Travel

There is something rather romanticised about the notion of travelling alone. So when I was invited to a wedding in Florence, I excitedly booked my flight and extended my trip for some solo ‘me’ time. If Julia Roberts could do it, then why the hell couldn’t I? But as the trip finally came around, I realised travelling alone was a journey that we’re never really prepared for. After a three hour flight I was glad to switch off from the...

The adrenaline-pumping landing at Saba in the Caribbean has won top spot in 2017 Scenic Airports poll. The tiny Caribbean island runway topped the global travel poll, with other top ten landings including Donegal, London City, Gibraltar and Queenstown. The world’s shortest commercial runway, on the Caribbean island of Saba, has topped a global travel poll of the world’s most scenic airport landings, conducted by the private jet booking service PrivateFly. With a runway just 400 metres (1,312 feet) long...

Air New Zealand has opened a pop-up shop in London's Soho today to counter our perception of airline food. A quarter of Brits think airplane food is worse than school dinners and hospital food, new research has found, while a fifth of people believe bad cuisine is the worst thing about flying long-haul and over half don’t like the food served on planes.   The menu on offer at the pop-up, This Is How We Fly, was devised by kiwi...

Mayor Sadiq Khan has revealed plans to charge the most polluting vehicles in London £24 a day when driving through the city centre. His efforts to influence promote eco driving and to combat the green impact of vehicles in the city centre are due to come into effect in October 2017. But what impact will this increase in the congestion charge have on transport and vehicle based businesses and business owners in London? Eco driving measures target businesses with vehicle...

By Joey Tyson The smell of a volcano is impossible to forget. Something between rotten eggs and a dodgy car exhaust, the stench of sulphur gags, clogging your throat for a second until the breeze blows over you. In short, it stinks. “Don’t spend too long down wind of the smoke,” our guide Jose sagely advises. Stepping out of the smog to catch my breath, I take in the view for the first time. From that height, everything looks blueish....

You might remember the tropical Thai island of Koh Samui from its bygone bohemian days, when it was a mecca for backpackers in search of the fabled beach that inspired Alex Garland’s cult novel The Beach. But visitors to Koh Samui’s shores will find the island much changed since then - barefoot beach shacks have given way to uber-luxe hotels, an upscale culinary scene and seriously sumptuous spas. With a host of luxury resorts offering palatial pool villas alongside scenery...

By Prof Mary Mellor This AA four star, 1 Rosette hotel and spa is in a dramatic setting on the side of Lake Windermere a few miles from Bowness. It has spectacular, panoramic views of the lake. It was a pity that on the night of the visit it was pouring with rain as it was not possible to fully explore the extensive gardens, but you have to expect a bit of precipitation in the Lakes! The gardens include a...

Do you ever feel like you need another holiday to recover from your holiday? Well, according to new research it takes Brits just 29 days after they return from their jollies to feel like they need another one. Just over four weeks after your last holiday or mini-break has been identified as the point where fatigue starts to set in, work performance starts to slide and we feel the need to get away from the daily grind. Eating more comfort...

A luxury travel company has launched a virtual reality holiday service for executives too busy to get away. The concept, dubbed "A Journey around my room", has been designed for people who struggle to achieve a work/life balance, providing all the benefits of travel without any of the inconveniences - such as the hassle of preparation, fear of flying and jet lag, not to mention the language barriers, unusual foods and people when you get there. The company begins by confirming hotel reservations -...