Travel

With the overabundance of cheap holidays and flights around the world right at our fingertips it can be extremely overwhelming when it comes to hunting out your perfect holiday. There is now so much choice out there that picking something out of quite literally thousands and thousands of potential destinations can be quite a struggle. What would be useful is a quick tool to help give you some inspiration, such as a Q&A form or interactive graphic. I stumbled across...

By Courtney Greatrex Top holiday destinations for Brits are usually London, or the coast - but why not try Northumberland? I booked in for a weekend's stay at Matfen Hall Hotel, a beautiful estate just 25 minutes drive from Newcastle Upon Tyne. If you're coming from the south, I will admit it may seem like a fair hike - but I can guarantee that upon arrival, you will not want - or need - to leave the grounds. There’s plenty...

Some things never change. Pockets of Italy notwithstanding, you’d be hard pushed to find anywhere as serious about their cuisine as Paris - and thanks be for that. It means after a quick Eurostar ride, you feel a million miles away from the fried chicken joints that punctuate the UK’s high streets, and London’s painfully on fleek one-dish restaurants where patrons need to factor in 30 minutes of momentum-killing queuing time. Exploring Paris's restaurants at the start of the year,...

by Beth Roberts, travel writer Hidden away in the Scottish Highlands, there’s a certain spellbinding something about these uber-luxe lodges that’s seriously good for the soul… “Welcome to Inverness - good luck out there!” our air hostess laughs as we disembark into horizontal hailstones. Scotland, seemingly eager to live up to her rugged reputation gives us a bracing welcome. Half an hour later, we’re met by Mike at tiny Beauly station and are soon winding our way up through Strathglass,...

by Rosie Benson, travel writer Living so close to the continent and spoilt for choice with budget airlines, it’s easy to forget that we have our very own island getaways right here on our shores. There are more than 6,000 islands across British and Irish waters, and even more when including British Overseas Territories. We’ve put together a selection of some of the best. Jersey The largest of the Channel Islands, Jersey is a time-honoured favourite of holidaymakers - not...

By Joe Mellor, Deputy Editor Before I begin I have a confession to make, I love this part of the world – North Cornwall. I am also half Cornish, not that you would tell by my rough Geordie accent. My mother was born in Port Isaac (the village the TV show Doc Martin is filmed in) So I was sold on this excursion, before I even got there. I even used to come to this hotel when I was a...

By Amy Sharpe Like most people, I spend most Mondays feeling desperate for a detox – cursing myself for sloshing too many vinos and overdosing on cheese at the weekend. So I couldn’t have been happier rolling up to the Reynold’s Retreat in Sevenoaks, Kent, to sample one of their 'Two's Company' pamper packages one rainy Monday in November. The weekend’s alcohol sweats started dissolving the second I laid eyes on the place. A glorious stately home with woodland views, it...

Frequent travellers along the East Coast Mainline could find themselves out of pocket more than any other rail travellers in the country, it has been revealed. A new study has found that all five of the top five worst value-for-money journeys lay on the East Coast line, currently operated jointly by Stagecoach Group and Virgin Group. London to Newcastle was revealed as the worst value-for-money, followed by London to Edinburgh, London to Leeds, London to York and Leeds to London. The...

There are few places that are as alluring in the cold wintery months as they are in the summer, but the scenic area of the Cotswolds is one. With the thoughts of roaring fires, hearty meals and brisk walks too much to resist, myself and BFF Laila took a trip to check out two of its many hotels, and here’s our verdict. The area A short journey from the nearest town of Lechlade (or slightly longer car/bus/taxi ride from Swindon),...