Tag Archives: Europe

Ask for a lineup of the most popular European coastal destinations and you might expect the usual suspects: Venice, Lisbon and Nice. Travellers from the era of the Grand Tour might have added Biarritz and Naples – but a survey of 3,500 readers by consumer organisation Which? suggests that visitors …

Adventures Hike hut-to-hut on Austria’s Eagle’s Way In 1829, the German poet Goethe arrived in Tirol. Perhaps he was gazing at the gorgeous Nordkette mountain, backdrop to the city of Innsbruck, when he scribbled: “Here, finally, I have found a place of quiet – a place of peace the likes …

With sterling in its customary parlous state, anything that makes your European holiday money go further is going to be welcome. And one simple but rewarding method is to make friends with the humble local bus. Yes, it’s true that most endure a humdrum existence ferrying commuters and shoppers about, …

Sky-high ticket prices, corporate branding and a big-name acts approach are what we have come to expect from music festivals. But with a recent UK study showing people are planning to go and see less live music this year due to the cost of living crisis, perhaps commercial music events …

Sweden At noon, steamboat S/S Stockholm pushes away from Boulevard Strandvägen; its elegant art nouveau buildings, piped like cake icing, are the very definition of understated beauty. Our destination is Vaxholm, one of around 30,000 islands, skerries and islets in Stockholm’s archipelago. The city itself spans 14 islands, each with …

Lakeside beaches, France Lake Vassivière in the Limousin has something for everyone. We found one of France’s largest artificial lakes while on a donkey-trekking holiday (but that’s another story!). The lake has five lovely sandy beaches with safe swim areas, beach cafes and kayak hire. There are walks and cycle …

Taking your car on a Brittany Ferries trip to Europe is a great way to start your holiday, and much easier than hauling your luggage overseas and then hiring a car. And your holiday really does start the moment you drive on board, with award-winning service and plenty of space …

One definition of wellness is “the state of being healthy, especially when it is something that you actively try to achieve”. However, in today’s society, wellness seems to be a catch-all term for anything remotely health-related, fitness, dietary or cosmetic. You name it: biometric facials, sleep syncing, orgasmic meditation. Perhaps …

Relax in an ecodome, Lincolnshire I’ve just returned from the most relaxing weekend at Purusha Retreats, south of Lincoln. From the moment we headed up the grassy, tree-lined driveway we knew we’d arrived in relaxation heaven. Set in a countryside location, we slept in private ecodomes, each with hammocks, a …

Channel Islands Where? Jersey, Guernsey and SarkHow far? Flexible mileage; 6-10 days Why stop at walking around one island when you could do three? Coastal paths trace the edges of both Jersey (48 miles) and Guernsey (35 miles), while on tiny Sark you can string together nine miles or so …