hotel housed in the cave dwellings of Italy’s oldest city, once ruled by ancient GreeceDiners fall silent as the haunting sound of the aulos – a double-piped wind instrument from ancient Greece – echoes through the vaulted breakfast room. The musician, Davide, wears a chiton (tunic), as do the guests; the mosaic floor, decorated vases and flicker of flames from the sconces add to the sense that we’ve stepped back in time.This i
  
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• ‘We stayed in a 500-year-old palazzo for €100’: readers’ favourite historic places to stay in Europe

  14-11-2025 08:00
  Travel back in time at a folly in Scotland, a parador in Spain and a German castle
  • Tell us about your favourite church in Europe – the best tip wins a £200 holiday voucherMy husband and I stayed in a beautiful 500-year-old Venetian palazzo for just €100 for a double room. The exterior of Palazzo Abadessa, tucked away in the sleepy backstreets of the Cannaregio district, is low key enough, but the grandeur and opulence begin to hit your senses as you explore. First we stro
  
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• Chatsworth estate in Derbyshire opens a new family-friendly hotel

  13-11-2025 08:00
  With affordable rooms, the Hide hotel makes a great base to explore one of England’s most famous stately homes, as well as the glorious Peak District national parkNothing quite prepares you for your first glimpse of Chatsworth. As we turn into the drive, the house reveals itself, a handsome limestone edifice framed by a steep ridge of wooded hills, ablaze with autumn colours, and fronted by rolling parkland where sheep graze on the riverbanks. Despite its bucolic aspect, this is a landscap
  
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• New sleeper service will run from Paris to Berlin next year

  12-11-2025 08:00
  European Sleeper will operate the new service from March 2026, replacing the Nightjet train that is being axed next monthThe resurgence of sleeper trains on the continent hit a kink in the tracks in September, when the Austrian state operator ÖBB announced that it would be axing its two Nightjet services – Paris to Vienna and Paris to Berlin – from 14 December. ÖBB cited the French government’s ending of subsidies, dealing a blow to the night-train renaissance.However
  
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