My overriding memories of crossing countries by train, on a trip from London to Albania, are of half-empty carriages and countryside sweeping past windows bathed in the soft orange glow of sunset. I remember cypress trees, red-roofed villages with square churches, farmland in neat strips and row upon row of …
Read More »Confessions of an 82-year-old hitchhiker
‘‘No one hitchhikes any more, do they?” I often hear people saying this and am proud to reply that I’ve hitchhiked every decade of my life, except the first. And I don’t intend to stop just because I’m now in my 80s. So there I was, standing beside the road …
Read More »‘Ahead lay cypress-lined Tuscan roads waiting to be discovered’: readers’ best road trips
Slow roads in Tuscany’s sunny back country Driving through the Tuscan hills, the sun beginning its slow descent in the hazy, glowing heat on an August evening was one of the most exquisite experiences I have ever had. Travelling slowly along small, winding roads near Siena in our old Polo, …
Read More »Restorative in every way: a rewilding retreat in Somerset
The honk of the geese as they take off from the lake is comically loud, reeds quiver and the reflection of the clouds on the water is momentarily fractured. A butterfly flits by, landing on my boot. We’re on a guided walk at 42 Acres, a regenerative farm, nature reserve …
Read More »‘Are we joking?’: Venice residents protest as city starts charging visitors to enter
Authorities in Venice have been accused of transforming the famous lagoon city into a “theme park” as a long-mooted entrance fee for day trippers comes into force. Venice is the first major city in the world to enact such a scheme. The €5 (£4.30) charge, which comes into force today, …
Read More »Venice access fee: what is it and how much does it cost?
After years in the making, Venice will on Thursday begin charging day trippers to enter the city in an effort to protect the Unesco world heritage site from the effects of over-tourism. While the measure has ignited criticism and derision from some, who argue it is unconstitutional and restrictive of …
Read More »Rail route of the month: vines on the line from Avignon to Lyon, France
Trains and wine make natural partners, be it a glass of crisp white over a leisurely lunch in a restaurant car while cruising through the Alps or a rail itinerary that meanders through a region noted for its fine wines. Many of Europe’s most prized wine regions lend themselves naturally …
Read More »A musical tour of Manchester: from the Hallé to the Happy Mondays
Myth distorts any city’s musical history, and in Manchester myth looms as large as the new Co-op Live, a £365m, 23,500-capacity mega-venue that opens today and will soon be staging big-name acts, including Take That. So, for every occasion a music fan mentions the hit-making boy band or, for that …
Read More »Share a tip on travel in Germany – you could win a holiday voucher
With the Euro 2024 football tournament just a month and half away, the spotlight is going to be on host nation Germany in the early part of this summer. Whether you’ve enjoyed visiting the big cities with their bierkellers and clubs, the country’s Baltic coast and islands, half-timbered ancient villages, …
Read More »Autism makes travel a challenge. Here’s how I learned to cope
Wandering hand-in-hand through the medieval streets of Bologna, my boyfriend and I were in awe of the sweeping porticoes and distinctive rust-red brickwork of the city. It was our first holiday together. We’d wanted to find somewhere beyond the obvious that would marry our respective interests in architecture and history. …
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