Advice

Copenhagen always ranks highly in surveys of the world’s best cities, and little wonder. Size certainly helps: it’s big enough to have world-class museums, restaurants and attractions; small enough to make them easily accessible. Then there’s its unerring ability to blend quaint and cool: one minute you’re in Indre By or Christianshavn, strolling along a

For a city with so much mythical and cultural baggage, Athens is surprisingly modern. Sure, there are Byzantine churches tucked among the tightly knit apartments and the Parthenon looms into view around nearly every corner. But come expecting a living postcard and you’ll be in for a shock. Three million people are crammed into this

‘I don’t wanna talk, about things we’ve gone through.” The opening line of Abba’s forlorn 1980 break-up hit The Winner Takes It All always sounded hopelessly unrealistic. Few musical acts have held the public’s affection or interest quite as firmly as this celebrated (largely) Swedish pop quartet. Even now, half a century on from their

It’s no wonder that the Maldives often overwhelm would-be visitors. Its 1,192 coral islands, set within 26 atolls, spread across 35,000 square miles of Indian Ocean, are enough to send most people into a pre-hols spin. At the first glance of a silky brochure, Maldivian islands appear to be just carbon copies of each other;

It was shaping up to be a textbook take off. The conditions were clear and the AndoluJet plane had taxied onto the runway at Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport. It was scheduled to fly to Istanbul, a breezy two-hour journey. The pilot conducted the final checks, and then a number of passengers felt a light

If there was ever a month (and a year) to stay near Buckingham Palace, June 2022 is the one to pick. With so many pockets of celebrations happening for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee it makes perfect sense to bed down and be right in the thick of the events for maximum enjoyment. Spots like Victoria,

It’s fair to say that the airport experience has taken a turn for the worse over the past couple of years. From confusing Covid admin at check-in to nightmarish queues and an upswing in last-minute flight cancellations, it seems there’s little glamour in flying these days.  Still, some airports manage to make the experience a

The term ‘spa break’ conjures up ideas of grand country house getaways or residential retreats but what if you choose your spa experience to be in the city? Who says you can’t combine the two elements? It’s actually a stroke of genius because when you’ve been pounding the streets and rinsing the city for all it

Ah, the “mini break”. That must mean a 1950s headscarf and shades. An overpriced and impractical valise. A picnic hamper in the boot. And a drive to a country house retreat, where you shall waft around in floaty fabrics, and bathe in champagne, candlelight, sunsets and smugness.  Or maybe not. It’s been 25 years since

Cornwall is all well and good for humans, but it’s nothing short of paradise for dogs. Bounding along great expanses of sandy beach, splashing about in the surf, going for long walks on the moors or along the Southwest Coast Path. And in turn, the Duchy loves its four-legged visitors. Most pubs and cafés are

Dubrovnik is one of the world’s most magnificent walled cities, overlooking the calm blue Adriatic. Once the capital of the mighty sea-faring Republic of Ragusa (1358-1808), it’s now Croatia’s most upmarket destination. Historically, this diminutive republic was sophisticated, refined and cultured. Today, the pedestrian-only Old Town – packed with aristocratic palazzi and elegant Baroque churches,

You could happily spend all day eating and drinking wherever you are in Spain, and I frequently do. One thing just sort of slides into the next – if you’re doing it right.  Be warned though, this means resetting your eating routine and having your lunch and dinner at least an hour or two later

Any hotel that has a ghost story attached to it involving Suzi Quatro is a hotel that I want to stay in. For those readers under 45 who didn’t book tickets for her show at the Royal Albert Hall in April, Quatro is the Detroit-born leather-clad rock chick who took England by storm in the

Known for its steamy-hot summers, mild winters and sultry operatic gypsy heroine Carmen, Seville is a bijou city whose fabulous food, extraordinary Mudejar, Gothic and Renaissance architecture, and exotic flamenco rhythms never fail to charm and seduce. History oozes through its very pores, with ancient Moorish walls, Roman ruins and Baroque churches at every turn.

Founded almost a thousand years ago, Marrakech is one of the great cities of the Maghreb. Somehow this bursting-at-the-seams city exists on the edge of the Sahara Desert, its pink pise (rammed earth) palaces framed by the snow-capped High Atlas. In its seething souks, Europe, Africa and the Middle East mingle and merge, and the

Gone are the days of dull, corporate hotels with drab interiors, little or no atmosphere, and limited amenities. New York is home to a host of innovative properties promising more than cosy beds and free Wi-Fi. From spacious, well-designed lobbies-cum-workspaces to celebrity chef-driven restaurants, not to mention ultra-convenient addresses merely a skip to the office,

With sparkling seas, silky beaches, stylish accommodation, sumptuous food and seriously fun activities, Greece holiday resorts (which are surely one of the world’s most family-friendly places) are the perfect destinations for a worry-free, all-inclusive trip – with or without the kids in tow. Food is a major plus here in the home of the Mediterranean diet

Stand between the fragrant orange trees that line the main square in Vila Real de Santo António, surrounded by charming 18th century town houses and a mosaic of bold black and white cobblestones at your feet and you could be forgiven for thinking this little town’s claim to fame lies in its looks. In many

Remember those two-week holidays when you wished you could’ve stayed longer? When you dreamt of spending days on end getting lost in the streets of a new city, returning to a favourite café until you’re counted as one of the locals, or having more time for day trips further afield? It seems retired travellers are

Do you know that feeling when you walk into a hotel, a restaurant, a bistro or a bar and you instantly know you are going to have a good time? “I love this place,” declared my dinner companion, one of the pickiest people on the planet, as he settled into a deep-pink velvet armchair at