Walking with snowmen, skating with penguins … get festive with our top 10 days out for children   Ice skating at Brighton Royal Pavilion With the majestic domes of the Royal Pavilion as its backdrop – lit in magical neon colours if you go after dark – this real ice rink is a popular […]

  A project to create Europe’s largest forested national park aims to protect 200,000 hectares of wilderness as well as boost ecotourism in support of local communities   Up on the hill we spy them: dark, imposing forms moving through the dense forest. It’s a group of bison wandering wild in Romania’s Făgăraș mountains. I […]

  Palm Springs’ modernist masterpieces are celebrated in this week’s fall preview but the mountain haven for the Hollywood set is worth a visit any time of year   Mid-century modernism and celebrity tours In the early 1920s, Hollywood stars adopted Palm Springs as a place to escape the travails of Tinseltown. They were wowed […]

  Think the ‘bleeding’ vegan burger about to hit Tesco shelves is a bold move? How about a brined, smoked watermelon?   The announcement this week that Tesco is to stock “bleeding” vegan burgers in UK stores was welcomed as an ingenious move by some but dismissed as a food crime by others. In the […]

These revamped US motels combine modern style with retro touches and new features, such as DJ sets and yoga classes Not much remains of the Henning Motel in Newberry Springs, California. Out on old Route 66, only the once-flashing neon sign still stands, rusted beyond repair. The arrival of the Interstate Highway in the 1970s […]

This 60-mile trail through northern Germany takes in eerie folklore, industrial heritage and forests recovering from a devastating pest The inscription on the wooden shelter where I stopped to eat my cheese roll made quite the pledge. “Wanderer,” it said (at least, according to Google translate), “I protect you from wind and weather, a saviour […]

From Santa Specials for excited children to a luxury Yuletide Evening Express for the grownups, these colourful trips will get you into the festive spirit There’s an affinity between trains and Christmas, but what precisely is the connection? Ghostliness comes into it – the mystique of a train in the wintry night. I think of […]

The canyon, which turns 100 this year, sees 6 million annual visitors. An Arizona travel writer reveals how to get off the beaten track The Grand Canyon is already a pretty famous hole in the ground in Arizona. Now, with Grand Canyon national park celebrating its centennial in 2019, it’s receiving an additional jolt of […]

Easily reached by train, the cities of Olomouc and Brno have culture in spades – and few of the foreign visitors that crowd the capital A chorus of giggles breaks out in the corridor outside the compartment. There’s a stag party on board the train, and the stag has been dared by his mates to […]

Share a tip about your favourite rail route – the best one wins £200 towards a Coolstays break What could be more romantic than the sight of a pillar-box red train gliding through a pristine Alpine landscape of snow-capped mountains, frosted fir trees and frozen waterfalls? The answer, of course, is having a seat inside […]