Advice

Expert guide to Val Thorens Overview Hotels Restaurants Apres ski Snow reports Europe’s most superlative ski resort At 2,300m purpose-built Val Thorens is not only the highest resort in the 600km Trois Vallées ski area that also includes Courchevel, Méribel and Les Menuires, but the highest in Europe. Its lofty altitude means that its doorstep slopes have guaranteed snow cover from November

The UK Government has announced the addition of four more countries to the travel red list, as concerns grow over the omicron Covid variant, first detected in South Africa.  Angola, Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia will join the six countries placed on the revived red list on Friday November 26 – South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Eswatini (formerly Swaziland) and Lesotho. All flights from

In a blow to international travel, six countries have been added to the previously empty red list. From 4am on Sunday November 28, arrivals from South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho, Zimbabwe, Eswatini (formerly Swaziland) and Namibia will be subject to a 10-day stay in a quarantine hotel. Those who arrive before this deadline must quarantine for

The UK Government has announced the addition of six countries to the travel red list, from noon on Friday, as concerns grow over a new Covid-19 variant detected in South Africa.  Sajid Javid, the Health Secretary, said the new variant “may be more transmissible” than the delta strain and added “the vaccines that we currently

Birdsong is one of the most beautiful sounds of the African bush, but too often we forget to listen. Or to watch. Instead, we surrender to that all-consuming fever to seek out a lion, a leopard, a rhino. Not this time. That wavering, wobbling, wandering note up ahead was hypnotic, almost like a physical presence. 

Italy is a country of year-long delights, and now that fully vaccinated Britons will be able to travel there without quarantine upon arrival, it’s the perfect time to get planning. Here’s a month-by-month guide to get you started… January Florence  Florence is, of course, the cradle of the Renaissance, and it’s the city’s remarkable architecture

“Happiness, happiness, the greatest gift that I possess”, trilled the late, indefatigable comedian Ken Dodd. We all know that happy feeling but how to quantify it is debatable. This hasn’t stopped Hexham in Northumberland from being voted Britain’s happiest place to live, according to a recent survey. Indeed, the market town, just south of Hadrian’s

Summer is but a distant memory. Days are downright chilly, breath visible as you leave the house and cheeks pinched red. Escaping to warmth or hibernating until spring becomes all the more appealing. Thankfully, Britain excels when it comes to cosy spots that tick all the right boxes: crackling log fires, piping hot hearty food,

Now is the right time to plan your escape from the British winter but with so much of the world to choose from, how do you decide? Maybe sometimes it’s too easy to get fixated by the weather, rather than the destination or the type of holiday. We are so obsessed with getting some guaranteed

In recent years taking the train to the slopes of Europe has become an increasingly popular choice for British skiers and snowboarders looking for a more enjoyable alternative to airport queues or long drives. This year, however, Eurostar’s famous ski train has been chartered solely by a French tour operator, Travelski, and will be marketed

Expert guide to Verbier Overview Hotels Restaurants Apres ski Snow reports Verbier is a resort which has long been heavy on exclusive private chalets, along with a smattering of upmarket hotels and more reasonable lodges. Perhaps surprisingly, for such a well-heeled resort, there also are a couple of hostel-style options but these need booking well

Anyone who has ever spent time in Britain will know that having an alternative plan in mind, should the weather take a turn for the worse, is practically essential.  The good news is that there is always plenty of choice – should we need to venture indoors – that can help keep the whole family

Expert guide to Verbier Overview Hotels Restaurants Apres ski Snow reports The chic centre of the 4Vallées Verbier is the main resort in Switzerland’s largest ski area, the 4Vallées. Thanks to the combination of a sunny, scenic location, exciting terrain and a lively nightlife, it has long attracted a young crowd intent on making the most of both

Don’t tell Tim Martin, but Wetherspoons is more woke than it thinks. It’s all about upcycling these days, didn’t you know? Fast fashion’s reputation is in the bin. Plastic bags are out, tote bags are in. Even our dear princes and princesses are turning up to gala climate change events wearing tatty old outfits. And indeed,

The NHS app is now widely used as a digital vaccine passport for Britons travelling abroad, and is accepted as proof of your vaccinated status – but not yet any booster dose – by a growing number of nations. The app holds the NHS Covid Pass, which is accepted by all EU countries, as well as most nations further afield. 

If you get your documentation wrong when you travel to the EU, a strange quirk in the Brexit agreement could ruin your entire holiday. One reader who contacted us estimates she lost nearly £2,000 in accommodation, travel and other costs when she was turned away at a Ryanair check-in desk and eventually ended up having

Stories of hidden pirate treasure have captivated travellers to the Seychelles for decades. Fuelled by rumours of a map lost by the 18th-century French outlaw La Buse, hunters have scoured land and sea. Abandoned trenches pock-marking coastlines document a fruitless but never-ending quest to find the hallowed spot marked X.  A collection of 115 islands

I’ve always found the rallying cry of Game of Thrones’ House of Stark somewhat overly dramatic, but this year is different. Winter is coming, and it’s the winter we’ve all been waiting for. I am so fortunate to have spent many years chasing snow – both as a Winter Olympian and now as a recreational

After last year’s cancelled Christmas plans, a family gathering this year will feel all the sweeter. But you’re not the only ones planning a big festive get-together: UK holiday rental bookings for the Christmas week are already five times higher than they were last year, says accommodation company Guesty, with the likes of Cornwall, Devon

The yuletide season will soon be upon us – bringing with it the promise of mulled wine, mince pies and, crucially, enchanting Christmas light displays. From mile-long trails to tunnels of light, these dazzling illuminations are just the ticket for getting into the seasonal spirit.  Here’s everything you need to know about the best Christmas